Library of Cheese

Cabot Clothbound Cheddar

Cabot Creamery / Cellars at Jasper Hill - Greensboro, Vermont

This cheese has been dubbed as addictive as narcotics by certain devoted fans.  A hefty, beautiful, and rustic wheel, the clothbound cheddar is rich and caramelly, speckled with bits of crystalline crunchy goodness. Clothbound cheddar evolved as a partnership between Jasper Hill Farm and Cabot Creamery, two of the best dairy enterprises in the Green Mountain State. The cheeses are made at Cabot Creamery, and are shipped to the Cellars at Jasper Hill when just a few days old. The team at the Cellars then bandages the cheeses, coats them with hot lard to make the cloth stick to surface of the cheese, and places them on wood shelves to age for 12-14 months. The result - a clothbound cheddar that is sweet and savory - think chicken broth meets peanut butter (in the best possible way!)

Cabot Clothbound Black Label Cheddar

Cabot Creamery / Cellars at Jasper Hill - Greensboro, Vermont

Using their spectacular palates and scientific approach to tasting, the Cellars at Jasper Hill has released a few select “vintages” of Cabot Clothbound Cheddar they deem to be outstanding under the distinction of Black Label. These releases are extremely limited, and represent the best flavor development in Cabot Clothbound. The guidelines for flavor profiles have been in development almost as long as Cabot Clothbound has been in existence, and represent over a decade’s worth of sensory analysis.

Notes From Jasper Hill:

"Through our grading exercises, we have identified four distinct profiles that Clothbound tends to express itself within: Umami & Roasted, Yolky & Bright, Chicken & Pineapple, or Brown Butter & Toast. Statistical analysis following batch by batch sensory evaluation will assign one of these four profiles based on similarity of defining attributes."

Cabra la Mancha

Firefly Farms - Accident, Maryland

A beefy and rustic washed rind goat’s milk cheese from Firefly Farms. The wheels are washed twice weekly with a brine solution over the course of their 10 week maturation to develop their signature meaty, goaty, pungent flavor profile. The semi-firm wheels are quite unique in the cheese-scape - Cabra la Mancha brings the funk while maintaining a slightly firmer texture than most washed-rind cheeses.

Calderwood

Jasper Hill Farm - Greensboro, Vermont

Calderwood is a hay-coated raw cow’s milk cheese made exclusively for Saxelby Cheesemongers by our good friends at Jasper Hill Farm. The genesis for Calderwood came from a desire to explore how what the cows eat impacts the finished cheese - both in the superior milk quality that comes from grass fed cows, but also through affinage. The wheels are washed with brine for six months before being coated in finely chopped fibers of hay and sealed in cryovac. Calderwood is then aged for an additional four months in the cryovac, allowing the hay to impart toasty and tropical flavor notes to the cheese. The cheeses are unbagged and allowed to age for one additional month to allow the microflora of the cave to interact with the rind. Ripe Calderwood is firm, nutty, and complex with hints of earth, caramel, chestnut honey, toasted bread and tropical fruit.

The hay used to make Calderwood is harvested from pastures surrounding Jasper Hill Farm and dried at the Calderwood Cropping Center, the first hay-drying machine of its kind in the United States. The Cropping Center can dry the hay in a matter of a few hours, whereas it would take 3-4 days to dry in a sunny field. Jasper Hill Farm's founders, Andy and Mateo Kehler, observed a hay dryer in action in Parma Italy, a region whose cheese calls for grass-fed milk, but whose climate is too wet for making consistent, high-quality dry hay, and were inspired to bring the Italian technology stateside. Calderwood Cropping Center allows Jasper Hill to make superlative dry hay to feed their cows year-round, which is paramount to their quality standards as cheesemakers. Many of Jasper Hill's award-winning cheeses are crafted from raw milk, and good quality hay is a key ingredient in the cheesemaking process. It ensures that the microbiology of the cows' digestive systems and the milk itself is at optimal quality for cheesemaking.

Camembert Le Pommier

Herve Mons - Normandy, France

Have you always wondered what real Camembert tastes like? Look no further! This Camembert is pasteurized to comply with US regulations, but the producer managed to get as close as he could to the original recipe of the raw milk version. This cheese is ripened to perfection and flavorful, and is aged for between 8 and 12 weeks. The thick, buttery paste is laden with hints of truffles, cauliflower, and barnyard flavors. Pairs well with light red wine or fruity apple cider.   

Capomozz

Caputo Brothers Creamery - Spring Grove, Pennsylvania

All mozzarella curds are not created equal! 99% of the mozzarella curd being sold in the US today is not fermented in the traditional Italian way, rather it is made from milk that is acidified with citric acid or vinegar. Caputo Brothers set out to change all that when they started making cheese in 2012. They ferment their milk for 8 hours with a proprietary blend of three different cultures and then freeze the curd when it reaches the perfect PH. Freezing the curd essentially hits the pause button on fermentation, meaning that once it’s thawed, it’s at the perfect level of acidity to stretch. It also means that you get the authentic Italian fior di latte flavor - tangy, nuanced and butterfatty. This curd can be used to make any pasta filata cheese:mozzarella, stracciatella, burrata, and provola.

Caputo Brothers Ricotta

Caputo Brothers Creamery - Spring Grove, Pennsylvania

This fresh ricotta is made the Italian whey (pun definitely intended!) In Italy, ricotta is made by re-cooking the whey left over after cheesemaking. The word ricotta actually means re-cooked, which is literally how the cheese is made. Whey is a protein-rich substance that can yield a goodly amount of curds after the initial cheese make, so those wise and resourceful Italians always took advantage of that. In fact, the whole milk ricotta that we’re used to in America should actually be called simply ‘cotta’ as it’s only cooked once! Caputo’s Ricotta is made from 95% whey, augmented with 5% whole milk to get a touch more solids out of it. The texture and flavor of Caputo’s fresh ricotta will blow you away - it has an extremely light, custardy texture and a mild, sweet flavor.

Cayuga Blue

Lively Run Goat Dairy - Interlaken, New York

Pronounced ‘Cay-oooga!’ This beautifully aged goats’ milk cheese is flaky and firm, with a paste that fractures like shale when you cut it. More of an aged goats’ milk tomme than a traditional blue, Cayuga Blue varies greatly from wheel to wheel. It can be full of strong musky flavors, fruity and fermenty, or sometimes sweet and malty. Veins of blue-green mold run throughout the cheese, giving it an earthy, mineral, and slightly peppery tone. Aged 2-4 months.  

Cheddar Bites

Maplebrook Farm - Bennington, Vermont

Delectable tiny bites of cheddar curds, freshly milled at Maplebrook Farm. Midwesterners, Upstate New Yorkers, and the Quebecois all agree… curd’s the word. Cheddar curds are a distinctly North American tradition, and have been melted, grated, and fried to all sorts of delicious results. Beer battered and deep fried in Wisconsin, sprinkled atop French fries and smothered in gravy in Canada. Technically, cheddar bites are primordial cheddar cheese. During the cheddar cheese making process, curds are usually packed into molds and pressed together, and aged yielding the dense, sharp blocks of cheddar we know and love. When fresh and un-pressed, they are mild, milky, creamy, and just a touch salty with a delightfully snappy texture. Eat ‘em straight up like popcorn (we do!!) or melt them into your macaroni and cheese for a rich and buttery twist.

Chef Shred

Cellars at Jasper Hill Farm - Greensboro, Vermont

The BEST shredded cheese you’ll ever eat. Period. The cheese mavens up at Jasper Hill have gone ahead and solved yet another problem we didn’t even know we had…a need for delicious, artisan shredded cheese! Chef Shred is made from a blend of 60% Alpha Tolman and 40% Cabot Clothbound Cheddar, making for a blend of big bold flavor and ultimate meltability. Alpha Tolman is a Gruyere-style cheese with a pliant elastic texture and a flavor profile that leans towards caramelized onions and grass. Cabot Clothbound Cheddar is a bold, brothy cheddar that is sweet & savory in the same bite - think chicken broth meets peanut butter. When blended together, it’s a perfect marriage of flavor and texture. Think chili, burgers, grilled cheese, gratin, omelettes, pizza… the world is your oyster, chef!

Chevrotin

Seal Cove Farm - Lamoine, Maine

A dry, crumbly wheel of goats’ milk cheese. The flavor is bright and clean, with a lingering fruity and slightly mineral finish. As the cheeses age, they are washed with salt water brine, giving their rinds a slightly golden tinge of color. The flavor takes on sweeter, maltier notes as the cheeses mature, making Chevrotin a bit of a shapeshifter, intensifying with age. The wheels age anywhere from 3-12 months.

Comté Grand Affinage

Herve Mons - Jura, France

This Comté is a jewel. Each wheel is hand-selected by affineur Herve Mons and brought to his aging ‘tunnel ‘at about 4 months old. The cheeses are aged in a repurposed railway tunnel in a village called Collogne for 18 months or more. During the maturation process, Mons’ Comte Grand Affinage develops a complex range of flavors ranging from toasty and nutty to oniony and grassy. The texture is firm and shows the beginnings of calcified clusters of protein, yet manages to be creamy and melt in your mouth at the same time. The high quality of the milk and the work of the cheesemaker and affineur shines right through. A must have. Pairs well with Jura wines like Arbois, Pupillin, and Cotes du Jura.

Comté La Gelinotte

Seignemartin - Jura, France

This young Comté is versatile in the kitchen - perfect for cooking applications, or on a cheese board. The wheels are aged for 6 to 10 months, during which time they develop a rich and hearty flavor that is bold but balanced. Grassy, nutty, and a touch oniony, this Comté is both a workhorse and a delicacy!

Coomersdale

Bonnieview Farm - Craftsbury, Vermont

A real tart of a sheeps' milk cheese, taking its inspiration from the grassy pecorinos of Tuscany. Coomersdale is aged between 3 and 5 months, developing a snappy, chewy texture. Bright notes of fruit intertwine with deep, woolly aromas to create a round and richly satisfying mouthful o' cheese. Bonnieview Farm has a unique seasonal cheesemaking cycle because they milk both sheep and cows - their sheep produce milk from May through October each year, and the cows come online in the late summer when the sheep milk supply is beginning to dwindle. They make mixed milk cheeses until the sheep are dried off for the fall and winter and then transition to 100% cows’ milk cheese.

Coupole

Vermont Creamery - Websterville, Vermont

A dense, chalky bell of goats’ milk cheese enveloped in a wrinkly rind. The flavor is bright and clean, with a crème fraiche tang that makes it an ideal match for bubbly. It is called ‘Coupole’ because of its dome-shape, which evokes the cupolas on churches and cathedrals in Europe. The dome shape is unique to this cheese…VBC had the molds custom-fabricated in France. The goats’ milk used for Vermont Creamery’s cheese is collected from a network of 20 family farms across the state, and is unrivaled in quality and freshness. The cheeses are hand-molded and aged for 6 to 8 weeks.

Cowles

Barn First Creamery - Westfield, Vermont

A young, bright and tangy goat cheese from cheesemaker Rebecca Velazquez and Barn First Creamery! Barn First has a small milking herd of thirty-odd goats, and is located in Westfield, Vermont which is part of Vermont’s remote Northeast Kingdom. Cowles is a square format cheese with a layer of vegetable ash dusted on the rind. The texture is dense and chalky, and the flavors are light and mild - tangy and mineral with a hint of goaty musk.

Crawford

Twig Farm - West Cornwall, Vermont

A squidgy and delicate raw cows’ milk cheese from Twig Farm. Michael Lee, master cheesemaker sources the milk for this cheese from nearby Crawford Family Farm. The paste is semi-firm bordering on creamy the flavor is delightful and complex... milky, yogurty, and earthier and more vegetal as the paste nears the rind. The cheeses have a very unique and rustic look - small flat squares coated in the gray downy rind that is the calling card of the cellar at Twig Farm. Aged 60 days or more.

Creamy Goat Cheese

Vermont Creamery - Websterville, Vermont

A classic, creamy chevre from Vermont’s original goat cheese makers! This delicious, spreadable cheese comes packed in 5lb tubs, so it’s the perfect utilitarian cheese for cooking. Savory or sweet (goat cheesecake anyone?) you can’t go wrong!

Creme Fraiche

Vermont Creamery - Websterville, Vermont

A thick, creamy and delicious specimen of creme fraiche from one of Vermont’s finest creameries. Cheesemaker Allison Hooper got her start in the 1980’s making fresh chevre for chefs, and soon realized that they were in need of other fresh dairy products as well! This creme fraiche is tart, tangy and rich... The perfect thing to garnish a sweet tart or add to a savory sauce.

Cremont

Vermont Creamery - Websterville, Vermont

Called ‘The Cream of Vermont’, this double-creme cow/goat mix is heaven on a cheese plate. Fresh goat and cows’ milk is spiked with a touch of rich cows’ cream to give this cheese it’s luscious and supple texture. The flavor is somewhere in between fresh butter and tart, lemony chevre, with a touch of nutty, yeasty flavor notes contributed by the rind. Aged for 4-6 weeks.

Crescendo

Narragansett Creamery - Providence, Rhode Island

This young, fresh stracchino-style cheese is a cousin of mozzarella, but totally its own beast. The texture is a dense and fudgy, and the flavor profile has the duality of sweetness that comes from the fresh milk and a lactic, tangy quality from their proprietary blend of culture. Stracchino comes from the Italian word ‘straccho’ which  means ‘tired’. It is rumored that the original stracchino cheeses made in Lombardy, Piedmont, and the Veneto regions from Italy were made from the milk of tired cows coming back down the mountain from their Alpine pastures, which was higher in acidity. The acidity of this curd is certainly elevated, and lends the cheese its signature twang and supreme meltability.