A little while ago, I went to Whole Foods and mentioned to the very nice lady who asked if I needed assistance in the cheese department that I was looking for something different, a special cheese to review. It's always nice to see when a cheesemonger is eager to suggest a product, and she pointed out two cheeses made from sheep's milk. I couldn't decide which to purchase, so I bought both and wasn't disappointed. Both were notable, but one surpassed my expectations.
Kinderhook Mini is a remarkable little sheep's milk cheese. Whereas some Brie-style cheeses made from goat milk knock you over the head with a powerful pungent tang, this sheep's milk cheese is beautifully subtle yet more intense and complex than a traditional cow's milk Brie. It's exciting but light, steering clear of stinky cheese territory and far less potent than any wash-rind varieties while still standing out in a crowd flavor-wise. This soft-ripened little round is made with 100 percent sheep's milk and aged up to three weeks, producing a beautiful pale ivory paste inside its snow-white, bloomy rind.
The velvety rind emits a nice mushroom aroma that's typical of bloomy rind cheeses like Brie, Camembert, and Humbolt Fog and is made up of various molds -- usually some combination of Penicillium candidum, Penicillium camberti and/or Geotrichum candidum, the latter a mold I will discuss in more depth in an upcoming review -- that bring out a lovely earthy, mushroom flavor as well. Underneath the thin blanket of mold blooms is a very creamy interior filled with bright notes of hay and grasses, what you might imagine a beautiful, sunny meadow in the country would translate into if it could suddenly become a flavor.
Born and raised in the Hudson Valley region in New York at the Old Chatham Sheepherding Company, this mini round is Brie-like but has a lightness and is more exciting. An odd but effective comparison would be to think of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Buffy is dependable, solid, and everyone knows and loves her. Then, her younger sister, Dawn, enters the picture, and she is a fresh face, buoyant, and light. She turns heads in a different way than her sister, both likable and intriguing but one just a little more exciting, lively, and new. That's the difference between Brie and Kinderhook Mini. OK, that might be a bad comparison for people who aren't big Buffy fans. Maybe it's more like the difference between a top-rated Chardonnay and an excellent Champaign. They both taste great, but one gives you a little thrill.
Like with Brie, this soft-ripened cheese has a nutty, straw-like taste, but it's a little bit sweeter, fresher, and not as heavy as Brie. Its flavor is even and cohesive. Goat Brie cheeses can be uneven and smack you in the tastebuds with a pungent tang. Kinderhook Mini, on the other hand, has a nice pungency, but the sharpness is not obnoxious and blends well with the other flavors. A dash of salt is apparent without being a distraction. Instead, it enhances the overall lovely taste.
A vegetarian rennet is used in milk that comes from East Fresian sheep milk sourced from Amish farms nearby and from Old Chatham's very own flock. The company has won many awards for their sheep milk products and has been making outstanding cheeses and yogurt for over 25 years. From their website:
Old Chatham has been making award-winning sheep milk cheeses and yogurt for 25 years. Sheep milk is sourced fresh from our farm, Shepherd’s Way, year-round, just down the hill from our state-of-the-art processing facility. Old Chatham is a fully integrated operation, combining sheep husbandry techniques that prioritize the robust health of our flock with cutting edge technology and handmade expertise from our team of artisan cheesemakers. The combination of these elements — size, vertical integration, farming values and artisanal expertise make Old Chatham unique in America. Old Chatham’s focus is producing American interpretations of classic European cheeses as well as a line of creamy sheep milk yogurt.
Pair Kinderhook Creek Mini with crusty French bread, fruit and crackers, lower-sodium cured or uncured dried meats, and/or large green olives. Wines that go well with this 100 percent sheep milk cheese include Sauvignon Blanc, Verdejo, Pinot Blanc, Shiraz, Rose, Gamay, and a few dessert wines such as Chenin Blanc or Muscato D'Asti. If beer is more to your liking, try this cheese with a farmhouse ale or a sour beer such as Gose.
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