Cheese Review: Artisanal Premium Cheese

Artisanal, a restaurant in New York, runs a fabulous cheese of the month club.

Rather than write reviews about the cheese’s I decided to just write down the names, and a summary of their description from the paperwork that is sent. In future, I hope to include pictures.

Fog Light, goat’s milk, California

Cheesemaker Mary Keehn, made at Cypress Grove in McKinleyville, California. Fog Light is a compact 1/2 lb version of the Humboldt Fog tomme. A layer of carbonized vegetable ash covers each tiny wheel, on top of which sits a fluffy white bloom. Cypress Grove Fog Light possesses, a moist but tight texture and that clean, lemony taste so characteristic of fresh goat cheese.

And yes it does taste lemony.

Brie Paturages Comtois, cow’s milk, France

The Brie Paturages Comtois is produced by a cooperative of approximately 40 dairies in the Val de Saone, between Vosges and Bourgogne. Brie Paturages Comtois leaves a milky, clean aftertaste that entices you to eat more.

Affidelice, cow’s milk, France

This washed-rind cow’s milk cheese from the Chablis region in France is very similar to the classic Epoisses made in the same region. The name, Affidelice, comes from two words: affine (ripe) and delice(delight). Affidelice is soft, with a moist, terracotta-colored rind. Artisanal ages it further by washing it daily with Chablis. The resulting cheese has a soft, pungent, spoonable paste and satin texture.

Leave a Reply