h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The title says it all. I first enjoyed this made in heaven combination while sitting on the deck of a boat watching the most incredible sunset among the Gulf Islands of British Columbia. But I'm sure it works as well in any setting.

Although I love a good single malt, I find Stilton best served with a full bodied red wine that can cut through the buttery texture, but is not so dry that it acts only as a mouthwash between bites. Since cheese and fruit go together, I try to get a fruity wine, either a cream sherry or a tawny port, or a riesling. I've had scotch and Stilton in the past and found it unremarkable. Perhaps because it complimented the cheese all too well. I shall try it again if you will take sherry with your Stilton.

I will definately attempt sherry and stilton. (not really a hardship is it?) Usually there is more port about than sherry amongst my friends, would that be an acceptable alternate until the sherry appears?

Sherry buffs should try to get outside a half pint of Old Brown Sherry (OBS). It is perfect campfire libation.

OBS? Perhaps I am but a novice in the pursuit of sherry. Tell me more.

Sedgwick's Old Brown Sherry is something of an institution in South Africa.

It's cheap and packs a punch. There's nowt quite like it when you're sitting around the camp fire in the bush.

If I find myself down around the Cape I will seek it out, unless it is available in parts in the Northern Hemisphere.

It never tastes quite as good at home.

It's like San Miguel ... excellent for playing bar-football in a pub in the Pyrenees. Drink it at home in front of the tele and it loses its edge.

It's all about ambience.

Archibald for example in Post 1 raves over scotch and stilton "while sitting on the deck of a boat watching the most incredible sunset among the Gulf Islands of British Columbia". How much of that incredible memory of the combinantion of cheese and whisky is actually a response to the memeory of the moment, i.e., the boat and the sunset?

Trout.

So I could eat the best Stilton and drink the richest porter, but chances are good that I would detest them both if the roof leaked and my collection of fine persian rugs suffered irrepairable water damage.

By the same token, if I am eating pre-sliced american cheese (that plastic orange yank stuff) and drinking rust-colored tap water, life is good because my club won and I covered all my bets.

Isn't it grand. The oposite of a learned taste aversion. The very basis of all comfort foods.

You disappoint me! I run Scotch whisky nosings & tastings and I am desperate to finish off my next Master Class on 8 October with a Stilton soaked in malt whisky for my 'students'. And you tell me it doesn't work so well. Sure I love it with porto, too, but I have to find the most appropriate malt to replace it.

So, I will have to buy a hunk of it and try about 50 different malts with it - something I wanted to avoid!

Have a good day,

Malcolm John Andrews,
Waterloo, Belgium