Cheese: Brie Coupe Explorateur

I have inexplicably taken a recent dislike to bries. Maybe once I moved on to triple creams, regular brie was just not good enough anymore. Baked brie with honey and almonds is where I’ve been drawing the brie line of late.

Yesterday at Whole Foods, I accidentally bought a brie I didn’t know, Brie Coupe Explorateur. I saw the label when I got home and cursed my eager hand for snatching it, but it looked white and creamy, not yellowing, so I thought maybe I’d snagged the extra cream after all.

It turns out I had, but it was not what I’ve come to expect from triple cream bries. Most are smooth, very rich and a brie flavor comes through the creaminess. The Coupe Explorateur tastes nearer to a triple cream goat cheese, It’s very, very white, almost granular before you spread it, and with a non-brie-like subtle flavor more common in goat cheeses than cow. My sample must be very young, because the rind was almost non-existent. (The photo to the left is of a more aged sample.)

It’s a really lovely cheese and I’d recommend it without reservation. No special tastes are required and it wouldn’t present a challenge to any cheese plate. Try it with fresh fruit and don’t serve it on a board with a strong blue unless you move to the blue and don’t turn back.