The Perfect Cheese Pairing For Porter Beer

Porter is a dark beer with a tart, lightly lactic character that can be paired with a variety of cheeses. Porters tend to have sweet flavours of caramel or toffee and a bit of roasted complexity. When paired with cheese, the porter's cocoa, coffee, and roasty bitterness can dominate more delicate cheeses. However, these flavours complement rich, nutty Gruyère-style cheeses or decadent triple creams. For example, a porter could be paired with Roth's Grand Cru Surchoix, Le Gruyère AOC 1655, Cowgirl Creamery's Mt. Tam, or Pierre Robert. Washed-rind cheeses can also stand up to the robust flavour of porters. Additionally, Cahill's Irish Porter Cheddar is a cheese that is deeply veined with porter ale, making it a natural pairing. When pairing cheese and beer, it is important to balance the flavour intensity and consider complementary or contrasting flavours.

Cahill's Porter with Cahill's Porter Cheddar

Cahill's Porter is best enjoyed with the Cahill's Porter Cheddar, a unique cheese crafted from cow's milk at the eponymous Cahill's Farm Cheese in Ireland. This semi-hard, artisan cheese is aged for 10 months, resulting in a marbled appearance and a full-flavoured, tangy taste. The lengthy maturation process infuses the cheddar with rich Irish porter, imparting a caramel and smoky undertone.

The pairing of Cahill's Porter with Cahill's Porter Cheddar is a match made in heaven. The beer's smooth and slightly bitter profile complements the cheese's earthy flavour and marbled effect, creating a harmonious combination. The porter's malt and yeast characteristics enhance the cheese's nuttiness, while its carbonation cuts through the cheese's dense texture, refreshing the palate for the next bite.

Cahill's Porter Cheddar, with its striking marbled pattern, adds a touch of elegance to any cheeseboard. Its brownish-yellow colour and distinctive flavour make it an unforgettable culinary experience. This cheddar is not just a treat for the eyes but also a delight for the taste buds, offering a perfect balance of tanginess and smokiness.

When it comes to culinary applications, Cahill's Porter Cheddar is incredibly versatile. It can be enjoyed as part of a cheeseboard or melted on top of a beef burger for a quirky twist. For pizza lovers, this cheddar is a dream come true, adding a unique flavour to your pie.

In conclusion, Cahill's Porter and Cahill's Porter Cheddar are a dynamic duo that elevates the sensory experience. The pairing showcases the best of both worlds, with the beer's smoothness and the cheese's tanginess creating a symphony of flavours. Whether enjoyed as part of a meal or on their own, Cahill's Porter and Cahill's Porter Cheddar are a match that every food enthusiast should savour.

Triple cream cheeses

When it comes to drinking porter beer, a triple cream cheese is a great pairing. The rich, creamy texture of triple cream cheeses, such as Auguste & Fils Soft Ripened Triple Cream, can enhance the flavour of the porter. The cheese's simple flavour and creamy texture can smooth out the toasted malt flavours of the porter, allowing the layered yeast character to come to the fore. This can result in a creamy and fruity taste sensation.

For a classic option, try a Triple Crème Brie. This cheese is crafted using traditional French cheese-making techniques, blending local milk and added cream to create a smooth and creamy texture with slightly sweet, milky flavours. Another option is the Truffle Triple Crème Brie, which has the same base but includes real black truffles imported from France, resulting in an irresistibly earthy and aromatic flavour.

When creating a cheese board with triple cream cheeses, consider adding some classics like prosciutto or mild salami, buttery olives, and crunchy bread. For a touch of sweetness, include fresh berries or fruit jams. If you're a pickle lover, don't forget to add some cornichons to your board for a bright and savoury contrast. Remember to take the cheese out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before serving to enjoy it at room temperature and experience its full flavour.

Aged Gouda

When it comes to pairing with porter beer, the intensity of the cheese is key. A porter is a malty beer with nutty, fruity, and bitter notes. The nuttiness of the aged Gouda will enhance the pecan and hazelnut flavours in the porter, while the intensity of the cheese will stand up to the intensity of the beer. The nuttiness of the cheese will also complement the fruity notes in the porter.

When creating a cheese board with aged Gouda and porter beer, consider adding complementary flavours such as salted honey butter, nuts, and dried cherries. These flavours will enhance the nuttiness of the cheese and the fruity notes in the beer.

For a delicious meal that incorporates aged Gouda and porter beer, try making porter beer burgers with Gouda cheese and bacon. Simply cook bacon and onion in a skillet, add the beer and simmer until it evaporates, then mix with ground beef, form into patties, and grill or pan-fry. Top the burgers with sliced Gouda in the last minute of cooking, and serve on a bun with mustard and lettuce.

Clothbound cheddars

The flavour of clothbound cheddars can be described as deeply savory with a signature tang and a hint of caramel sweetness. The texture is crumbly and crystalline, becoming creamy on the palate. This contrast between savoury and sweet makes clothbound cheddars a perfect match for charcuterie, apple jelly, or rich chestnut honey. In terms of drinks, clothbound cheddars pair well with hoppy ales, lagers, dry ciders, and full-bodied red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon.

One well-known clothbound cheddar is the Cabot Clothbound, a collaboration between Jasper Hill Farm and Cabot Creamery. This cheese has a rustic appearance, with a rich, caramelly flavour and a speckled texture. It is made at Cabot Creamery and then shipped to Jasper Hill to be bandaged, coated, and aged. The Cabot Clothbound has won several awards, including the American Cheese Society's 2006 Best in Show and 3rd place in the 2023 ACS competition for cheddars wrapped in cloth.

When it comes to pairing clothbound cheddars with porter beer specifically, IPAs (India Pale Ales) are often recommended as a good match. The barny flavours in clothbound cheddars can mellow the bitter hops in IPAs and enhance the fruity notes. However, keep in mind that porter beers can vary in flavour, so the specific type of porter may also influence the pairing. For example, an English porter might pair well with an English cheddar, as they share a similar sensibility and complexity.

Washed-rind cheeses

Today, washed-rind cheeses are produced all over the world, with some of the best examples coming from Britain, including Stinking Bishop, a soft washed-rind cheese made in Gloucestershire, and Rollright, a buttery washed-rind cheese made in Oxfordshire.

When it comes to pairing washed-rind cheeses with beer, Belgian ales are often recommended. The yeasty, banana bread flavours of these ales are said to complement the strong flavours of washed-rind cheeses, creating a delicious, toasty, caramel combination. However, it's important to note that the specific beer used for washing a cheese may not always be the best pairing option, as the beer's flavour doesn't always directly correlate with the cheese's flavour.

Some specific examples of washed-rind cheeses that pair well with porter beer include:

• Lorelei, a goat cheese from Briar Rose Creamery in Portland, Oregon, washed in Deschutes Brewery Black Butte Porter.
• A Cheese Named Sue, a goat cheese from Haystack Mountain Goat Dairy in Colorado, washed in Oskar Blues Brewery G'Knight imperial red IPA.
• The Good Thunder, a cheese from Alemar Cheese Company, washed in Surly Brewing Bender.

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