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Learning about wine and spirits has turned me into a smelling freak. It wasn't too long ago I was a normal person. Happy to just eat my food, drink my hooch and go about my business. I knew my life had changed the night I ordered a glass of Lagavulin (one of the most amazing peaty scotches out there) and proceeded to dab it on my wrists and wear it as perfume. I must have spent 15 minutes between each sip inhaling the aromas. Last night my friend witnessed my new smelling obsession with cheese. It's one thing when you are the only one who notices your behavior, but another when your friends are calling you out on it.
We met up at Bierkraft in Park Slope, which I had never been into before. I was looking at all the different beers, when all of the sudden the cheese caught my eye. When Allison arrived I was deep in thought of what cheese I was going to devour. Lucky for me, she had the same idea...let's get a few hunks, a baguette and sit outside somewhere. The first cheese I picked out was the almighty Époisses, a cheese so stinky it was banned from public transportation in France! To be honest, we got two more cheeses but I was a one cheese woman last night. Our lovely cheesemonger let us sample some of it while she was wrapping it and instantly my fingers stank in the best way possible.
Trying to hold in my jubilation over the Époisses was easier said then done. Allison was careful to just get the cheese on the bread, while I was practically taking a bath in it. Let's just say, it was finger licking good. She tried her best to keep my mind off of the cheese, but somehow I always got the conversation to focus back on it by blurting out some fun facts:
***it's from Burgundy
***the rind is washed with marc de Bourgogne (a spirit made from Pomace)
How can you not like something that combines cheese & hooch!?
And because I'm supposed to be writing about drinking, it goes best with a good red Burgundy or a sweet white wine.
Where we wound up with our snacks did not have a fine aged Burgundy, but had a killer selection of beers on tap...I got the Dry Blackthorn Cider. Don't worry, this is a real cider, not some sugar loaded crap that tastes like a jolly rancher. Beer is sort of a foreign beverage for me, but I'm trying to broaden my horizons. After the cider, I had a Palm Belgium Beer and then followed it up with the Avery White Rascal, a white Belgium styled beer that had some really rich spicy flavors. It's the first time in my life I had two beers back to back (and I even spent time working at a beer bar). I guess if you keep trying something, eventually you will like it.
After some time Allison's bag was opened and the Tuthilltown Manhattan Rye was poured as well as the new Colorado whisky. Since I was doing most of the pouring, it kept getting on my hands which then went straight up to my nose. One of the best ways to really smell whisky is by rubbing it on your hands. It reacts with your body just like a perfume and you will pick up aromas that you might not have caught in the glass.
So please, next time you're out eating cheese or drinking some whisky, get it on your hands. I really don't want to be the only one out in public with my hands in my face.
PS: The new issue of Wine Spectator has a huge spread on the top 100 cheeses.
PPS: 13 more days till it's officially National Bourbon Month!
