Barleywine and Blue Cheese

By Jason Hunt, Certified Cicerone

 

One of the most sublime areas of food and beverage pairing is that of beer with cheese. In fact, many cheese aficionados will tell you that beer is actually a better pairing for many cheeses than wine. From sharp cheddars paired with IPAs to nutty manchegos paired with brown ales, there is a great beer pairing to go with every type of cheese. But of all the wonderful combinations of beer and cheese, perhaps the most renowned is Barleywine and Blue Cheese.

 

Beer and cheese work well together for several reasons. For starters, beer encompasses a broad spectrum of flavors that are also found in cheese–fruity, floral, nutty, grassy, earthy, caramel and occasionally some funkier elements as well. Add to that all of the contrasting flavors that are found in beer–toasty, roasty, herbal, piney, and spicy–and you have a huge array of possibilities for pairing. The carbonation in beer also works well to cut through the creaminess of the cheese and leave the palate refreshed and ready for the next bite.

 

Blue cheese is one of the most pungent and intense families of cheese. Blues begin their life in the same way as other cheeses and can be made from any of the main milks: cow, sheep, or goat. They are then inoculated with the mold penicillium and often other cheese-friendly bacteria, which give blue cheeses their distinctive appearance, aroma, and flavor. Blue cheeses can range in intensity levels, but across the board are characterized by pungent, often funky aromatics, sharp, salty flavors, and a rich and creamy texture. Obviously, a cheese with this much flavor and body needs to be paired with a beer that is equally full-throttled. Cue the Barleywine.

 

Barleywines are so named because they are beers with the alcohol strength of wine. Modern Barleywines originated in England as full-bodied, rich, malty strong ales. With the rise of American craft brewing, an American-style Barleywine has also developed. American Barleywines are just as malty as their English brothers, but much hoppier, often rivaling Imperial IPAs in hop levels. Both styles work beautifully with a variety of blue cheeses.

 

Barleywines first began their blue cheese love affair in their country of origin, where they were first paired with another famous English gastronomic creation: Stilton. The boldcharacter of the Barleywine was a perfect match for the intensity of the blue cheese. The malty sweetness of the beer balances out the more pungent aspects of the cheese, and the sharpness of the blue really lights up the fruit notes found in the beer. In the American varieties, that same sharpness also dances enticingly with the spiciness of the

hops. The end result is one of the most full-flavored, invitingly complex, and legendary pairings of any food and beverage.

 

Join us this Wednesday, April 9, from 4pm to close for our Barleywine and Blue Cheese pairing event, where we will be presenting five of the best Barleywines–representing both English and American styles–with four outstanding styles of blue cheese.