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20 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 { wheying in } I'M STILL LOW on the learning curve when it comes to artisanal cider, but one thing I've learned for sure is that cheese loves it. I've had the opportunity to col - laborate on several seminars focused on the pairing of cider and cheese in recent years and always walk away impressed with how well the category handles strong cheeses that challenge still, dry wines. Of course, artisanal cider is not mono - lithic. Products vary greatly in their level of sweetness, acidity, tannin, and efferves- cence—all factors that inuence cheese afnities. But generally, I nd the following types of cheese have the greatest potential to marry memorably with cider : BLOOMY-RIND CHEESES This choice should come as no surprise to anyone who's enjoyed Normandy cider with Camembert. The aromas of butter and mushroom in these semisoft cheeses complement cider's apple scent: The dryer the cider, the better the match. The carbonation also helps cleanse the palate after tasting these tongue-coating cheeses. Recommended: Jasper Hill Moses Sleeper, Alemar Cheese Company Bent River, Marin French Cheese Triple-Crème Brie, Ferme de la Tremblaye Brie Fermier, and Hervé Mons Camembert CHEDDARS English cider and British farmhouse ched - dar are a well-known love match, but con- sider replacing both with their stateside versions. Many of the newer American cheddars tend to be fruitier and sweeter than their British counterparts and work well with off-dry ciders. Recommended: For a tangy style, Bleu Mont Cheddar, Fiscalini Cheese Bandaged Cheddar, and Hook's 5-Year Cheddar ; for a sweeter, mellow style, Beecher's Flag - ship or Flagship Reserve, Beehive Cheese Promontory, Cabot Clothbound, Face Rock Creamery Cheddar, and Milton Creamery Prairie Breeze WASHED-RIND CHEESES I sometimes struggle to nd a suitable wine for these smelly cheeses, yet cider almost always inexplicably works. The milk type doesn't seem to matter ; cow's, goat's, and sheep's milk wheels all perform well. Recommended: From cow's milk, Cowgirl Creamery Red Hawk, Livarot, Munster, and Taleggio; from goat's milk, Briar Rose Creamery Lorelei and Central Coast Creamery Dream Weaver ; from sheep's milk, Torta del Casar and Queso de la Serena GOUDAS With their pronounced, butterscotch-tinged sweet - ness, aged Goudas shine with both off-dry and sweet ciders. Remember the taste of cara - mel apples? That childhood memory may come ooding back when you try a dense and crystalline aged Gouda with an apple-scented cider. Recommended: L'Amuse, Brabander, Central Coast Creamery Goat Gouda, Marieke Gouda, and Prima Donna AGED GOAT CHEESES When goat cheese is made with cooked and pressed curds to prepare it for ag - ing, the cheese develops a caramel-like sweetness over time. When I smell these cheeses, I'm often reminded of cajeta or dulce de leche. Dry or off-dry cider atters that cooked- milk scent, while a sweet cider can also work with some cheeses in this category. Recommended: Andante Dairy Tomme Dolce, Garrotxa, Goat Lady Dairy Provi - dence, Haystack Mountain Cheese Queso de Mano, and Majorero BUTTERY BLUE CHEESES Reach for an off-dry or sweet cider—even a luscious ice cider—when it comes to mellow, nutty blue cheeses. Peppery, pun - gent blues like Roquefort and Gorgonzola are a bit harder to please. Recommended: Bleu d'Auvergne, Fourme d'Ambert, Jasper Hill Farm Bayley Hazen Blue, Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co. Bay Blue, Stichelton, and Stilton Sweet and Savory SIX CHEESE STYLES TAILORMADE FOR CIDER FANS by Janet Fletcher PHOTO: SPRINGFIELD GALLERY VIA ADOBE STOCK