Bamboozle

"Bamboozle" is a beer washed goat's milk tomme from Goat Rodeo Farm & Dairy of Allison Park, Pennsylvania.

This semi-soft cheese is similar in style to Taleggio, landing somewhere between Limberger and Brie on the stickiness scale, but with two uniquely-Pittsburgh twists. "Bamboozle" is made with goat's milk from about 10 miles north of the city (as opposed to the traditional cow's milk) and it's been bathed in ale from Roundabout Brewery.

Goat Rodeo perfectly balances the steps necessary to produce a unique washed rind cheese with cheesemaking integrity while still following Pennsylvania's stringent raw milk rules. "Bamboozle" is produced by the 4-pound loaf and typically aged for 4 months.

The special washed rind effect executed by Goat Rodeo promotes the growth of Brevibacterium linens - an orange-ish colored microorganism that gives the rind its gloriously stinky aroma. It also enables the development of a sweet and savory inner paste with notes of pear, apricot and prosciutto.

If anyone's interested, while writing this post, I munched on sweet and meaty roasted chestnuts alongside bits of "Bamboozle" and it was a great combination. 'Tis the season!

Also of note: Goat Rodeo recently released a seasonal version that was washed in Roundabout Brewery's hard cider.