Whisky and Wensleydale Cheese Pairing

This past couple of weekend I have been testing a lot of whisky and cheese pairings again. After the craziness that was June and July, weekends have slowed down and lefts some space for experimenting.

I was sitting back, grabbing a few whiskies, opening up some interesting cheese and in general just relaxing a bit. I tried a goats cheese and bourbon pairings, but that elicited a slightly negative response from John.

He hates goats cheese and no bourbon and goats cheese pairing worked for him. Me, well I love goats cheese and appreciated all the pairings. I served it with some crusty baguettes and thought it was fabulous. The next weekend we moved on to a Wensleydale cheese with cranberries.

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Previously I paired a Wensleydale cheese with mango and ginger with some Glenkinchie 12 year old whisky, and it was a great pairing.

French Cistercian monks from the Roquefort region, who had settled in Wensleydale, first made Wensleydale cheese. When the monastery dissolved, the local farmers continued making the cheese-making tradition.

Wensleydale cheese is traditionally firm and creamy with sweet notes. It is a great cheese to pair with fruit. This Wensleydale with cranberries is from Somerset and a crumbly semi-hard cheese. The cranberries add a zesty note to the flavour. So let’s try a few bold and exciting whisky and Wensleydale cheese pairings

Whisky and Wensleydale cheese pairing

Glenfarclas 12 year old Whisky

The first pairing was the sherried Glenfarclas 12 year old whisky. Tasting notes for the Speyside classic single malt Scotch include notes of fruitcake, raisins, oak and spice. The sweetness of the Glenfarclas complimented the sweetness of the cheese and made for a creamy combination. The tart cranberry notes got a bit lost in all the sweetness. RATING: 3/5  

Johnnie Walker Swing Blended Whisky

A Johnnie Walker blended Scotch with hints of peat, dried fruits, tobacco and leather. There are bits of sherry sweetness with some ginger in the Swing. The peaty smoke worked well with the creamy, rich cheese and created a comforting and delicious pairing. RATING: 3.5/5

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Glenmorangie Sonnalta Whisky

After spending ten years maturing in American white oak casks, the Sonnalta PX is transferred into PX casks for its final two years of extra-maturation. This makes it a sweet dram with hints of dried fruits, honey and spices. The pairing of the Glenmorangie Sonnalta PX with the Wensleydale is fantastic. The cream of the cheese and the body of the whisky are perfectly paired to make for a delicious combination. RATING: 4/5

Macallan 15 year old Fine Oak Whisky

The Macallan Fine Oak 15 year old whisky boasts notes of oak and orange blossom sweetness barley, vanilla sweetness mixed with some pepper spice and nutmeg. It is big and bold, and I was scared that it would overwhelm this cheese, but the pairing was excellent. Creamy and elegant with bright tart notes from the cranberry. RATING: 4/5

What is your favourite whisky to pair with a creamy Wensleydale?

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