Soft, buttery washed rind from Aquitaine—gentler than it looks.
Saint Albray, a soft washed-rind cow's milk cheese from Aquitaine. Buttery, creamy paste with a gentle mushroomy rind. Order online.
We’ll keep track of cheeses you love and send you new finds that match your taste.
By saving, you agree to receive curated emails from The Cheese Store. Unsubscribe anytime.
Already have an account? Sign in for a faster experience →
You’ll hear from us when we find more like this one.
Saint Albray is a pasteurized cow's milk washed-rind cheese from Aquitaine, in the southwest of France. It's shaped into a distinctive flower-petal wheel with a hollow center, designed so the rind has more surface area and the paste ripens evenly from the outside in.
The paste is soft and supple, pale ivory, with a buttery creamy texture that loosens as it comes to room temperature. The orange-pink rind is bloomy with a light wash, and it brings a gentle mushroomy, faintly salty note that sits underneath the cream rather than pushing through it. On the palate it leads with warm butter and fresh cream, picks up a quiet earthy pull from the rind, and finishes short and clean.
This is a washed rind for people who think washed rinds are too much. It has the look and the rind character of a stronger cheese but the flavor sits in mild, creamy territory, closer to a brie than to a Munster or a Pont-l'Évêque. A good gateway into the category, and an easy soft cheese to keep on hand.
Soft and supple under the knife with a creamy paste that gives easily, slightly bouncy through the middle and looser as it warms.
Gentle for a washed rind, leads with butter and warm cream, just a touch of mushroom and a quiet salt pull on the back end.
Short and clean, the cream coats the palate briefly then fades, leaving a soft mushroomy echo from the rind.
Buttery and milky right out front, fresh cream and warm butter carrying most of the flavor.
A faint toasted note where the rind meets the paste, but the cheese is more cream than nut.
Mild mushroom and a soft damp-cellar note from the washed rind, never barnyardy.
No heat, no peppery bite, just a gentle salinity from the rind wash.
Washed rind
The orange-pink washed rind is edible and brings the mushroomy, slightly salty counterpoint to the buttery paste.
Saint Albray stands on its own, but the right partners turn a wedge into a moment. Regional pairings first — they were built for each other.
The cheese is creamy and gently washed, so sparkling wine and lightly off-dry whites cut the butter, and a softer red or Belgian ale picks up the mushroomy rind without overpowering it.
Stone fruit and honey lean into the buttery sweetness of the paste, while walnut bread gives the washed rind something earthy to land on.
Real reviews from The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills Google Business Profile. Curated by Dom and his team since 1967.
Domenico and his team are fantastic. I’m a chef and I often get my supplies from The Cheese Store — unique products, carefully selected, from top Italian and French cheeses to excellent local ones.
Absolutely loved the cheese store! Everyone was super helpful and friendly. Lena helped us — she was very knowledgeable on all the cheeses: where they came from, what the region is like, what they are known for. It was like wine tasting for cheese.
Ordered several cheeses from them and the wrong items were delivered. Contacted the store and they recognized the error and immediately sent the correct order the next day without any fuss. Really appreciate the promptness and professionalism.
Hand-cut to order the day it ships.
Taste it for yourself →Ships nationwide
