All the Irish angels were smiling upon me ...

I’m a little behind the times, so bear with me as I catch up with some cheese experiences I’ve had this spring.

St. Patrick's Day … you’re right, that was March 17th, over a month and a half ago. At the time I was swamped with too many other distractions to even think of green … or partying … or cheese … or even about writing a blog entry. But the day after I had time to think, and I wondered what kind of Irish cheese I could have set out on a festive platter.

On March 18th, I was in Fairhaven on business, so while there I headed to Quel Fromage to see what lovelies Rachel had in her cheese emporium. She kidded me about being a day late, but good cheese is good cheese. And an excellent Irish cheese is exactly what I found.

Whiskey Cheddar from County Limerick (I ought to have a limerick to go with this. There was a man from Nantucket, who … Oh dear, can’t share that one!) Rachel cut a sample taste and I was sold! It was so yummy!

Dave and Marion Cahill, of Cahill Farm, create this one. They’ve been offering cheese since the early 1980s in County Limerick, Ireland, and Marion makes flavored cheddars from vintage Limerick recipes. Some of their creations aren’t available in the United States, but we’re lucky to be able to purchase their Kilbeggan single-malt Irish Whiskey infused cheddar here.

Their semi-hard cheese is made from pasteurized Friesian cow’s milk, and Marion uses vegetable rennet to separate the curds and whey, making Cahill’s a vegetarian choice. They also make their farmstead cheddar with Irish Porter they brew themselves (like Guinness Stout) and another cheddar flavored with elderberry wine.

I am interested in why people decide to make cheese. The typical thought is that the skill has been honed through generations of farmers and cheesemakers, and sometimes that is the case. However, Marion Cahill was once a bank clerk, but decided to become a cheesemaker in 1966 when she and Dave married. Years later and with the help of a small dedicated staff, they are an established gourmet cheese legend!

How does it taste? Faith & Begorra!!!! It is wonderfully mellow and a little tangy, but not sharp, and there’s also a delightful “breath” to it, I suppose because of the whiskey infusion. The alcohol disappears during the aging process, but a pleasant residual complexity remains. Delightful!

Somewhere I read that a traditional country ploughman’s lunch consisted of cheddar and pickles. There is a Country Ploughman’s served at The Honor Oak in London that consists of honey roast ham, Dorset cheddar, pickles, Braeburn apple and bread. Sounds great to me!

One cool service that I appreciate at Quel Fromage is that on their sales receipt is a little history of the cheese you’re buying, the price, suggested beverage pairings and what to serve with the cheese.

Quel Fromage suggested serving this cheese with pickles and sweet onions, and with whiskey, pale ale, Riesling, or Gewurztraminer.

I tried it with a bread-n-butter type of pickle I had in the frig and sweet onions. It was okay. I also ate it with braeburn apple slices, which was excellent, and I used some of it, with 2 other cheeses, in a mac-n-cheese, washed down with some Riesling, that was marvelous!

There’s also a Kerrygold Aged Cheddar with Irish Whiskey, that has a similar robust flavor, with distinctive undertones of smooth, nutty taste. There could be others that I’m just not aware of. If interested, check out the selections and taste for yourself how they differ in taste slightly or greatly!

I may have been a day late for St. Patrick’s Day 2010, but I can now enjoy a wee bit o’ the Irish any ol’ time I want throughout the year!

I hope you’ll enjoy this Whiskey Cheddar from County Limerick, too!

PS I just read on Wikipedia that the shortest St Patrick's Day parade in the world takes place in Dripsey, Cork. The parade lasts just 100 yards and travels between the village's two pubs.