Sunday Cheese Reviews

In Minnesota, we have Booya, which is traditionally stirred with a canoe paddle.

Nice to have you back.

Gimme gimme the ball cuz I'm gonna dunk it

Monte Enebro ad photo. It is a solid squat log with a gray and white surface. The interior goes from ivory at the edge to white in the center.

Monte Enebro as purchased, unwrapped. There is a black surface, a soft wet cream line, and a soft white interior. It looks to be much more aged than in the ad as it is soft and starting to run.

Monte Enebro

Semi-soft to soft Spanish 🐐🧀 with blue mold and ash rind. Spur blue cheese scent. Old, the usually chalky center was pudding soft and near liquid at the rind. Intense lemony tartness. Creamy mouthful, with rind giving a firmer texture. Salt noticeable in lingering finish. I liked it!

Ad photo of Locatelli Pecorino Romano showing packaging, and a light straw wedge broken into chunks and some grated. It is obviously hard and dry.

Locatelli Pecorino Romano as purchased, unwrapped. It is a light yellow wedge, solid, not as obviously hard as the ad photo.

Locatelli Pecorino Romano

Hard Italian 🐑🧀. Dry salty crumbles. Has a clean "cheesy" aroma [first time I've said that]. Citrus tartness with savory undertones. Ideal grated over pasta when you want a tangy alternative to Parmesan.

Ad photo of Alfred cheese showing label and cut wheel. There is a tan surface with white patches. The paste is a dark straw color and there are a few round holes.

Alfred La Fermier as purchased, unwrapped. The rind is dark tan. The paste is beige and solid.

Alfred le Fermier by La Station

Semi-hard Canadian 🐄 🧀 with washed rind. Aroma of woods and mushrooms. Yielding, supple texture. Flavor of hazelnuts with caramel, honey and fruit. Flowery finish.

*Sour, not Spur, of course.

So many typos...

*mouthfeel, not mouthful

Autocorrect hates when I use odd words

I haven't had that one yet.

It is salted as it ages to draw out moisture. If you have a wheel, it should be less salty in the center.

Monte Enebro ad photo. It is a solid squat log with a gray and white surface. The interior goes from ivory at the edge to white in the center.

Monte Enebro as purchased, unwrapped. There is a black surface, a soft wet cream line, and a soft white interior. It looks to be much more aged than in the ad as it is soft and starting to run.

Monte Enebro

Semi-soft to soft Spanish 🐐🧀 with blue mold and ash rind. Spur blue cheese scent. Old, the usually chalky center was pudding soft and near liquid at the rind. Intense lemony tartness. Creamy mouthful, with rind giving a firmer texture. Salt noticeable in lingering finish. I liked it!

Ad photo of Locatelli Pecorino Romano showing packaging, and a light straw wedge broken into chunks and some grated. It is obviously hard and dry.

Locatelli Pecorino Romano as purchased, unwrapped. It is a light yellow wedge, solid, not as obviously hard as the ad photo.

Locatelli Pecorino Romano

Hard Italian 🐑🧀. Dry salty crumbles. Has a clean "cheesy" aroma [first time I've said that]. Citrus tartness with savory undertones. Ideal grated over pasta when you want a tangy alternative to Parmesan.

Ad photo of Alfred cheese showing label and cut wheel. There is a tan surface with white patches. The paste is a dark straw color and there are a few round holes.

Alfred La Fermier as purchased, unwrapped. The rind is dark tan. The paste is beige and solid.

Alfred le Fermier by La Station

Semi-hard Canadian 🐄 🧀 with washed rind. Aroma of woods and mushrooms. Yielding, supple texture. Flavor of hazelnuts with caramel, honey and fruit. Flowery finish.

A wheel of Parm is 32-40 kilos. I wouldn't look that relaxed holding one.

[Also, my face would be hidden as I sank my teeth into it]

Snapshot of this account showing 1.5K followers.

1500 followers! Thank you.

JuraFlore Comté cheese as purchased in clear plastic with label. The cheese is a solid off-white brick in this light, usually darker. Just barely visible is a thin tan rind.

JuraFlore 15 Month (Fort des Rousses) Comté

Semi-hard French 🐄 🧀. Sweet aroma. Flavor has an immediate fruit note. Firm but creamy; the rind is tough and leathery with a vegetable tone. I have trouble describing Comté... maybe toasty, savory, brothy, earthy?

I've heard that before, but don't know what that entails.

Saint Albans ad photo showing the baked cheese from above with a spoon cutting through the powder white surface to show a custardy partly melted paste.

Saint Alban's as purchased in clear plastic wrap with label. It is a white disc with three lines scored across it.

St. Albans from Vermont Creamery

Soft Vermont 🐄 🧀 inspired by St. Marcellin cheese, in ceramic crock for baking. Buttered mushroom flavor with a savory finish. Was liquid with a crust when cooked. It's an odd size for a fondue. Flavor disappeared on dipped bread.

Old Amsterdam ad photo showing a wedge in labeled black wax coat. It is a deep orange to brown at the edge, butter yellow in the center with a couple of eyes.

Old Amsterdam as purchased, partly unwrapped showing label. The rind is a dusty brown under the wax. The paste is dark straw color in the light. There is one noticeable eye right at the cut edge.

Old Amsterdam Classic Gouda from Westland

Semi-hard to hard Dutch 🐄 🧀. An excellent Gouda for a mass-produced 8 month cheese. No crystals, meaty in center, dry and hard at the rind. Deep butterscotch caramel flavor with almond and toast notes.

Ad photo of Hornkäse ad photo showing wedge with label. There is a thin tan rind. The paste had some large holes autocorrect is straw colored in the center.

Alpenhorn as purchased in clear plastic wrap. The rind is orange and the paste, solid unlike in the ad, suggesting youth, is as in the ad, allowing for lighting.

Hornkuhkäse (aka Alpenhorn)

Firm Swiss 🐄 🧀. Very aromatic (onions, roasted). Velvety creamy texture. Intense flavor: broth, nuts, earthy, savory, with long finish. Replaces Appenzeller as my favorite Swiss cheese.

Ad photo of a fontal wege with label, not necessarily the same maker as the one reviewed. There is a thin orange rind and a solid straw color paste.

Fontal as purchased, in clear plastic wrap with label. A bit of orange brown rind is visible. The cheese is dented from handling, showing that it is soft. The paste is a light straw color.

Fontina Fontal

Semi-soft Italian 🐄 🧀. Essentially fontina made with pasteurized milk. Creamy dense paste with nicely balanced flavor of butter, salt, nuts, fruit and bread. Melts well. The thin rind is more "al dente."

I liked Harbison. I've reviewed several Jasper Hill cheeses.

Who makes that? I don't recall seeing it.

Cheesemongers seem to like it. It can taste of anything.

JuraFlore Comté cheese as purchased in clear plastic with label. The cheese is a solid off-white brick in this light, usually darker. Just barely visible is a thin tan rind.

JuraFlore 15 Month (Fort des Rousses) Comté

Semi-hard French 🐄 🧀. Sweet aroma. Flavor has an immediate fruit note. Firm but creamy; the rind is tough and leathery with a vegetable tone. I have trouble describing Comté... maybe toasty, savory, brothy, earthy?

Saint Albans ad photo showing the baked cheese from above with a spoon cutting through the powder white surface to show a custardy partly melted paste.

Saint Alban's as purchased in clear plastic wrap with label. It is a white disc with three lines scored across it.

St. Albans from Vermont Creamery

Soft Vermont 🐄 🧀 inspired by St. Marcellin cheese, in ceramic crock for baking. Buttered mushroom flavor with a savory finish. Was liquid with a crust when cooked. It's an odd size for a fondue. Flavor disappeared on dipped bread.

Old Amsterdam ad photo showing a wedge in labeled black wax coat. It is a deep orange to brown at the edge, butter yellow in the center with a couple of eyes.

Old Amsterdam as purchased, partly unwrapped showing label. The rind is a dusty brown under the wax. The paste is dark straw color in the light. There is one noticeable eye right at the cut edge.

Old Amsterdam Classic Gouda from Westland

Semi-hard to hard Dutch 🐄 🧀. An excellent Gouda for a mass-produced 8 month cheese. No crystals, meaty in center, dry and hard at the rind. Deep butterscotch caramel flavor with almond and toast notes.

Ad photo of Hornkäse ad photo showing wedge with label. There is a thin tan rind. The paste had some large holes autocorrect is straw colored in the center.

Alpenhorn as purchased in clear plastic wrap. The rind is orange and the paste, solid unlike in the ad, suggesting youth, is as in the ad, allowing for lighting.

Hornkuhkäse (aka Alpenhorn)

Firm Swiss 🐄 🧀. Very aromatic (onions, roasted). Velvety creamy texture. Intense flavor: broth, nuts, earthy, savory, with long finish. Replaces Appenzeller as my favorite Swiss cheese.

Ad photo of a fontal wege with label, not necessarily the same maker as the one reviewed. There is a thin orange rind and a solid straw color paste.

Fontal as purchased, in clear plastic wrap with label. A bit of orange brown rind is visible. The cheese is dented from handling, showing that it is soft. The paste is a light straw color.

Fontina Fontal

Semi-soft Italian 🐄 🧀. Essentially fontina made with pasteurized milk. Creamy dense paste with nicely balanced flavor of butter, salt, nuts, fruit and bread. Melts well. The thin rind is more "al dente."

What's the paper-wrapped one?