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. 

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

Cheese On the Horizon... Plus, Fontina

I'm in a celebratory mood, so I bought myself a present: The "Exotic & Rare" cheese collection from ArtisanalCheese.com. I had a terrible time picking out a gift for myself on that site. It reminded me of when I was little and my mom would take me to Toys 'R' Us. As soon as I entered the Barbie aisle, I began to suffer sensory + greed overload and usually had a nervous breakdown because I wanted all of the Barbies in the store and - well, you know how that goes. I feel that way about gourmet cheese shopping now. No wonder I was thinner as a child...

My Exotic & Rare (i.e. probably very stinky) cheeses should arrive later this week. I am very excited, and hungry. Maybe there will be a yak cheese in there? Oh, I dare to dream! Stay tuned for in-depth blogging once cheese is consumed.

And finally, I ate some delicious Fontina cheese over the weekend. You've probably tried Fontina, but maybe it hasn't made a lasting impression on you yet. I know it didn't on me, because I couldn't exactly remember what it tasted like until I bought some a few days ago.

I have to say, I think everyone should eat Fontina on at least a semi-regular basis. It's mild and nutty, as many cheeses are, but what I think sets it apart is its springy, kind-of-soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture. It melts really well - I recommend using it in grilled cheese. Or on pizza, or by itself or with fruit, nuts, olives etc. Yep, it's versatile. I do love a versatile cheese.

(Fontina Rating) 3 out of 5 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

VOD Gourmet Maple Blue

Recently I shared my thoughts on VOD Gourmet's Whiskey Blue cheese. While I wasn't too fond of the cheese, I was impressed by the idea, so I went back for more in the form of VOD Maple Blue.

http://www.vodkacheese.com/wisconsincheeses.html

Rich blue cheese paired with sweet maple syrup; it sounds promising, no? Unfortunately I found it similar to Whiskey Blue in that it was just too strong. The maple, rather than being a delicate kiss, is a salacious grope, hitting your mouth and throat in full force, as if you were eating a stack of pancakes rather than sampling a subtle gourmet cheese.

I give it two stars for overwhelming me with maple-y sweetness, but I can see potential for Maple Blue in cooking and/or salads/salad dressings.

RATING: 2 out of 5 stars

Sage Derby

Like a froggy, ferny cabbage, Sage Derby is unnaturally...

Sage Derby is an English cheese that originated in the seventeenth century. It is flavored with sage, as its name and appearance might suggest. It has quite a striking look and bright color to it - if you haven't seen it in person before, it's much brighter than the picture above shows.

But the important thing is, how does it taste? In my opinion, only so-so. The thing is, there's only so much sage I can take in my cheese. I had thought that Grafton Village Sage Cheddar was extremely sage-y, but I didn't know from sage-y until I tried Sage Derby. It crosses the line from sage-y all the way into minty, which, I think, is bad. It has the flavor of a minty herbal tincture more than anything else.

It settles down a bit when you eat it with strong accompaniments, like salty meats for example, but I still found myself thinking that it was nicer to look at than to taste. If you're okay with idea of a minty cheese, though, you might want to give Sage Derby a try.

Rating: 2 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

Alouette Hickory Smoked Baby Brie

Alouette Hickory Smoked Baby Brie

Alouette is the French word for a Skylark. A Skylark is a cute little bird; Alouette makes cute little cheeses. I guess it works.

I have never been a huge fan of Alouette Brie, as it never seems to age to that perfect gooey consistency that I expect of my softer French cheeses. It works fine in a pinch, though. Now, smoked brie, though? This is another issue entirely.

I had never tried smoked brie before. What could possibly be the point? The beauty of a brie lies in its simplicity, its mildness, its innocent maiden-like charm that conceals a richness so deep that it needs no accompaniment. Remember the scene in Twin Peaks when Jerry and Ben Horne nearly go mad over the beautiful simplicity of brie and butter, spread on a baguette? That is the magic of this cheese. To cover it in hickory smoke seems, well.... misguided.

And after tasting it, I believe it really is. The smoking does nothing to the brie except add a slight harshness to its aftertaste, and a slight firmness to its texture. The last thing a brie needs is to be firmer, even if this is a "baby" brie. It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't good either.

If you really must add some sort of pizazz to your brie for your next party, such as baking it en croute or some such thing, I merely entreat you to keep it as simple as possible. The best bries need no help being delicious.

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Yancey's Fancy Fire Roasted Tomato Cheddar

Yancey's Fancy Flavored Cheeses

Yancey's Fancy Fire Roasted Tomato Cheddar is a mild but robust cheddar chock-full of red, smoky, flavorful tomatoes. This cheese surprised me - I wasn't really expecting much of it, but it really is very flavorful and rich. The tomato flavor is perfect - not too smoky or tangy, just warm and tomatoey enough to really enhance the cheddar experience. I plated it with some cured meats and banana peppers, it was a winning combination.

I can think of some other cool uses for this cheese, too - try melting it all down with refried beans and peppers and a bit of salsa in a crockpot for a killer dip. Or use it to make nachos, or throw it on a pizza crust for your next homemade pizza. This is a great party cheese.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

New Holland Havarti with Dill

Christmas (or whatever) is coming up, which means it's cheese plate season! My family never had a big Christmas dinner when I was growing up, we just spent the holiday week snacking on cheeses, cured meats, and whatever was around, Roman-style. So for me, the month of December is a non-stop orgy of chips, dips, breads, crackers, and cheese. It's a great time.

My husband and I kicked off cheese plate season last night with a rather lovely assortment, the first of which was New Holland Snacking Havarti with Dill. New Holland doesn't seem to have a web presence, but you can find their "snacking havartis" at most grocery stores. I'm not sure what distinguishes a "snacking havarti" from a full-on "eating havarti", perhaps someone will know the answer. Havarti pretty much always works, though, as a soft, mild cheese that will be palatable to anyone.

The Havarti with Dill was very nice, if you like dill of course. There's quite a bit of dill in it, and it's very spreadable. It goes well with cured meats and any pickle product of your choice - cornichons, chopped dills, pickled onions, et cetera.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Beemster With Mustard

Beemster with Mustard at the Beemster Website

Beemster is a line of Dutch cheeses, of which I am quite fond. Their cheeses tend to be mild and creamy, yet flavorful and enticing. Beemster with Mustard is no exception.

This is a variety of cheese from Beemster's "Royal Garden Selection", which makes me feel pretty fancy. It's just a nice, creamy, mildly yellow Dutch cheese with a lot of mustard seeds in it. The mustard flavor is not overpowering or out of place, and the seeds give the cheese an extra layer of texture that makes it quite a pleasure to eat.

This is definitely a versatile cheese that would perform wonderfully on a burger, in a grilled cheese sandwich, on a cheese plate, in a salad, I mean wherever really. Nothing goes better with mustard than onions, so if you're cheese plating this one, I recommend surrounding it with some yummy little cocktail onions - or just drinking a Gibson while you eat it.

RATING: 3 out of 5 stars

VOD Gourmet Whiskey Blue

Whiskey Blue at iGourmet

VOD Gourmet Home Page

VOD Gourmet cheeses are the brainchild of Swedish cheese visionary Ulla Nylin. She decided that it would be a great idea to make Swedish-style cheeses infused with Vodka, and has built her cheese company around that idea. I haven't tried her vodka cheeses but it sounds like a great idea to me.

Nylin expanded the VOD Gourmet line of cheeses to include whiskey- and wine-infused varieties, and that's where VOD Whiskey Blue comes in. It is a very high-quality, strongly flavored blue cheese that has been aged in delicious bourbon.

After my previous success with whiskey cheeses in the form of Kerrygold Aged Cheddar with Irish Whiskey, I was excited to give Whiskey Blue a try. Honestly, it was good enough, but I think that whiskey works MUCH better with cheddar than it does with blue. I got the feeling that two very strong flavors were having it out for domination in my mouth, and it wasn't a cohesive flavor experience at all.

That said, it is a very nice, creamy, strong blue cheese, and the bourbon could be tempered a bit, I think, with the right accompaniments. Any blue cheese goes great with Branston Pickle, I think that and a strong ale (or whiskey, duh) would give you the flavor mix that you deserve from an interesting cheese like this one.

RATING: 2 out of 5 stars

Sonoma Jack Garlic Jack

http://www.montereygourmetfoods.com/company/sonoma_cheese/

I'm sure you've seen varieties of Sonoma Jack at your grocery store - I've tried a few of them in the past but was never that impressed. Not until I tried their "Garlic Jack" flavor. Wow! I am a huge fan of garlic, the more garlic in my food, the better. In terms of garlicky goodness, this cheese really delivers. It is rich and creamy and intensely garlicky, in the best possible way.

What to do with it, though? It is so very garlicky that it might potentially disrupt or overpower the other flavors on your cheese plate. The label suggests: "Grate it on breads!". I think this is a fine idea. You could drizzle some olive oil or butter on french bread, load it up with grated Garlic Jack, and run it under the broiler for garlic cheesy bread heaven. Alternatively, I imagine it would be lovely on a burger. I don't think it would be impossible to serve this cheese plate-style, either; I would just give it some strong accessories, like olives (garlic-stuffed olives, even??), mustard, pickles, and beer.

RATING: 3 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

Bergenost

http://www.yanceysfancy.com/natural_cheeses.htm

Bergenost is a "Norwegian style" triple-cream cheese made by Yancey's Fancy of New York. It has a mild yet full flavor that is like a cross between Havarti and Monterey Jack. Its texture is like Havarti as well, but a tiny bit firmer. It's very good on sandwiches, or eaten sliced with various nibbles. Don't serve it with anything too intense - it would be very nice with some raw vegetables or fruit and crackers.

RATING: 3 out of 5 stars

Mondrian

http://www.fromartharie.com/products/khdejong.html

Mondrian is a "Swiss type cheese", and I'm not sure what that means in terms of how the cheese was made, but that's exactly how it tastes. It is also a Dutch cheese, but I think that K.H. DeJong cheesemakers are U.S.-based, so I guess I'll classify it as both.

So, Mondrian is a pale cheese filled with large holes, like Jarlsberg. It tastes like Swiss cheese, but stronger and sweeter. It's also very nutty. I like that it has a slightly softer texture. It's a good cheese for sandwiches, and it would also go well with fruit, nuts, etc.

RATING: 3 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