Beer and Cheese - April & May Editions

The Fungus Among Us

We recently gathered at Goose the Market to sample the April and May pairings for the Beer & Cheese Club. Or, as I like to call it,The Best Club Ever.  

April's pairing was Langres cheese with The Bruery Saison Rue.  SO GOOD.  Langres is a French cow's milk cheese. Don't let the fancy name fool ya, it has a very down to earth flavor, creamy and smooth.  It was encased in penicillium. Yes, I too freaked out about that. But not to worry...they do that a lot with cheese. It's a bit different than ACTUAL penicillin, so if you are allergic to the antibiotic you can probably still eat the cheese....**maybe.  (**Do not take medical advice from a beer geek)  The Saison Rue, a Belgian/farmhouse style ale, was a terrific pairing. The subtle malty, spicy, citrus hints blended well with the creamy mouth-feel of the Langres. 

May's pairing was Kenny's 'Ted' cheese with Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel.  Kenny's Farmhouse Cheese.  Just take a moment to read that again...and remember it.  Kenny makes this delightful cheese right down the road in Barren County, Kentucky. He uses raw milk from cows that roam around right in his pasture.  The Ted, named after his grandfather, is a molded cheese, but you only get that moldy, funky, taste around the outside.  The middle  tastes like an aged cheddar. I ATE THE ENTIRE MIDDLE. I don't do mold...yet.  The Triple IPA paired very nicely with the sharpness of this cheese.  I also found that the cheese mellowed out the 'heat' from the higher ABV (9%).

To join the Beer and Cheese Club at Goose the Market (in conjunction with Hoosier Beer Geek), check out this PDF and then either call Goose the Market at 317-924-4944 or stop in the shop at 2503 N. Delaware St.

Beer and Cheese Club - August 2012

Yes, it's September, but we're almost back up to speed with the Beer and Cheese of the Month Club!  We hear something extra rewarding is in store for September.  That doesn't mean that August isn't something incredible on its own.  Barleywine and blue cheese is a classic beer and cheese pairing, but we've taken that idea and went a little out into left field for August.

Rochefort 10 is an amazing Trappist beer.  If you don't believe me, go look it up on Beer Advocate or Rate Beer, I'll wait.  Now that the internet has convinced you, it's time to try it for yourself.  Rochefort 10 is the quintessential Belgian Strong Ale.  The label says 11.3% ABV, but this beer hides its strength through layers of delicious dark fruit and malt.  It's a good thing this comes in a 330 mL bottle or else we'd all be on the floor!

Rogue Creamery may come from Oregon, but it's actually of no relation to Rogue brewery.  Perhaps to confuse matters even more, Rogue brewery features Rogue Creamery cheeses in each of their public houses!  Regardless of the confusion, Rogue Creamery can claim its own notoriety in the cheese world through a variety of incredible cheeses.  The Oregon Blue may be one of their go-to standards, but it's also one of the best examples of the style out there.  We think you'll agree.

If you're a member of the Beer and Cheese Club at Goose the Market, your August installment was ready for you to pick up a few weeks ago, so we hope you already have! If you're not a member, the club is $99 for 4 months. This month's delivery includes 2 bottles of Rochefort 10 and about 3/4 lb of Rogue Oregon Blue. Either of these items would be great experiences on their own, but we feel they are even better when consumed together.

This was my favorite pairing we have done yet.  I already enjoy the flavors of good blue cheese, and Rochefort 10 is one of the best examples of a Belgian Quad you are going to find that is easily available here in Indiana.

I also try each of items by themselves before trying them paired together.  I started with the Rogue Oregon Blue and was greeted with one of the best blue cheeses I've personally tasted.  It was meaty, sweet, salty, and creamy.  The flavors continually evolved and changed on the palate.

When you put the beer and the cheese together you really created something special.  The dark fruit flavors in the quad really popped with huge dark fruit flavors of fig, raisins, and burnt sugar. All of the flavors in the blue cheese were elevated to another level as well.  Those same flavors really came through with attention and taste bud grabbing nuances that challenged the palate, but kept you wanting more.  This month's pairing is real treat.

We found out that August was going to be Rogue's Oregon Blue and immediately we went to work on barleywines.  Then we stopped and thought barleywines were too obvious.  So naturally our minds went to strong ales.  When we found out that we could obtain Rochefort 10 for this month, it was a no-brainer.

Rochefort 10 offers up a nose full of dark fruit, cranberries, hazelnut and caramel.  It is immediately apparent that this is going to be a rich and complex beer.  The flavor profile of the beer is definitive of the style with tons of figs, raisins and cherries immediately present.  The malt is rounded out by caramel, almond and muscavado sugars, leaving only a hint of alcohol behind.

Now with the cheese, this beer is simply elevated to another level.  The funky blue cheese is played down by the beer, but instead of mellowing they simply become engrossed in the dark fruits.  The dark fruit elements become sweeter, which plays to the blue cheese flavor profile excellently.  Both grow and become more complex, but neither overshadows the other.  This is what pairing beer and cheese is all about.

To join the Beer and Cheese Club at Goose the Market (in conjunction with Hoosier Beer Geek), check out this PDF and then either call Goose the Market at 317-924-4944 or stop in the shop at 2503 N. Delaware St.

Beer and Cheese Club - May 2012

Beer and Cheese Club for May?  Isn't it June?  This is surely what you're asking yourself if you are paying attention, and you would be correct.  Goose the Market actually did us one better this year and released May's Beer and Cheese Club during American Craft Beer Week.  Perfect plan, right?  We thought so, but unfortunately most of us were out of town or preoccupied when it was released!  So here we are in June, reviewing May's selection.  Surely you can find it in your beery hearts to forgive us?

New Albanian is a brewery that most Indiana beer connoisseurs are familiar with.  The brewers of fan favorites such as Hoptimus, Beak's Best and Elector also produce a good number of new beers.  A quick stop by their website or a beer review website will reveal dozens of options.  The latest of their beers to make it into bombers are a pair of brews referred to as Hoosier Daddy (Crimson and Cream) and Black and Bluegrass.  I couldn't fairly review the Crimson and Cream option (Boiler Up), so it's a good thing this month's Beer and Cheese Club pairs nicely with Black and Bluegrass, and interesting beer that is neither black, nor brewed with bluegrass.  Instead, it is brewed with blue agave nectar, black peppercorns and lemongrass -  hence, Black and Bluegrass.

Much as New Albanian is a household name when it comes to Indiana beer, Capriole Farms is equally as familiar in the Indiana cheese world.  The famous producer of chevre can be found in most supermarkets across the city.  Sofia, however, is not your run of the mill soft goat cheese.  This cheese features a soft brie-like rind that encases a thin layer of liquidy goat cheese before giving way to a dense and creamy body.  The marbling is actually ash, and not mold as you might expect.  One taste of this cheese and you'll immediately recognize that this is something special.

If you're a member of the Beer and Cheese Club at Goose the Market, your May installment is ready for you to pick up right now if you haven't already. If you're not a member, the club is $99 for 4 months. This month's delivery includes 2 bottles of Black and Bluegrass and about healthy chunk of Sofia. Either of these items would be great experiences on their own, but we feel they are even better when consumed together.

New Albanian Black and Bluegrass: If I told you that my first sniff of Black and Bluegrass reminded me of lemon pledge, you'd immediately think that was a bad thing. So I won't. But B&B brings some interesting and unique flavors to the beer table. The label says "Ale with blue agave nectar and spices", and those spices - toasted black pepper and lemongrass - really make for an interesting beer. It's not unbalanced, though, as the pale malt provides enough backing to fill out the flavors.

 I forgot what the cheese was called Cheese: Although I don't consider myself a "cheese guy", on occasion we have one that really works for me, and I end up eating more than my fair share. This cheese was one of those. Sliced and smeared onto bread, this creamy capriole was slightly funky, but also really grassy and completely agreeable.

 The beer and cheese in pair provide an earthy/herby melding experience with the beer complimenting and bringing out the creamy elements of the cheese. It's a complimentary pairing for both, as the cheese cuts a bit of the spiciness out of beer.

May's pairings both hail from about 10 miles apart in Southern Indiana. The cheese, Capriole Farms Sofia is a soft goat cheese with a vegetable ash coating. It is tangy, yet subtle and melts in your mouth. It was perfect on bread and none of us could stop eating it, as it was so tasty.

 New Albany's Black and Bluegrass is a saison with worldly influence. Belgian yeast and German hops meet Blue Agave Nectar, lemon grass, and black pepper to form an interesting brew. The flavor reminded me so precisely of how a brewery smells at mash in. It was not as lively as other saisons and it seemed to have a heavier malt influence (at least for a saison), which was perfectly fine by me. A peppery spice finished the drink.

 The beer and cheese were very nice together. I feel like I say it a lot, but pairing was harmonious, the best qualities of each brought out.

I was actually a little bewildered by the presentation of this cheese.  It appeared that it would give way to a blue funkiness, but the aroma suggested otherwise.  Similarly, with a name like Black and Bluegrass, I expected this beer to be black in color.  Instead, Black and Bluegrass poured a deep copper and greeted with with sweet aromas of agave nectar, blueberries and basil.  Blueberries?  I honestly thought that's what the "blue" in this beer was, and even after I learned it was named after blue agave nectar, I could still smell blueberries.  Odd.  The flavor continued this pattern of blueberries, matched with lemon and chamomile that made me think of saison.  A bit of neutral sweetness complimented by brown sugar filled out the body.  There was a soapy characteristic that had me a bit puzzled, but after reading the ingredients I began to associate some aspects of this flavor with lemongrass.

Returning to Sofia, the cheese spreads like you would expect from a nice chevre.  Super creamy and smooth.  My first bite didn't contain any rind, so it quite simply was a rich, creamy goat cheese with a less acidic tangy flavor and more of a cream note.  After sampling a bit with the rind, the oozing exterior brought to mind warm brie complete with everything that implies, but it quickly gave way to more of the creamy goat cheese.  Spreading this on slices of baguette is a simple pleasure that should not be overlooked.

Both the beer and the cheese are incredibly complimentary.  Sofia pulls some of the soapiness out of the beer and makes the lemongrass more obvious.  The spices in the beer transfer seamlessly to the cheese and leave behind an amplified sweetness in the beer.  While the cheese is rich, the effervescence of the beer helps break things up.  Overall, this is definitely one of those combinations that may not slap you in the face with bold flavors, but both delicately balance each other.  I certainly enjoy the beer more with the cheese, and the cheese more with the beer.

To join the Beer and Cheese Club at Goose the Market (in conjunction with Hoosier Beer Geek), check out this PDF and then either call Goose the Market at 317-924-4944 or stop in the shop at 2503 N. Delaware St.

Beer and Cheese Club - April 2012

It would be an understatement to say the Gulden Draak is fairly well known among craft beer drinkers.  The original Gulden Draak ("golden dragon") is one of the world's few dark Belgian Tripels.  Gulden Draak turns the amp to 11 and pushes forward into Quadruple territory.  While the white Gulden Draak bottle houses a dark triple, the black Gulden Draak 9000 bottles contains a copper colored Quad.  This beer is brand new to Indiana, and was only released in Belgium last Fall.

Thistle Hill Farm Tarentaise is a Vermont cheese, modeled after a style of Alpine cheese.  The rennet used for coagulating the cheese is actually made on the same farm, which is a rare practice among producers.  As if to add one more element of exclusivity, imported French copper vats are used in the creation of the cheese.  There really is nothing else like the Tarentaise that Thistle Hill Farm has created.

If you're a member of the Beer and Cheese Club at Goose the Market, your Aprilinstallment is ready for you to pick up right now. If you're not a member, the club is $99 for 4 months. This month's delivery includes 3 bottles of Gulden Draak 9000 and about half a pound of Tarentaise. Either of these items would be great experiences on their own, but we feel they are even better when consumed together.

Thistle Hill Farm Tarentaise - vermont, copper vat, 5 months, stone cellar, rennet used for coagulating the cheese is made on the farm and helps give complexity (rare process)

Sweet cheese, reminds me of a white chocolate/macadamia cookie - not nearly as sweet but the same sort of flavors. Hardest cheese ever, bring your machete.

Rind is super grassy

Gulden Draak 9000 Quad - woo woo. Silky smooth quad. Lively mouthfeel, big banana sweetness

Combined: similar and matching flavors, no magic, but a happy middle.

I really had no idea what to expect with Gulden Draak 9000.  The name itself was epic, and fitting for the gold-plated dragon on the bottle.  Most American Quadruples are super boozy, hardly masking their large alcohol content.  Gulden Draak pulled off nearly 11% ABV as only the Belgians can.  The aroma of the beer is exactly what you would expect - sweet, candi sugar and caramel spiced with cardamom, clove and anise. At first taste, everything the aroma promises is fulfilled.  Candi sugar, almost like cotton candy, cinnamon, banana, anise and a pleasant warming alcohol background.  It is important to note that the alcohol here is warming, and not burning.  If session beers were redefined as beers that were incredible easy and enjoyable to drink, this would be a prime example.  As you continue your way through the bottle, the 11% ABV clearly starts to take its toll on your sobriety, but the beer only becomes friendlier, each drink welcoming you more than the last.  This is a well crafted beer.

The cheese is very firm, but the texture gives way quickly when consumed.  Nutty flavors (macadamia nuts, walnuts) are immediately noticeable.  The background of the cheese resembles a mild cheddar with a hint of grassiness.  Rich cream is present throughout and brings all the flavors together.  When combined with the beer, the flavors all exist in harmony.  The sugary sweetness of the beer calms down a bit and the nut flavors are welcome compliments to the warm alcohol.  This isn't a complex pairing, just one that is easy to enjoy.  And enjoy you will.

To join the Beer and Cheese Club at Goose the Market (in conjunction with Hoosier Beer Geek), check out this PDF and then either call Goose the Market at 317-924-4944 or stop in the shop at 2503 N. Delaware St.

Beer and Cheese Club - March 2012

Brasserie Dupont is practically a household name, with their world-famous Saison Dupont.  Dupont is a relatively new brewery, being founded in 1950.  It was a bit surprising to hear that Dupont had a new beer that we were receiving in Indiana, since Belgian breweries rarely change up their lineups.  After a bit of research, it appears that Posca Rustica isn't actually a new beer, it's just known by a different name in Belgium - Cervesia.  Posca Rustica is full of spicy Belgian yeast flavors, not unlike Saison Dupont, but it remains a unique experience in itself.

This month's cheese is a goat cheese, topped with ash.  Bonne Bouche hails from Vermont and will certainly find favor with fans of the grocery store variety of soft goat cheese.  This cheese has been aged long enough to develop a bit of a rind, which separates it from your basic idea of a goat cheese.  It will continue to age and develop a stronger flavored rind in its packaging - just don't let it go more than a month or two!

If you're a member of the Beer and Cheese Club at Goose the Market, your March installment is ready for you to pick up right now. If you're not a member, the club is $99 for 4 months. This month's delivery includes Dupont Posca Rustica and a round of Bonne Bouche. Either of these items would be great experiences on their own, but we feel they are even better when consumed together.

I was quite excited to try Posca Rustica - every beer I've had from Brasserie Dupont, I've enjoyed.  This was no exception.  The quickest and easiest way to describe this beer would be to say that it's a German hefeweizen brewed with Belgian ale yeast.  The aroma is full of cloves and cardamom, coupled with that trademark Belgian yeast aroma and the bananas and oranges you're accustomed to in hefeweizen.  The flavor matches the aroma perfectly.  Plenty of banana, orange, pepper and cloves.  Very effervescent and refreshing, even with its 8% ABV.

The cheese was soft like goat cheese, but a touch more firm with a noticeable rind.  This was certainly not as tangy as standard goat cheese, but instead had a more robust milky flavor.  When Posca Rustica is consumed after the lighter flavored cheese, the spices in the beer come to the front and match the cheese nicely.  If the cheese is consumed before the beer, the effervescence helps cleanse the palate and the fruit comes forward in the beer.  Both the cheese and the beer are really very enjoyable and together they are quite agreeable.  This is a great spring pairing.

I've had a bottle of Posca Rustica beckoning me from the top of  the cabinet for some time now, so I was excited to learn that it was our selection this month.  It is a very lively pour, so be careful about that.  The nose is spicy and shoots straight up your nose, stinging it a bit.  It had a bit of funk, common to a Belgian style beer.  It is very refreshing and delicious.

The cheese offered a soft, creamy texture peppered with an ashy rind.  I'll admit that while I wasn't overly crazy about it by itself, I thought the pairing was spectacular.  I loved how the beer cut a bit of that ashy flavor out and the cheese enhanced the funkiness in the beer, bringing the best of both out into the forefront.  I loved the beer and loved the pairing.

Every time I attend a Beer and Cheese Club tasting, I hope that the selection is Velvetta and Busch Light. Imagine my disappointment when Goose the Market presented a bottle of Belgian ale and a round of goat’s milk cheese.

I found a soapy Belgian nose on the Posca Rustica. It has a fruity tartness with subtle herbal notes. It is bright and clean and crisp. In contrast, the Bonne Bouche is dirty. Poplar wood ash was sprinkled on the outside of the cheese. The result is a creamy, funky cheese that is surrounded by an ashy, dry mouthfeel and taste (not to be confused with smokey). In spite of the funk and ash, the cheese comes across with the freshness you would expect from goat’s milk.

Together, the beer and cheese play together. The fruit of the beer and the cream of the cheese… the ash of the poplar wood and the spices from the beer… It is an exercise in contrast and compliment.

So the question I have to ask: what would the Bonne Bouche be like in a grilled cheese sandwich?


To join the Beer and Cheese Club at Goose the Market (in conjunction with Hoosier Beer Geek), check out this PDF and then either call Goose the Market at 317-924-4944 or stop in the shop at 2503 N. Delaware St.

Beer and Cheese Club - February 2012

Jolly Pumpkin disappeared from Indiana shelves early last year.  Did you notice?  If you didn't, shame on you!  With Jolly Pumpkin's lack of an entry level beer and choice to compete on the wine level with $10+ 750mL bottles, many beer consumers pass over them on the shelves.  This is really a sad situation since Jolly Pumpkin is producing some incredible wild ales that are well worth the price point.  Thanks to Goose the Market, members of the Beer and Cheese Club are about to get a taste of some of the incredible work going on in Dexter, Michigan!

The cheese this month is a special offering.  Beer drinkers may recognize beers like 3 Floyds Dark Lord or Founders KBS as limited edition rarities, but this type of small batch production isn't only available in the beer world!  Roelli Cheese only created 71 wheels of Dunbarton Gold and may never make it again.  This truly is a one-of-a-kind cheese.  This English-style raw cow's milk cheddar is inoculated with a culture of penicillium roquefort, which you might recognize from the cheese by the same name.  The method is very similar to their Dunbarton Blue but for this variation of the cheese, a select group cows were used to create a very specific flavor.  This cheese is a rarity and one that Goose the Market has specifically selected to share with us.

If you're a member of the Beer and Cheese Club at Goose the Market, your February installment is ready for you to pick up right now. If you're not a member, the club is $99 for 4 months. This month's delivery includes Jolly Pumpkin's La Roja and a wedge of Dunbarton Gold. Either of these items would be great experiences on their own, but we feel they are even better when consumed together.

Dunbarton Gold: Mild, buttery, and a bit funky from the faint vein of mold running through the center of the slice. The cheese was funkier closer to the rind. Really nice on its own.

Jolly Pumpkin La Roja: In my opinion, this is the best beer that Jolly Pumpkin brews. A good approximation of a Flanders Red, revealing the sour apple, cherry, and oak notes that you'd expect from that style. However, the beer carries a pronounced spiciness--cloves and coriander--that I don't find in a traditional Flanders Red. This spicy kick, plus the 7% ABV, make La Roja a memorable beer. Now I want a bottle.

Beer + cheese: I liked this combination best when taking a sip of the beer first, then taking a bite of the cheese. The spiciness and tartness of the beer brought out sharp notes in the cheese that weren't present when I tasted the cheese by itself.

Dunbarton Gold - a highly agreeable funky blue nose, spicy/slightly peppery but not overpowering, freshwater fishy, rewarding on bigger bites. I could eat a whole wheel. Lingers in the upper registers of the mouth.

 Jolly Pumpkin La Roja - nose provides a hint of vinegary sour and tart that doesn't completely come through the beer, but it's thoroughly sour, crisp and genuine grapefruity tart.

 Combined, a fruity tomatoey blend, then the cheese washes away, leaving just the slight dry bite of the beer. And your mom.

I admit that I didn't appreciate Jolly Pumpkin before they left Indiana, but after a recent trip to Ann Arbor, I am among the many who was looking forward to their return.  La Roja is one of the stronger beers in Jolly Pumpkin's repertoire and it provides the malty base necessary for a good cheddar.  The beer starts off with an apple cider vinegar aroma laced with notes of oak and toffee.  The best way to start off this pairing is to try the beer by itself, because the immediate tartness will overwhelm the senses at first.  Subsequent sips will reveal tart cherries, oak and rosé grapes.

The cheese this month, Dunbarton Gold, is a combination of a medium sharpness aged cheddar and a hint of roquefort.  Due to the sourness of the beer, I would suggest sampling the beer first and then following it with the cheese.  If the cheese comes first, the tartness may overwhelm the cheese.  When following the beer, the dry and nutty cheddar flavors meld well with the residual sweetness of La Roja, while the blue cheese notes are brought further forward through the tart cherry flavors in the beer.

This is a really nice pairing that demonstrates the drastic difference that the order of tasting can exhibit.

To join the Beer and Cheese Club at Goose the Market (in conjunction with Hoosier Beer Geek), check out this PDF and then either call Goose the Market at 317-924-4944 or stop in the shop at 2503 N. Delaware St.

The second year of the Beer and Cheese Club starts off with a bang.  In the beer department, Shoreline's 2008 Curse the Goat barrel-aged doppelbock.  Shoreline's barrel series can typically fetch $20 or more at a liquor store, so for Curse the Goat to show up in an edition of the Beer and Cheese Club is really something special.  But it doesn't stop with an impressive beer, oh no.  Our cheese selection is crafted by an Italian cheese maker that decided to set up shop in Kentucky.  Giovanni Capezzuto's Kentucky Grana gets an even more local twist this month.  The Smoking Goose has smoked a wheel of this cheese and it is this month's cheese selection with the Beer and Cheese Club!

The beer is from the north, the cheese is from the south and Goose the Market brings it all together with the Smoking Goose and the Beer and Cheese Club.  If you're a member of the Beer and Cheese Club at Goose the Market, your January installment is ready for you to pick up right now. If you're not a member, the club is $99 for 4 months.  We normally get this out ahead of time, but Winterfest slowed us down this month.  Despite our lethargy, I think you'll enjoy the pairing just the same.

This month brings an extra special treat to members.

The beer is from Indiana’s own Shoreline Brewery and part of their Big Bourbon Series. Curse the Dopplebock is interesting right now. It imparts a bit of sour flavor, mixed with aromas of bourbon and dark fruit. It is light on the tongue and a little warming in the belly.

This goat’s milk cheese from Lexington, KY is made by Napoli native, and now Lexington resident, Giovanni Capezzuto. His Old World approach makes for a deliciously subtle and buttery textured cheese. But this particular batch gets a little “Goose” from Chris Eley. This cheese has been smoked at the Smoking Goose, which gives it a little extra something special. If you’ve ever been fortunate to have some bacon or other smoky treat from the Meatery, you know how delicious it is. This cheese takes on that flavor like a champ.

Thanks Goose!

I was quite excited about this beer, because everything I've had from the Barrel Series has been great.  Curse the Goat took me a little by surprise, perhaps because the barrel aging is beginning to influence the beer in the sour direction.  Sour red grapes were the first thing I noticed in the aroma, followed with faint notes of raisin, chocolate, malt and bourbon.  The flavor was similar.  A bit of tartness mixed with plums, figs and raisins and a hint of bourbon in the background.  Certainly no longer your typical doppelbock, this is now something entirely unique.  I wouldn't let this beer sit another year or it may lose its body to sourness, but right now the balance is intriguing.

The cheese is another story, as it is quite fresh and bursts with a beautiful smoky flavor.  The fresh Smoking Goose treatment is immediately noticeable both in the aroma and flavor.  The cheese has a distinct dry, salty, nuttiness that lends itself to smoking and creates an incredible end product.  When tasting the cheese and the beer together, the doppelbock notes are incredibly complimentary with the dark fruit and rich malt flavors pairing well with the smoked character of the cheese.  The sourness creates an interesting reaction with the salty flavor of the cheese, which seems to run parallel to the other flavor interactions without disturbing them.  Certainly a unique pairing!

Sorry, you don't get the whole wheel

To join the Beer and Cheese Club at Goose the Market (in conjunction with Hoosier Beer Geek), check out this PDF and then either call Goose the Market at 317-924-4944 or stop in the shop at 2503 N. Delaware St.

Beer and Cheese Club - December Edition

To round off 2011, the Beer and Cheese Club bucks the trend of huge imperial beers that need to be rested for 6-12 months or more and takes a more friendly approach.  This month's pairing is something that you can bring with you to your Christmas gatherings.  Uerige Altbier is one of the quintessential altbiers from Dusseldorf, a great traditional German style that might be foreign to inexperienced beer drinkers.  Trugole is an Italian cheese, similar in both flavor and origin to Asiago and a cheese that's not too strong to ward off people unfamiliar with the style.

'Tis the season to share your love of beer and cheese with friends and family, and this month's pairing provides the perfect conversation starter.  If you're a member of the Beer and Cheese Club at Goose the Market, your December installment is likely ready for you to pick up right now. If you're not a member, the club is $99 for 4 months.  Beer and Cheese also makes a lot better gift than a simple beer of the month club, so don't forget to inquire about gift memberships!

There is something most interesting with the cheese here.  As I let the cheese coat the top of my tongue, it made my tongue feel like it was burnt.  The sensation didn't linger, and the cheese didn't actually burn my tongue, of course, but the sensation held something remarkably similar.  The lightly-spiced fruitiness in the cheese paired well with those same aromas in the altbier.  There was also something earthy to the beer, grassy, perhaps.

Thanks GtM for another great pairing!

Uerige alt - sweet pear cereal nose, but the beer goes u-turn on that nose when tasting. Not much on front, works sides of the tongue w/ a peppery and slightly sweet bite throughout.

Cheese is immediately agreeable, tart and biting, working the part of the tongue ignored by the beer. Creamy!

I personally was expecting a huge beer that would need an even bigger cheese to stand up to it for the Christmas season.  One could say that I was both surprised and confused when I found a bottle of Uerige Altbier sitting on the table.  Uerige is one of my favorite Alts, as it carries with it 150 years of tradition.  Many regions of Germany are known for a specific style of beer, and Alt is Dusseldorf's beer.  Alt is not a strong beer; it carries with it a refreshing suite of malt flavors.  As with many German beers, the complexity of Alt lies within its simplicity.  Much of the flavor is derived entirely from the choice of malts, imparting nutty, sweet and slightly roasted flavors with a delicate balance of dryness at the finish.  This beer is great for both summer and winter and is very flexible when it comes to food pairings.

The Trugole cheese is from the Asiago valley and is only aged for 2-3 months.  It is a sweet, creamy and slightly grassy cheese with nutty notes in the background.  With a beer like an Altbier, it would be very easy for a cheese to overpower it.  Instead, this month's pairing aims for balance.  The beer and cheese are both very complimentary, and the flavors of both stand out throughout the pairing.  In many pairings, the flavors change and evolve, building off of each other, but with the pairing of Altbier and Trugole, the two live in harmony.  This works great as a holiday snack.

To join the Beer and Cheese Club at Goose the Market (in conjunction with Hoosier Beer Geek), check out this PDF and then either call Goose the Market at 317-924-4944 or stop in the shop at 2503 N. Delaware St.