Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Review and Opinion: Vermont Butter & Cheese Bonne Bouche, Coupole, and Bijou
I love good cheeses, and Vermont Butter & Cheese's three signature products - Bonne Bouche, Bijou, and Coupole - are all marvelous. People often associate goat's milk with chevre and other relatively mild cheeses.
Bonne Bouche translates into "tasty little bite" or "good mouthful." It's hand ladled into moulds, drained, lightly covered with ash, and then briefly aged. The company describes the taste as mild, but that's not ture if you compare it to the generally bland goat cheeses you find in grocery stores, where a sour tang seems to be the entirety of taste. Bijou - French for jewel - matures for 24 hours, drains for another day, and then is formed and goes into a drying room. A edible rind forms on the cheese. Coupole is named for its dome shape (like a cupola). The company uses the same recipe as the Bijou, but is sprinkled with ash like the Bonne Bouche. It also has a shelf life of 45 days.
The comapny says that the cheeses can display notes of flowers, citrus, and hazlenuts. I generally don't get so analytic in trying a cheese. Instead, I look the overall balance of flavors in my mouth and the aroma. Ah, yes, the aroma. When the cheeses arrive, my wife, who has a fantastically sensitive nose, wrinkled it and said, "You'd better wrap those and bag them if you want to keep them in this refrigerator." The cheeses had strong odors to go with the complex flavors. If you like cheese that could never possible be offensive, these are not for you. But if you like fine cheese, these are some great ones to try. The company has been getting wider distribution, so check with decent local cheese shops. The company has a page that lets you find retail outlets carrying their products if you provide the zip code, and it also has links to three online vendors. Enjoy.
Bonne Bouche translates into "tasty little bite" or "good mouthful." It's hand ladled into moulds, drained, lightly covered with ash, and then briefly aged. The company describes the taste as mild, but that's not ture if you compare it to the generally bland goat cheeses you find in grocery stores, where a sour tang seems to be the entirety of taste. Bijou - French for jewel - matures for 24 hours, drains for another day, and then is formed and goes into a drying room. A edible rind forms on the cheese. Coupole is named for its dome shape (like a cupola). The company uses the same recipe as the Bijou, but is sprinkled with ash like the Bonne Bouche. It also has a shelf life of 45 days.
The comapny says that the cheeses can display notes of flowers, citrus, and hazlenuts. I generally don't get so analytic in trying a cheese. Instead, I look the overall balance of flavors in my mouth and the aroma. Ah, yes, the aroma. When the cheeses arrive, my wife, who has a fantastically sensitive nose, wrinkled it and said, "You'd better wrap those and bag them if you want to keep them in this refrigerator." The cheeses had strong odors to go with the complex flavors. If you like cheese that could never possible be offensive, these are not for you. But if you like fine cheese, these are some great ones to try. The company has been getting wider distribution, so check with decent local cheese shops. The company has a page that lets you find retail outlets carrying their products if you provide the zip code, and it also has links to three online vendors. Enjoy.
Labels: cheese, goat's milk, Vermont Butter Cheese
