Charcuterie and brandy.
Food pairing with wine and beer is as accepted by consumers as something so natural that there’s no need to even think twice about it. But with brandy? Who would have ever thought of that? Well actually, it’s a completely normal, if not a well known way to pair food.
It also allows you to experiment with bolder food flavours that perhaps would overwhelm most wines. I mean, what wine would you drink with a spicy, fruity Madras curry? There are even restaurants in France that have entire tasting menus which combine different food and cognac pairings.
I decided on a brandy pairing with various charcuteries, provided by Steve Jeffreys, well known from his Biscuit Mill stand.
A symphony of tastes.
Distell provided the brandy, and they were a Nederburg Solara, Flight of the Fish Eagle, Oude Meester Demant, Van Ryn’s Distillers Reserve 12 Year Old, and Klipdrift Gold.
The meats were arranged on plates in a circular fashion, and started at 12 O’Clock with the mildest, and going clockwise, getting steadily stronger and more flavoursome as they were paired with each of the brandies.
Our 12 Taste Buddies arrived on the dot of 6, as requested, and were greeted with a brandy cocktail to warm them up. The log fire crackled merrily, adding a festive air to the proceedings on this winter evening.
Helmuth Kisting, Premium Brandy Ambassador for Distell, took people through a brief, but informative, 5 minutes on brandy and how good, in particular, South African brandy is.
Steve Jeffreys then explained the art of charcuterie, his deep knowledge of farming coming to the fore.
Just a note on tasting brandies. It’s all the usual things you’d imagine – older ones are more elegant, sweet and refined, younger ones are harsher and grassier.
But I was surprised to discover that you do not swirl a brandy in the glass, as this disperses the volatile and complex flavours before nosing it. I’ve been swirling for years.
So here’s the line up.
Zelda Hamilton, Taste Buddy and Managing Editor of House & Leisure Magazine, tucks into a brandy cocktail.
Nederburg Solara.
Paired with pancetta. Distell said;The mild taste of the pancetta lets the refreshing light fruity taste of the brandy come through.Taste Buddies said; Pop music, Madonna’s “Like a Virgin” sung at a school concert.
Flight of the Fish Eagle.Paired with saucisson. Distell said; Pale with fruit tones it pairs well with this lightly salted wine and garlic meat. Taste Buddies said; I can’t believe it’s not whiskey! Young brandy, soul music, paired well.
Oude Meester Demant.Paired with cured smoked pork belly. Distell said; amber wood, complex, apricot and tobacco. Taste Buddies said; Now we’re smokin’! R&B music, mellow, lilting, various flavours mesh and mix lyrically. Excellent pairing.
Van Ryn’s Distillers Reserve 12 Year old.Paired with chorizo. Distell said; Notes of wood, dried fruit, coffee, dense. Taste Buddies said; This is fine slow jazz. Nina Simone in a slow rift with delicious accompaniment. Perfect pairing. Never knew it could be this good.
Klipdrift Gold. Paired with Toulouse sausage. Distell said; Full bodied, chocolate, wood and tobacco notes. Taste Buddies said; This is a Maria Callas opera. Wonderful pairing allows the palate to experience a full range of flavours.
The Taste Buddies had to score each brandy and overall tasting pairing experience out of 10 points. We added them up and the clear winner, by a mile, was Van Ryn’s Distillers reserve 12 Year Old, paired with chorizo sausage.
I have to say I was a bit peeved, as my personal favourite was the Oude Meester Demant.
But hey, we live in a democracy.
In conclusion, I was very impressed by the flavour possibilities in the charcuterie pairings. All the brandies are available nationwide and guideline prices are as follows;
If Van Ryn's were a jazz singer, it would be Nina Simone.
Nederburg Solera. R130.
Flight of the Fish Eagle. R115.
Oude Meester Demant. R155.
Van Ryn’s Distillers Reserve 12 Year Old. R450.
Klipdrift Gold. R200.
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What a wonderful evening we enjoyed with Distell, Steve and yourself! We were absolutely amazed by how the flavours of brandy and charcuterie complimented each other – well, more than just complimented, they paid tribute to one another in an unforgettable taste experience. Steve has the pairing down to an art. We’ll be stocking up on both to warm us on these chilly winter evenings.
Hi Clare
Sounds like the most marvellous evening, I am deeply envious of your enjoyment. I am intrigued to learn more about Steve Jeffreys’s deep knowledge of farming, it would be fascinating if you could do a more thorough and in-depth interview with him about his background and training in charcuterie, farming, organics etc if only for the sake of readers like me who really want to get hold of ethical, committed and sound local suppliers to a fairly uneducated market. I also heard that he apparently is one of the foremost purveyors of organic duck and chicken at Cape Town slow food markets. I look forward to an enlightening article!
Kind regards
Sonia Cabano