Photo courtesy of Vanessa F.

The cheese tasting notes from my cheese and wine tasting party on Saturday.

With 8 cheeses, there was good range including 3 blues which were wildly different from each other. It wasn’t surprising that the blue cheeses were the most polarising and there was a mixture of blue cheese haters and blue cheese lovers in the group.

Countries

5 Cheeses were from New Zealand, 1 from Denmark, 1 from Italy and 1 from Basque (Spain/France).

Beasts

6 cows milk, 2 ewe’s milk and there were no goat’s milk cheeses.

Types

Soft: Brie

Semi-soft: Karu, Maasdam, Havarti (2)

Blue: Gorgonzola Dolce, Bleu des Basques Brebis, Castello Blue

Below are the tasting notes from the cheese and wine tasting party. More info about it in yesterday’s post.

In alphabetical order…

1. Castello Bleu

From Denmark

“The gateway blue”
“I like blue cheese but I don’t like this”
“Don’t like blue but I love this”

Looks like

• Cream cheese

Smells like

• A warm cat (a nice cat)

Tastes like

• Creamy, salty

2. Gorgonzola Dolce

From Italy

“The strong but creamy blue”

Looks like

• White, grey and olive

Smells like

• Socks
• Sweat
• Smelly cats
• Squash courts
• Wet 2 day old washing
• Coconutty biscuits

Tastes like

• Super creamy

Goes well with

• Lots of bread – it’s so strong!
• Gherkin
• Good with croutons, thin layer of blue

Stars out of 10

• 2, 5 and 6

3. Karikaas Maasdam

From New Zealand

“The cartoon cheese”

Looks like

• The moon
• Shiny like laminated/plastic play cheese

Smells like

• Nothing
• Nutty

Tastes like

• Yummy, mild with a tang
• Sweet/creamy
• Normal edam cheese but fancy e.g. softer, creamier

Tastes like Europe, goes well with a Kenny G medley.

4. Karu

From New Zealand

“The thick rind cheese”

Looks like

• Interesting looking
• Nice orange colour on rind

Smells like

• No noticeable smell

Tastes like

• Europe, Switzerland
• Strong, sweet, kinda feet like
• Mild, like Maasdam
• Yum
• Salty, fruity finish

Goes well with

• Gherkins
• A Kenny G medley
• Sandwiches

Stars out of 10

• 4, 6 and 7

Smells like teen spirit.

5. Kingsmeade Mt Bruce Havarti

From New Zealand

“The sheep cheese”

Looks like

• White
• Matt, smooth, silky texture
• Glue stick
• Casper
• Solid lard
• Not an attractive cheese

Smells like

• Teen spirit
• Hint of aerosol fumes

Tastes like

• Creamy
• Soft
• Milk
• Gamey, sheepy
• Tasty
• Pretty good for a sheep’s cheese

Goes well with

• Would be nice melted

Stars out of 10

• 5 , 6, 7, 8

6. Onetik Bleu Des Basques Brebis

From Basque (Northern Spain/Southern France)

“For serious blue cheese fans”

Looks like

• Veiny mould

Smells like

• Fungus
• Shame
• Straight liquor
• Sports socks

Tastes like

• Creamy and yummy with a parmesan texture
• Fruity to start with blue aftertaste quite strong
• Delicious!
• Vomit
• Goaty

Goes well with

• Innapropriate times with my dad
• Red, red wine…makes me forget

Stars out of 10

• 2, 3, 7, 8 and 9

7. Puhoi Valley Old Barn Brie

From New Zealand

“The easy brie”

Looks like

• Beige
• Soft

Smells like

• No noticeable smell

Tastes like

• Creamy
• Mild
• A bit bland
• Quite buttery and milky

Goes well with

• Almost anything
• Sexy parties with cellmate

Stars out of 10

• 6

It looks like it fell on a dirty floor.

8. Talbot Forest Peppered Havarti

From New Zealand

“The dirty cheese”

Looks like

• It fell on a dirty floor

Smells like

• Pepper
• Marmite

Tastes like

• Creamy
• Peppery
• Spicy
• Salty
• Needs pepper to enhance flavour or woud be too bland. Strong pepper aftertaste. Could imagine good with STEAK. But who knows, I’m a vege.

Goes well with

• Bread
• Crackers
• Wine
• On it’s own. “I could snack on it all night”

Stars out of 10

• 5 and 8