sarahmichigan | A Very Cheesy Review

Went to a wine & cheese party on Friday, and we arrived late enough that people were fairly sated, and my cheeses were barely touched, so I brought them back home. I have to say that all three were fantastic in their very different ways.

The winner of the night, to me, was "Ewephoria," a sheep's milk gouda. It was mellow-but-not-bland like a quality gouda should be, and while it did have a little bit of that "wang" that turns some people off to cheese made from goat's or sheep's milk, it was very, very subtle and mostly appeared toward the back end, not the front end.

Cahill's Porter Cheddar was really pretty to look at, and flavorful. It's Irish cheese laced with dark Irish beer - great combo! I could see layering this on a sandwich made with lots of veggies and a hearty multi-grain bread.

Just today, I sampled the Lemon Stilton that I picked up. It's a slightly stinky, mildly sharp white cheese with bits of candied lemon peel in it. I was advised by the cheese guy that it'd be well paired with a sweet white dessert wine to bring out the lemon, but I find it a little too strong/strange to serve as a snacking cheese. I am currently enjoying it as part of a salad made of mixed baby greens, slivered radishes and a light drizzle of bleu cheese dressing, and it's divine!

Have any of my readers run across any interesting cheeses lately? Feel free to leave a mini-review in the comments!