After a relaxing holiday, the year started with new opportunities. And a chance to try out more whisky and cheese pairings. In December, Checkers brought out a new cheese brochure, which I read from end to end. It had all kinds of amazing cheese ideas, and I kept it for further inspiration.
The front page had a picture of the cutest little Ile de France brie cheeses. You might say that brie cheese should not be described as cute, but you would agree when you see these little delicate Ile de France morsels. They looked perfect for a whisky and brie cheese pairing experiment.
Brie cheese is one of the best-known French cheeses and a staple on cheese boards worldwide. It is a soft cow milk cheese named after the French Brie region, where it was first produced.
After shaping and draining, the cheese is removed, salted, inoculated with mould, and then aged for at least four weeks. It has a bloomy rind, and the flavour has creamy and hazelnut butter notes. Brie has hints of sweet fruit and a slightly tangy and earthy aftertaste.
The Ile de France brie cheese was slightly saltier than the locally produced brie cheese. However, it created a wonderful contrast with the whisky. It is best to serve brie cheese at room temperature.
I tried various whisky pairings with this brie and below are my results:
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I first tried the Glen Grant Major Reserve single malt whisky at the Whisky Life Festival during 2015 and loved it. With its heaps of spicy notes, this fruity whisky is a firm favourite and works wonderfully with the salty brie cheese.
The apple notes in the Glen Grant whisky made the cheese sweeter and creamier, and the brie cheese smoothed out the spicy notes in the whisky. It is a wonderful balance between sweet and salty. I give the Glen Grant Major Reserve whisky and brie cheese pairing a Rating: 4/5
Looking back, I have tried quite a few cheese pairings with this Balvenie Caribbean Cask whisky. The tropical fruit and vanilla notes from the Scotch seem to pair nicely with softer cheeses. It is robust enough to stand up to the cheese’s earthy, tangy character but soft and smooth enough not to overwhelm it.
The combination is creamy, smooth, and rich, and you don’t want the experience to finish. I give this Balvenie Caribbean Cask single malt whisky and brie cheese pairing a Rating: 4/5
One of my favourite peaty blends was up next. The Black Grouse whisky, with its mild peat, smoke and caramel notes, is a favourite when eating Indian food. But it is also gentle enough to go with these small morsels of cheese perfection.
The creaminess in the brie smooths out the peaty notes, and the cheese becomes more creamy and rich. I give the Black Grouse blended whisky and brie cheese pairing a Rating: 3,5/5
I tried the cheese with the Glenlivet 12 year old, and it worked well. However, a pairing with a Grant Sherry cask and a Tullibardine Sauternes Cask did not work so well.
Have you tried this soft cheese paired with whisky yet?
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Nice pairings, hadn't thought of Glen Grant. Another excellent pairing is the Amrut Indian single malt. The caramel and peaty notes really sing with the earthy Brie.
Also you can easily swap the Brie for Camembert when pairing with the Caribbean cask aged Balvenie and most other Speyside single malts. Something about the sweet Speysides really clicks with the earthy, mushroomy flavours of the Camembert.
When it comes to whisky and cheese I just imagine what I would put on a board next to the chosen cheese (eg dried fruits, apple, spicy dip etc) and then look for those flavours in the whisky.
Yes, you can easily swap the Brie and the Camembert around. The Balvenie Caribbean is a very versatile dram that works with quite a few cheeses. When I serve this at home, there is usually candied nuts and fresh grapes paired with the cheese. Thank you for stopping by
Not sure about the best bars in London as I am in Johannesburg, but this list on Design my Night looks quite interesting (https://www.designmynight.com/london/bars/best-whisky-bars-in-london)
Black Grouse is my absolute favorite! I love a good peaty whiskey! I have just bought my husband a personalized whiskey decanter and glasses for Christmas. I guess we will have to put it to work :) #globalblogging
O Wow! What a great Christmas gift. I think he will love it. And Black Grouse also goes well with Indian food. 😜 It is really very versatile!
It makes for a great pairing!
Try a soft smooth dram with the cheese. Good luck with experimenting. Thank you for stopping by.
Not a bad compromise. One eating the cheese and one drinking the whisky. Teamwork 😁. Thank you for stopping by. Have a great week.