What is your favourite cheese?

[Immy]

The Python list takes me once again to a homegrown Brit variety but the results were inconclusive at best.

Today's selection: White Stilton



Was happy to find white stilton in the cheese section of a new store I tried, but puzzled that this brand included mango and ginger. Reminded me of the Python chemist sketch when Palin suggests an aftershave scented with crab, tiger and almond. Nevertheless, once more unto the cheesy breach I went, wondering if I'd discover a delightful new blend of flavors. I didn't. The cheese itself is somewhat softer than most Brit versions I've tried so far, but the flavor combination did not work. Even eating around the mango bits didn't allow me to taste what white stilton is like on its own. Mangoes alone are slimy and delicious, and ginger flavored soda is one of my favorites (Schweppes is better than Canada Dry IMO) but both together were not an enjoyable intruduction to white stilton. Can't fairly give this a rating, since this version was so adulterated, so I'll stay on the lookout for the plain variety and rate it properly in the future. Still will mark it off the list. -/10

The Cheese Shoppe List

1. Cheddar 10/10
2. Parmesan 8/10
3. Mozzarella 7/10
4. Gruyere 8/10
5. Edam (red wax) 9/10
6. Danish Blue 5/10
7. Emmantal 3/10
8. Gouda (smoked) 4/10
9. Port Salut 7/10
10. Norwegian Jarlsberg 4/10
11. Brie 1/10
12. Gorgonzola 3/10
13. Boursin (shallot & chive) 9/10
14. Red Leicester 7/10
15. Double Gloucester (chive & onion) 7/10
16. White Stilton -/10

[Immy]

Another sample from the Cheese Shoppe country of origin.

Today's selection: Wensleydale



Finding Brit cheeses in the US that don't have additional flavors is proving difficult, but in this case it was marked improvement. This variety of Wensleydale came with cranberries and it was a sweet addition to a really mild tasting cheese. So mild in fact, that the actual flavor was hard to discern. The aroma gives you a hint of it, but only a hint. And it's not that the cranberries are overpowering. It reminds me a bit of how provolone barely adds any flavor to a sandwich. Doesn't stop me from giving it a thumb's up. Half the 4.4oz/125g wedge was gone in one sitting and when combined with crackers and peanuts it made a fine snack. 7/10

The Cheese Shoppe List

1. Cheddar 10/10
2. Parmesan 8/10
3. Mozzarella 7/10
4. Gruyere 8/10
5. Edam (red wax) 9/10
6. Danish Blue 5/10
7. Emmantal 3/10
8. Gouda (smoked) 4/10
9. Port Salut 7/10
10. Norwegian Jarlsberg 4/10
11. Brie 1/10
12. Gorgonzola 3/10
13. Boursin (shallot & chive) 9/10
14. Red Leicester 7/10
15. Double Gloucester (chive & onion) 7/10
16. White Stilton (mango & ginger) -/10
17. Wensleydale 7/10

[Staffsyeoman]

At the moment, it's Le Rustique camembert - the closest I can get to the good Normandy stuff in UK supermarkets.

[Immy]

Crossing The Channel to try the third blue cheese example from the Cheese Shoppe sketch.

Today's selection: Roquefort



It's beginning to look like I'm not a fan of blue cheeses, and OMG this latest example is perhaps the worst so far. I don't know why the thought of something being cave-aged sounded appealing but the result couldn't have been more unpleasant. Roquefort is similar in flavor to gorgonzola but harsher. I sliced three small pieces off the 3.5oz/100g wedge but that was all I could tolerate. My usual addition of crackers came in handy just to rid my mouth of the taste. I can't even imagine how this might compliment other foods. The French call this the "king of cheeses" and I can't say how disappointed I am with my countrymen. It's the textbook definition of an acquired taste. 1/10

The Cheese Shoppe List

1. Cheddar 10/10
2. Parmesan 8/10
3. Mozzarella 7/10
4. Gruyere 8/10
5. Edam (red wax) 9/10
6. Danish Blue 5/10
7. Emmantal 3/10
8. Gouda (smoked) 4/10
9. Port Salut 7/10
10. Norwegian Jarlsberg 4/10
11. Brie 1/10
12. Gorgonzola 3/10
13. Boursin (shallot & chive) 9/10
14. Red Leicester 7/10
15. Double Gloucester (chive & onion) 7/10
16. White Stilton (mango & ginger) -/10
17. Wensleydale (w/ cranberries) 7/10
18. Roquefort 1/10

[Immy]

Once again we're in La Belle France for another Cheese Shoppe entry.

Today's selection: Camembert



One thing's been a constant throughout this étude du fromage I've undertaken - apart from Wensleydale, every variety has had a distinct flavor...until now. Camembert has none that I can discern. It's quite soft, easily spreadable on a cracker (which gives it some character), but nothing else apart from just a hint of a resemblance to brie [shudder]. And really, any more of a resemblance would have knocked it down a few notches. Wikipedia says camembert can be "chalky". That's a pretty accurate description. The 6oz/168g gram slice I bought was thankfully not runny, as mentioned in the sketch, and considering it's neither good nor bad, the fairest rating is 5/10.

The Cheese Shoppe List

1. Cheddar 10/10
2. Parmesan 8/10
3. Mozzarella 7/10
4. Gruyere 8/10
5. Edam (red wax) 9/10
6. Danish Blue 5/10
7. Emmantal 3/10
8. Gouda (smoked) 4/10
9. Port Salut 7/10
10. Norwegian Jarlsberg 4/10
11. Brie 1/10
12. Gorgonzola 3/10
13. Boursin (shallot & chive) 9/10
14. Red Leicester 7/10
15. Double Gloucester (chive & onion) 7/10
16. White Stilton (mango & ginger) -/10
17. Wensleydale (w/ cranberries) 7/10
18. Roquefort 1/10
19. Camembert 5/10

[Immy]

I've reached the halfway point (well, almost) of the Python cheese list. Time to celebrate by sampling that most notorious of cheeses!

Today's selection: Limburger



I grew up with what I call the Abbott & Costello perspective of limurger cheese - that its aroma was positively intolerable (check out the hilarious cheese scene from the duo's 1942 film Who Done It?). Gearing up for this, I also watched a few "limburger challenges" (yes, that's a thing) on Youtube, seeing reactions that pretty much mirrored A&C's. Armed with this knowledge, I even contemplated opening my 6.35oz/180g brick on the patio, not wanting to stink up the flat dontcha know. Then I thought nah, just try it the way you've normally done every other kind. So I tucked in. The first thing I noticed was not an overpowering aroma, but barely one at all. So I took a hearty sniff. Now I kinda know what people are talking about. It's unlike anything I've smelled yet, best described as...hmmm...a wet, moldy basement....filled with dirty sneakers. Yeah, that's it. That didn't deter me from carving off an ounce or so for sampling. The cheese itself isn't awful but the bacteria-laden skin does detract from it. The aroma doesn't translate too much to the flavor, but it is there. Hard to describe it beyond that. It's best just experienced. Crackers made it slightly better. The package notes that limburger is at its strongest as it approaches its "sell by" date (Sept 10 in this case) so I'm game to give this a few more tests, since I'm nearing the end of the available cheese varieties in my area. Try it once yourself and see if you give it better than a 4/10. I don't hate it, I just don't care for it. We'll see how things go over the coming weeks. To be continued...

The Cheese Shoppe List

1. Cheddar 10/10
2. Parmesan 8/10
3. Mozzarella 7/10
4. Gruyere 8/10
5. Edam (red wax) 9/10
6. Danish Blue 5/10
7. Emmantal 3/10
8. Gouda (smoked) 4/10
9. Port Salut 7/10
10. Norwegian Jarlsberg 4/10
11. Brie 1/10
12. Gorgonzola 3/10
13. Boursin (shallot & chive) 9/10
14. Red Leicester 7/10
15. Double Gloucester (chive & onion) 7/10
16. White Stilton (mango & ginger) -/10
17. Wensleydale (w/ cranberries) 7/10
18. Roquefort 1/10
19. Camembert 5/10
20. Limburger 4/10

[Immy]

Just as the Cheese Shop well had apparently run dry at my local grocer's, a new, untried Brit variety appeared.

Today's selection: Lancashire



There are apparently three varieties of Lancashire cheese - creamy, tasty and crumbly - and it appears I found the latter. Another Neal's Yard Dairy import (and at $38/pound, easily the most expensive) it's the first type I've tried that had multiple distinct flavors depending on where I cut into the 2.72oz/77g wedge. The center was quite savory with just a hint of nuttiness; the inner edge was sharper with more bite, but the outer grayish edge was rather bitter with what can be best described as a musty taste. It was quite the contrast and got me curious to sample more and more. Three quarters of it was gone in one snack session. If the outer edge bitterness was due to age than I'd love to try this fresh, and probably give it a higher grade than 6/10.

Limburger update: Despite sitting in my fridge for two weeks, its aroma never became overpowering. But alas, I wasn't brave enough to re-sample that most notorious of cheeses beyond the inital taste test. Perhaps if it had liked it a little more.

The Cheese Shoppe List

1. Cheddar 10/10
2. Parmesan 8/10
3. Mozzarella 7/10
4. Gruyere 8/10
5. Edam (red wax) 9/10
6. Danish Blue 5/10
7. Emmantal 3/10
8. Gouda (smoked) 4/10
9. Port Salut 7/10
10. Norwegian Jarlsberg 4/10
11. Brie 1/10
12. Gorgonzola 3/10
13. Boursin (shallot & chive) 9/10
14. Red Leicester 7/10
15. Double Gloucester (chive & onion) 7/10
16. White Stilton (mango & ginger) -/10
17. Wensleydale (w/ cranberries) 7/10
18. Roquefort 1/10
19. Camembert 5/10
20. Limburger 4/10
21. Lancashire 6/10

[PJayBr]

Originally Posted by Immy

Just as the Cheese Shop well had apparently run dry at my local grocer's, a new, untried Brit variety appeared.

Today's selection: Lancashire



There are apparently three varieties of Lancashire cheese - creamy, tasty and crumbly - and it appears I found the latter. Another Neal's Yard Dairy import (and at $38/pound, easily the most expensive) it's the first type I've tried that had multiple distinct flavors depending on where I cut into the 2.72oz/77g wedge. The center was quite savory with just a hint of nuttiness; the inner edge was sharper with more bite, but the outer grayish edge was rather bitter with what can be best described as a musty taste. It was quite the contrast and got me curious to sample more and more. Three quarters of it was gone in one snack session. If the outer edge bitterness was due to age than I'd love to try this fresh, and probably give it a higher grade than 6/10.

Find and try Dewlay Creamy Lancs. One of the finest cheeses ever, and half of my wifes secret Cheese'N'Onion Pie mix!!!

[Immy]

A recent, unplanned sampling added to the Cheese Shoppe list.

Today's selection: Greek Feta



Feta's inclusion should be marked with an asterisk since it's not in the original sketch but is mentioned in album/audio versions. So with the lack of any new varieties of late, I gave it a try, and quite by accident. Was dining out while vacationing in California earlier this month and noticed Greek salad on the menu. I asked if it came with feta and they said yes. Nice! A new sampling without having to purchase an entire container of crumbles. When it arrived however, there was only a single cube of it, but that was enough to experience feta's robust flavor. It was something akin to gorgonzola, but thankfully not that harsh. It was soft, fairly tasty and really added character to the small side salad. Curious what it's like by itself, but my guess is it's best in this form. Glad to have another thumb's up on the list with a 6/10 rating.

The Cheese Shoppe List

1. Cheddar 10/10
2. Parmesan 8/10
3. Mozzarella 7/10
4. Gruyere 8/10
5. Edam (red wax) 9/10
6. Danish Blue 5/10
7. Emmantal 3/10
8. Gouda (smoked) 4/10
9. Port Salut 7/10
10. Norwegian Jarlsberg 4/10
11. Brie 1/10
12. Gorgonzola 3/10
13. Boursin (shallot & chive) 9/10
14. Red Leicester 7/10
15. Double Gloucester (chive & onion) 7/10
16. White Stilton (mango & ginger) -/10
17. Wensleydale (w/ cranberries) 7/10
18. Roquefort 1/10
19. Camembert 5/10
20. Limburger 4/10
21. Lancashire 6/10
22. Greek Feta 6/10

[Immy]

Now that the Python list has lulled for now, figure it's time to update The Search for the Sharpest Cheddar. We'll take the selections alphabetically.

Black Diamond Extra Sharp

First up is a serious candidate for best I've ever tried. Black Diamond had a terrific snappy flavor that rivaled my all time favorite Tillamook. Unfortunately, I've only been able to find single, cracker-sized samples selling for $1 each. Now that I know it's right up there with the best, I'll have to track down a good-sized brick, along with their cheese spread. Might have a new champ here. 10/10

Cabot Seriously Sharp

At first I was underwhelmed by Cabot's, but it turns out sharp white cheddar has a distinctively different taste than yellow or orange-ish cheddar. The sharpness was very good, but it's not noticable right away. The flavor lingers nicely and ultimately it was quite good. 8/10

Hoffman's Super Sharp

The major disappointment of the bunch. I hesitate even calling this "sharp", never mind "super sharp". At best it's a medium yellow/orange cheddar, which is fine for its kind, but not what I was looking for. 5/10

Yancey's Fancy XXX Sharp

A "New York" raw milk white cheese that was surprisingly good. More crumbly than normal, the flavor was similar to Cabot's but just a bit more savory. When I tried Tillamook after this, Yancey's fared better. But at twice the price, it's more for indulging. Best of the white cheddars, and despite the XXX on the label, nothing porn-related was noticed. 9/10