TGIF! Here's another suggestion to kick off your St. Patrick's Day celebration: young Irish Cheddar (on sale for $6.99 at Murray's) and Arrogant Ale ($6.99, D'Agostino) from Stone Brewing Company in San Diego.
The ale is aggressive, arrogant even. But that's where the not-to-sharp Irish cheddar cheese, aged six to eight months, jumps in to mellow things out. Both the beer and the cheese have fruity flavors and slight carbonation of the beer lifts the fat of the cheese.
Don't let the copy on the beer bottle ("If you don't like this beer, keep it to yourself -- we don't wanna hear from any sniveling yellow beer-drinkin' whimps.") keep you away from this beer. Beer Advocate gave the beer a 90 and called the brew outstanding. This isn't a beer you'd drink all night, but pairing it with this cheese makes a strong start to a hearty dinner.
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Comments (2)
No offense to the Irish, but when it comes to a cheddar that matches well with beer, the English have them beat..hands down. Back when I worked at Murray's, I'd be sure to bring a hunk of english cheddar (Keen's, if we had it, Quicke's otherwise) anytime we went drinking. It's also hearty enough to stand up to a pint of Guinness or anything by Stone Brewing Company, while the very mild Irish cheddar would be lost.
If you're at Murray's picking up cheese for some St. Patrick's celebration, but sure to try the Ardrahan as well. Another great one from the green island.
Keen's is a staple at the Murray's counter right now. I do agree though.. there's something about a sharp, crunchy, flaky cheddar when it matches up with the sharp hops in an IPA or barleywine. I find Irish to be a little too mild for my taste, but if I were to find myself with a nibble, I'd go with maybe the Blue Point Toasted Lager to accentuate the mild sweetness.
Incidentally, someone recently suggested Cashel Blue, the weaker of the two Irish blues that I know, should be paired with a sweet-ish but very dynamic barleywine. I'm having a hard time imagining it, and would sooner try it with the Crozier Blue which I miss dearly, but if you find yourself with an east coast barleywine, give it a shot.
Arrogant Bastard is an amazing brew though.. great shout-out!