Featured Cheese - Sept 2019

Visually stunning, this artisanal cheese is from the historic and autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha in central Spain, specially, Cuenca. Romao is the lesser known cousin of Manchego, which is traditionally the cheese made in the region. Made from 100% raw sheep’s milk, what makes Romao so special is the unique rind which is hand rubbed with Ibérico lard and fresh rosemary, then aged in its own cellar for at least 8 months. Herbaceous and piney, this cheese is incredibly balanced with the center having similar texture and taste to its cousin, Manchego...

Originally a Dutch cheese, versions of Gouda are now made by artisan cheesemakers throughout the world, like Michigan’s Old Europe Cheese. Old Europe’s Smoked Gouda is unique in that it’s smoked using a “cold smoke” process, which preserves the cheese’s inherent flavor and moisture.

This 1st Place winner in 2011 at the American Cheese Society is known for its buttery, full-bodied, semi-firm texture and snappy, citrus-like fruity notes. As the patriarch of Utah's Beehive Cheese Company's family of cheeses, Promontory is equally great on its own on a cheese board with some dates and honey, or with anything you would pair a cheddar-style cheese with, like a Panini or grated on a salad.

Upon opening each 10-pound, washed rind wheel of Alp Blossom, you'll see an even distribution of small 'eyes' in a consistently creamy, butter-yellow paste. The herbs and field blossoms make for a strong floral aroma which also influences the flavor of the cheese. It presents a dense, semi-firm texture, super creamy mouthfeel, and herbal and floral notes. It won’t be hard to imagine what these cows were eating just before they were milked!

A semi-firm, washed rind cheese aged 5 months, Pawlet is unquestionably one of Consider Bardwell Farm’s most popular cheeses. It has a warm buttery-yellow, creamy paste and presents lactic and herbaceous aromas. The flavors are mild, sweet, grassy, a touch floral and nutty. Overall, we find it very balanced and savory. Consider recommends eating Pawlet with whole grain mustard, toast, and a wheat beer.

Toma Piemontese is a semi-firm, cow’s milk cheese. Upon opening the wheel, its paste is a rich buttery yellow hue and mild fragrant earthy aromas are present which remind one of clean soil and grass. The flavor profile confirms the nose. Cows from this region are grazing at a pretty high altitude when they produce the milk to make this cheese and that terroir presents prominently in this Toma. It’s not an overly sweet tasting cheese.