I am pretty much what you would call a cheese freak.  I eat it, cook with it, write about it, make it (at home and with cheesemakers on their farm).  Because that isn't enough, I even monger at a cheese shop on a part-time basis.  So yeah... you could say that I am a bit obsessed.  So imagine my surprise when given the opportunity to help a master craft a new American classic?  Now that is priceless...

I opened up the box to find a nice sized wedge, wrapped in foil, and surrounded by a couple of cold packs.  There was also a card on top from Point Reyes, welcoming me to the panel, and giving some of the details of what criteria they were looking for.  Although it was extremely difficult, I waited about an hour and a half in order for it to come up to room temperature.  I unwrapped the wedge, and found a nice piece of blue cheese.

The rind was a bit dry on the exterior with just a hint of brown and orange streaking.  I am not sure how long it has been aged, but the coloring and texture of the rind indicated that there is a bit of age on this wheel.

Just inside the rind there was a darker layer of paste that lightened considerably as my eyes scanned from the edges to the center.  As you can see from the picture, it has nice and even veining with blues and greens interspersed throughout.  I would say that on appearances alone, and not knowing where it came from, I thought I was looking at a Stilton.

The smell coming off was pretty intense.  It was a combination of musty hay and freshly baked bread with a lot of yeast.  Pretty pungent…in a good way…

The paste is incredibly moist and creamy, but not heavy.  It didn’t feel as if my tongue were being coated with fat to the point where I needed something to cut through the buildup.  Surprisingly, this cheese is more mild than I would have thought considering the aroma.  You can really taste the milk, which is so important when making a blue cheese.  If that component is masked at all, the cheese tastes out of balance.

As I tasted the exterior paste and rind, there was a bright tartness on the front end followed by an earthy barnyard funk on the end.  Loved the contrast.

My only suggestion for this particular batch is in reference to the salt content. I found it a little heavy-handed with the salt especially as I moved towards the rind.  If this were adjusted, I think the flavor profile would become more pronounced.  As it stands now, I would pair this with something to counter that salt, rather than let it stand on its own.

This cheese yearns for something sweet with a moderate amount of acidity.  I tried this with an ice wine from the Finger Lakes and it was just gorgeous.  The sweet, nectar thick liquid melded beautifully with the salty crunch from the veining.  Great match.  Along those same lines, I would suggest a Semi-Dry/Late Harvest Riesling, or perhaps even a hard cider.

When thinking of other ways to enjoy this, I played off of the freshly baked bread smell from my first impression.  Fresh warm baguette, green apple slices, a nice wedge of this blue, and a drizzle of honey.  Perfect sandwich.  Done…

Now, what to call it… Hmmmm……

An IT project manager by day, cheesemaker and cheesemonger by night, Aaron Estes became a serious cheese freak a couple of years ago while spending time in Wisconsin on an opera gig.  When he isn't making cheese at home, mongering at Lucy's Whey at Manhattan's Chelsea Market, or traveling to various farms for classes or inspiration, you can find him trying to put his passion for cheese and pairings into words at the Cave-Aged Blog, and as Cheese Editor for the New York Cork Report

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