I've been avoiding store brands for a couple of reasons, but should I do a week or two of, say Aldi, another of Trader Joe's?

Petit Cantal Jeune from Cantorel Semi-hard French 🐄 🧀 with natural rind. Paste is close textured (like Cheddar). Buttery with a slight hazelnut note and a briny and slightly sour finish. The rind is amazingly complex: earthy, meaty, funky, a ton of unidentifiable flavors.

Fiore Dolce Piccante Semi-hard Italian (Sardinia) 🐑🧀 with added peperoncino. Hotter than expected, the peppers loosen the texture of the cheese, which is mild, somewhat salty, with maybe a toasted nut flavor.

Farmstead Brie Fermier by Tremblaye Soft French 🐄 🧀 with bloom rind. Ammonia smell doesn't dissipate. Luscious, oozes a bit. Robust flavors of oyster mushrooms, sulfury vegetables (cabbage?), nuts and clay. Very lingering finish. Excellent; almost as good as their Camembert fermier.

Cypress Grove Purple Haze Soft fresh California 🐐🧀 with bloom rind and added lavender and fennel pollen. Not stained purple by the lavender, but is strongly floral. The fennel pollen adds a sweet licorice note, followed by a citrus one. The cheese itself has typical chevre softness and acidity.

Appalachian from Meadow Creek Cheese Semi-soft Virginia 🐄 🧀 in alpine style with natural rind. The rind tastes of mushrooms, toast, and fresh cut grass. The paste is lush, lemony, and earthy, with a velvet texture.

Petit Cantal Jeune from Cantorel Semi-hard French 🐄 🧀 with natural rind. Paste is close textured (like Cheddar). Buttery with a slight hazelnut note and a briny and slightly sour finish. The rind is amazingly complex: earthy, meaty, funky, a ton of unidentifiable flavors.

Fiore Dolce Piccante Semi-hard Italian (Sardinia) 🐑🧀 with added peperoncino. Hotter than expected, the peppers loosen the texture of the cheese, which is mild, somewhat salty, with maybe a toasted nut flavor.

Farmstead Brie Fermier by Tremblaye Soft French 🐄 🧀 with bloom rind. Ammonia smell doesn't dissipate. Luscious, oozes a bit. Robust flavors of oyster mushrooms, sulfury vegetables (cabbage?), nuts and clay. Very lingering finish. Excellent; almost as good as their Camembert fermier.

Cypress Grove Purple Haze Soft fresh California 🐐🧀 with bloom rind and added lavender and fennel pollen. Not stained purple by the lavender, but is strongly floral. The fennel pollen adds a sweet licorice note, followed by a citrus one. The cheese itself has typical chevre softness and acidity.

Appalachian from Meadow Creek Cheese Semi-soft Virginia 🐄 🧀 in alpine style with natural rind. The rind tastes of mushrooms, toast, and fresh cut grass. The paste is lush, lemony, and earthy, with a velvet texture.

I just discovered arugula cheese exists. I'm tempted to buy it to find out why it's red.

Stapler from Swingline Not cheese. Not even close. Not sure what I was thinking, but don't try to eat one. Rating: absent

Don’t forget your morning dose of cheese

Prima Donna Maturo Gouda from Vandersterre Hard Dutch 🐄 🧀. Many small crystals. Rind is hard, gravelly; paste melts on tongue to cream. Excellent 16 month gouda: nutty, buttery, tangy, with caramel and spice notes. The addition of Parmesan cultures brings depth, earthiness, savoring. A surprise.

Northern Lights Blue Cheese Semi-soft Minnesota 🐄 🧀 with blue mold. Textbook blue cheese. The texture is velvety, creamy except for the blue pockets. There's the blue sharpness which lasts. Not crumbly, not dry, not overly salty, no metallic taste. Will be hard to find outside Minnesota.

Iberico from Bonvallis Hard Spanish 🐄 +🐐+🐑🧀 made in Manchego style. Balanced, somewhat muted, creamy, with faint goat tang. Somewhat unctuous, can be sliced. Finish is of salted nuts.

Coolea Hard Irish 🐄 🧀 in gouda style. Sweet nut aroma. Rind is quite hard, but center is smooth, rich and sweet like caramel or toffee. Finish is salty.

Point Reyes Fennel Blue Semi-soft California 🐄 🧀 with blue mold and fennel seeds. Supposedly a mild blue, this was the most intense blue I've had! It had the typical blue sharp aroma and flavor, crumbles easily but is soft on the tongue. The fennel, when detected, gives a sweet licorice note.

Northern Lights Blue Cheese Semi-soft Minnesota 🐄 🧀 with blue mold. Textbook blue cheese. The texture is velvety, creamy except for the blue pockets. There's the blue sharpness which lasts. Not crumbly, not dry, not overly salty, no metallic taste. Will be hard to find outside Minnesota.

Prima Donna Maturo Gouda from Vandersterre Hard Dutch 🐄 🧀. Many small crystals. Rind is hard, gravelly; paste melts on tongue to cream. Excellent 16 month gouda: nutty, buttery, tangy, with caramel and spice notes. The addition of Parmesan cultures brings depth, earthiness, savoring. A surprise.

Iberico from Bonvallis Hard Spanish 🐄 +🐐+🐑🧀 made in Manchego style. Balanced, somewhat muted, creamy, with faint goat tang. Somewhat unctuous, can be sliced. Finish is of salted nuts.

Coolea Hard Irish 🐄 🧀 in gouda style. Sweet nut aroma. Rind is quite hard, but center is smooth, rich and sweet like caramel or toffee. Finish is salty.

Point Reyes Fennel Blue Semi-soft California 🐄 🧀 with blue mold and fennel seeds. Supposedly a mild blue, this was the most intense blue I've had! It had the typical blue sharp aroma and flavor, crumbles easily but is soft on the tongue. The fennel, when detected, gives a sweet licorice note.

Eichten's Cranberry Chipotle Gouda Semi-hard Minnesota 🐄 🧀 with added cranberries and chipotle peppers. The chipotle makes it seem like a smoked gouda with a touch of heat. The cranberries add color, but nothing else. Does not have the typical nut flavor of gouda.

Fleur Verte Chèvrefeuille from Remy Picot Soft French 🐐🧀 coated with thyme, tarragon, and pink peppercorns. The foretaste is herbal, then the tanginess of goat cheese hits, with aftertaste of herbs again. The peppercorns add a crunch and a slow mild spiciness. My favorite of their 3 Fleurs.

Cheddar Cheese Food with Almonds from Herkimer Cheese Technically not cheese but sold as such, this is a rather bland young cheddar blended with cream, shaped, and rolled in almond pieces. The cheese accentuates the almond flavor. Not for purists, but a better snack than expected.

Arena Mild Cheddar Semi-hard Wisconsin 🐄 🧀. A very standard young bargain cheddar made by a company that makes Colby cheese and this has a distinct Colby quality. A good choice when you want a lot of cheese for something but don't want it to be the focal point.

Capriole Tea Rose Semi-soft Indiana 🐐🧀 coated in rose petals, lavender, fennel seeds and pollen, and herbes de Provence. Very strong rose flavor and aroma. The petals are a bit chewy and stain the cheese pink. Under the goat tanginess there is a hint of fennel as well.

Fleur Verte Chèvrefeuille from Remy Picot Soft French 🐐🧀 coated with thyme, tarragon, and pink peppercorns. The foretaste is herbal, then the tanginess of goat cheese hits, with aftertaste of herbs again. The peppercorns add a crunch and a slow mild spiciness. My favorite of their 3 Fleurs.

Eichten's Cranberry Chipotle Gouda Semi-hard Minnesota 🐄 🧀 with added cranberries and chipotle peppers. The chipotle makes it seem like a smoked gouda with a touch of heat. The cranberries add color, but nothing else. Does not have the typical nut flavor of gouda.

Cheddar Cheese Food with Almonds from Herkimer Cheese Technically not cheese but sold as such, this is a rather bland young cheddar blended with cream, shaped, and rolled in almond pieces. The cheese accentuates the almond flavor. Not for purists, but a better snack than expected.

Arena Mild Cheddar Semi-hard Wisconsin 🐄 🧀. A very standard young bargain cheddar made by a company that makes Colby cheese and this has a distinct Colby quality. A good choice when you want a lot of cheese for something but don't want it to be the focal point.

Capriole Tea Rose Semi-soft Indiana 🐐🧀 coated in rose petals, lavender, fennel seeds and pollen, and herbes de Provence. Very strong rose flavor and aroma. The petals are a bit chewy and stain the cheese pink. Under the goat tanginess there is a hint of fennel as well.

Today's cheese haul

I need to make a cheese run. Can I get you anything?

Do not under any circumstances eat this cheese. 7 cases of E coli O187 in California, Texas, Florida linked to it and they are declining a recall.

Serious typo! This is Italian, not Spanish. No excuse for this one (I was thinking of the Spanish cheese I reviewed today).

Fulvi Pecorino Romano Hard Spanish 🐑🧀. Not as tangy as the Locatelli Romano reviewed 2 weeks ago, but richer. Crumbles, but can be sliced. Salty mostly in the finish.

Merlot Bellavitano by Sartori Semi-hard Wisconsin 🐄 🧀 with Merlot-soaked rind. A good intermediate step between bulk brands and specialities. Dry chalky texture cheddar with a hint of Parmesan in the finish. The wine adds a dark cherry aroma and flavor if you eat it separately.

Sherry Gray by Jasper Hill Farm Semi-soft Vermont 🐄 🧀 with ash and bloom rind. Double crème. If trying this blind, I would say it's a decent standard Brie, or a little more rich. Near its sell-by date, it still seemed undeveloped.

Cordobés by Mitica Semi-soft Spanish 🐑🧀. In Manchego style, but drier texture and some acidity. Rich and buttery, with a nutty finish.

Fulvi Pecorino Romano Hard Spanish 🐑🧀. Not as tangy as the Locatelli Romano reviewed 2 weeks ago, but richer. Crumbles, but can be sliced. Salty mostly in the finish.

Merlot Bellavitano by Sartori Semi-hard Wisconsin 🐄 🧀 with Merlot-soaked rind. A good intermediate step between bulk brands and specialities. Dry chalky texture cheddar with a hint of Parmesan in the finish. The wine adds a dark cherry aroma and flavor if you eat it separately.

Sherry Gray by Jasper Hill Farm Semi-soft Vermont 🐄 🧀 with ash and bloom rind. Double crème. If trying this blind, I would say it's a decent standard Brie, or a little more rich. Near its sell-by date, it still seemed undeveloped.

Cordobés by Mitica Semi-soft Spanish 🐑🧀. In Manchego style, but drier texture and some acidity. Rich and buttery, with a nutty finish.

I've reviewed a third of these so far. [Shrugs] Guess I have to eat more cheese. www.foodandwine.com/best-cheeses...

Should I?

The bag tastes the same as the cheese.

Belle Saison by Isigny-Ste. Mère Hard French 🐄 🧀 with natural rind. I bought a bad one, rock hard, with a rind that was nearly impossible to eat. Still smelled sweet. Eventually broke in the mouth into pebbles vaguely cheesy and salty, without nuance. I suspect this was at least a year too old.