What do you pair with extreme* beer?
Exteme cheese. A hot item in Britain.
“We don’t try to make a he-man’s cheese that is the most vicious, sharp and violent. What we want to do is to give whatever potential is in the cheese the chance to express itself to its limit,” said the man who makes it.
I’m pretty sure this is different than the Kraft Easy Mac Snack Pack, Extreme Cheese you can buy at Amazon.
* Apply whatever definition you want to “extreme” – we’ll argue about it later.
Interesting analogy. It’s always been my opinion that sure, some beers are more flavorful or “extreme” than others, but isn’t there as much pleasure in eating some well-made but delicate Pyrénées or Mozzarella?
I have no problem with ultra-sharp cheddar. I have no problem with 25 quid a kilo cheese. I have a problem with referring to cheese by its “vintage.” Cheese is sold by how old it is, not year of production, and that’s age, not “vintage.”
Quibbles aside, if a pale ale pairs beautifully with a piece of old white cheddar, and an IPA sits well beside an extra-old, and they both do, then it stands to figure that a double IPA will partner well with an extra sharp cheddar like the one described.
Bring ’em on, I say!
Thanks, Stephen, for bringing up something I should have put in the initial post – pricing.
I think the article refers to the cheese as extreme both because the producers are pushing the envelope because of the price.
In that case, it’s a fine example of what a bargain high quality beer is.
At my local Whole Foods store the beer cooler is across from the cheese island. That cheese would not seem outlandishly priced at Whole Foods. Meanwhile I can pick up a 750ml bottle of Jolly Pumpkin beer for less than $8. Or Stone Ruination (double IPA) for less than $5.
And thanks, Stephane for the extreme/session analogy.