Hello! Kris Blondin here from STINK Cheese-Meat in Tacoma, WA, back again to review another lovely cheese from Point Reyes. I was waiting with great anticipation for the next sample to be dropped at my door, and last week it landed with a bang! This time around they have sent me/us a Tomme, which is a cow’s milk cheese that has been aged for 18 months.

The notes sent with the sample described the aroma as “citrusy”, but I noted a distinct nose of browned butter and grass. Weird? Maybe, but that’s the cool thing about sending a sample of something to several people – you’re going to get different reactions.

The texture is very firm but it truly melts in your mouth. You don’t expect it to get creamy, but it does. The protein crystals are firm and frequent through out each taste. So much of your taste buds are utilized with this cheese. There’s sweet, salty, and definitely umami or savory. Thankfully, no bitterness or worse yet, sour, but this cheese does make my mouth water.

While the tasting notes say to enjoy with a fine scotch or Tawny Port (which I am sure would be amazing), I chose Wandering Angus Bloom Cider. This medium dry cider plays well with the saltiness of the cheese while it draws out the sweeter side of it too. I even got a hint of caramel with the pairing. Caramel + Apple = yum!

Carbonated beverages are always a great pairing for cheese because while they can be quite complimentary, the little bubbles help lift the fats off your tongue and prepare you for the next round. I also tried Unibroue Ephemere with the Tomme, a beer brewed with apple juice and other fun things, but the cider took it to the next level.

So what is going to be our next cheese? Will there be another? I am sure the other panelists will be looking forward to more from Point Reyes, as will I. Just keep sending them in those cool little Styrofoam coolers. I can’t seem to throw them away. You can catch me next time on "Hoarders"...