August 23, 2014 Show

This week we not only enjoy great beer, but great cheese as well as we discuss cheese and beer pairings with author Janet Fletcher whose book Cheese & Beer covers the topic in great depth.  We are also joined in studio by our wonderful repeat guest Ed and of course the wonderful Billy from Backyard Ale House

This week's beer lineup with cheese looked and tasted great, here is a teaser picture!

Beer Lineup:

Oskar Blues- Dale's Pale Ale:  A perfect example of the easy drinking pale ale style, we were able to enjoy this one out of a tall boy as well which added to this beers wonderful allure.  It is a must try for Pale Ale fans and we paired this with some delicious New York cheddar.

Jolly Pumpkin- Bam Noire:  Jolly Pumpkin is a world class brewery and what makes them even better is that they produce amazing flavored filled beers such as Bam Noire and also manage to get the ABV at 4.3%.  This dark farmhouse ale has subtle notes of raisins and cocoa balanced with hints of tartness and funk making for a very enjoyable experience.  It was paired with a wonderfully creamy Triple Cream Brie cheese.

Victory Brewing Company- Wild Devil:  A unique take on Victory's already well established Hop Devil.  This beer takes the aforementioned beer and spikes it with Brettanomyces giving it s subtle sour characteristic and added an extra layer of complexity, a fantastic beer that would be an interesting beer to age to see what the Brett does over time, this beer was paired with a studio favorite Humboldt Fog from Cypress Grove Chevre a cheese that is also a must try for those who are unfamiliar with it!

Allagash Brewing Company- Four:  This Belgian Quad boasts an impressive 10% ABV, but does not give any hints to it from the taste.  It is smooth and easy drinking and has all the lovely dark fruit characteristics we love in darker Belgian beers, find this and try it now!  We paired this beer with an aged Gruyère cheese.

Great Divide- Oatmeal Yeti Stout:  Another well established beer from a well established brewery.  The Yeti imperial stout series has a cult like following and it is easy to see why, strong notes of coffee and cocoa play off of one another while the addition of the oatmeal create an even creamier version of this amazing stout.  This beer needed to be paired with something strong enough to hold up to this beer and we chose Maytag Blue Cheese, an excellent pairing!


After chatting with Janet about her book we gave away a copy as well, it is a highly recommended book and features a layout that is perfect for the subject matter.  A must read if you are interested in beer and food pairings!  Click on the cover below to pick up a copy for yourself!