Each week we taste a sampling of cheeses in our Cambridge office and discuss their flavors, textures, and our general impressions of them. Yum!

Bonne Bouche
Goat’s Milk – Vermont

 Jesi – Luscious, super soft, and creamy. My favorite of the four.
Amy – This is a very delicate, creamy, and mild aged goat cheese with not a lot of goat flavor to it. The appearance is so pretty and different with the little wrinkles and ashed outside that it’s sure to stand out on any cheese board. I love the citrus and grass flavors.
Amanda – A creamy goat cheese whose rind looks like a brain membrane upon first sight, a grey, slightly non-circular lovable specimen. The rind melts in the mouth, and should definitely not be peeled or tossed away.
Becca – This cheese has a citrusy, mildly goaty smell. It tastes buttery, lightly citrus, and grassy. The rind brings a bit of pleasant funk.

Final thought by Jesi:

I love the texture, the mild flavor, and the “ice cream” layer under the rind.

Bijou
Goat’s Milk – Vermont

 Amy – This is a small but assertive cheese with more goat flavor than the other Vermont Butter and Cheese aged goat cheeses. It’s buttery, but clean and not too rich. There are also flavors of flowers and meadow and a slight bitterness like that of the hops in beer.
Amanda – A wonderfully messy cheese, slightly sticky with a mild taste. When enjoyed with sauvignon blanc, it becomes sweet.
Becca – Smells light, grassy, and floral. The taste is buttery and citrusy and it has a great fudge texture.
Jesi – Similarly creamy to the Bonne Bouche, but with a more pungent, goaty flavor – more tangy, almost a little sour.

Final thought by Amanda:

It looks like a little jewel the size of the palm of a lady’s hand.

Coupole
Goat’s Milk – Vermont

 Amanda – Reminiscent of the Bijou only firmer in texture. A little chalky rind. I paired it with a cherry jam, which didn’t overpower the cheese, allowing it to maintain its slightly bitter flavor.
Becca – Smells of goats and hay with a bit of barnyard. It’s thick and creamy, with a touch of bitter, goaty tang at the finish. Jesi – Reminds me of Chevrot! It has a dense, pasty texture that really coats the mouth; I think a sparkling wine (or a beer) would be great with this one.
Amy – Coupole has a texture that stands out among these soft and spreadable aged goat cheeses. While still spreadable, it’s more dense and pasty rather than creamy or gooey. It’s sharp and gouey with a hint of spiciness, and a bit chalky.

Final thought by Amanda:

The outside rind looks like this gorgeous labyrinth you can’t tear your eyes away from.

Cremont
Goat and Cow’s Milk – Vermont

 Becca – This one smells light, floral, and butter. The taste is also light and buttery, rich, and has a slight tang from the goat’s milk.
Jesi – The richest, creamiest cheese of the four by far.  I like the mixture of cow and goat milk; it gives the cheese more dimension than a lot of double cremes.
Amy – The combination of goat and cow’s milk is very mild. The flavors are buttery, salty, milky, and citrusy and bright. I’d serve this to someone who thought they didn’t like goat cheese just to watch them do a complete 180.
Amanda – Firm inside but gooey rind, it has a distinctive flavor.

Final thought by Amy:

So incredibly melty and gooey, this is a true indulgence cheese.

Amy Scheuerman

Amy Scheuerman—culture's former web director—spent eight years in North Carolina where she developed a love of barbecue and biscuits before moving up north to get a degree in nutrition. She now works at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.