Pawlet Cheese Review

Pawlet, Vermont

Somewhere between Vermont's Champlain Valley and the eastern tip of Washington County, New York lies a 300-acre farm that was the first cheese making co-op in Vermont. The name of this charming place is Consider Bardwell Farm. Founded in 1864 by Consider Stebbins, new hands on deck, Angela Miller, Russell Glover and Chris Gray are bringing the cheese-making business into this century by upgrading techniques and producing quality, hand-made, small-batch cheeses.

Cows in pasture near Consider Bardwell Farm.

While goats are kept on the Consider Bardwell Farm, neighboring farms are hosts to the cows that produce the milk used to make cheeses such as Pawlet, Dorset and Rupert. Rotational grazing on pesticide-free and fertilizer-free grass allows cows to produce rich, sweet milk. Of course, the diet of the dairy cows plays a large role in not only how the end product tastes but how it looks as well. Because these cows are free to graze in lush pastures, the end cheese product is a cheerful yellow instead of an off white like the cheeses made from hay-fed cows. Rest assured that no hormones or antibiotics are added to the whole milk that is used in making the cheeses at the farm, and vegetarians will be happy to know that all the cheeses are made using microbial rennet.

An added note is that the cheeses are aged in caves on the premises.

Pawlet cheese

Some call Pawlet a tomme-style cheese. I can see and taste some of the the similarities, but I have a hard time throwing that label on it. The round shape of the wheel is very tomme like, but the flavor isn't quite that of a classic tomme-style cheese. It's true that there are plenty of exceptions when it comes to tomme, a broad term that usually refers to cheeses lower in fat than most and traditionally made in the Franch and Swiss Alps, so I understand how some people insist on Pawlet being in this category.

Holes made by gas-producing bacteria

The wash rind

My first impression of this cheese is that it's very mild. There's a very faint earthy, barnyard flavor that is apparent mostly in the rind, which is a wash ride, not a more classic tomme-style natural rind. It's not at all overpowering like some rinds can be. Speaking of the rind, it is nice and salty and goes well with the mild cheese inside.

The cheese itself is soft but substantial; it's one you can chew. It makes the perfect sandwich cheese, because of both the texture and its subtle flavor. The beautiful yellow interior has a buttery, mushroomy flavor with mild notes of both cheddar and Swiss. The raw milk from Jersey cows adds just the tiniest bit of tang, but overall, the cheese is extremely mild and nutty. You can almost detect a flavor like that of a generously buttered slice of fresh whole-grain bread. Because of its mildness and consistent, even flavor, Pawlet goes with just about anything and can be baked in entrees or served on a cheese plate with crusty bread.

Try this cheese with a bold Merlot. 

Merlot

Cheesus?

Old cheese

"Archaeologists Discover a Cheese That’s Almost 2,000 Years Older Than Jesus"

http://www.ryot.org/archaeologists-discover-cheese-thats-older-jesus/585725

The real Cheesus:

Oooo Ahhh!

This is one way to keep cows comfortable. It turns out cows that are less stressed out produce less acidic milk, and that leads to better tasting cheese. Mechanical massagers are used in many dairies these day, not just in Switzerland.

Swiss cow getting a massage.

Gubbeen Cheese Review

In my cheese-reviewing escapades, I have found that, even more so than with chocolate, each cheese has a unique personality and history. With cheese, it's not just about the taste; it's about how the cheese is made, where it is aged, what kind of milk is used and where it is produced. The more I learn about a cheese, the more I appreciate it, especially when I discover a cheese maker and those who age the cheese are concerned with the environment and the well-being of their animals.

When it comes to Gubbeen, I was drawn in by the buttery flavor, and I grew to love it after I read about the cheese maker and all that goes in to making this curious little cheese.

Ireland near Shull, County Cork

In addition to cheddar cheese, Ireland is known for its sweet and mild cheeses, and Gubbeen is no exception. The warm, humid climate where Gubbeen is produced is ideal for several breeds of grass-grazing cows that produce rich milk. The mixed breeds provide milk that ends up being the perfect blend of butterfat and protein. Tom Ferguson, the herdsman at the Gubbeen farm, tends to the following breeds on his farm: British Friesian, Simmental, Jersey, Shorthorn and Ireland's native Kerry Cow. All the animals are fed a GMO-free diet and graze on the lush grasses in the area approximately eight months of the year. 

Black Kerry Cows

There is only one Gubbeen cheese, and, in a sense, the Gubbeen dairy only produces one cheese. According to their website:

At the Gubbeen Dairy we make effectively one cheese - Gubbeen. Like the Chateaux that produce just one wine from their land, our milk produces Gubbeen Cheese - the trick is what we do in the curing processes. Cheese vintages come from aging plus the milk quality and the seasons

Gubbeen Cheese

Giana, Tom's wife, spent time in Spain and France where she learned the art of small-batch cheese making before settling in Ireland to continue making cheese. After some experimentation, Giana and her husband Tom began making Gubbeen consistently and they and the Gubbeen dairy team have been doing so since 1979.

Giana Ferguson

Gubbeen is not a typical wash-rind cheese. Three layers of bloom from different organisms make up this rind. It all starts with a basic yeast which grows for three days in curing rooms that have been inoculated with what is known as microseeds of the Gubbeen Flora. It is the Bacterium Linens mold that gives the rind its slightly orange appearance. Many stinky cheeses such as Epoisse or fresh Munster have an orange or pink wash rind. As the Gubbeen cheese develops, it is treated with salt and water washes, but white wine is also added which balances the PH of the rind. Toward the end of the aging process, a top bloom forms that enriches the overall flavor of the cheese.

Neal's Yard Dairy Gubbeen Cheese

This is one of those semi-soft cheeses that is more firm than soft, but there's no mistake that the cheese is smooth and creamy. Tiny holes form throughout the beautiful golden interior. It's slightly chewy, a little bit sticky, and the cheese has a nice mouth feel. The lingering remnants leave an oily film that clings nicely to your mouth after you swallow, leaving a lasting flavor, one that immediately made me think of butter, luscious butter. Yes, the flavor that really stands out is that of butter,

What struck me most about this pasteurized cow's milk cheese is that it is very mild. Take a very fine mild cheddar and serve it with a slab of the best butter in the world, and you have Gubbeen.

Toward the rind, the flavor is a bit stronger but still on the mild side. I detected very slight hints of mushroom, cashews and a very mild straw flavor from a barnyard. Even though there are notes of straw, and you can even detect a faint taste of the barnyard or the country, it's not anything that will shock or scare unadventurous cheese eaters away. Though a pasture or meadow comes to mind, Gubbeen isn't in the category of the big stinky cheeses. It's far too mild for that. There really is no attention-grabbing aspect of this cheese, but it's oddly addicting. Perhaps in its subtlety, it becomes more intriguing.

Gubbeen can be used in recipes or served plain on a big slice of crusty bread or in a salad. Try it with an aromatic white wine such as an Alsace Riesling. Vegetarians will be happy to know that Gubbeen is made with vegetable rennet.

Riesling

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

I found this cool list on the Huffington Post:

Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

A Step in the Right Direction

I know some Europeans would prefer that we don't call this product cheese, but this is still a step in the right direction:

Kraft removes artificial preservatives in its most popular cheese product.

Kraft Cheese

Cheese Articles

Here are a few articles relating to cheese you might find informative:



Does Aging Unpasteurized Cheese Make It Safe to Eat?

Read more: http://www.ehow.com/info_12331474_aging-unpasteurized-cheese-make-safe-eat.html#ixzz2sMmnluks

How Long Past the Sell Date Can You Eat Brie Cheese?

Read more: http://www.ehow.com/info_12324184_long-past-sell-date-can-eat-brie-cheese.html#ixzz2sLDuoCRA

The Typical French Beverages When Eating Cheese & Bread

Read more: http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/typical-french-beverages-eating-cheese-bread-40782.html