Charity cheese and beer

That's the cheese plate for a beer and cheese tasting I tutored at a private residence last evening. I walked 20 participants through the tastier points of flavors and pairing. The evening was a silent auction award from the Brewers Ball against Cystic Fibrosis.

THE TALKING POINTS

• Wine is a movie; beer is a Broadway show.
• Beer is a more a complex beverage than wine.
• Brewers don't want yeast to sexually reproduce. (This caused a lot of merriment.)
• With beer and cheese pairing, there are no rules, only enthusiastic suggestions.
• No need for a cracker; beer is the cracker.
• Taste the beer; taste the cheese; finally, taste the beer and cheese together.
• There are no bad beer and cheese pairings; some are better than others.
• Strong stout and Stilton tasted together make for a flavor dance.
• Don't drink old beer.

THE PAIRINGS

St. Andre triple creme
Oxford Raspberry Wheat
residual tartness of the beer cuts the luxuriousness of the cheese

Goat Gouda
Balto MarzHon
I would have preferred the nutty/butterscotch sweetness of an aged cow's Gouda, but this cheese was a crowd pleaser. Slightly tangy, mildly goaty.

Manchego
Small Craft Warning Uber Pils
Grassy character of this sheep's milk is complemented by the grassiness of the beer's Euro-hops.

Cabot Cheddar
Winter Storm Imperial ESB
The classic ploughman's platter. The cheese: buttery, slightly fruity, and tangy. A taste contrast with the caramel malt and earthy English hops of the beer.

Borough Market Stilton
Peg Leg Imperial Stout
A wonderful and effective demonstration of "1+1=3". The roast of the stout pulls the funk from the blue; the blue mold pulls the roast from the beer.

Taleggio
Loose Cannon Hop3 Ale
The washed rind aromatics of the cheese mate well with the pungent aromatics of the beer. Both have soft, buttery character ... after the stink.