| Country of Origin | France |
| Region | Urt, Aquitaine |
| Age | Best around 6 months |
| Classification | Hard |
| Producer | Abbaye de Belloc |
| Milk | Sheep (Red-nosed breed of Ewes) |
| Weight and shape | 5.5 kg (12 lb), Round |
| Size | Diameter 25 cm (10 inches), Height 8.5 cm (3.5 inches) |
| Taste | Sweetness with hints of fruit |
| Aroma | Caramel-like and buttery aroma with hints of nut |
| Pairing | Sweet white wine such as Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh or Sauternes |
| Texture | Crusty rind marked with tiny craters; supple and soft paste |
| Color | Greyish-brown |
Abbaye Notre-Dame de Belloc, or Abbaye de Belloc for short, is a historical fermier cheese that dates back to 3000 years.
It was first made by the by the Benedictine monks in the Pays Basque region of Aquitaine in France and was made from the milk of local red-nosed breed of ewes.
This is one of the final few ‘Abbaye’ (Trappist cheeses) that was produced by monks in the traditional way at an abbey.
Abbaye de Belloc Tasting Notes
The cheese is best aged in around half a year. Due to its long aging period, Abbaye de Belloc gives a very robust caramel-like and fruity flavor with an incredibly pleasant buttery aroma with hints of nut.
It has a greyish brown crusty rind with patches of red, orange and yellow and has a relatively supple and soft paste compared to other sheep’s milk cheeses.
How to Enjoy Abbaye de Belloc (PAIRING)
Culture Cheese Mag advise pairing with pinot noir and shiraz but we find that the strong red wines masked the flavor of the cheese.
We very much prefer sweet white wines such as Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh and Sauternes to go along with this cheese. This is just our preference though, if you have to go with reds then your best bet would be Bordeaux, Zinfandel, or Syrah.
Abbaye de Belloc is good on its own or you can eat it together with bread. For us, we are a little weird, we love to eat it with biscuits with banana bread flavor (see below).
This is also the perfect cheese to serve with fruits such as apples, figs, and pumpkin.
Alternatively, you can grade or melt this over grilled meat for added flavor.
Our favorite soft baked breakfast biscuits (banana bread flavor) to pair with Abbaye de Belloc for a quick delicious snack:
- Six boxes with 5 packs each; 1 biscuit per pack, 30 total packs; of belVita Soft Baked Banana Bread Breakfast Biscuits
- Banana bread flavored soft biscuits made with whole grains
- Specially baked banana snacks release up to 4 hours of nutritious steady energy
- On the go breakfast snacks have no high-fructose corn syrup and no artificial flavors or sweeteners
- Individually wrapped snacks are easy to grab and go and are a great alternative to soft breakfast bars
Where to Buy Abbaye de Belloc:
- Au fromager de Rungis – See price when logged in to the site
- Gourmet Food World – 2 lbs for $65.75
- Wally Wine – 1 lb for $32.00
More Cheeses from France:
- Abbaye de Cîteaux
- Abbaye du Mont des Cats
- Abbaye de la Pierre-qui-Vire
- Abbaye de Tamié
- Bleu de Termignon
- Deauville
- Abondance
Last update on 2023-01-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API