Recommended Blue Cheeses?

[purplewiz]

Expanding on the topic of blue/bleu cheeses, I've been having a great deal of fun working my way through the wide variety of blues at our local upscale market. (I'm also working my way through the cheddars and everything else, but concentrating on the blues lately.)

Would you recommend some varieties to look for? I've worked through the names I recognized (Humboldt Fog, Maytag, Cabrales, Point Reyes) and while the adventure of just picking what looks interesting is sometimes fun (found a Bleu de Causses which turned out to be delightfully pungent and wild), it's always useful to have some direction!

Thanks - I've been enjoying reading all your responses.

Marcia.

[master cheesemonger/grocer]

Humboldt Fog is not a blue. Here are the drop-dead blues of the world; must not-misses:

Cashel Blue County Cork UK

Shropshire Blue UK

Blue Cheshire UK

Cropwell Bishop and Colston Bassett Stilton UK

Gorgonzola Piccante Lombardy

Gorgonzola Dolce "

Fourme d"Ambert Auvergne

Fourme de Montbrison "

Bleu d'Auvergne "

Bleu de Laqueille "

Bleu de Gex Franche-Comte

Saingorlon Dauphine

Basque Bleu Pyrenees

Cabrales/Picon/Gamonedo Asturias

Berkshire Blue Mass.

Great Hills Blue "

Bingham Hill Blue Colo.

I am sure to have forgotten a couple. These are off the top of my head.

[Jason Perlow]

Even better than Cabrales in my opinion is Valdeón, which is a simliar super-stinky super-pungent Spanish blue cheese that is wrapped in chestnut leaves. Artisinal in NYC carries it, and as I understand it only came into this country in the last year or so.

Yeah, I know, its expensive as hell.