Blu Del Moncenisio

Blu del Moncenisio is an Italian blue cheese made in the Piedmont region.  It is riddled with deep blue veins and has a lovely, rich aroma.  The texture reminds me of cambozola in that it is very creamy and doesn't crumble easily like many blue cheeses.  It has a lovely velvety mouthfeel and the taste is superb - bright, peppery, assertive, and just "blue" enough. 

I'd read recently on various cheese blogs that blue cheese and honey make a great pair, so I decided to try it out on the Blu del Moncenisio.  Drizzled with a bit of honey, it is absolutely divine - the sweetness performs an amazing balancing act with the blue cheese's spicy, tangy flavor.  This cheese ended up being the stand-out star of my cheese plate and is definitely one of the very best blue cheeses I have ever tried.

Flada

Flada is a newer cheese from Switzerland.  It is very soft, very ripe, and ready to stink up your entire home.

The aroma of Flada is generally described as "barnyard", which is not, I suppose, too inaccurate - you definitely get a sense of filthy animals and general unwashed reek from this little fellow.  But is it lovely! Oh, that reddish, ripply rind, cracking open to reveal a round expanse of yellow, runny goo - it makes a pretty picture, that's for sure.

But what of the taste?  I have to say, I wasn't as blown away as I thought I'd be, but it is good and quite interesting.  It is salty, meaty, milky, heady, stinky... a cheese only a cheese lover could love.  It begs merely to be spooned (yes, a spoon would work better) onto crusty bread.   Be sure to bring it to room temperature before eating. 

Cablanca

Cablanca is a lovely Dutch goat cheese with a firm texture and mild, nutty aroma.  Much less tangy and pungent than the average goat cheese, Cablanca reminds me of a subtle Spanish cheese like Iberico, but with a touch of goaty flavor added in. 

It is semi-firm but will melt well, making it perfect for burgers, pasta or pizza.  It is also delicious on its own and pairs very well with softer cheeses.  Its brilliant white color makes it an attractive addition to your cheese plate. 

Alta Langa La Tur

La Tur is a lovely, gooey cheese made in Alta Langa, Piedmont, Italy.  It is very white and buttery in appearance, and after being left to sit out at room temperature, it begins to get very attractively runny.  It has a mild but complex flavor, buttery and purely elegant.  Paired with a crispy companion like endive or crusty bread, it will impress your guests. 

A mix of cow, goat and sheep's milk, La Tur has a uniquely rich taste and is very intensely creamy.  A little goes a long way! 

Barely Buzzed

The final cheese in my Exotic & Rare cheese collection from Artisancheese.com is Barely Buzzed from Beehive Cheese Co. in Utah.

Barely Buzzed at Beehive Cheese Co. Website

This is a rich, creamy cow cheese rubbed with a mixture of ground espresso and lavender.  It's very unusual, and really, really good.  The aroma is divine - the espresso they use is of incredible quality.  It has a smooth, semi-firm yet melt-in-your-mouth texture, and a flavor of rich, satisfying espresso followed by sweet cream, salty, nutty cheese, and finishes with the light, floral kiss of lavender. 

It would go wonderfully with espresso and chocolate as a dessert.  Or honey!  I drizzled some honey on mine and it was so delicious.  The honey really brightened the taste of the cheese and mingled perfectly with the lavender.  I was very pleased with this cheese and I plan on trying more Beehive cheeses if I can find them.

RATING: 4 out of 5 stars

Testun Al Barolo

Testun Al Barolo is a semi-firm goat/cow cheese from the Piedmont region of Italy.  It looks luscious, no?  Almost like a pie.  It is aged under crushed Nebbolio grapes, which are used to make Barolo wine.  The grapes impart a very winey flavor to the cheese. 

The texture is wet and slightly crumbly, and it has a very sweet and creamy aroma.  The taste is smooth and rich - it tastes of fresh milk, grass, and wine.  It's tangy and sweet and goes wonderfully with salty foods.  Eat it with red wine - Barolo would be the best choice, obviously - mild fruits, olives, and salty cured meats.  It's a very classy cheese that will impress you and your friends both with its dramatic appearance and complex, sweet flavor.

RATING: 4 stars

Reggianito

Reggianito at Cheese.com

You know Parmigiano Reggiano, yes? Reggianito is its Argentinian cousin. Its name is a diminutive of the original, because it is made in smaller (much smaller) wheels. The story of Reggianito is simple: From what I have read, Italians living in Argentina invented it in an attempt to recreate the magic of one of their homeland's greatest cheeses.

They did succeed, I think - and Italy must have thought so too, since after World War I, they made some regulatory moves to prevent Reggianito from replacing their famous cheese in the hearts and pantries of pasta-loving cooks everywhere. (Reggianito on Wikipedia)

If you're interested in some more cheese history, further info about the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium can be found here.

And now, on to the eating of the cheese. Reggianito is very similar to Parmigiano Reggiano, very similar indeed. The taste is a bit saltier and a bit milder, which I like very much. The texture, while hard, has more give to it than the Parmigiano as well. Due to its milder flavor, I feel it is a more versatile cheese than Parmigiano, and could be used in many different food applications - even sandwiches. Of course, on pasta it is divine.

I won't say that Reggianito has replaced Parmigiano Reggiano in my heart and pantry, for P.R. is much harder and therefore easier to grate finely upon a pasta, pizza, etc. But where flavor is concerned, I think the diminutive Argentinian cousin is a clear winner. Give it a try sometime.

RATING: 4 out of 5 stars

Etorki

Etorki at the Food Network Store

"Etorki", the name, apparently comes from the Basque word for "origin". I think it would make a good name for a sheep. Perhaps Etorki was the name of the very first sheep whose milk was used to make Etorki cheese. But I digress.

Etorki is a sheep's milk cheese, and quite a fine one at that. It is new, having been invented in the 1970s. Its flavor is somewhat similar to a nutty Spanish cheese, like an Iberico for example, but the texture is semi-soft, creamy and buttery. It also has not a small amount of that elusive flavor component that I like to call "sheepiness". And the only way to experience sheepiness, aside from drinking sheep's milk, is to eat a sheep's cheese.

There is a bit of sweetness in this cheese, and also a grassy, fresh, flowery sunny taste that will make you feel like you've landed in a meadow in springtime. Surrounded by cute little sheep named Etorki.

It's another versatile cheese that will make you happy on a cheese plate, or in your cooking, but it is rich and shouldn't be overused.

RATING: 4 out of 5 stars

Sottocenere

Sottocenere at Cowgirl Creamery's Library of Cheese

You really can't go wrong by adding truffles to cheese. They are the perfect pair and will shine no matter what you do with them. That said, there are several varieties of truffled cheese out there and they do have some differences between them.

Sottocenere is a new cheese. It was invented about eight years ago by some guy in Venice who decided that truffles and cheese might age together beautifully when preserved in ash. (And that's what "sottocenere" means, apparently - "under the ash".)

He was right. Sottocenere is a lovely cheese. The truffle flavor is stronger than some other truffle cheeses I've tried, but not so rich as to overwhelm you. The cheese is both laden with truffle bits AND rubbed with truffle oil, talk about your dream come true, right? It also has a hint of spiciness that I cannot quite trace, but I'm assuming it comes from the ash coating, which is infused with various herbs and spices.

All in all, this is by far the best truffled cheese I have ever tasted. It also melts beautifully and therefore would make a flashy addition to your next brunch.

RATING: 4 out of 5 stars

Grafton Village Sage Cheddar

Sage Cheddar at the Grafton Village Cheese Company Website

Here's a very interesting cheddar from Grafton Village Cheese of Vermont. They're not kidding when they say it's both flavored with sage AND rubbed with sage oil. The sage flavor is intense - honestly, I would be fine with a tiny bit less sage-iness. You can barely taste the lovely cheddar under all that sage. Still, it's a delicious and intriguing cheese. The flavor is quite warm and inviting.

For how strongly and specifically flavored it is, the Sage Cheddar is also open to pretty much anything - you could definitely put together some exciting and unexpected flavor combos with this cheese. Have a taste and then let your imagination run wild; it will be a delightful addition to any meal or snack.

RATING: 4 out of 5 stars

Kerrygold Aged Cheddar with Irish Whiskey

http://www.kerrygold.com/usa/product_cheddar_whiskey.html

I treated myself to two new cheeses for the Fourth of July. I suppose it would have made more sense to pick two American cheeses, but... I didn't.

The first cheese I tried is this cheddar with Irish whiskey from Kerrygold. Cheese and whiskey you say?! I know, it is an unexpected combination. I've tried plenty of wine- and beer-infused cheeses, but never a whiskey cheese. I was most pleasantly surprised. The texture of this cheese is superbly creamy; it melts in your mouth.

The first thing you taste is a lovely, sharp, aged cheddar, but then you notice the warm, rich, "sitting in the library by the fireplace" flavor of a nice whiskey seeping in. It's delicious. Not really a summer cheese, though. I picture it being perfect on a cold winter night, served on a little platter with some strong cured meats, and of course some fine Irish whiskey to drink with it.

RATING: 4 out of 5 stars

Butterkäse

http://www.igourmet.com/shoppe/prodview.aspx?prod=759S

Butterkäse! Isn't that a great name? It's another German cheese, my favorite German cheese in fact. I love a cheese that tastes like it sounds, and Butterkäse does not disappoint; it's buttery as hell and delightfully mild. It definitely tastes like a young cheese, sort of bright and sunny. It will make you want to frolic through a meadow, with its sunny, cheery flavor.

Butterkäse is great for any cheese-related need - it's interesting enough to serve at a party, yet mild enough to eat on sandwiches, burgers, grilled cheese, or whatever.

RATING: 4 out of 5 stars

Bruder Basil

http://www.cheese.com/Description.asp?Name=Bruder%20Basil

I only recently got into German cheese. I never really thought of Germany as a big cheese country, but I have found that there are quite a few unique and tasty German cheeses.

Bruder Basil is a smoked cheese, and I have never particularly enjoyed smoked cheeses, but this one is definitely an exception. The smoky flavor is lush, complex, elegant even; it reminds me of high-quality pipe tobacco, a delightful taste if ever there was one.

The texture is what you'd expect if you've ever eaten a smoked cheese before. They seem to be uniformly springy and sort of rubbery in texture, I'm not sure why that is. It should go well with just about anything you feel like eating.

RATING: 4 out of 5 stars

Beecher's Blank Slate - Honey

Next up in my review of Beecher's cheeses is their honey-flavored Blank Slate.

http://www.beechershandmadecheese.com/shop_beecherscheeses_blankslate_honey.html

From Beecher's site: "Blank Slate - Honey is a naturally cultured, soft, fresh farmer's cheese sweetened with local Washington honey. The flavor is lush and soft with a sweet finish."

And oh Lord, it is good. An incredibly fresh-tasting, light, milky, soft cheese with the most delicate honey flavor. I go insane for anything that tastes like honey (including honey itself), so naturally I adore this cheese.

As per the serving suggestions on the Beecher's website - yes, spreading it on a bagel is delicious. So is eating it on mild (i.e. not salty) crackers. It will pair very well with any light breakfast, I kind of think of it as a breakfast cheese. But, if you put some on top of a warm piece of apple or blueberry pie, I bet you'd die. I'd definitely die. Of JOY.

RATING: 4 out of 5 stars