Ep. 9: Very Cheesy Christmas: Tom Lennon Does Number 2

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December 16, 2016 - Lots more Tom Lennon. Lots more comedy. Lots more Cheesy Christmas — including illegal cheese smuggling, Strauss’s all around favorite red-wine-pairing cheese, and the surprising discovery of Tom Lennon’s impromptu “the best cheese I’ve ever had in my entire life” award.  Tom wades into the "Great Chicago Giordano’s vs Malnati's Pizza Debate." Tom and Strauss discover an unexpected fire-arms stupidity/run-ins with the law connection... Stories of youthful excess, Hollywood Christmas gifts and Chanukah sex. Lots more wine discussion covering the Grenache/Syrah blend from Longtable and Gigondas from Tom’s cellar, and a little excellent beer, too — thanks to Phelps and Deschutes Brewery!  For those who want to play-along at home — grab a bottle of your favorite Syrah/Grenache blend, pick up a couple of the cheeses from the Cheesy Christmas List on our website (or ask your cheese store for the closest thing)… and indulge with us, it’s Christmas, right?!       

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Day Drinking: Deschutes Brewery Jubelale, Longtable “The Gathering” 2012 Mt. Veeder, Napa (also available at Backroom Wines), Gigondas 2013

The Cheeses* (4-8)

4. Melkbus Lavender Gouda — a cow’s milk Gouda from Holland.  It’s crusted with Lavender and also with rosemary and thyme. It’s a young Gouda — 10 weeks aged.

5. Moliterno Sheep/Goat’s milk cheese with black truffle. A hard cheese from Sardinia.  Aged first until it’s semi-soft, then injected with black truffle paste.  

6. Vacherin d’ Mont D’or  This one is Swiss from the Jura Mountains on the French border.  Washed rind cow cheese made from milk from the end of the season in the areas that produce Comte and other traditional Swiss but when the milk is running out and they can’t produce the huge wheels… they make this.  Boxed as it ages in round fir wood strips.  Take the top rind of the cheese off and scoop it onto great crusty bread.

7. Beemster XO 26-month-aged cow Gouda from Holland. Natural rind.  Salty grains.  A nutty butter-scotch flavor — amazing with full-bodied red wines. 

8. Rogue River Blue 2016  Seasonal from Rogue Creamery in Southern Oregon.

*All cheeses were purchased from Cheese Store of Beverly Hills