A Beer And A Cheese - 2 Reviews

-
Recently, I've come across two, completely dissimilar, consumables which I have deemed to be worthy of note. First, find my thoughts on Rogue Ales' Voodoo Doughnut: Chocolate, Banana & Peanut Butter Ale. Then, you can read my opinion of Cabot Creamery's Smoky Bacon Cheddar.

-

Rogue Ales' Voodoo Doughnut: Chocolate, Banana & Peanut Butter Ale

While browsing my way through New Seasons Market a few weeks ago, I came across a bright pink 750ml bottle of Rogue Ales' Voodoo Doughnut: Chocolate, Banana & Peanut Butter Ale. The offbeat flavor profile was supposedly designed to mimic Voodoo’s "Memphis Mafia" doughnut, based on Elvis' favorite sandwich. Being a fan Portland's popular doughnut shop, I felt compelled to shell out $12.95 to try a bottle of this unique beverage.

The ale pours black and thick, like a full bodied stout. As with most "chocolate beers" it tastes like dark roasted coffee, this time with an ever so slight hint of peanut butter on the finish. I'm not sure how much banana is actually in the brew, but it's not detectable on the palette.

Bottom line, with better and cheaper chocolate stouts on the market, Rogue Ales' Voodoo Doughnut: Chocolate, Banana & Peanut Butter Ale doesn't deliver enough of the additionally promised flavors to make it worth the inflated price. The bottle makes a nice keepsake though.

I give Rogue Ales' Voodoo Doughnut: Chocolate, Banana & Peanut Butter Ale 6 out of 10 points. I'd drink it if it was being served at a party, but I wouldn't go out of my way to buy another bottle.
-

Cabot Creamery's Smoky Bacon Cheddar

I returned to New Seasons yesterday, and was scanning the cheese counter for something I couldn't live without, when my eye caught wedges of Cabot Creamery's Smoky Bacon Cheddar. I like bacon! I like sharp white Cheddar! Thus, I wasn't leaving store without my share of this comestible concoction. Priced at $15.00 per pound, I made it home with a $4.00 wedge of my find.

Made from pasteurized cow's milk, this bacon-laced white Cheddar delivers a succulent balance of sharp cheddary tang and smokey bacony saltiness. The texture is smooth, but somewhat crumbly which may make it challenging to cook with. Therefore, I'd treat it solely as a snack cheese and pair it with an Oktoberfest Style, or other hearty, beer.

I give Cabot Creamery's Smoky Bacon Cheddar 9 out of 10 points.
-