Cheese… Holy Cow!

Let me first preface this post with a simple statement, I am a big fan of cheese, so much so I believe it should be its own food group or at least should be considered as meal in and of itself.  The idea this week was fairly simple, I wanted to explore the wonderful world of cheese and then share some tasting notes with you.  So when I tell you that I stumbled upon the best soft cheese I have ever eaten while tasting to be able to write this post, it might seem like something of an exaggeration, but I take cheese seriously and this my friends is no exaggeration. 

Let’s start with the outright winner of the night judged by myself and my best friend another self-processed cheese groupie.

Delice de Bourgogne (French) Cow’s Milk Triple Cream.  This cheese as I mentioned once before is the best soft cheese that I have ever had.  Are original notes included words like velvety, buttery, voluptuous, silky, and mild.  To achieve the amazing creaminess the producers adds a bit of crème fraiche to cheese.  Crème fraiche adds just a subtle tang, without it becoming a “stinky” French cheese.  Go buy this cheese, try it, and report back.

Cotswold (English) Cow’s Milk with Chives and Onion.  This is another favorite of mine that I found while working in a restaurant in Kansas City; we often use to serve it as part our cheese boards for larger events.  It is similar to other English cheddars, it is smooth in the mouth while the chives and onions that are blended in give it a bite.  You might be able to already imagine, but this is a great beer cheese.

Drunken Goat (Spanish) Goat’s Milk.  I first had this cheese at a wine tasting room here in Dallas years ago and has been a favorite of mine ever since.  This cheese is a semi-soft goats milk cheese that is soaked in red wine for two to three days, then allowed to age for 75 days.  The rind is still soft and the cheese itself has a light nutty taste with a creamy finish.

Wensleydale with Cranberries (English) Goat’s Milk.  This cheese was new to me and I picked it up on a bit of a whim, unfortunately it was not my favorite.  The cranberries instead of adding tartness were sweet when you first tasted the cheese and then you are able to taste the cheddar as it lingers in your mouth.  The texture was also grainy.

Maytag Blue (American) Cow’s Milk.  This blue cheese is a classic and why I know that not all good cheese is from Europe.  This cheese has a big, tangy flavor which mixes well with the smooth, creamy mouth feel.  I think Maytag Blue is really versatile and when it comes to blue cheese less bold, so it is a great cheese for the tentative cheese eater.

Tags: cheese, cows milk, delice de bourgogne, goats milk