York Whisky Club

Join fellow whisky lovers based in & around York

Tasting #14 – Love Whisky? Love Cheese?

Cheese + Whisky lovers reunited!

For the start of the 2023 York Food and Drink festival, we reunited with Love Cheese of Gillygate in St Crux church.

The partner in our first ever tasting, Jordan from Love Cheese was, as before, generous in the cheese portions and a delighted crowd got stuck in:

To the drams!

To prepare for the tasting, we found some time to sample many cheese and generally thank the life decisions that took us to here.

We chose some pairings which could be described as ‘companion’ pairings – similar or complimentary tastes – and others where we thought there might be an interesting contrast.

The line up

  1. Filey Bay Flagship Whisky (70cl, 46%, £54.94) paired with Wensleydale
  2. Wormtub 10 Year Old – Batch 2 Whisky (70cl, 56.8%, £49.95) paired with Affineur Walo Red Wine Farmer Cheese
  3. Simply Whisky Friday Night (70cl, 48.8%, £64.95) paired with Todmorden Pexommier (Contact Love Cheese as limited availability)
  4. Deanston 21 Year Old 2000 Organic Whisky (70cl, 50.9%, £174.90) paired with Ribblesdale Mature
  5. Butterscotch & Vanilla & Toast & A Generation & Cask Strength 30 Year Old Batch 01 Whisky (70cl, 58.2%, £79.95) paired with Doddington
  6. Kilkerran 16 Years (46%, OB, 2021, £75) paired with Fourme D’Ambert

The crowd enjoyed the creamy starter, before we went educational with Wormtub condensers and an excellent ‘mystery’ Speyside 10yr old from Masters of Malt. Sticking with Wormtubs, we showcased the tasty ‘Friday Night’ from Simply Whisky with a debate as to whether Todmorden was tickling Lancashire, but agreed the Pexommier was a delicious example in the Brie camp.

Lots of love for the 21yr organic whisky from Deanston which picked up the dual award scoop of dram of the night, and pairing of the night with the Ribblesdale.

(Comment was also passed that the Red Wine Farmer suited the Deanston as well)

However, the cheese of the night went to the Doddington which we paired with a 30yr old grain whisky, prompting some interesting chats about whisky making.

We rounded off the night with a blue cheese and a 2021 Kilkerran 16.

Lots of great chat during and after – speaking of which, whilst it didn’t scoop the top prize, there was lots of love for the Wormtub 10.

“The brie was THIS big”

Your hosts (L-R): Jordan (Love Cheese), Jim (YwC), Jasper (YwC).

Thanks to club member Luke of Steadfast Video Productions for taking some better photos than we usually remember to take!