How about some Hops on that Cheeseburger?
On a recent visit to Sam’s Club, I ran across a mild cheddar cheese from Cabot that is made with Harpoon IPA. I had to give it a try. Cabot does a respectable job with all of their Vermont cheddars I have tasted, but I am just a beer snob, not a cheese snob…
I have run across beer cheese many times before, but what makes this one different is the beer that is used. Harpoon IPA, while not a standout in the IPA department, definitely delivers enough hop flavor to be head and shoulders above most tasteless lagers that are usually blended with cheese. The cheddar blocks are soaked in the beer for 24 hours just before packaging.
The cheese itself is on the mild side of white cheddar…
My brick was slightly moist on the outside due to being soaked in the beer, but was pretty firm overall. The aroma of hops was evident as soon as I opened the package. I couldn’t wait to give it a try. The slight bitterness from the beer and the floral hop flavor gave the cheese a slightly more acidic note than a mild cheddars usual sweetness. The balance is a good one. I tasted a few pieces of the cheese by itself and was trying to mentally pair it up with the actual beer. I think the IPA would be a little too strong for the subtle creaminess of the cheese alone. Maybe a better pairing would be to use the cheese as the topping to a classic cheeseburger with a toasted bun, or maybe a grilled-cheese sandwich. The toasted bread would help tie the flavors together. Since hop aromas are fairly fragile (’volatile’ to beer snobs), some of it would escape from the cheese when melted.
Beer and cheese is a match made in heaven. After all, the two are cousins; both being products of fermentation. Somehow, the hops fit into this divine pairing. If I were to pair beer with this particular cheese alone, I would choose milder, less hoppy English ale like Boddingtons pub ale or Saranac pale ale. Keep the cracker selection simple. Many of the crackers sold by the big brands have so much going on themselves; they can easily overshadow what you put on top of them.
