It's been a long time since I posted on this blog, and I've been thinking I should start again. Recently we have found a new farmstead cheese maker that we are so excited to see close to us, it has really forced me to get posting again.
Nieuwenhuis Farmstead Cheese is a small producer making goat milk cheeses in the Hawkes Bay region here in New Zealand. This excites us because there aren't many goat milk cheeses in New Zealand. The few makers that still survive in a place that's still not really used to these products, do make fantastic cheeses.
Yellowstone is a soft, washed rind, goats milk cheese. The one I tried had a lovely even golden rind. The inside of the cheese (the "paste") was white, glossy and gooey. Not too runny initially although it did get pretty soft once it had warmed up to room temperature. The texture was gloriously smooth and creamy.
Unlike many washed rind cheeses, the aroma was quite mild - certainly not overpowering. Flavour was quite well balanced, with a slight bitterness which dissapeared quickly, counteracted by a hint of goat and salt, then finishing with a slight sweetness and a lovely savoury (almost meaty/bacon) flavour from the rind. Overall, this cheese reminded me of a slightly goaty version of Taleggio.
This went really well with a malty American amber ale I recently brewed.
