The cheese: Frisian Farms Aged Gouda, cow, Iowa. About $19/# from Steve's Cheese.
Milder than some of the Dutch Goudas I've had, this one was still pretty complex and great. It comes from Steve's hometown of Oskaloosa, IA, so, you know, there's that. The rind is firm and orange but not all weird and waxy like some Goudas. A few little funny-shaped holes. The texture was sort of cheddar-ish, but I'm sure this varies with age. The flavor is nutty and the whole scene sort of reminded me of Pleasant Ridge Reserve, which is to say, Gruyere-ish. I'd like to say I can rattle off the differences between Gruyere and Gouda, but I can't. They seem pretty similar, until the Gouda gets dry and crazy caramely after lots of aging. My 4-year-old daughter, who usually ignores the cheese tray, started snarfing the hell out of this and had a minor hissy when I pulled back a few slices for myself. So I guess you could say it's a crowd-pleaser. Not too challenging but plenty to offer, and inexpensive as artisan cheeses go.
The beer: Chimay Red. Belgian trappist ale. I think I got this one as a birthday gift.
If you've given a shit about real beer for a while, you're probably familiar with this one already as it's everywhere. If you're new to real beer, you should check it out. It is a great "starter" Belgian beer, as it gives you a good dose of funk from the Belgian yeasts but not too much, and well balanced by sweetness and spice. This one is successful and popular because it's good. No Super Bowl ads or air race sponsorships required.
This pairing was really positive. Both elements are assertive, but not overly, so they were evenly-matched and played well together.
