Brun de Noix — a raw cow's milk cheese from Beillevaire in Machecoul, Loire-Atlantique, washed during maturation with walnut liqueur (brou de noix). The liqueur is made from the green husks of unripe walnuts — dark, tannic and intensely aromatic — and when brushed repeatedly onto the rind of the cheese over the course of several weeks, it produces a deep brown exterior that gives the cheese its name and a distinctive nutty, slightly bitter complexity that works its way into the paste beneath.

The base cheese is a semi-soft, pressed, uncooked raw milk wheel — rich, supple and creamy in texture, with the depth and slight tanginess that unpasteurised milk provides. The walnut liqueur washing adds a second layer: earthy, woody, with a hint of tannin and a dark, autumnal quality that is difficult to find in any other cheese. The flavour intensifies towards the rind, where the liqueur has had the most contact, and is milder at the centre. The rind is edible and carries the strongest walnut character.

This is a whole wheel — a substantial piece of cheese at 450g and a statement piece on any board. It is not cheap, but it is unusual, well made, and from a producer with a genuine reputation. Beillevaire is one of the most respected artisan cheese operations in western France.

Origin: Machecoul, Loire-Atlantique, France

Ingredients: Raw cow's milk, salt, rennet, walnut liqueur.

Storage: Refrigerate, loosely wrapped in wax paper. Use within two to three weeks. Bring to room temperature before eating.

Net: 450g (whole wheel)

Allergens: Milk (unpasteurised). Contains alcohol (walnut liqueur). May contain traces of tree nuts.