Featured Cheese - June 2019

St. Nectaire hails from the Auvergne region of France, which is almost right in the middle of the country. Auvergne, which was once covered with active volcanos, has a demanding climate. In the winter the land is covered with deep snow. And when summer comes, it brings high temperatures. Although this sounds grueling, the weather is not only ideal for wine-making, but also for cheese-making. St. Nectaire cheese smells like a very ripe nectarine. It has a fruity aroma, rich texture and a sweetness of flavor we’ve not found in any other cheese.

As the name suggests, Red Rock presents a truly eye-catching hue. This annatto-tinted, 3-6 month cave-aged cheese is firm, but the creamy paste has a few striking blue bolts of color (and flavor) running through it. But it’s not just beautiful to admire on your cheese board, it’s also got a delicate and delicious flavor profile. This naturally bloomy-rinded, traditional cheddar recipe adds a touch of blue which doesn’t dominate the flavor profile...

The rind has a lovely ring of mountain flowers around the top. Cut the wheel open and you'll see large 'eyes' evenly dispersed on the face of the cheese. But, that's where the similarity to Emmentaler ends. At three months of age, Rahmtaler is considered a semi-soft cheese because of its creaminess, but after a year of maturation, Rahmtaler Reserve is considerably firmer while maintaining its creamy texture on the palate along with fuller flavors.

We discovered this rare gem for the first time at the American Cheese Society conference and competition, and were caught a bit off guard by its flavor and texture. The Smokin’ Goat is aged just 30 days and as the name would imply, is a semi-soft smoked goat's milk cheese. Its texture is velvety and the taste is mild but flavorful. Our curation team feels that the cheese’s smokiness helps to highlight toastier notes in the goat's milk.