Back in Blue!

[Frodage3]

Hiya,
I've been away from the hobby for a while and made my first blue of the year today! Same old Gorgonzola Dolce (Ricki Carroll) as previously. Here are a few photos. It's still a little bit bigger than the mould, but I'm hoping it will shrink overnight.

[Al Lewis]

If it's as good as the prior cheeses it'll be great!!

[Frodage3]

Spearing day! I love the taste of the blue and I love the look of it too. So, I have pierced every centimetre, not just every inch. Yumminess awaits in 2.75 months!

[Frodage3]

Thirteen days and fluorescent blue!

[Frodage3]

After reading Revilo's question about how often to pierce, I thought it was high time to pierce my gorgie again! This time, I'm using a shorter, narrower needle than last time. I'm hoping for a nice blend of large and small mottling. Can't wait for the results!

[Frodage3]

The family took one look at this three month old and declared it was beautiful, but with a blue skin. Immediately, comparisons were made to the X-Men movies by Marvel. This is Mystique and Mystique Revealed!

[Kern]

Looking good!  May I present you with your first cheese?   

[Andrew Marshallsay]

 A very impressive blue and a second cheese from me.

[Al Lewis]

Beautiful as always!  AC4U!!

[H-K-J]

OH the beauty of a nicely aged blue
Got to get one going.
Looks very creamy.
AC4U

[awakephd]

An additional, but conditional, C4U -- I want to hear the taste report!

[Frodage3]

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.