Good Afternoon Cheesy1’s,
To kick start the cheese adventures for my #WaitroseCheesy1 I have purchased a cheese that I wouldn’t normally purchase as it is a Goat’s milk cheese. I will try anything though because you never know that you may stumble across a gem and I think I have found a gem here. It is found on your local Waitrose shelf but it originates from the Loire Valley from a village called ‘St Valentin’ no prizes here for guessing that they call themselves the ‘village of love’. On the shelf it is priced at £4.49 (Price correct 04/05/16) and I think that this is very reasonable for the quality you are getting and I have seen it is more expensive elsewhere!
I must also point out the presentation here as well as they are presented in a lovely little wooden tray; not much use once the cheese comes out though but for a present or a presentation cheeseboard this would suit beautifully. Moving to the appearance of the cheese it has a mixture of a smoky ash coated rind with a blue & white mould combination. It may look unassuming but don’t be fooled.
It is fluffy to the touch and is a semi-soft cheese that has a little give and as I left it out to warm up it became more squidgy as time progressed. The centre is a pure white with a darker & softer colour & texture on the outside. The aroma has a light pungency and a essence of a maturation room with mould spores.
Moving on to its taste characteristics you are first of all greeted with the initial flavour of the rind which is mouldy & earthy flavour but this moves quickly into the essence of a sharp & zesty centre. It has an extremely rich & creamy paste ending in a full mouth flavour and the last profile you have is creaminess. For a goats milk this is very creamy and Is an unusual characteristic but the Goats must be very well cared for as this comes through in the cheeses flavour. It is an extremely pleasant goats cheese which has a very clean finish and this is certainly a cheeseboard cheese to have with a finer selection of cheeses; it has a flavour that must be appreciated on its own. If you would like to pair this cheese then I would suggest with some fruit like berries or grapes as this would work beautifully because of the creamy nature of the cheese. I personally like this and although I would not purchase it often I would feature it on cheese boards to present a lovely looking & rich flavoured Goat’s cheese to my guests.
This is the start of a an adventure with cheese thanks to the new Waitrose1 range & if you have any cheese adventures of your own comment on Twitter using the #WaitroseCheesy1.
Enjoy the sunshine & have a lovely evening,
The Cheesy1
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