Royal Stilton Blue Cheese Review

Sometime during the 1980's I was in London celebrating another grand victory for my International Financial Witchcraft Division.  We were on fire that year.  Ever have one of those years?  We were flying so high around the globe that we could have sold futures contracts on belly button lint, left the major multinational client smiling while lining our pockets with unconscionable fees.  But I digress.  We're here to talk about cheese.

Following an evening of absolute gluttony we capped our celebration with a couple of bottles of aged port and a fabulous cheese and fruit platter (oh, and some big fat Cuban cigars).

One of the cheeses on the platter was a blue veined cheese with a decidedly yellow creamy cast and a thick crust.  Now I've been partial to Blues (bleus) for a long time.  I made my approach, cut a small wedge and placed it on a pear.  Moments after it entered my mouth I experienced bliss.

So while my guys continued to slap each other on the back, I was on the phone to the kitchen to find out the name of this cheese.

"Stilton sir", "Stilton" I repeated.  "Royal Stilton to be precise sir".

A Love Affair Begins

Ever since that day, Stilton has been my blue cheese of choice and always finds itself on my cheese board for special occasions. To some, all blue cheeses taste the same.  That is, Gorgonzola tastes like Danish Blue which tastes like Roquefort, etc.  In this respect Stilton is no different.  One who recognizes the classic taste of a blue will have no difficulty placing Stilton in this family.  But each Blue has its own unique characteristics and to my taste I think that Stilton sits atop of the evolutionary pyramid of blue cheeses.

Not as sharp as a Gorgonzola, Stilton is mild on the tip of your tongue and it is only after a few moments that its deep rich flavor blossoms in your mouth.

Where Roqueforts are often described as creamy, Stilton is more aptly described as buttery smooth.

To Be a Stilton

Only cheeses made made to strict code and produced of pastuerized cow's milk in the counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire can be called Stilton.

The cheese must be produced in the traditional cylindrical shape (never pressed) and must be permitted to form its own crust.  The crust is quite distinctive and is a dead give away.

To Eat a Stilton

Obviously, Stilton can be eaten as any other blue cheese, but its best reserved as either a starter with a plain cracker (water crackers seem best) or as a dessert with fruit.  When I eat Stilton as a dessert I still prefer it with either a ripe pear or a Delicious apple.

The cheese should be allowed to get to room temperature before eating. In fact, this cheese improves when it has been standing long enough to get "runny" and have a slightly melting butter look to it.

Finding It

Stilton is produced by only 6 dairies found in the three counties I mentioned earlier.  So, distribution is limited and strictly controlled.  If you have a fine cheese shop around, you'll likely find it.  If not, I can generally find it at Whole Foods.  Although I don't like shopping there, it is the one reason I'll walk through their doors.

My Viewpoint

The world of cheeses is indeed rich.  There is just so much to choose from.  But if you're a real fan of Blue (Bleu) Cheese you really do owe it to yourself to try this one.  You'll soon understand how it has become known as the "King of Cheeses".

Enjoy!

Rudi