Which is a shame. Is it double cream? Triple cream? Can it be blue? How long is it aged? Is it pasteurized or not? Also, bries are not blue cheeses, though there are mass-produced cheeses on the market that are labeled Brie au Bleu and Blue Brie.
Generally, they are eaten young and reach their peak ripeness and flavor anywhere between weeks, depending on which brie it is. Genuine members of the brie family will be unpasteurized, however, pasteurized versions of brie and brie-style cheeses are sold around the globe. Historically, rustic versions of hand ladled, farmstead fromages resembling brie were most likely created during the Roman times, and cheeses that we would recognize today as brie has been around since the 8th century.
Sources state that Charlemagne enjoyed a brie-style cheese at his coronation banquet in CE. It is the largest of the bunch, weighing in at around 6 pounds. It is aged months and has a hit of salt on the rind and is more rustic and barnyard-like on the nose.
Produced in the Ile de France and made using lactic fermentation. Mushrooms, fresh butter and grasses are the predominant notes in this silky smooth cheese. This brie has the typical flavors and aromas of mushrooms and butter that all brie cheeses offer, with a refreshing, fruity acidity and a texture that is more chalky than its cousins.
Brie de Coulommiers has a melt in your mouth, fudgy texture and all the flavors and aromas that are found in a Brie de Meaux, but in a smaller package. The wheels weigh only 1 pound and are sold in both unpasteurized and pasteurized versions.
