Cheese Fest

Archive for the ‘Cow’s milk’ Category

Cornish Blue

It looks like a blue cheese that would knock your socks off. A gnarled, rank looking grey/straw coloured rind hiding an equally, rank and “old” looking patchy cream, brown and blue pate. Strong looking blue moulds gather around the regular holes that have been punched through the cheese specifically for this purpose. Cornish Blue But, looks can be deceptive in the world of cheese, and this is definitely a case of don’t judge a book by its cliché. It is beautifully creamy, with a very mild Stilton like flavour. If Stilton had a soft southern cousin, this would be it. If, Stilton scares you because of its pungency or acidity, then this would make a good substitute.

Purchased from Cheese Please, Lewes.

Reviewed by Nick & Olympia, 2011

(3/5)

Livarot

This is apparently the oldest style cheese in Normandy. Originally made by monks, Livarot is washed in fresh water coloured with annatto, which gives its sticky rind a bright orange appearance. Five indentations around its circumference mark the presence of strands of sedge grass that were used to bind it during maturation. Livarot The flesh, is actually semi-soft though it does look like it’s trying to run out once cut. It is a pale golden yellow with randomly shaped holes and a soft rubbery texture. It has a very strong cowshed/farmyard smell, with a very robust flavour, somewhere between a Camembert and an Epoisses. If you like strong, stinky cheeses, then this is definitely one to try.

 Purchased from a French cheese stall outside Brighton station.

Reviewed by Nick & Olympia, 2012

(4/5)

Munster

Made in Alsace and Lorraine, north eastern France, this soft rubbery, pale yellow cheese, wrapped in its sticky pale orange rind looks reasonably tame. Munster But, like most washed cheeses, beneath this gentle appearance, lurks something less respectable. Suffice to say… it’s a bit on the whiffy side. The smell is pungent like a good Camembert, but has an “alpine farm yard” quality. Like most cheeses, the smell should never put you off tasting. Munster has a rather interesting “boingy” texture which is pleasant to chew. The flavour is a little bitter and initially quite intense, but it fades quickly leaving a gently creaminess that only subtly echoes the smell. All in all, a very pleasant experience. Just remember to let it breath before serving.

Purchased from the French cheese stall outside Brighton Station.

Reviewed by Nick & Olympia.

(4/5)

Morbier

The most visually striking thing about this cheese is the presence of a thin dark grey line though the centre of its pale ivory coloured paste.

This grey line is actually a layer of wood ash. Traditionally, the cheese was made from the curd from two milkings. The ash was sprinkled over the morning curd to protect it during the day, and then the evening curd was poured on top.

This is one of our favourite cheeses. The paste is soft and flexible with a sweet, milky, farm yard smell. Though typically Alpine, in many respects, Morbier captures the best of this. Rich and creamy, buttermilky and nutty with overtones of fresh cut hay and the farm yard. Very satisfying, to nibble and savour with a glass of wine… DELICIOUS!

The original purchase for this review came from Selfridges. However, more recently, a piece has be bought from Tesco Remarkably, the Tesco sample was better than one purchased in France.

Purchased from Selfridges, London.

Reviewed by Nick & Olympia, 2010

(5/5)

 

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Update

To our delight, we recently discovered that the French also produce an aged version of Morbier.
Thinner than the usual variety (presumably due to shrinkage), but a dark yellow colour, becoming almost brown near the edges. It looks like it’s been kicking around for while, but… Oh my word! None of those subtle features of its younger sister, this is full force and in your face, intense and pungent. It may be too strong for some, but if you like Morbier and strong cheese, it is definitely worth seeking out.

Ser Królewski

Wrapped in bright red plastic, with a pale yellow paste with a few bubbles, this caught my eye in a continental deli. Ser Krolewski Polish in origin, I was informed by the shopkeeper that it’s name meant “the king of cheeses”. In fact, it means “royal cheese”. Either way, it’s title is bestowed under false pretenses. Typically eastern European, it is fairly unexciting, with a sweet, milky, but rather bland flavour and a slightly bitter aftertaste. Fine, for sandwiches, but not for savouring.

 Reviewed by Nick & Olympia 2012

(1/5)

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)

 

Sussex Scrumpy

A very appealing looking cheese, but the first thing that hits you is its wonderful smell. Garlic, herbs and cider are added to the curd rather than mashed in and re-formed like many flavour added cheeses. Sussex Scrumpy Its paste is soft and somewhat sticky with bits of herb scattered throughout the pale yellow. A very pleasant cheese, with good strong Cheddary flavour enhanced by the herbs and garlic… …but, where’s the cider? Its name indicates that there should be the presence of cider, maybe apples, or perhaps a hint of fruitiness or alcohol, but there is none, which is disappointing. None the less, it is still a very enjoyable and interesting addition to any cheese board.

 Purchased from Cheese Please, Lewes.

Reviewed by Nick & Olympia, 2012.

(3/5)

 

Dorset Blue Vinny

On the outside, its rind is grey and brown, with the rough, scarred texture of a comet beaten planet. This cheese is not immediately appealing, except, perhaps to the hardcore cheese fanatic. Dorset Blue Vinny On the inside, a smooth creamy paste attractively marbled with fine blue veining. This is a traditional Dorset recipe that has recently been revived. It starts off creamy with quite a strong blue flavour with a similar strength and body of a Danish blue, without the sharpness. Then it bites… and means it. The Cabrales like burn with a tart pepperyness attacks the back of the throat, leaving you grasping for that glass of wine… but BEWARE! this is not a match for a dry wine. The combination can be quite foul. Instead, a sweet wine or cider is recommended. A good strong blue cheese, but maybe not to everyone’s taste. It does however, make a superb blue cheese sauce, delicious with pasta.

Purchased from Cheese Please, Lewes.

Reviewed by Nick & Olympia, 2012.

(3/5)

Sussex Mansion

Mmmmm tasty!

Though nothing outstanding in its own right, this Cheddar like cheese, tastes at least as good as the proper Cheddar cheese made in the gorge. Having said that, it’s not actually a Cheddar (by definition). It does, however, taste remarkably similar.

A delicious cheese, strong flavour that has substance, but with no acidity, yet tangy with milky overtones.

Purchased from Cheese Please, Lewes.

Reviewed by Nick & Olympia 2012.

(4/5)