Artisanal Abbaye De Belloc

For those who enjoy great cheese, this one is a necessity. This cheese is made by Artisanal Premium Cheeses which if you look at their cheese lineup, looks as if it was pulled from The Cheese Shop skit made popular by Monty Python, of course they actually have the cheese in stock!

This cheese which is made by Benedictine Monks at the abbey Notre-Dame De Belloc (between this cheese and the beer they produce, these hooded bald dudes sure know their stuff), is not cheap as it costs about $22.00-$25.00 a pound. Abbaye De Belloc, made with sheep's milk (the red-nosed Manech ewes) , has a very mild flavor, and a slightly grainy texture, and in my opinion is one of the most flavorful cheeses out there. It would go well with Zinfindels, and its nutty characteristics would go great with some of the top Belgian beers (i.e. St. Bernardus Abt 8, or Trappiste Rochefort).

If you live in the New York City area, you can get it from FreshDirect, or you can buy it from their website if you live outside the area (if your local gourmet grocery doesn't carry their wares).