近距离内射合集

Hanna Lee knows her cheese.

She proved so after a long shift at Albuquerque鈥檚 Mouse Hole Cheese Shop this month, when the Journal put her taste buds to the test. She covered her eyes with a blindfold and accepted a plate of unidentified cheese from her coworker. Relying only on taste, smell and texture, she began putting words to her senses.

鈥淚鈥檓 getting a lot of fruitiness and kind of more savory, and there鈥檚 this slight prickle in the back of my throat,鈥� Lee said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 slightly more savory than I would expect from this cheese, but every wheel of cheese is different. 鈥� I think it鈥檚 the alpha tolman.鈥�

鈥淵ep! You got it,鈥� her coworker exclaimed.

That expertise is part of what earned Lee the top spot at the 2026 Cheesemonger Invitational in New York City in June. Often called the 鈥淥lympics of Cheesemongering,鈥� the annual competition brings together cheesemongers 鈥� people who sell cheese 鈥� from across the world to test their knowledge, cheese-handling skills and cheese-pairing creativity.

This year鈥檚 event hosted 47 competitors. Lee was named a top-six finalist after a full day of challenges, including a written multiple-choice exam, blind tastings, neatly wrapping cheese blocks, aroma identification, demonstrating salesmanship, precise cheese cutting and creating the perfect plate, and beverage-cheese pairings.

鈥淭he more you do it, the more familiar you are with how everything works,鈥� Lee said, adding it wasn鈥檛 her first time bringing her cheese expertise to the Big Apple.

Lee previously competed in the Cheesemonger Invitational in 2023, earning second place after a tiebreaker. She returned to compete last year and came in second again.

鈥淎nd then I was like, 鈥榃ell, I have to win,鈥� so that was my goal this time,鈥� Lee said.

With a little bit of training and a Gruy猫re cheese bite that Lee hollowed out, filled with miso caramel sauce and topped with a mini pretzel, she secured her win with 31 points ahead of the second-place competitor.

鈥淚t was a weird mixture of relief and excitement because I was like, 鈥榃ow, I actually did it,鈥欌�� Lee said. 鈥淭his is something that I was trying for, and I put a lot of work into.鈥�

Meant to brie

Lee said the national recognition has been great for Mouse Hole 鈥� Albuquerque鈥檚 only cut-to-order artisanal cheese shop, known for its wide variety of 40-plus cheeses from across the globe. The business, situated at 300 Broadway NE, also sells local breads, jams, pickles, mustards, nuts, oils, crackers and sandwiches.

Lee helps run the shop with her boyfriend and the shop鈥檚 owner, David Myers. He acquired the four-year-old business about two months ago after a couple of years serving as manager. Meanwhile, Lee handles operational tasks, some cheese sourcing and the shop鈥檚 interior design.

鈥淧eople have been coming in here like never before. It鈥檚 been great for us,鈥� Lee said. 鈥淔or me, I didn鈥檛 expect to be cheese-famous ever. That was not something I was striving for in life, but here we are.鈥�

Lee didn鈥檛 have a huge connection with cheese growing up, but she鈥檇 always been interested in food and flavor. It wasn鈥檛 until she entered the workforce that cheese specifically struck her interest.

After studying animal science at Oregon State University, she secured her first job making goat cheese in upstate New York 鈥� kind of by happenstance.

鈥淚 originally reached out to them because I wanted to work with their animals,鈥� Lee said. 鈥淭hey had an internship, and they said, 鈥榃ell, we already hired both the interns we need to work with the goats, but we do make cheese, and we still need two cheese-making interns if you鈥檙e interested.鈥欌��

During her six-month internship, Lee was amazed by how different each batch of cheese came out, despite coming from the same place.

She learned that all cheese is made of the same four ingredients: milk, salt, rennet and starter cultures, or the bacteria that ages the cheese. And it鈥檚 everything from the type of milk to how long the cheese is aged, if it鈥檚 aged in a cave or if it鈥檚 washed with a salt brine that affects the final result.

鈥淭here鈥檚 always going to be these micro-variations that can change small little bits of flavor,鈥� Lee said. 鈥淵ou could be like, 鈥榃ell, last time the manchego tasted more like toasted wheat bread, and this time, it tasted more like a butter croissant.鈥� And that鈥檚 why I think I stuck with it. You keep tasting and learning.鈥�

Mouse Hole鈥檚 customers often have similar experiences, which is why people like Lee are there to guide and educate them. Connecting with customers and sharing her insights into the world of cheese is Lee鈥檚 favorite part of being a cheesemonger, especially in a world full of other types of mongers, she said.

Working for a cheese shop also allows her to support cheesemakers, who she said 鈥渁re busting their butts to make really high-quality products.鈥�

While working as a cheese importer could be a path Lee sees for herself someday, for now, she said she is happy with her small shop and working alongside Myers and other longtime employees. Lee hopes the customers who have come in the last few weeks return so that the business can grow and source more unique products.

鈥淲e鈥檙e not, historically, a huge cheese sales state, but there鈥檚 definitely a want for it,鈥� Lee said, adding that Mouse Hole is still greeting new customers every day.

Organizations like the New Mexico Cheese Guild are aiming to grow the local cheesemaking industry through classes and various programming, Lee said. Mouse Hole plans to further grow the local cheese scene by doing more classes, pop-up events and community outreach.

Lee hopes her recent accolade adds some fuel.

鈥淗opefully it opens some doors for us,鈥� Lee said, adding that part of the growth also comes from shops being able to offer artisanal options at affordable rates in an accessible atmosphere. 鈥淚t can help lower the barrier for flavor, which is really what we want to do 鈥� spread flavor and excitement for cheese.鈥�

Kylie Garcia covers retail and real estate for the Journal. You can reach her at kgarcia@abqjournal.com.