Chocolaty, Creamy & Fruity
Hey beautiful fam! It has been a hot second since you have heard from me. Life has been a little nuts the past few months. Unfortunately, that means my blog is the first thing to drop off the plate. My plate has recently been emptied a tad so hopefully, I will have more time for this cheesy thing 😃
For you today, I have a killer goat cheese & raspberry stout pairing.
I have been waiting to do this pairing for basically a year as I was gifted this stout for my birthday, or as a going away present. I honestly couldn’t tell you. My bad, if the person who got it for me is reading this. Please tell me who you are!! My friend, Kaitlin, and I have been talking about doing this pairing for probably 4 months. We finally found a time to make it happen. And it was worth the wait!
This stout comes from Hardywood, which is in my beloved home state of Virginia in the capital of Richmond. This beer is robust being a chocolate stout brewed with raspberries. It has a chocolatey flavor and raspberry fruity notes in the finish. The raspberries used to make the stout also come from Virginia, from Agriberry Farm. I am not typically a stout woman but the fruity notes of the beer were there to help me enjoy it.
Not to mention, the cheese!
With such a robust beer, the cheeses have to be robust in nature as well so they can stand up to their partner. We went for a tad milder one and then a far more robust cheese, both goat cheeses.
Let's all please notice the wonderful cheese board for this pairing. Since it was Virginia beer, I felt it necessary to pull out my Virginia board. Finally had the chance to use it!
Humboldt comes from a creamery in California named Cypress Grove. Before I started my cheese journey, as it were, I hadn’t really heard of them but now, I see it everywhere. This particular cheese is soft ripened, which compared to the next cheese, was far more mild. You get this taste of fresh cream with some floral notes and a citrus finish. As it gets older, the flavor intensifies. Paired with the stout, the citrus flavor of the cheese and the fruity taste of the beer complimented each other really well. Without the stout, this can be paired with honey and prosciutto.
Hailing from Indiana, the delicate and slightly sweet rind of Sofia envelopes a cheese with distinct flavor. It has the stink that you always want in a cheese. The stinkier, the better, right? Marbled with ash, the cheese has a earthy flavor, with a slight sweetness. As a young cheese, the texture is fine and silky, which as it ages, becomes denser and more velvety. It is creamy and delicious. The touch of sweetness of the cheese and the stout complimented so well.
Together, each cheese paired well with the stout. The Sofia stood up to the robustness of the stout much better than the Humboldt. Kaitlin and I chose these randomly at my favorite corner store in Grand Rapids. I dare say we chose well.
To catch you up real quickly about what has been detracting me from the blog - I started pursuing my coaching certification in November. It's been a life changing experience so far. In a busy month time frame, I went home to Virginia for the holidays and on a trip to Europe with my family - more about that later. Since then, I quit the job that brought me to Michigan to pursue my own company. It's name is Carpe Corde and it is my baby. I'm so in love and looking forward to telling you more.
“Sometimes, you have to leap and grow your wings on the way down.”
What major changes have you made in your life lately?
Any pairings sparking your interest?