The Gourmet Cheese of the Month Club—Seasonal Selections

The Gourmet Cheese of the Month Club delivers three different farmhouse cheeses each month. Subscribers will enjoy hand-selected, carefully aged cheeses from around the world paired with detailed tasting notes and cheesemaker profiles.

This cheese subscription helps you discover cheeses you wouldn't normally buy at your local grocery stores—think Brie from the Île-de-France, Leicester from English farms, or Italian Taleggio matured in the caves of Valsassina. Each monthly selection of cheeses is freshly cut from its respective wheel or block prior to shipping.

There are two membership options available: The Original Gourmet Cheese Club or The Rare Cheese Club. The Original Club focuses on traditionally made cheeses whereas The Rare Cheese Club specializes in small-batch, artisan cheeses. Both monthly shipments deliver roughly 1 ½ lbs of cheese in total. No matter which option you choose, you're in for a treat!

ACTIVE DEAL: Limited Time Only! MSA12 - $12 off any prepaid 4-shipment membership; MSA17 - $17 off any prepaid 6-shipment membership; MSA33 - $33 off any prepaid 12-shipment membership
CODE: MSA12 or MSA17 or MSA33

This review is of The Original Gourmet Cheese Club by The Gourmet Cheese of the Month Club.

This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we review boxes).

What's Inside The Box

I received my next box from The Gourmet Cheese of the Month Club just in time for the holidays! It traveled with me up to Bluffton, GA for our annual Friendsgiving trip—and certainly did not disappoint our crowd.

My box included the following 3 award-winning, hand-crafted cheeses sourced from across the globe:

• Marcos Conde – Queso Castellano Viejo (Spain)
• Sartori Reserve Espresso BellaVitano® (Plymouth, Wisconsin)
• Cypress Grove Purple Haze (San Francisco, California)

Here's what I thought about each selection!

Marcos Conde – Queso Castellano Viejo

This semi-firm cheese made from sheep's milk was savory and smooth. It had hints of sweet and salty flavors throughout, and seemed to melt in your mouth upon tasting.

While I ate the cheese in its standard state, I would highly recommend melting it to really capture its buttery taste and texture. This Castellano would be an absolute dream prepared as a Spanish-style "Fundido.

 Sartori Reserve Espresso BellaVitano®

There's a first for everything! I'm an espresso nut, so you can imagine my sheer joy when I unveiled this beauty.

Sure, it may seem like a strange combination...but I promise it's worth being adventurous for. This semi-firm cow's milk cheese was incredibly well-balanced between its aromatic coffee notes and nut-like creamy body.

The espresso lightly dusted the cheese to add a bit of character without going over the top. This is certainly going down as one of my favorite selections of all time.

Cypress Grove Purple Haze

Can't go wrong with a sweet, flowery goat cheese. It had this tangy zest to it that was complemented by soft hints of lavender.

This cheese took the most time to consume due to its stronger taste. However, I enjoyed pairing it with some crackers to help take off the edge.

The Verdict

It's always an adventure receiving my next box from The Gourmet Cheese of the Month Club. This month's winner was the Sartori Reserve Espresso BellaVitano® due to its unique presentation and incredible range of flavor. While I probably wouldn't indulge in Cypress Grove Purple Haze that often due to its rather tart taste, I could certainly rely on the Marcos Conde – Queso Castellano Viejo as a year-round staple that nearly everyone in our house would enjoy, whether it was paired with accompaniments or served on its own.