Pairing cheese with wine is well known, but the experience of pairing cheese with whiskey is also wonderful! Simply put, strong and intense cheeses pair well with bold and robust whiskeys, while light and creamy cheeses go well with elegant and refined whiskeys. Here are ten specially selected popular cheeses and the whiskeys that pair perfectly with them.
Pairing cheese with whiskey, instead of just wine, can also be a wonderful experience! (Image provided by Heho Health)
- Italian AOP Gorgonzola Blue Cheese Rich in creamy and fruity sweetness, it is recommended to pair with OMAR Bourbon Floral, Chivas Regal 15 years, or Glen Grant 18 years, to enhance the floral characteristics of the whiskey, making it perfect for a ladies' afternoon tea.
- French Roquefort Blue Cheese Round and creamy, suitable for whiskeys with fruity and spicy notes, such as Kavalan Solist Bourbon Cask, Balvenie Stories 12 years, or Monkey Shoulder Blended Malt Whiskey.
- French Comté 24-Month Aged Cheese Rich in saltiness, recommended to pair with sweet Sherry cask whiskeys, such as OMAR Sherry Fruit, Macallan 12 years, or Glenfiddich 18 years New Sherry.
Aged cheese pairs well with sweet whiskey. (Image/Source: Flickr Gallery)
- French AOP Morbier Cheese Rich in mushroom and century egg flavors, suitable for Sherry cask whiskeys loved by Taiwanese, such as Kavalan Solist Oloroso Sherry Cask, Johnnie Walker Black Label 12 years, or Timorous Beastie 1785.
- French Walnut Drunken Cheese Caramel sweetness suits multi-layered triple or double cask whiskeys, such as OMAR Longteng Qingyun Three Casks, Kavalan Triple Sherry Cask, or Aberlour 14 years.
- French AOP Old Mimolette Cheese With a hazelnut aroma, recommended to pair with smoky whiskeys, such as OMAR Smoky Char, Ledaig 10 years, or Kilchoman 13 years, to add a smoky flavor.
- Italian Pecorino Pepper Cheese Mild creamy flavor with peppercorns enhancing the taste, suitable for spicy whiskeys, such as Harvest Series No.5, Kavalan Selection NO.2, or Mortlach 14 years.
- Italian DOP Parmigiano Reggiano 24-Month Hard Cheese Sweet and fruity, recommended to pair with sweet whiskeys, such as OMAR Cask Strength Plum Cask, Ichiro's Malt Sakura Cask, or The Singleton 13 years.
- French AOP Beaufort Alpine Hard Cheese Pure and creamy, suitable for whiskeys with strong fruity aromas, such as OMAR Cask Strength Lychee Cask, Puni Vina Lychee Cask, or Glen Grant Sherry Cask.
10. French AOP Epoisses Cheese Washed with Burgundy marc brandy, with a strong flavor, recommended to pair with peaty whiskeys, such as Balvenie Stories NO.2, Talisker 18 years, or Ardmore Peated 13 years.
