04/03/2011- Cantal

The 11th meeting of the International Cheese Club commenced on April 03, 2011. Present members were Moobs, Scott, Jesse, Tony, and Susie the Cat. Special guest Richard was in the house.

Smell:

Moobs- The smell reminds me of the parmesan we had before, kind of sharp.

Scott- The inside smelled good, like a good sharp cheese. The rind part was quite pungent, not very good.

Jesse- I'm not a big fan of the smell of cheese in general, it's basically hardened milk over time. It smelled kind of sour.

Tony- It had a strong, sharp smell. Kind of exciting in a way.

Richard- Smelled like a mixture between parmesan and mozzarella. A very dry smell.


Taste:

Moobs- It reminds me of another cheese, parmesan. As far as texture, it's similar to the Dubliner. It was good, but not very exciting or special. Kind of middle of the road. The rind enhances the flavor and leaves a sharp, bitter aftertaste. I didn't care for that aspect.

Scott- Reminded more of parmesan, romano type thing. Texture was hard, but it wasn't as hard as parmesan usually is. The closer to the rind the cheese got, the worse it tasted. A very bitter aftertaste.

Jesse- Very classic, rich full flavored cheese.

Tony- Similar to a very sharp cheddar. I liked it, but wasn't thrilled by the texture. It was alright.

Richard- Honestly it kind of just tasted like your average sharp cheese with a texture like parmesan.


Best application:

Moobs- The mini-toast. With the breads in general it cuts the sharpness of the cheese. The grape was good, the juices affect the taste of the cheese. It wasn't unpleasant.

Scott- The mini-toast cut the bitterness, gave it a more creamy taste. The grape was okay, the sweetness brought out some of the subtle flavors.

Jesse- I didn't like it with the grapes. By itself it was good.

Tony- By itself it was good, but with the mini-toast it was good. The grapes were a nice compliment. Not horrible, but too juicy for cheese.

Richard- With the mini-toast it started like a bleu cheese, it was alright. The grape it kind of turned it into play-doh.

Final Thoughts-

Moobs- A mediocre cheese. Nothing too exciting, what I consider 'safe'.

Scott- I did like it. I would eat it again, but I wouldn't go out of my way to get it.

Jesse- A well done cheese. It's a cheese of cheese. Pretty well rounded, they've got it down. For the price I wouldn't go back to it. Sets the precedent for other cheeses, the ball that got everything rolling.

Tony- An okay cheese. For the quality and price, not bad, but like Scott, I wouldn't go out of my way to have it again.

Richard- Doesn't really stand out, a mediocre cheese.

Susie the Cat was indifferent.