I decided to cut the cheese today because the edges started to get quite runny. The centre still has a bit to go, but it will continue to improve over the next days.
This was the result of a 3 litre batch of pasteurized creamline milk with a 3 day semi-lactic set. Curds were not cut but simply ladled into a reblochon mold for draining. Then dry salted to 2% and placed in the fridge after drying in the kitchen for a day. Following the process of original Époisses I washed twice a week for 4 weeks. The first week I used a simple brine, and then every week a splash of Scotch whisky was added to the brine. I used Bruichladdich "Laddie Ten" 10 year old single malt because its briny fruitiness would make a nice replacement for Marc de Bourgogne.
It should be noted that I did not add any b. linens, neither from a culture nor harvested from another cheese. Originally I actually forgot it but then I just went on. I watched a few videos about époisses production and the cheeses are always washed with bare hands, so I did this as well. Apparently this was enough to establish a decent b. linens cover, but the cheese is not quite as dark as commercial époisses.
Taste-wise this is pretty much spot on, and I am very happy with it. It is the finest of the few cheeses I have made so far, and I think it would not pale on the cheese board of a decent French restaurant.
