Whiskey & Cheese

Artisanal has incredible wine & cheese classes, but I was excited to attend the recent Whiskey & Cheese event since my experience with whiskey has been limited to bourbon old-fashioneds from cocktail bars. After a reception with cava and an assortment of cheeses, the class started. We moved through six single malt scotch whiskeys ranging from fresh to deep and smoky, paired with cheese from Artisanal's collection. Most of the scotch was a bit challenging for a novice, but I really took to the Talisker, a 10-year old vintage that was very smoky and reminded me of the bacon-infused bourbon at PDT. As usual for Artisanal, all of the cheeses were incredible, but this Oregon Blue from Rogue Creamery really left an impression. Sweet, salty and smoked, it really stood out from the other varieties we sampled - Bleu de Laqueuille, Roquefort, Hoch Ybrig, Gruyère, and a soft goat's milk topped with a bay leaf. The night finished with a slice of a dense, creamy cheesecake with a pecan shortbread crust.