Renet: Vegitarian
Milk: Pasteurised
Blue Monday is a creamy blue cheese made by former Blur bass player, Alex James. Created originally with renowned cheese expert Juliet Harbutt, 'Blue Monday' is named after the song by New Order.Whilst mild for a blue, it has a complex flavour with subtle hints of sweetness which creates a good contrast with the bitter notes from the rind. As is popular amongst artisan British blues at the moment, it is creamy and this works well for a milder flavoured blue.
It is an attractive pale cheese with blue streaks and clusters. These streaks continue through the cheese once cut into, and are fairly evenly spread. On initial tasting the main impact is the mild bitterness of the blue, contrasting with a sweet element. For a blue cheese it doesn't have an overtly salty flavour, which contrasts it from traditional British blue cheeses such as Stilton.
After tasting it alone I tried it with an oatcake. The soft creaminess of the cheese contrasts excellently with the crumbly nature of oatcakes and the two form a winning combination.Due to the relative mildness this is a blue that never becomes overpowering. The aftertaste does not linger too long, but the finish is still unmistakably blue, changing from sweet to bitter steadily. This is an enjoyable blue cheese which although mild, retains its complexities making it a perfect choice for groups mixed between blue-lovers and those who aren't generally as keen on blue cheese.
Final Mark: 78/100
