Academia Barilla's Pecorino Gran Cru is the best cheese I have ever tasted. Granted, I have very limited experience tasting fine cheeses, but the taste of Pecorino Gran Cru is a heavenly experience to me. This pecorino sardo tastes salty, strong, sharp, aged, rich, extremely savory, and is swimming in glutamates. My mouth waters just thinking about it. I like to eat small chunks of the cheese with a beer, or grated on pasta or a salad. Other pecorino cheeses I have tried (which are aged for far less time) pale in comparison. I had bought some at Costco, but they no longer seem to stock it anymore. It isn't cheap online ($15 - $20 a pound plus shipping), but it's worth it. Di Bruni Bros. has a review.
Rating: *****
Here's an excerpt from the Academia Barilla website.
Pecorino Gran Cru
Produced in Sassari, an area of Sardinia famous for its pecorino, our Pecorino Gran Cru is made with 100% sheep’s milk. The cheese is aged 20 months using techniques normally applied to Parmigiano Reggiano, which makes this an innovative product that can be found exclusively at Academia Barilla.
Characteristics
Aroma: an incredible balance of the sophisticated notes from the long agiging and the sweetness of fresh milk.
Flavor: sweet and well balances, with a intense bouquet of flavors, including long lasting milk aromas – rarely found in aged cheeses.
Texture: medium-firm. Melts nicely in your mouth.
Serving Suggestions
Great eaten alone, or with a drop of honey, marmalade or mostarda. To bring out the flavor even more, we suggest pairing the cheese with a full bodied red wine like Sardinian Cannonau.
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