SACRAMENTO, CO
For this week’s Beer & Cheese Pairing, I have three fantastic cheeses all imported by Tony’s Fine Foods from France to pair with Track 7’s Panic IPA. With such delicious offerings, let’s get started.
BEER:
This IPA is heavily hopped with modern American hop royalty, featuring Amarillo and Simcoe hops. It has both a subtle citrus flavor and a not-so-subtle stone fruit nose. The big hops and smooth body should make it a very good pair to these flavorful cheeses.
CHEESES:
Mimolette is a pasteurized cows milk cheese that is produced in the Nord Pas-de-Calais region in northern France. It is aged for three months and has a bright orange color and a natural, dusty looking rind. Its flavor profile resembles the sharp and tangy flavors of an aged cheddar. This delicious cheese was a decent pair with the IPA but did not achieve a true balance. The tanginess overpowered the hoppiness of the beer.
Pierre Robert is a triple-crème-style cheese that comes from Seine-et-Marne. It is named after its creator, Robert Rouzarie, and has a decadent, buttery smooth taste. It is aged for three weeks and has a semi-soft bloomy rind. This was almost a perfect pairing. The hops of the beer were just a tiny bit muddled by the mild, butter-like tones of the cheese. Even still, it was a delicious pair.
Florette is a goats milk, soft ripened French cheese produced from the Guilloteau creamery. Unlike most tangy and sharp goat cheeses, Florette has a delicate flavor and a creamy texture. It is aged for about 2 weeks and comes in a hexagonal shape. This was my favorite cheese and pairing, narrowly beating the others. This was a subtle, yet tasty balance of flavors and strength.
Overall, this was a very enjoyable round of pairings. Be sure to check back for more!
