Okay, so I have a long history with this cheese.  When I was a college student in the days of yore, I went into the deli and one of the guys behind the cheese counter reached over and handed me a piece of the strongest cheese I had ever tasted – it was love at first smell.  Later that year, Epoisses was in an Esquire article titled “The best cheeses you’ve never tasted.” About a year ago on the splendid table, renowned cheese monger Steven Jenkins described Epoisses as being “excruciatingly delicious.”

A perfectly ripe Epoisses can be a life altering experience.  It gets its stink from being a washed in Marc de Bourgogne (a local brandy)- the alcohol bath allows for the cultivation of the stinky cheese bacteria.  The rind is bright red and sticky, and if you let it warm up on your counter the texture will turn into silken goo.  I love this cheese served at room temperature with seeded grapes and a warm crusty slice of our Pain de Montagne.

Ask for a taste next time you are in the Deli, I’ll be happy to sing its praises any day!