Featured Cheese - May 2014

We love Farmhouse Cheddar for its, buttery, nutty, cheddary richness, without the slightest hint of bitterness or bite. The aroma of authentic farmhouse cheddar should be nutty or grassy, with a rich texture and complex flavors ranging from fruity to a woody oakiness. The color of the cheese should range from straw yellow to beige, and the texture should be open with a few cracks… rather than rubbery and dense, which indicates factory processing. You’ll know great cheddar if you can still taste the sweet nuttiness several minutes after you have finished your first mouthful.

Beecher’s Flagship is a semi-hard cheese made from pasteurized cow’s milk. Due to the long aging process of approximately 15 months, the cheese develops a uniquely robust, nutty flavor. Beecher’s Flagship is extremely versatile and will work great crumbled into an omelet or frittata, melted into macaroni and cheese, sliced for sandwiches or burgers, or simply sliced on your cheese board. It is also a perfect pairing with dry wines like Pouilly Fuisse or Syrah, as well as your favorite IPA or Hefeweizen.

This unique variety of cheese has a very distinct taste. Its aroma is strong and is reminiscent of the fragrance of yeast and dried fruit. Occasionally one can even distinguish a note of boiled chestnuts. To the touch, it is slightly elastic when it's relatively young and harder when fully matured. The dark shades of yellow straw that distinguish this variety can at times reach the intensity of amber. The sweet taste can acquire a somewhat more savory flavor and ranges to slightly piquant. The rich aroma becomes refined with seasoning and has a hint of dried fruit, butter and sometimes, exotic fruits.