Thanks for all the cheeses!
The look . . . the taste . . . the texture . . . This is an unusual cheese for me. It's my fifth blue and different from the other four, which were all similar to each other.
The paste is a very light yellow (as compared to the strong yellow of the previous ones) and the blue mottling is not as abundant as I had hope - especially after second piercing. Next time, I'll use the larger spear to ensure better aeration.
This cheese is creamy and resists being squished, but is not a hard cheese by any means. It's as if it were a cambozola, but without the springiness that comes with the fungus taking over. The rind is firm and yet not a tooth breaker. During storage, a white mustache-y fungus appeared at one section of the surface, but I wiped it down and never saw it again. Could filamentous fungus have given rise to the softness and kept the colour on the light side?
The flavour is a delicate mushroominess, much more delicate than most of the blues I've made. My brother-in-law gave an accepting nod, so that's high praise, indeed.