Best Stinky Cheeses from Murray's Cheese and Stinky Bklyn

Douceur du Jura

From:

France

Milk Type:

Cow

Pair With:

Rose champagne or off-dry white wine of Austria or Germany

"It’s a reblochon-style cheese that’s extremely velvety and soft in texture with a satisfying flavor that starts with a crème fraîche tang and ends slightly funky with notes of sautéed chanterelle mushrooms.” —Erin Amey, Stinky Bklyn

Haystack Mountain Dairy’s Queso de Mano Colorado

Milk Type:

Goat

Pair With:

Wheat beer or light-bodied fruity red wine, like Beaujolais

“This is a three-to-four month aged goat cheese made in a tomme style. The texture is firm and toothsome, with subtle nuanced flavors of herbs and grass and a slight barnyardy tang at the finish.” —Erin Amey, Stinky Bklyn

Paška Sirana’s Paški Sir

From:

Croatia

Milk Type:

Sheep

Pair With:

Malty beer like Dunkel, or full-bodied, dry red wine

“It’s a very hard one-year aged cheese whose texture has that pleasingly granular, crystally crunch. The flavor is rich and nutty with hints of bacon-y smoke but finishes with a slight sweetness.” —Erin Amey, Stinky Bklyn

Cato Corner Farms’ Hooligan

From:

Connecticut

Milk Type:

Cow

Pair With:

Abbey- or Trappist-style beer, or Riesling

“This is a deliciously stinky washed rind cheese that expresses the high-quality richness of the raw milk while also hitting you in the face with the one-two punch of wet earth and funk.” —Erin Amey, Stinky Bklyn

Staedtlichaesi’s Jersey Blue

From:

Switzerland

Milk Type:

Cow

Pair With:

A light port or a sweeter stout beer

“This cheese looks like a beautiful birthday cake and has the light and airy texture of whipped ricotta. The flavor is on the milder side, which lets the amazing flavors of the fatty, delicious milk shine through with a little punch of blue mold flavor right at the end.” —Erin Amey, Stinky Bklyn

Vermont Butter and Cheese Creamery’s Torus

From:

Vermont

Milk Type:

Goat

Pair With:

Seashore honey and Cava, or a California sparkling wine

"We ripen this luscious goat’s milk dream in our subterranean cheese caves exclusively for Vermont Butter and Cheese Creamery. The result? A milky, dense paste that any creamy cheese lover will devour." —Deena Siegelbaum, Murray’s Cheese

Quattro Portoni’s Casatica di Bufala

From:

Italy

Milk Type:

Water Buffalo

Pair With:

Pickled plums

"Think beyond mozzarella—besides the classic pizza and panino melter, Casatica di Bufala is one of the best (and rarest) buffalo milk cheeses out there. Made on a small family farm in Italy, this sweet buffalo milk creation is rich, creamy, and unexpected." —Deena Siegelbaum, Murray’s Cheese

Murray’s Vendeen Bichonne

From:

France

Milk Type:

Cow

Pair With:

Walnut preserves

"One of the earthiest cheeses in our case, this is perfect for French cheese lovers who think they’ve tried it all. Its name literally means “pampered cheese” so go ahead and pamper yourself with its mushroomy, mellow taste and a glass of French red—try Beaujolais." —Deena Siegelbaum, Murray’s Cheese

Murray’s Zimbro

From:

Portugal

Milk Type:

Sheep

Pair With:

Jan’s Farmhouse Crisps and a glass of Rioja Crianza

"Want a cheese that smells like feet and tastes unbelievable? Allow us to introduce Zimbro. Hailing from Portugal, this creambomb is made of sheep’s milk and has a delicate yet slightly sour flavor. Still not convinced? You’ll love dipping into its pudding-like insides with a baguette." —Deena Siegelbaum, Murray’s Cheese

Consider Bardwell’s Cavemaster Reserve Barden Blue

From:

Vermont

Milk Type:

Cow

Pair With:

Understated Saison

"We love introducing blue cheese lovers to our newest blue. This creation from Consider Bardwell is a mix of a firm, buttery cheese that the cheesemaker adds blue to, giving it a peppery and grassy taste. We finish the cheese in our caves, which adds to its full, minerally taste." —Deena Siegelbaum, Murray’s Cheese

Mar 07, 2013

Been wondering about that funky smell pervading New York? Well, the Stinky Cheese Festival is celebrating specialty cheeses with a mouthwatering lineup of cheese-centric menus by Tour de France restaurants—including Nice Matin, Marseille, and Café D'Alsace. So smelly fromage is the talk, and scent, of the town.

Inspired by our quest for the perfect cheeseboard, we spoke with experts from two of the finest New York cheese shops—Erin Amey from Stinky Bklyn and Deena Siegelbaum from Murray’s Cheese—who rounded up the 10 best cheeses (read: rare and unique) that are as tasty as they are exotic.

With selections like a velvety reblochon-style cow cheese from France, a delicate Jersey Blue cheese, and a custardy buffalo milk cheese from Italy, these cheesemongers offer some essential epicurean advice when it comes to everyone’s pre- and post-dinner delights. With tasting notes, pairing advice, and some exclusive recommendations, Amey and Siegelbaum set you up with the best cheeses in honor of the cheese festival.

So take a whiff and indulge your palates with some of these awesome cheese picks. —Mina Kang