So summers gone, don't be Bleu, unless it's Pyranees!

This week at the Cheese Outlet we have 2 new cheeses, Bleu Des Pyranees and Tomme De Chevre Blanche. Below is a brief description of each. Come on in for a sampling any time!

Lets start with the Bleu Des Pyranees, which comes from La Fromagerie Gabriel Coulet in France. This cheese is a close relation of Ossua Iraty, the main difference being that the Pyranees is finely laced with blue/green mold, adding a robust accent to the smooth, creamy sheep's milk.













Also from France we have Tomme De Chevre Blanche. A firm washed rind cheese produced in the Provencal village of Pumichal. Made with 100% goat's milk the pate has a mild yet complex flavor tasting of hazelnut. Come on in for a sample!

Le Mont-Jacob

New to The Cheese Outlet this week and produced by Fromagerie Blackburn in Quebec. Sue Riedl of the Globe and Mail has this to say of our newest addition. "Le Mont-Jacob presents a sophisticated fix for a savoury craving. Equally good melted as it is sliced, the cheese pops with flavour as soon as it hits your palate. Its nutty, salty essence reveals itself in a rich meaty flavour explosion that is tempered by a fruity sweetness. The aroma is pronounced and earthy at the rind but surprisingly delicate if you snap open the paste and inhale the lactic, sour-cream softness."












Come in and try it for yourself!

L'Hercule

Our second new arrival from Quebec is L'Hercule.


Produced in a 12 kg wheel and aged 1 year. L'Hercule is a firm cheese with a dark yellow exterior, with a texture that varies from hard to granular.
Tastes similar to Gruyere yet improves in time without becoming bitter.

Come by for a sample!

New arrivals from Quebec! Le 1608

The Cheese Outlet is proud to present 4 new Quebec cheeses. Introducing Le 1608, Mont Jacob, L'Hercules and BlackBurn.
















Let's start with the Le 1608, including tasting notes and a brief history.

Le 1608 is named to commemorate the year in which a few hundred cow's from Normandy were imported from France. These few animals brought to Canada between 1608 to 1670 gave rise to the Canadian Race. Of the original 500 heads in 1900 the population remains near the same.They were reimplanted in Charlevoix in 2007. 2 herds (the Hengil Farm and the Farm Lyne Breton) are in production on the plains of Charlevoix. L' Development association of the Canadian race in Charlevoix was created in order to support the development of this patrimonial race.

Appearance and taste: Le 1608 develops a pale orange exterior that is washed with brine while ripening. Developing a full, barny aroma, the paste tastes nutty at the rind and has a complex, fruity flavour that emerges from its melt-in-the mouth texture. The pleasant tang of the long finish clinches this cheese's spot as a new Canadian favourite. (Courtesy of Sue Riedl)

Most wheels are aged two to three months and never beyond six months.

New from Switzerland- Swiss Alp Bellevue

This full bodied mature Swiss is rubbed with 8 alpine herbs during the aging process which forms a edible outer rind. While the herbs are only visible on the outside the whole cheese is infused with their aroma and flavor. This product is also made with vegetable based rennet making it suitable for vegetarians!

Come on by the Cheese Outlet and have a taste!

Chabichou Du Poitou: A.O.C. From France to Toronto

Chabichou De Poitou A.O.C is a goat's milk cheese with an origin in Poitou France. Aged less then 60 days,this cheese comes in small 6oz cylinder shapes which are 3-4 inches high. Chabichou is surrounded with a natural, edible, beige rind leaving a white interior tasting fresh, sweet and surprisingly nutty.



Unfortunately availability of the A.O.C version is rare even in the areas of production. However, The Cheese Outlet will order upon request, please allow 2-4 weeks for arrival depending on the season of production. Feel free to contact us via email or comment here on the blog for additional information.

Wine pairing: Partner Chabichou De Poitou with a young dry white wine such as Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

Upper Canada Cheese: Love your local Guersney

Locavores need not despair! You too can have fine artisan cheese! The Cheese Outlet is pleased to feature Upper Canada Cheese.

About Upper Canada Cheese Company:

In the first small, modern Niagara creamery in generations, Upper Canada Cheese Company hand crafts premium artisanal cheeses from the milk of local Guernsey cows. Expressing the unique terroir of the extraordinary Niagara Escarpment World Biosphere region with rich Guernsey milk and the talents of their cheesemakers.

Each day, fresh, pure Guernsey cow milk is transformed into cheeses of uncommon taste and texture, revealing a subtle range of flavours influenced by the seasons, forage and feed. Then, the cheeses are ideally aged in the Upper Canada cellars until they're ready for you. This is the whole food, farm to table idea; a minimum of food processing intervention to produce the purest cheeses possible.

Come on by The Cheese Outlet and bring home a taste of these fine Upper Canada cheese varieties!

Niagara Gold is an Oka-style semi-soft, washed rind cheese fashioned after recipes developed by the Trappist Monks of the Loire Valley. This is a cheese with nutty, earthy overtones and mellow, buttery flavours. This luscious cheese is delicately mild and sweet when young and gains pungency and piquant qualities with age. The rind may be eaten or trimmed depending on your taste. Niagara Gold is sold after 5 months of careful aging in the Upper Canada cellars. Under good conditions, it ages well for months and continues to develop unique flavours over time.

Comfort Cream is a camembert-style soft, white bloomy rind cheese with a silky, creamy, golden interior. Rich flavours of fresh truffles prevail with an intense, buttery palate and a long, tangy finish. This delicate and luscious artisanal cheese is hand salted, hand turned and hand wrapped. Comfort Cream stored in temperature and humidity-controlled cellars for at least 4 weeks before sale. An additional few weeks of aging will see the cheese ripen and mature in flavour, texture and colour.

For more information on Upper Canada Cheese Company visit their website here.