Godminster Vintage Bruton Beauty

A stone bridge in Somerset, England

Apologies for the long lapse in updating this blog. Between the price of fancy cheese reaching startling heights, close to those of 2022, and life coming at me fast, I let my writing and, but for some mass-produced slices, my cheese consumption slide. 

It always takes an outside spark, a different and unique item, something intriguing catching my eye, to generate renewed interest and make me realize how much I miss reviewing cheese. A good and lively conversation with a kind cheese monger doesn’t hurt, either. What captured my attention this time was a cute little puck of English cheddar wrapped in purple wax and topped with an amusing label. Who could resist?

Bruton Beauty sits among other cheeses at Whole Foods

Godminster Vintage Bruton Beauty hails from Somerset, a picturesque county in South West England, complete with stunning castles, rolling hills, and beautiful cottages. Godminster was founded by Richard Hollingbery in 1999 and has been creating award-winning organic cheeses ever since. While the company employs traditional cheese-making techniques with some recipes dating back 90 years, its focus is on adopting sustainable practices by sourcing milk from nearby British farms. 

When I say that Godminster is concerned about sustainability, that’s putting it mildly. In fact, the company won the Boom award for best organic farm in 2021. Godminster has planted more than 25,000 broadleaf trees on its farm since its inception. According to the website, this has led to:

“a visible increase in the wildlife population.  There are now 15 ponds encouraging bio-diversity and reeds that cleanse the ground water.”

Don't miss out on the cute video on their homepage.

Irresistible label

       

The label is adorable

                            

The company's claim about this particular cheddar is the following: 

"A mysterious, rarely spotted creature, the Bruton Beauty lives out of sight on the Godminster farm, and brings the gift of good luck to all those she passes. Our original cheddar and a firm favourite, the Vintage Bruton Beauty’s signature smoothness puts it firmly at the heart of the cheeseboard."

Right away, it's hard to resist the urge to dig into the Bruton Beauty round with a spoon, which probably wouldn't work very well on this semi-hard cheddar. Once the pretty, ivory-yellow cheese is exposed by removing the outer wax, though, temptation hits hard. It takes some restraint not to dig right in. The aroma conjures up images of a warm spring day -- bright sunshine, sweet hay, and flowers, however, the most potent scent is of butter, lovely, creamy butter. One big sniff makes the salivary glands spring into action.

Bruton Beauty is wrapped in purple wax

Bruton Beauty has a beautiful interior

If you're like me and can't hold back or wait to grab some crackers or bread and just have to sink your teeth into the inviting, firm but pliable and slightly sticky paste, go right ahead. The flavor stands just fine on its own. Don't you love it when you can see a trail of teeth marks after you bite into something? Mmmm

Despite its richness, this is an aged cheddar that's hard to stop eating once you start. It's mild with sharper, tangy after-notes and a subtle nuttiness that's difficult to describe. The first bite comes off as rather salty, but it's well-balanced overall. There’s a hint of fruitiness or sweetness that makes this product even more appealing. It’s buttery both in flavor and mouthfeel. 

At room temperature, the texture is gritty at first due to cheese crystals but quickly becomes creamy, oh so very creamy and soft on the tongue. It melts in the mouth. Oddly, when it's heated, the Bruton Beauty releases a sharper flavor. Its texture is more oily than dry, but it seems to have the urge to crumble without the ability to do so. Still, it would work well cut into small bits and sprinkled on a green salad. 

The Bruton Beauty is a very versatile cheese. It works well in baked dishes, and it’s fantastic melted on top of sautéed vegetables. While it is a vegetarian cheddar cheese, it also pairs well with Italian cold cuts and is a great addition to a burger. Its round shape makes slicing for this purpose ideal. Of course, this cheese would look fantastic on a cheese board with spring fruits, roasted almonds, black olives, and a sliced baguette on the side. 

As far as beverages, this cheese pairs well with Pinot Blanc, Friulano, Zinfandel, a Syrah blend, or a tawny port. If you're more a beer fan, try the Bruton Beauty with a pilsner or a session IPA.

Bruton Beauty pairs well with a Zinfandel 

Cabot Clothbound Cheddar

Oh, the world of cheddar. There are so many varieties and flavors. Sharp, mild, medium or smoked, there's a cheddar for everyone. The English made them famous, but cheddars are produced all over the world now. Unlike Roquefort, cheddar cheese has no protected designation of origin, but there's a distinct label in the European Union for West County Farmhouse Cheddar that specifies this cheddar must be made using traditional methods with milk that's local to the regions of Somerset, Dorset, Cornwall and Devon. Outside of Europe, however, cheddar and cheddar-like cheeses can all be classified as cheddar.  

Cheddar cheese starts with a process of heating the milk and adding rennet, an enzyme that helps form the curd. After the whey is poured off, the curds are left to drain and eventually knit together in a cheesecloth. The mass is removed from the cloth and sliced into small loaves that are stacked on top of each other, allowing more moisture to drain. This process of stacking the loaves is called cheddaring, and it affects both the texture and the flavor of the cheese. Cheeses created using this method tend to be dry and layered in their texture, and the flavor is usually less acidic than cheeses with more moisture. 

The story goes that in 2003, Cabot creamery partnered with Jasper Hill to create a particular cloth-bound cheddar. Developing cheese flavor doesn't depend solely on the age of the cheese; it also depends on how the cheese is aged. That's where Jasper Hill steps in and shines. Wrapping a wheel of cheese in cloth as it ages reduces the loss of moisture and helps to develop a hard, natural rind that protects the interior. These days, many companies use wax, which works well to keep the innards moist but prevents mold and, as a result, more subtle flavors from developing. In fact, the good folks at Jasper Hill rub lard on the young cheddar from Cabot Creamery in order to support mold growth as the cheese ages for about a year on spruce shelves. There's no lack of complexity in this cheese. 

Cabot Clothbound has a natural rind.

When you think of cheddar cheese in the United States, you often think of the classic yellow, oily dairy product that has a slightly sharp tang but is more often than not one-dimensional. Cabot's white clothbound cheddar is wax-covered, yellow cheddar's sophisticated and more mature cousin. It's understated but intriguing and, despite its straight-laced first impression, attractive in its covert complexity. 

 

The slightly dry interior is pale but flavorful. 

Cabot Clothbound is an award-winning cheese with a dry, slightly crumbly texture. Its aroma is beautifully balanced, not too funky and not too bland. It's milky and inviting. The natural rind offers earthy notes, but the overall flavor is light and well balanced with a nutty, sweet, caramel finish. The classic cheddar tang is bright, tart and apparent, but there are subtle milky undertones that make this cheese a winner. The savory-sweet combination makes this cheddar the perfect cheese to pair with nearly any dish, hot or cold. Cheese straws made with Cabot Clothbound are divine.

Serve Cabot Clothbound cheddar with crisp apple slices, on a cheese and charcuterie board, or by itself with a side of homemade potato or sweet potato chips. Though it's not the best slicing cheese, it still goes well on sandwiches, grilled or cold. Use this cheese in any recipe that calls or cheddar or a mixture of cheeses. Don't forget to add a piece to a slice of warm apple pie for dessert.

Cider pairs well with Cabot Clothbound. 

Unlike some of the big, bold, extra-sharp cheddars that can handle a powerful wine, Cabot Clothbound does better with medium-bodied wines, though there's no real bad match when it comes to this cheese. If you do go for a Cabernet, you might want to stick with a low-tannin, fruity Chilean or Australian type. Try serving this cheese with Pinot Blanc, Friulano, Nebbiolo, Syrah, Zinfandel, or a tawny or ruby Port. You won't be disappointed if you pour yourself a nice brown ale as an accompaniment, and a sparkling cider pairs exceptionally well, too. 

Isle of Mull Cheddar Review

The town of Tobormory on the Isle of Mull

The Isle of Mull is one of several small (both in population and square miles) islands off the West coast of Scotland. There is a tremendous amount of history on this island which has been inhabited since just after the last ice age. That was a long time ago! The rugged terrain that's a mix of moorland and rolling hills and the climate end up being the perfect environment for making aged cheeses, which is why cheddar cheese is so popular in this area and in Scotland in general. 

Aging Cheeses

The fact that there's very little grass for cows to eat on Mull doesn't deter cheese makers, as the nearby whisky distillery provides plenty of spent grain husks for the cows to savor. This diet is low in carotene and doesn't produce richly-colored milk products, so the cheeses are usually a little anemic looking, not golden or tinged with yellow. 

Isle of Mull Cheddar

Typically the cheeses of Mull are a tad more colorful in the summer months when the cows have better access to grass. 

Not quite as lush as some of the cheese-making towns in the Alps and Pyrenees.

A little bit about the cheese makers...

From Neal's yard Dairy: Jeff and Chris Reade moved from Somerset, where they had been making cheddar, to Scriob Ruadh Farm (pronounced Ski-Brua and meaning Red Furrow) in 1979. At that time, the farm was a shell: the farmhouse had no roof and the first thing they had to do was put a roof over the cowshed (it promptly blew off in a storm). It was 1999 before they had fully roofed the farmhouse as housing their herd and building a dairy took precedence. The Reades milk about 100 cows, mainly Friesian but with some Jersey, Ayrshire and Brown Swiss too.

The Isle of Mull Cheddar is a quiet cheese, but one that still warms the heart, especially after reading the history of the cheese makers. I keep wanting to say it's a sad cheese, but when I say the cheese is sad, I just mean that it's not robust, memorably creamy or outrageously stinky. It makes a statement only in it's subtlety, but in this subtlety, it becomes an intriguing little dairy product. Still, it doesn't scream out in any way or command attention. It makes you go, "Aww." instead of "Oooo!" 

Right away I noticed the cheese's sweet flavor. Toward the edges, the taste changes from mild and milky to something similar to a tomme-style cheese. At the center, it tastes more like a mild but flavorful traditional cheddar. Though the flavor is more subtle than any of the classic stinky cheeses or even most aged cheddar cheeses, there are still profound notes of grass and nuts, specifically Brazil nuts, reminiscent of these other cheeses. There's a nice hint of delicately toasted bread too. It's just missing any powerful tang or zest. 

Isle of Mull Cheddar

I found the texture to be dry and flaky, not creamy. It's somewhat gritty without being unpleasant. Warmed, both the flavors and texture become smoother and more even. 

Single Malt

The Isle of Mull Cheddar is made with unpasteurized cow's milk and standard animal rennet. It's aged 12 to 18 months. This shy cheese pairs well with many wines, but a single malt will elevate it and coax out its better qualities. It's likely that the malt will help people recognize that, in the end, this cheese does deserve attention. 

Jeff and Chris Reade