Hoosier Beer Geek: A Beer Blog for Indiana, from Indianapolis

The second year of the Beer and Cheese Club starts off with a bang.  In the beer department, Shoreline's 2008 Curse the Goat barrel-aged doppelbock.  Shoreline's barrel series can typically fetch $20 or more at a liquor store, so for Curse the Goat to show up in an edition of the Beer and Cheese Club is really something special.  But it doesn't stop with an impressive beer, oh no.  Our cheese selection is crafted by an Italian cheese maker that decided to set up shop in Kentucky.  Giovanni Capezzuto's Kentucky Grana gets an even more local twist this month.  The Smoking Goose has smoked a wheel of this cheese and it is this month's cheese selection with the Beer and Cheese Club!

The beer is from the north, the cheese is from the south and Goose the Market brings it all together with the Smoking Goose and the Beer and Cheese Club.  If you're a member of the Beer and Cheese Club at Goose the Market, your January installment is ready for you to pick up right now. If you're not a member, the club is $99 for 4 months.  We normally get this out ahead of time, but Winterfest slowed us down this month.  Despite our lethargy, I think you'll enjoy the pairing just the same.

This month brings an extra special treat to members.

The beer is from Indiana’s own Shoreline Brewery and part of their Big Bourbon Series. Curse the Dopplebock is interesting right now. It imparts a bit of sour flavor, mixed with aromas of bourbon and dark fruit. It is light on the tongue and a little warming in the belly.

This goat’s milk cheese from Lexington, KY is made by Napoli native, and now Lexington resident, Giovanni Capezzuto. His Old World approach makes for a deliciously subtle and buttery textured cheese. But this particular batch gets a little “Goose” from Chris Eley. This cheese has been smoked at the Smoking Goose, which gives it a little extra something special. If you’ve ever been fortunate to have some bacon or other smoky treat from the Meatery, you know how delicious it is. This cheese takes on that flavor like a champ.

Thanks Goose!

I was quite excited about this beer, because everything I've had from the Barrel Series has been great.  Curse the Goat took me a little by surprise, perhaps because the barrel aging is beginning to influence the beer in the sour direction.  Sour red grapes were the first thing I noticed in the aroma, followed with faint notes of raisin, chocolate, malt and bourbon.  The flavor was similar.  A bit of tartness mixed with plums, figs and raisins and a hint of bourbon in the background.  Certainly no longer your typical doppelbock, this is now something entirely unique.  I wouldn't let this beer sit another year or it may lose its body to sourness, but right now the balance is intriguing.

The cheese is another story, as it is quite fresh and bursts with a beautiful smoky flavor.  The fresh Smoking Goose treatment is immediately noticeable both in the aroma and flavor.  The cheese has a distinct dry, salty, nuttiness that lends itself to smoking and creates an incredible end product.  When tasting the cheese and the beer together, the doppelbock notes are incredibly complimentary with the dark fruit and rich malt flavors pairing well with the smoked character of the cheese.  The sourness creates an interesting reaction with the salty flavor of the cheese, which seems to run parallel to the other flavor interactions without disturbing them.  Certainly a unique pairing!

Sorry, you don't get the whole wheel

To join the Beer and Cheese Club at Goose the Market (in conjunction with Hoosier Beer Geek), check out this PDF and then either call Goose the Market at 317-924-4944 or stop in the shop at 2503 N. Delaware St.