I was quite intrigued when I found a Comté Cheese at Woolworths some time ago. It is not a cheese that I have seen before, and I naturally had to buy it to see how it would pair with whisky.

Comté cheese (also called Gruyère de Comté) is a semi-hard French cheese produced in France’s Jura Massif region. The unpasteurized cow’s milk used is mainly from Montbeliarde Cattle or French Simmental cattle (or crossbreeds of the two).

This hard mountain cheese is matured in the silence and darkness of special caves where the cheese gets its unique taste, texture and colour. The texture is relatively dense and firm. The taste is strong and slightly sweet.

Comte cheese has a pale yellow interior with a nutty aroma. The main aromatic flavours that linger on the palate is a balance of brown-butter and roasted-nut aromas and a sweet finish. Noticing that the cheese is from the Jura region in France made me, on a whim, take out our Jura 10 year old Origin single malt Scotch whisky.

The Jura 10 year old Origin Whisky

I had no real expectation that this whisky and Comté cheese pairing would work. For me, the idea that the region and the distillery coincided was interesting. I tasted the Jura whisky during 2014 and gave it a rating of Very Good.

The island of Jura is located so close to the island of Islay and the ‘Parish of Peat’ that the distillery often participates in the annual ‘Feis Ile’ whisky festival of the Islay distilleries. However, the Jura 10 year old single malt whisky flavours are different from the peaty whiskies from the neighbouring island of Islay.

It is a medium-bodied whisky and regarded as an accessible, easy-drinking whisky. My tasting notes captured apricots and flowers on the nose. On the palate, I picked up apricots, raisins and a little oak.  There are hints of mild spice and citrus.

Related Article: Pairing bourbon and cheese

Jura 10 year old Whisky and Comté Cheese Pairing

Much to my surprise, this pairing of a Jura whisky and Comté cheese worked surprisingly well. This smooth cheese brought out more malty cereal notes in the Jura whisky and heightened the saltiness. The fruity flavours became more pronounced, and more spice notes came through.

The Jura whisky is medium-bodied enough to stand up to this nutty, fruity cheese and not overpower it. The whisky brought out more smoky and sweet notes in the Comté cheese. I give the Jura Origin whisky and Comté Cheese a RATING: EXCELLENT.

A great combination  I will try again in future. Have you tried this interesting cheese?

Also Read: Whisky and Mature Gouda pairing