Emmi Le Gruyère

Emmi Le Gruyère is a delicious example of a fine firm Swiss cheese. It has a sharp flavour that doesn't cut your tongue out.  I started this post months ago but was stuck because this cheese really is so good I had a hard time thinking of ways to describe it. Then I ate the last of my gruyere and couldn't possibly just finish the post from memory. So now I've bought another block of gruyere and after grating some into a spinach-mushroom quiche last weekend and into my omelette this morning I decided it was high time I gave gruyère its due.

Bauer Bayrischer Alpen Tilsit

Now I finally finish the reviews of our first cheese-of-the-month box before I start on the second.

Bauer Bayrischer Alpen Tilsit from Bavaria, Germany is a semi-firm cheese with a slightly spicy taste. Made in the style of Emmental, the Swiss migrants found the local environmental conditions and differences in the ingredients resulted in a cheese with smaller holes and a stronger fragrance.  So it's a cheese from the Baltic lowlands made with the procedures from the Swiss Alps. Apparently it is also lactose free which is interesting.

This cheese had a more rubbery texture but was still tasty. I wouldn't have called it pungent like the newsletter did but perhaps it was in comparison to a traditional Emmental. The Alpen Tilsit is a versatile cheese perfect for snacking with bread or crackers.
Recommended.

Vital Stats:
Moisture ?
M.F. 45%

For more info follow the link (but it's in German): http://www.bauer-milch.de/bayerischer-alpen-tilsiter-natur/info

Formaggio Authentic Hand Rolled Prosciutto with Mozzarella Cheese & Basil

This was a supplement to our cheese meal with the first set of cheese of the month.  It claims to have been pre-sliced but the slices do not look as nice as on the package. The prosciutto tended to slide off the cheese rather than slice. But looks aren't as important as taste in my book and this was a pretty yummy discovery. The mozzarella and basil flavours compliment each other well but I felt the ratio of prosciutto to the rest of the ingredients was too small and its flavour was overwhelmed.
Overall this was a nice thing to try but didn't leave a huge impression on me.

Moderately Recommended.

For more info follow the link: http://formaggiocheese.com/live/hand-rolled

Blyth Goat Gouda

Golden Blyth Goat Gouda, from Blyth, Ontario.
Definitely our favourite of the bunch. The Blyth Farm Cheese Gouda is made from 100% Goat's milk.  Often goat's cheese is a softer cheese but this gouda is firm, salty, fragrant, and delicious. According to the description in the "Cheese of the Month" newsletter gouda is more a style of making the cheese than a recipe for a specific variety.   This example of a farm fresh, well crafted cheese explodes your palate with a sharp, tangy flavour. It's noticeably salty but not distractingly so and takes the prize as the only cheese we received that I don't want to try in any dish. I want to keep the Golden Blyth Goat Gouda as a solo act and enjoy every morsel.  It has a firm bite but then the texture turns creamy and smooth as you chow down.
Highly Recommended!

Vital Stats:
Moisture 42.8%
M.F. 25.8%

Cheddar Ile-aux-Grues

Cheddar Île-aux-Grues from Quebec came to us through the grace of my friend the Proff. She got us a three month subscription to a cheese-of-the-month club from AmazingClubs. Every month three fancy cheeses arrive in the mail sealed in a little styrofoam box. It's pretty neat and will certain provide an impetus for me to post on this fairly neglected blog.

Île-aux-Grues Cheddar is aged one year on a small island in the St. Lawrence River. It has a nice mature cheddar flavour. Not too salty, nor too pungent. The texture is medium, not too firm nor soft neither. The notes from the newsletter which accompanied our mail-cheese mention a hint of hazelnut that I cannot detect and provides wine pairing which I do not care about.  Overall this is a solid cheddar with a nice flavour.

Recommended.

Vital Stats:
Moisture 39%
M.F. 31%
275g

Image © Société Coopérative Agricole de l'Île-aux-Grues. For more info follow the link: http://fromagesileauxgrues.com/les-cheddars-de-l-ile-aux-grues-en/

Double Gloucester

Another classic from Bradburys Cheese, Double Gloucester is a firm ripened cheese with a nice orange colour and a good tang.  There's a creaminess to the texture that I like and its savory flavour is due to it being aged longer than Single Gloucester cheese.  As is apparent should you read more than one post on this blog I tend to favour stronger, older cheeses and this is no exception. Double Gloucester is a great addition to any sandwich, omelette, or on nachos.

A clip from the fabulous British sit-com "The IT Crowd"

The cheese relevance is about 20 seconds in.

Highly Recommended.

Vital Stats:
Moisture 36%
M.F. 32%
200g

Image TM Bradburys Cheese. For more info follow the link: http://www.bradburyscheese.co.uk/our-products/our-cheese-range/

Balderson Double Smoked Cheddar

This cheese has a strong smoky taste which is what you want in a cheese that proclaims it is wood smoked on the label.  The flavour is quite strong, as is the scent but it is not overpowering or off-putting. We really enjoyed this cheese in salads and omelettes mostly but it would work well in sandwiches or on burgers. Actually, typing that sentence makes me want to fashion up some homemade hamburger patties to grill and top with a generous slice of Balderson Double Smoked Cheddar. Maybe this weekend...
This cheese was so good we've bought another giant brick of it since I started writing this post (before the new year, oops) and we'll likely continue to enjoy its distinctive flavour for years to come.
Highly Recommended.

Vital Stats:
Moisture 37%
M.F. 33%
250g

Image TM Balderson Cheese. For more info follow the link: http://baldersoncheese.ca/balderson-cheddars/balderson-double-smoked-cheddar/