St. Albans - Complete with Ceramic Ramekin

I'm very much in love with Vermont Cremery's cheeses lately. Their selections aren't over-the-top or in-your-face, but they are well-made, excellent and dreamy. I'd make hearts around the company name on my notebook if I were still in school, and if that were still a thing.  💗

Since I recently reviewed several Vermont Creamery cheeses, I won't go into detail about the company again, except to remind readers that the founders have done an excellent job of creating award-winning cheeses and promoting sustainability. You can read more about them at the following link: Vermont Creamery

St. Albans is a curious little cow’s milk cheese that comes in its own ceramic ramekin. This is another one that I started to review long ago, but I kept drifting off into fits of pleasure while eating the cheese rather than sampling it for blog content. It's easy to do when the product is inviting and heavenly. Part of the reason I had to buy this one several times before writing what follows is because St. Albans is yummy and small, making it easy to get carried away. Before you know it, POOF, it's gone...again. Whoops. 

St Albans comes in a cute ramekin

The container St. Albans sits in prevents a bottom rind from forming. Also, the ramekin can be used to bake (or microwave) the cheese. The discs are so darn cute, too. Both the cheese itself and the ramekin are petite, just perfect for one. I kept the vessel and plan to use it again, possibly to bake some kind of mini snack. 

St Albans has a delicate white surface rind that's on the verge of wrinkly and could almost be described as lacy. It looks more like a light dusting of powdered sugar on a pastry than an actual rind; however, this surface adds a rich flavor to the overall product.

There is no bottom rind 

This delicate little bloomy-rind cheese is an American version of St. Marcellin, a beautiful cheese from the Rhone-Alps region in France. Despite St. Albans fragile appearance, it packs a flavor punch that's sure to please your taste buds. 

The most obvious characteristic of St. Albans is the fluffy, smooth texture. My goodness, is this cheese creamy. It's light and airy, almost like a soufflé but smooth and without the egg texture, of course. It’s much gooier and oozes once it's cut open. The flavor can verge on sour but is light and tangy with just a hint of mushroom. 

It's so gooey...yum.

The ramekin provides a nice way to create savory dips. Bake the little pot in a hot oven for about 10 - 15 minutes and serve hot with roasted herbed potato sticks, lightly steamed asparagus, crusty bread, or crackers. Top the baked dish with jam, tomato compote, or apple butter. I actually preferred the flavor and texture of the unbaked cheese. It can be served at room temperature with red grapes, sourdough crackers and truffle honey, thin rye crisps, dried apricots, toasted walnuts, or saucisson sec. 

The cheese can also be added to hot dishes. Place a bit on pepper steak, or add some to a potato casserole. Though it’s an aged cheese, its light flavor pairs well with a variety of foods. I prefer it on crackers or bread, pure and unadulterated. Heck, it's so good you can simply spoon it straight into your mouth, no accompaniments needed. 

Melted or at room temperature, this cheese is great.

As for beverages, pair St. Alban’s with Chardonnay, Viognier, Pinot Gris, Amarone Della Valpolicella, a fun Champagne or Champagne cocktail, or a tawny port. If beer is more to your liking, try St. Albans with a Trappist beer, a golden ale, or a light lager. Mostly, though, enjoy. This is a cheese that should transport you to a lovely, warm hillside on a beautiful, spring day and make you forget, even for a moment, any strife in the world. 

Try Champagne or a Champagne cocktail with St. Albans - Original photo by Steve Daniel