Editor's Note: Our friend Joe Burgers a.k.a. @bakerandthebeerd brings us his take on this month's curdbox and his beer-ish thoughts each month. If you're a fan of beer and cheese, this is the blog for you! And if you want to join our merry band of cheese lovers, head on over to our subscription page to sign up for your monthly box!
September’s Curdbox features a variety of Dutch Gouda style cheeses from cow, sheep, and goat’s milk, alongside three sweet and nutty snacks. I paired this month’s box with two traditional styled beers from Poland’s Browar Fortuna.
HoneyBee Goat Gouda is the palest colored of the three cheeses, with the smoothest, sweetest flavor; I enjoyed this cheese best when paired with Komes Oak Flake Baltic Porter and Puffworks Peanut Butter Puffs. This version of the Komes Baltic Porter hides a robust 9% abv in a medium body and smooth, roasty flavor after aging on oak wood petals.
Lamb Chopper is a sheep’s milk cheese with exceptionally smooth texture and a moderately salty, nutty flavor. Prima Donna, on the other hand, is a rich convergence of Gouda and Parmigianno-Reggiano styles, utilizing cultures from northern Italy for a decadent, fudgy texture and the most pronounced flavor of September’s selection. McCrea’s single malt Scothch caramels and Newfangled Confections’ peanut butter frittle with my snack accompaniments of choice for these cheeses, with the frittle (a peanut brittle/fudge hybrid) being my personal favorite. Komes Barleywine is a bold 12% abv beer featuring a sweet flavor rich with layers of caramel and cognac notes. The malty intensity of this strong ale makes it a perfect companion to fudgy desserts and cheeses alike. Both the Baltic Porter and Barleywine showcase how traditional beer styles can fit perfectly an indulgent dessert experience.
Order your first month of Curdbox with my code “beerncheese” for $5 off your first order.
