Cheese Fest

Archive for July, 2012

Appenzeller

Made in the mountains of northeast Switzerland, Appenzeller is typically alpine in taste and texture, but as it ripens, it becomes so much more. Appenzeller Appenzeller is washed in herb imbued brine sometimes with added wine or cider. The hard rind is browny yellow often wrapped in printed foil from the manufacturer. The paste is a light golden yellow in colour with the occasional bubble. When young, it has a sweet buttermilk smell and a mild nutty flavour. As it ages, the sweet innocence of youth is lost to a lustful decadence, that is at the same time beautifully sensual and utterly filthy. There is something very sexy about Appenzeller, together with the smells of grass, milk and cowshed is a like a romp in the hayloft with the farmer’s daughter.

Reviewed by Nick & Olympia 2012.

(5/5)

Pié d’Angloys

Gourmet cheeses from the supermarket can often be disappointing. The fridges they use are set at temperatures dictated by store policy rather than cheese storage ideals. Sell by dates are set way before necessary, just to be on the safe side. The result is that often supermarket cheese won’t ripen.

Pié d’Angloys seems to be immune to this supermarket abuse and ripens at around the sell by date regardless of how it’s kept.

Typical of Cistercian methods, this is wine washed cheese. The rind is sticky, a pale orange colour and dusted in flour. The inner paste is a soft ivory colour and deliciously gooey when ripe.

Like a good Camembert, it becomes very smelly as it approaches ripeness (even through unopened packaging), but the flavour is not as strong. It has a decadent, but delicate creaminess, with Camembert like pungent overtones. A truly enjoyable and reliable alternative to supermarket Camembert. Additionally, like most washed rind cheeses, it produces the wonderful perfumed flavours when eaten with wine.

Purchased from Tesco.

Reviewed by Nick & Olympia 2012.

(4/5)