Castello Marquis Cheese product reviews

I never used to like blue cheese... "Mouldy cheese?! Why on earth would I want to eat that?" until one day the owner of a local gourmet food store, who was a regular shopper at my place of work, invited me to one of the semi-regular tasting nights. On the menu was some craft beers and a special blue cheese that was being trialled by Kapiti. It was to be an exceptional evening that changed my mind on so many things I used to dislike. Since then, I have come to appreciate some of the fine blue cheeses available in NZ.

So when I was asked to review this cheese, I decided I had to do something more with it than simply put it on crackers. (Though I did do that too. #nom) With the recent return to lockdown, I realised it was time for me to get back into cooking healthier meals again. No more 'quick meals' of a pie and sauce, instead I unpacked my wok and steamer and began to increase the vege component of my diet. To that end, I made some garlic carrot and parsnip mash, steamed some stir-fry mix frozen veges, and fried up some low-fat sausages to make a delightful meal. And this is where the cheese comes to the fore.

Unearthing some old recipes for cheese sauce, I made a blue cheese and garlic sauce to drizzle over the veges, and tucked in for a meal I was hoping would taste as good as it looked and smelled. Most of the meal was OK, but the highlight was the cheese sauce! Normally when I make a cheese sauce, it's with cheddar or havarti, and it turns out quite nice if I do say so myself. However, this sauce was so much richer in flavour and with a wonderfully thick and creamy texture. The little 'sparks' of blue coming through made every mouthful a delight, and I almost went back for a second round of just the veges and blue cheese sauce.

It was with some chagrin that I realised, the next day after having the last of it for lunch, I had completely forgotten to snap a photo for the review. The first night I was so enraptured that I thought "I'll grab it tomorrow with the leftovers" and the next day I had the idea that I had grabbed it the night before and wouldn't need to take it. Sorry folks, you'll just have to imagine what it looked like... but if you get the chance to buy this cheese and you like that blue cheese taste, I would encourage you to give it a go. I don't regret trying it, and I think any fan of blue cheese, or any strong-flavoured cheese for that matter, will agree with me.

Overall, this really is a great example of how blue cheese should be, and it just gets better with age, as the 'blue' gets deeper and the red rouge on the rind gives it a wonderful array of secondary flavour notes. It's a little on the high-side of my budget, so it is not one I would buy often, but quality like this does not come cheap and it's actually quite an acceptable price when compared to some of the other blues on the shelf. While it may not become your top favourite, it is certainly not one a true aficionado will regret buying.