How to pair cheese with whisky

You’ve heard of a cheese and wine night, but what about a cheese and whisky night? Cheese and whisky is a match made in flavour heaven – it’s a delicious whisky and food pairing that you simply need to try.

There are so many different varieties of cheese, from sharp hard cheeses like mature cheddar and parmesan, to creamy soft cheeses such as camembert and brie. And there’s enough variety in our whisky drink collection to be able to pair different cheeses to different whiskies, and be playful in doing so.

Like anything in the world of food and drink, there are no rules as such. We all have different preferences and tastes, so a whisky and cheese combination that works well for you may not tingle the taste buds of your friends quite the same. But a whisky and cheese tasting night is the ideal opportunity to try out different pairings and compare with your pals.

To point you in the right direction, here are our recommendations of what cheeses to pair with The Glenlivet whisky…

The Glenlivet 12 Year Old & mature cheddar cheese

Mature cheddar cheese is rich, deep and sharp. And depending on the variety you pick, it may be firm or crumbly. Cheddar is a staple in most of our fridges and is used on everything from our sandwiches to homemade pies, but have you tried it with The Glenlivet 12 Year Old?

It’s the ideal whisky to pair with cheddar because of the fruity flavours and strong pineapple notes. You may scoff at the thought of old school cheese and pineapple sticks at childhood parties, but there’s no denying that these sweet and savoury, fruity and bold flavours work incredibly well together.

And that’s why this vibrant gold scotch is delicious with cheddar cheese.

Next time you’re enjoying a dram, get your block of cheddar out of the fridge and cut a few generous pieces to munch on alongside your whisky.

Caribbean Reserve & Stilton cheese

Stilton is a crumbly blue cheese with a nutty, salty and bitter flavour. It’s well known for its veiny blue appearance, which is achieved by piercing the crust with needles to let air get inside.

Stilton is often served on a cheeseboard alongside apples and pears. The gentle sweet flavours of these fruits contrasts wonderfully with the acidic taste of stilton, making a very moreish match indeed.

That’s why we recommend pairing Stilton with our Caribbean Reserve Scotch.

This dark amber whisky is finished in barrels that previously contained Caribbean Rum, giving it a tropical twist. The smooth flavour and finish works well with the sharpness of stilton, and sweet aromas of pear and red apple fused with a subtly tropical undertone emulates that classic combination of Stilton and fruit. If you wanted to ramp up the sweetness, you could opt to make a Mango Tea Lime Smash cocktail to go with your favourite blue cheese instead.

So next time you enjoy a cheese board with Stilton, be sure to pour a glass of Caribbean Reserve whisky for a unique flavour experience.

Captain’s Reserve & goats cheese

We’re stepping away from cow’s milk cheese for this next whisky and cheese pairing.

Goat cheese is getting more and more popular. You can now find it on pizzas, in sandwiches and salads, and on fancy cheese boards. That said, goat cheese is arguably a bit of an acquired taste. It’s tart and tangy, and some people even find it gamey and earthy.

This strong flavour profile combined with a creamy texture is pretty delicious in our humble opinion. But we think it can be even more delicious with our Captain’s Reserve whisky.

Captain’s Reserve is a rich Scotch that’s finished in cognac casks. It’s got a sweet and succulent flavour and aromas of honey – flavours that typically pair excellently with tangy goat cheese.

If you’re not much of a goat cheese fan, we urge you to try it with whisky to see if it gives you a fresh flavour perspective. And if you are a fan of goat cheese, we don’t think we’ll be needing to urge you at all!

The Glenlivet 15 Year Old & camembert

Finally, we’re pairing a classic stinky cheese with whisky.

Camembert is one of our favourite cheeses, when we say stinky, we mean it in the best kind of way.

It’s a soft French cheese with a fruity, nutty and creamy, yet delicately tart flavour that’s almost impossible to explain. Get all your friends to try a piece and describe the taste, and no doubt they’ll all say something rather different.

But however camembert tastes to you, we think you’ll enjoy it with The Glenlivet 15 Year Old. This is another delicious whisky and cheese pairing that is one to try at your next dinner party.

The process of selective maturation gives this Scotch a uniquely exotic and slightly spicy flavour, which goes extremely well with the creaminess of camembert. Along with a tasty contrast in flavours, the aroma of 15 Year Old is rich and buttery, echoing the profile of camembert. The final effect is a moreish whisky and cheese pairing that is nothing like you’ve tasted before.

You just have to give it a try. For a twist, give a Godfather cocktail a go. It combines whisky with amaretto which adds to the sweetness and nuttiness but still works beautifully with the camembert.

Feeling peckish, and perhaps a little thirsty? We reckon you will be by now…

Why not get a date for a whisky and cheese night in the diary, and sample these perfect pairings for yourself? Alternatively, try hosting a cocktail party or a whisky pairing dinner with the help of our whisky cocktail recipes. Whatever you do, have a good one!