Tessiner Geisskase (couldn’t find an active link!) is a pretty outstanding goat cheese. It’s made from raw goat’s milk and has a crumbly, (i.e. curdy) texture with a really outstanding mouth feel. It makes for a very nice, flavorful snack cheese. It’s definitely on the salty side (which I like) with a definite “goat” flavor, but not overpowering. It has a great smell and a very nice, lingering finish. Don’t eat it cold, let it warm up to room temperature to really get the most out of this one.

I couldn’t really find much more information about this one on the web, one reseller link, which wasn’t active, but Google cached, indicated the cheese was imported from Switzerland by Rolf Beeler (a noted importer) and that it was a “rare find”. Well, if you find some, buy some. You will not be disappointed.

Cornish Blue is a pasteurized cow’s milk blue, which is a nice, strong blue. Their website claims it’s “Gorgonzola like” but I didn’t find that to quite be the case. The tasting I had lacked much of the sweetness of most Gogonzolas and had a much firmer texture, not as creamy.

Perhaps the bit I had was aged a little longer, I found it to be very sharp and a little earthy and raw tasting. The texture was firmer and a bit more chalky, slightly reminiscent of an English cheddar. I’d say it’s a nice blue that could hold it’s own on a cheese board, but it’s definitely not one of my favorite blues–I do tend to lean towards the sweeter and creamier styles.

Nevat is a Spanish goat’s milk cheese, made from pasteurized milk. It’s ripened with penicillin, so it has that characteristic creaminess near the rind with a more solid, chalky interior. The name comes from the Catalan word for “snow” and although that’s supposedly because of the white, flakinesses of the rind, when I bought it from the shop already cut, I didn’t notice so much.

Overall, it’s a pretty creamy cheese, not unlike Brie, but firmer and more “goaty” toward the center. The flavor was delightful… delicate and smooth, with just a hint of the citrus tang that I really like from goat cheeses. I would add Nevat to the list of truly outstanding goat’s milk cheese that everyone should try at least once.

If you are a true cheese fan, and can take a strong assertive cheese, then you might find Kuntener to your liking. I found it very similar to the Cowgirl Creamery’s Red Hawk.

Both cheeses are a washed rind cheese, with that characteristic red-orange rind that just draws me to them. The cheese itself is a softer, creamy-textured nice golden yellow as well. Kuntener differs, however, in that it is made from raw cow’s milk (while Red Hawk is pasteurized). That difference turns the flavor intensity know all the way up to 11 for Kuntener. If you’re a true cheese aficionado, or if you’ve had the Red Hawk and enjoyed it, then give this one a try and I think you won’t be disappointed. But if you’re like my wife and the phrase, “what the hell is stinking up the fridge” is in your commonly used phrase book, stick to a less intense cheese.

I’ve always loved cheese, but it’s only been recently that I’ve taken on trying so many new varieties, thanks to the discovery of some really great cheese shops in Chicago. One thing that shocks and amazes me is just how tasty goat cheese is… who knew? I always thought goats were good for eating garbage in cartoons and as major staples in petting zoos.

I recently had a chance to try Le Chevrot which is a very fine goat cheese, which I will highly recommend to anyone who likes a little chevre.

Le Chevrot has a textured rind, which my wife said, “looks like a tiny brain”. Don’t let that stop you. Le Cevrot is a nice, slightly more mature goat cheese than some of the younger chevres. It is slightly chalky, but not to an extreme, and has the nice citrus overtones that I really love from goat cheese, but not quite as tangy as something like Humboldt Fog–this is a milder, more laid back cheese.

If you’re a fan of chevre in general or if you’ve had a chance to sample some Humboldt Fog, I would add this one to the list of goat’s milk cheeses you should check out.

I love a good blue cheese and over the holidays, I had a chance to sample some Queso Valdeon which comes from Leon in Spain.

Valdeon can be made from cow or goat milk and the version I had was made from cow’s milk. It’s a very attractive cheese, a pale yellow with beautiful blue mold–it looks great on a plate. It has a very sharp taste, which kind of reminded me of an aged English Cheddar as it also had a slightly chalky texture, definitely not a creamy blue. It was very piquant, although I like that in a cheese. If you’re not a sharp cheese fan, it’s not for you, but I think it was a very agreeable blue that I would certainly eat again.

California wines are some of the best in the world, so why should the cheese be any different? Although I am very loyal to the midwest, which also has some mighty fine cheeses, the Point Reyes Blue is an amazing blue that I would recommend to anyone.

It’s not as creamy as a St. Agur or a nice creamy Gorgonzola, it’s a little more solid, with a nice marbled appearance. It has a really great range of flavor though, slightly sweet but with a wonderful slight tartness that makes it a nice, solid blue.

As a bonus, it’s made on the farm from the Point Reyes’ own heard of hormone free cows. A great, solid “farmstead” cheese!