Sprinkle the chicken on all sides with salt and pepper. Place skin side down in a cold cast iron skillet. Place over medium high heat until the skin has browned, turn over and cook until chicken is cooked through. Remove from skillet.

Add the bacon to skillet, cooking until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon.

Pour out most of the fat in the pan, leaving about 1 tablespoon still in it.

Stir in the garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds, sprinkle with flour stirring until the flour has been cooked, about 1 minute. Pour in the beer, scraping to deglaze the pan. Add the cream and reduce heat to medium.

A hand full at a time stir in the cheese until well combined.

Add the chicken back into the pan, cooking until chicken is warmed.

Sprinkle with crispy bacon and basil. Serve immediately.