Archive for January, 2014
Maroilles
January 19th, 2014 Posted 7:17 pm
From a Trappist recipe, over 1,000 years old, this distinctive sticky, orange slab is the favourite of kings, and it’s not hard to see why.
 Maroilles It has an attractive orange rind. But… it’s not coloured with an annatto stained wash like many other orangey coloured cheeses. This is the colour the the particular strain of bacteria that is grown on its surface. As it matures, Maroilles is repeatedly turned and washed with brine. This kills off the usual white moulds, allowing a culture of orange bacteria to develop, giving it a sticky, oily texture. It has an acrid smell, that is quite pungent, but not strong. Inside, the paste is also quite sticky and oily. A pale yellow in colour with little holes and a soft, rubbery bite. The flavour is initially, not strong, but again, distinctly acrid and slightly bitter. However, the flavour increases as you chew. Strangely, the aftertaste is stronger still. The bitter aftertaste fades and is replaced with sweet buttermilkiness. In some ways, it has a strong flavour, yet it is mild. All in all, it provides a complex tasting experience that is rather hard to describe. |
Purchased from the French cheese stall, Brighton station.
Reviewed by Nick & Olympia, 2012
(3/5)
Posted in 3 Stars - Good, Cow's milk, French, Semi-soft, Washed
Pennard Ridge Red
January 12th, 2014 Posted 6:00 pm
If you were only allowed to look, you’d swear it was Red Leicester. If you were only allowed to smell, you’d swear it was an aged Gouda. If you were only allowed to taste, you’d swear it came from the Alps. But… what is really surprising, is that this cheese is made from goat’s milk.
 Pennard Ridge Red It really does look like Red Leicester, but it’s not just the annatto added for colour, the texture is similar and so is the way it crumbles. The rind smells of old damp stone cellars, the pate itself, slightly caramelly (a bit like aged Gouda). The flavour is richly complex and deeply satisfying. The caramel and damp stone overtones combine with a hint of raw turnip and a sweet, nutty, alpine cow’s milk flavour that would make you seriously question its West Country, caprine origins. There is an almost unnoticeable hint of goat. So much so, that it would so easily be missed unless you were actually looking for it. By all accounts, this was an attempt by the Somerset Cheese Company to create a Red Leicester like cheese from goat’s milk, for the lactose intolerant, but it is so much better. All in all, a very satisfying cheese. |
Produced by the Somerset Cheese Company
Purchased from Cheese Please, Lewes.
Reviewed by Nick & Olympia, 2013
(4/5)
Posted in 4 Stars - Very Good, English, Goat's milk, Hard
Délice de Bourgogne
January 5th, 2014 Posted 7:04 pm
From Burgundy, this decadent little number is definitely not one for those on a diet. With a fat content of over 75%, this triple cream cheese will clog the arteries as it makes its way directly to the waistline… but, oooh, what a way to go! 
 Délice de Bourgogne The soft white bloomy rind, like that of a brie, covers the almost equally white paste. It has very little smell, a bit like crème fraîche (which is not surprising because it is one of the ingredients). It is soft, creamy and spreads easily, with a smooth, silky but also very fatty texture. Very, very creamy, with an almost fresh taste, slightly lemony, but with a quite salty, buttery flavour. In some ways, it has a very slight “blue” flavour, that gets stronger as the cheese gets older. Very rich and very decadent. |
Reviewed by Nick & Olympia, 2012
(3.5/5)
Posted in 3 Stars - Good, Cow's milk, French, Soft