A few weeks ago the chap and I headed over to John Gordon's for an impromptu tasting session; a selection of beers mostly from Cotswold Spring Brewing Co and a whacking great cheese board that could happily feed an army of furry little rodents, all from The CheeseWorks in Cheltenham.
JG's have been doing tastings for quite some time now, though, surprisingly, I've never actually been to one. They've had a bit of a revamp recently. Earlier in the year they redesigned their downstairs space in order to stage these kinds of events and, where they used to only host one every couple of months, they now have weekly shindigs - more heavily focussed on whiskys. To coincide with all of this, they've dramatically updated their website, so its much easier to see what exciting things are coming up, and there's even a TV Channel to learn about all things grape and grain. So quickly drink up, it's all go go go..
As the nights draw darker and colder, you'd probably think a robust red wine and cheese pairing most appropriate, but beer and cheese is actually a match made in dairy heaven. Not being an avid beer drinker, I feel as though I've now come out a little wiser, and - sorry hops - I may have given you a bit of a bad rep in the past, I hope you'll forgive my naivety.
Cotswold Spring Brewing Co. were responsible for 6 out of the 8 beers we tasted that evening (the other 2 were guests on the JG menu). Established in 2005, they've worked hard to build on their reputation as being a leading craft micro-brewery in the South West. Using pure natural Cotswold spring water, they traditionally brew their beers and ales with no added colourings, flavourings or artificial preservatives, and they're all naturally cask conditioned, giving a variety of cleverly named characters; Ambler, Stunner, Codger, etc..
The CheeseWorks also take pride in having that 'local' touch, right from the off you can tell how passionate they are about the handmade products they sell; be it from from producers in the area, nationally, or over the channel. As a family run business, they bring the shopping experience down to a personal level; inviting you in to soak up the atmosphere, gain some knowledge from the friendly staff, and ultimately, get a helping hand in finding the perfect cheese for your occasion. In this instance, the 8 cheeses we were given were all made in the UK, and had been specifically picked to match each beer, though cross contamination was encouraged - being a food nerd, I stuck to the planned pairings, and made lots of notes, so here it goes..
1) (CS) Trooper with Swaledale Goats Cheese.
Being the strongest of the night, this amber IPA at 5.2% was a good way to kick those taste buds in gear. A pleasing nose of fruit and gooseberry; sweet malty start in the mouth with fruit coming through and a punchy hop bite with a distinctive bitter finish. Any more than a pint then I'd be sure to write off the next day, but it's a great opener to a boozy evening, and paired with the goats cheese; lovely. I'm a MASSIVE goaty lover - cheese, milk, butter, and recently, meat - but I'd not tried this type from the Yorkshire Dales. Made all year round - which affects the taste, season to season - it was not overly 'goaty' but initially sweet and minerally with a smooth rich tang as the flavour develops. It didn't fight for attention over the beer, and would be a good 'starter' to any cheeseboard; even those that don't like a goat would probably enjoy this.
2) (CS) Codger with Smoked Worcester.
The brewer's 8 year best seller; a dry, crisp, chestnut, perfectly balanced beer with a subtle hoppy finish. Though neither were necessarily our favourite, this nutty flagship beer alongside the smoked cheese was the best combo. The codger longs for a smoky partner, and this local - almost bacon-y - beast, is just perfect. Being smoked over oak chippings for a week enhances the earthy notes in the base cheese, and can be very strong.
3) (CS) Old Sodbury Mild with College White with Truffles.
Despite it's dark sultry appearance, this complex 7 grain beer, as the name suggests, has a very low ABV. Initially dry with a bitter sweetness. Chocolatey notes and a long finish. We're told it was voted as the Supreme Champion at the SIBA 2011 National Beer Competition, and goes hand in hand with pretty much all things savoury. The College White, made by The Oxford Cheese Company, is very similar to a brie, but has a layer of truffle butter sprinkled with truffles running through the middle of it, which enhances the strong yet creamy texture. If you're not keen on the fungus, I'd truffle-shuffle away from this one.
4) (CS) Aviator with Hereford Hop.
This 5% Cologne-style lager is cool, crisp and refreshing. Having lots of carbonation in this one means that it works really well with cheese as it cuts through that fatty goodness.. Mmm. The Hereford Hop, though not actually made in Hereford, is coated with golden toasted hops; this gives a savoury, beery, yeasty, umami flavor, which contrasts well with the natural sweetness of the cheese. Obviously, a beery cheese is going to go with beer, so these 2 are the winners in my beer-goggled eyes.
This gothic number is an American interpretation of black beer as an ale, which means more hops as well as fruity notes that come from using an ale yeast. It uses roasted malts which adds a slightly burnt character to the beer, but doesn't have any bitter aftertaste that you might expect. It comes from Wisconsin, yep, America's Dairyland, home of the 'cheese-heads', so you know it's going to work. Old Winchester, made in the New Forest, Hampshire, is a big award winner. A hard cheese aged for 16 months, with a crumbly texture; it has a nutty, browned butter taste and a pronounced sharp tang. I bloody love this one, and it's a fab match to beer.. All beer.. Anything.. Just eat it.
6) (CS) Stunner with Isle of Mull.
This straw coloured ale is the fresher faced brother to the Codger, another bestseller but with a very different style. A mouth-filling malt complemented by a tropical fruitiness on the nose and palate, with a long refreshing finish. This citrusy stallion is almost grapefruit-like and needs a feisty pairing, like the Isle of Mull. An 18 month old Scottish cheese, made next door to a whisky distillery; it smells and tastes winey and fermented, which contributes to the yeasty and sharp flavours. This one is strong, I'm informed that it might be one of the strongest they have in the shop, prepare yourself.
If nothing else, this one just sounds like it's meant to be. The new draft beer at JG's, from Chapel Down Vineyards in Kent, is a uniquely satisfying, drier, cleaner, fresher, lager beer. Fermented using champagne yeast, before adding the rare and fragrant Nelson Sauvin hop, the beer is cold filtered into bottles. A sweet, almost floral, finish craves a salty blue. The Crozier - similar to Roquefort - is made from ewe's milk, and has a toasty, biscuity flavour, with a peppery punch and roast lamb on the finish. One of the standout cheeses for me, in all it's mouldy glory.
8) (CS) Ambler with Colston Bassett Stilton.
At 3.8%, this is a good heavy-session beer - LADS - smooth and perfectly balanced, it has a malty start with a rounded hoppy finish, which really goes with blues. Stilton; a classic, this particular one, made in Nottinghamshire, has a complex flavour. At first sweet and creamy, giving way to a grassy, long, piquant tang but never sharp or harsh; rather mellow and fruity.
As much as I'd like to tell you that this is the romantic love story where their amber and milky eyes met across the room; they'd noticed eachother before; but this was their first encounter; they knew it was meant to be; and happily ever after.. Its actually more like a holiday fling; doing something you wouldn't normally do; when in Rome and all that. You might dapple again in the future, but for now you simply treasure the memory. Ahh beer, we'll always have John Gordon's.. So, pass me the port.
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