Bleu de Gex and Bleu de Septmoncel are both known under the official name Bleu du Haut Jura. Bleu du Haut Jura is a member of the AOC (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée) family since 1977.
The area of production for Bleu de Gex gourmet cheese is the departments of l’Ain and Jura. The milk comes from the Montbéliarde cows and the spores use to come from the local plants eaten by the cows; today the cheese is injected with the bacteria.
Bleu de Gex has a flat wheel shape, the rind is dry, rough, and has a white-yellow color. The cheese is dense and creamy with a pale ivory color and a marbling of very dark greenish-blue veins. The aroma and flavor are relatively mild but quite definite in character; fruity and nutty. The taste is quite sharp and bitter, but not overpowering. Cheeses that are similar to Fourme d'Ambert and Blue Stilton.
In order to comply with US FDA regulation for export to the USA the maturation of this cheese has been extended to over 60 days.