Valencay

Valencay is a storied goat's milk cheese from Valencay, France.  It has an aggressive look about it, with its pyramidal shape and intensely moldy rind, but it is really quite a friendly and accessible cheese.

Cutting into that brilliant mold reveals a snow white, thick, sweet-smelling goat cheese paste.  I was really struck by the texture of this cheese - it is SO very dense that it has the texture of refrigerated butter, almost.  Very smooth, very rich, soft and yet almost firm.

The flavor is a delightful mix of the mildest aspects of goat cheese plus a lemony sweetness that reminds me almost of dessert.  This is a real stunner of a cheese that will blow your guests away with its refined taste and bold look. 

The story of Valencay cheese, incidentally, is that Napoleon stopped at Valencay Castle on his way back from a failed Egyptian campaign and noticed the pyramid-shaped Valencay cheese.  To avoid the painful associations, he lopped off the top of the cheese, making it a topless pyramid.

A delicious cheese with a rich history - you can't beat that.  I cannot recommend this cheese enough!

Herbs De Humboldt

Another instant winner from Cypress Grove Chevre, Herbs De Humboldt hits hard with a bold, exuberant flavor that will light up your mouth.  Its flavor is a pure, fresh, super-tangy goat cheese mixed with a subtle combination of mellowing herbs.  It is wonderful on its own but be careful of it overwhelming other cheeses on your plate.  It will stand out in a salad or used in any recipe calling for fresh goat cheese.

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! 

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

Majorero Pimentón

My Exotic & Rare cheese collection from Artisancheese.com arrived. I opened the box to find another box:

 I opened this attractively designed box to find these inside:

Oh! How lovely.  From left to right: Testun Al Barolo, Barely Buzzed, Majorero Pimentón, and Vervacious Cinque Terre Apricot Mostarda.  (not pictured: a small package of artisan crackers.)


Well, you can just imagine how excited I was.  I was very impressed with the packaging and attention to presentation shown by Artisan Cheese.  They also included a pamphlet with detailed descriptions of all of my cheeses, and suggested wine pairings.  I definitely got my money's worth, and I'll be ordering from them again in the future.  Now, on to the first cheese:

Majorero Pimentón
This is a raw milk goat cheese made in Fuerteventura, one of the Canary Islands.  Its rind is liberally coated in pimentón pepper, which is also known as smoked paprika - but the Spanish version seems both smokier and spicier.


Majorero is a hard, dry cheese with a mildly buttery aroma (once you cut past the smoky, spicy rind).  The taste is really out of this world.  I couldn't get enough.  It's salty and vibrantly milky-tasting, but the peppered rind imbues it with a warm, smoky fullness as well.  You can really get in touch with the goat's milk used to make it.  It's very "natural" tasting.  It also looks great, as you can sort-of see in the photo above (phone camera + bad lighting).


Majorero Pimentón is a truly impressive and exotic cheese that is still accessible to anyone's palate.  I can't recommend it enough.  Serve it with Spanish accompaniments like ham, almonds, fig jam, and such.  It'll blow your mind.


RATING: 5 Stars

Cypress Grove Chevre: Purple Haze

Purple Haze at the Cypress Grove Website

Purple Haze is a fresh goat cheese flavored with Lavender and Fennel Pollen. Now generally speaking, I don't like things that are flavored with Lavender. Lavender is a soap-category herb, for me. I always feel like I'm eating soap.

This fantastic little goaty cheese certainly changed my mind where Lavender is concerned. The flavor is absolutely divine. Slightly otherworldly, even. The mixture of lavender, fennel pollen and fresh, creamy, tangy, sweet goat cheese cannot even be properly described until you taste it, so go and taste it and then get back to me. It's like goat cheese that has been sprinkled with magic fairy dust, by a real live fairy. Dark and mysterious, yet fresh, bright, and sparkly - all at once!

Purple Haze will naturally make you think of using it in a salad, but I think it can really be used anywhere and everywhere you would use a goat cheese. Salad, cheese plate, pizza, pasta, you name it, this cheese will take it to the next level.

RATING: 5 out of 5 stars

Woolwich Dairy Triple Creme Goat Brie

http://www.woolwichdairy.com/products.aspx?x=lwikHt29djFe7s8764t6fWk7Zrf%2f1MBI0aMDI11dZ2Y%3d

Soft goat cheese is certainly common enough, but it's not every day that you eat Goat Brie. I love it, and this Woolwich Dairy variety that I picked up the other day was particularly delicious.

Goat Brie is pretty similar to Cow Brie, except that it is a little less rich (even in triple-creme form), and it of course has the distinctive flavor of goat milk that comes with any goat cheese. It adds a subtle interest to the creamy, melty cheese, and is a refreshing alternative to your usual brie experience. I highly recommend it.

RATING: 3 out of 5 stars