As is my wont, I bought a large quantity of top quality cheese to see me through the holiday season. Some of it you will be familiar with from my past posts: Stichelton and Gorwydd Caerphilly. The Gorwydd, by the way, finished 11th in this year’s World Cheese Awards, which pleases me greatly. But there are others that deserve a mention.
This year’s goat’s cheese is Ragstone, made by the folks at Neal’s Yard Creamery. It comes as a fairly firm log, but will soften up with time. Mine is still firm in the centre, but quite gooey around it. It has quite a strong taste for a goat’s cheese. I’m very pleased with it.
As you’ll see from the above picture, Renegade Monk now has a splendid new steampunk-like packaging. Its taste is every bit as robust and uncompromising as usual. It gets eaten last, despite being a soft cheese.
This year’s discovery is Gallus. How could I possibly resist a cheese with that name? It is Swiss, and made by Affineur Walo who are also responsible for Red Wine Farmer. Gallus is not named after the devotees of Cybele, but rather after the Swiss town of St. Gallen. The original saint was Irish and a close companion of St. Columba. Given that he was called Gallus, I think it entirely likely that he was a eunuch. The abbey in St. Gallen is famous for having been home to St. Wiborada, the first woman to be formally canonized by the Vatican (thank you, Pope Clement II).
Sorry, I digress. The cheese is a Gruyére, and looks like it might be one of those tasteless continental cheeses we are used to. It isn’t. It has a strong, nutty taste. What’s more, it finished 7th in this year’s World Cheese Awards.
The usual warnings apply. These cheeses are made from unpasteurised milk and are not recommended for pregnant people and anyone else particularly at risk from bacteria.
Love your annual cheese posts. Wish I could buy some of those cheeses in the U.S. It should be noted that first place in the World Cheese Awards this year went to a cheese from the U.S., Rogue River Blue from Rogue Creamery in Oregon. The first time, though hopefully not the last time, that a cheese from the U.S. has won the competition. From what I read, the French in particular were not happy.
Thanks! I was very pleased to see a US cheese come out on top. Hopefully this will make it more likely that we get some of them here. I miss my Humboldt Fog and Point Reyes Blue.
Just had some Point Reyes Blue. Excellent cheese ! Haven’t heard of Humboldt Fog. Will have to look for it at my local Cheesetique shop. Sounds like it’s from Oregon. The price of the small-batch Rogue River Blue has skyrocketed and is virtually impossible to find now.
Far northern California, actually, but Arcata is pretty close to Oregon.