Keens Traditional Unpasteurized Cheddar, A Story of England

Great News! 

My last encounter with West Country Farmhouse Cheddar left me feeling a little over-sold and underwhelmed. This was likely no one’s fault but my own, buying as I did such a cheddar wrapped in black wax and shipped over an ocean. Today’s cheese, however, is really turning the page on cheddar in general and West Country Farmhouse Cheddar in specific. I’m not sure anyone anywhere was really waiting for this particular reputation to be redeemed, but here we go anyways. 

Keens Traditional Unpasteurized Cheddar. Wouldn’t you know it? It is all of those things. Let me take you on a journey now, to a magical land. The sound of the subway, the glare of the florescent lights, the smell of coffee on that guy’s breath, it’s all fading away. In its place is a world of hedgerow-lined roads barely wide enough for one car, thatch-roofed pubs promising ‘good food and real ale’, and a lot of people calling me ‘boss’. Yes, England. I honestly did not know what to expect from this quick weekend trip, my first to England. A friend’s wedding meant seeing some familiar faces and a rental car meant getting to explore south-west England on the day before the wedding. This day was full of surprises. Not only did I not get into an accident from driving, but the weather was gorgeous and the food was delicious. We set off after breakfast for a day of sightseeing and cheese, full of bacon and beans and egg and fried bread. It could only be a good day. Like any responsible cheese traveler I’d done my homework and found out, to my great delight, that the wedding and reception (and our overnight stay) were pretty close to Cheddar country in England. West Country Farmhouse Cheddar, as you might remember, can only be made in a few counties in England. Fortuntately, the website of the group that maintains this tradition is very informative and gave me an address at which to buy some of this famed curd. 

One visit to a large stony tourist attraction later, we piled out of our rental car in the small parking lot of a farm. I had somehow thought there would be a place sit and get some lunch, maybe tour the dairy, but what we found was better. Doing the classic “we don’t know where we’re going, we are not from around here’ walk, we made our way up to what looked like main buildings. As far as we could tell, the only person around was a fellow smoking a cigarette, seemingly on break from doing some maintenance. Graciously he opened up the dialogue with a knowing ‘you all looking to buy some cheese?’. Yes. Yes we are. This kind man led us to a fridge, industrial in size and build, inside of which we found a beautiful collection of cheese and butter from the farm. Thinking better of buying a whole wheel of cheese (we’re not made of money after all), we bought a half wheel. More precisely, our friends bought us a half wheel of cheddar. You should keep the kinds of friends who buy you cheese. 

OK, enough story time. You’re here for the cheese. Keen’s Cheddar is true farmhouse operation, meaning they have their own herd, grazing solely on their own land. Land which also houses the cheese making operation. This means, as their website proudly states, that they don’t ever have to transport the milk more than 50 yards, that the cheesemaking process begins within 12 hours of milking, and that the unpasteurized milk they use is about as close to the freshness of that English hillside as you can get. They have a herd of 250 Friesian cows, and the entire cheese making process, from stirring and cutting the curd to cheddaring to flipping the wheels while aging is done by hand.  

Origin: Somerset, England

Milk: Unpasteurized cows milk cheese

Rennet: Animal

Affinage: Between 12 and 18 months

Ah England, where it is always this sunny

Notes: An unassuming little wheel of cheese. The half wheel we got had a lightly textured rind with the pleasant grays and tans of a natural rind. From appearances it is not quite like other cheddars I’ve had, neither the clear calcium crystals of the more aged cheddars nor the rubbery texture of lesser cheddars. Smells like a raw milk cheese, a promising straw-white colo(u?)r and hints of the kind of strata that you get in an extra aged Gouda. 

Thoughts: That it is a raw milk cheese is apparent from the first, indeed this cheese is almost tart as it first hits the tongue, the acidity of the milk never having been blasted away or blended out on a commercial scale. It’s also chewy, almost in the way that cheese curds or Halloumi are chewy. At first I was afraid the cheddar was going to be too dry, lacking in that satisfying fatty rush usually associated with whole milk cow cheeses. Nor is there the usual glut of salt, a hallmark of most cheddars. To be honest, I actually look forward to this combination when I get a good cheddar, or even a bad cheddar, because salt and fat pretty much sell themselves as a flavor combination. That said, Keens Cheddar does not disappoint so much as it proudly stands for what it is, a Cheddar in a class of its own. All of the textural and flavor notes change moments after the first bite, washing the palate in a complex richness. This stands out in comparison to other cheddars, other very good cheddars, in that the tasting notes are recognizably cheddar but unlike anything I’ve had before. Perhaps this is the Westcountry Farmhouse Cheddar difference? For example, there is no horesradish in this cheese, and yet just before the wave of rich nutty sweetness hits you get a tickling of the tip of the tongue of just that; horseradish. This is also the most notable flavor in the aftertaste, which is delightful. 

Week 2 of the relaunch! This is a 100% improvement on my previous streak in the past 6 years. Going to go eat some celebratory cheese. 

Ford Farm West Country Farmhouse Cheddar, tl:dr

That's "too long, didn't read" in internet-speak, just so's you know. This is the internet, after all.

As is so often the case, great pomp and circumstance comes with a name of that length (also it's English, they love them some pomp. Don't mind the circumstance, either). This is, according to the world body that governs cheese, UNCO, the original Cheddar. Perhaps not this particular brand, but this designation; West Country Farmhouse Cheddar.

Want to call your cheddar a West Country Farmhouse? Tough. You don't even live in England, do you? Well, maybe you do, but chances are you don't live in the particular bit of south-west England where, according to English Law, this Cheddar has to be made. You see, the French aren't the only ones who got wise to putting legal protection on cheese names. Only difference here is that, as is all too obvious with the proliferation of hack-rate cheddars the world over, only Roqeufort can be called Roquefort. Any old cheese can be called cheddar, which is where this West Country Farmhouse moniker comes into play. Want to have the baddest bragging rights in all of the Cheddar world? ("Yes!", cried the assembled masses), better move to England.
All joking aside this is a legendary cheese, but the caseophile must always be wary. No amount of hype can substitute for the old "try it and see for yourself" method.

Origin: England
Milk: Cow, pasteurized
Rennet: Vegetarian
Affinage: 12 months (alternatively one year, if they're feeling crazy)
Notes: Comes wrapped in an imposing black wax. Kind of a red flag, to be honest. It is also a handmade cheese, by order of law, and is made on the farm where the cows are milked (hence Farmhouse), also by order of law.
Thoughts: Surprisingly moist, one almost expects to taste the port or whiskey of the infused cheddars based on the soft texture of this cheese. Also odd considering it's age. The strong creaminess compliments the mild start of the flavor and the dry tang that develops towards the end. While this is certainly a tasty cheddar I've got to be honest, I need a second opinion. And by opinion I mean taste, a second brand. If I were to judge my entire West Country experience solely off of this one cheddar... well it's certainly not the best cheddar I've had. In fact I've had better Cheddars from Ireland. The USA even. Maybe the US will grant name controlled status to Beecher's Flagship one day. I doubt it, but the problem there is with the Man, not the cheese.


Big, dumb Man


Also, there is no UNCO. Only in my imagination.

Saxony, Wisconsin Proud

Another notable cheese from the Badger State, love the nickname, Saxony is a cheddar-esq table cheese that proves American cheeses can still have some of the mojo of the Old World. This is a cheese that tastes decidedly of Europe, thanks in part to it's being made of raw milk and in part to the history of the dairy, Saxon Homestead Creamery. 

5 generations ago, in 1848, a family moved from the Saxony region of Germany to America in search of new opportunities. It was an exciting time in still-young America; Wisconsin had just become a state, we were at war with Mexico, and soon there'd be both a president named Zachary and a gold rush in California. This particular family, however, understood that the true gold lay not in the ground, but in the grass. Not in the dirt but in the delectables. Not in that which shines but in that which satisfies! 

The first cheeses started being made, if perhaps not commercially sold, in 1870, and now look at them. Officially entering the cheese scene in 2007, their raw milk selection soon won them considerable acclaim. Also, they have a website. We should all start dairies. I want a website.

Origin: Wisconsin, USA

Milk: Cow, unpasteurized

Rennet: Microbial

Affinage: 90-150 days

Notes: The rind is embossed with the name of the cheese and the logo of Saxony Homestead Creamery, which is all great sure but if Gordon Ramsey was cooking me a steak I wouldn't want his face branded on top. Yeah?

Thoughts: Like a tart cheddar, drawing heavily on the influence of Saxon and French style aged raw cow milk cheeses, Saxony starts quiet but has a rich and nuanced flavor from the very beginning. The raw milk really features here in all its flavor-giving goodness, relatively unbothered by either an overpowering creaminess or competing tones. A grassy undertone does, however, permeate the flavor and the mild bitterness builds up strongly for a rich finish. Not what I'd call a powerful or sharp cheese, but it manages to be sophisticated and delicious in all its mildness. Impressive.

Caution Random Thought To Burden You Further With

The alt-text to the last sentence in paragraph 2 reads "... which solidifies into curd which can then be molded into wheels, salted, and aged for consumption". A different kind of poetry, really.

Beecher's Flagship Cheddar, My Number One Cheddar

That's right, click on that 'Favorites' near the bottom of this post and you'll see that Beecher's Flagship Cheddar is among the select few cheeses for which I'd openly announce my love over the internet. Made in Seattle Washington by a one Kurt Beecher Dammeier and his master cheesemaker Brad Sinko, Beecher's Flagship is no ordinary cheese. It's more than that. You might even say it's extraordinary. I would.

Origin: Washington, USA
Milk: local rBST cow milk, pasteurized
Rennet: Animal
Affinage: Roughly 6 months I'd imagine
Notes: No genetically modified or unnatural products of processes used, just honest high quality ingredients. After being sold first in 2003 it was voted the Best Semi-Hard Cow's Milk Cheese in the 2007 American Cheesemaker Awards. Kind of a big deal.
Thoughts: This unassuming looking block of cheddar has a serious punch. From the instant it enters your mouth a complex mix of nutty, savory, and tangy hits your tastebuds. A smoky aftertaste enters while you’re still chewing and stays for the rest of the ride. Just a hint of that characteristic cheddar crunch in what is otherwise a soft cheddar, but the intensely rich creaminess means that you’re wanting more as soon as you’re done. The complexity of flavor, the nutty and grassy and sweet and savory tangy bold reserved aaaaahhhhhh. Everything is there, but more importantly everything is balanced and not drowned out by some misguided search for the sharpest cheddar flavor possible. This cheese is incredible at room temperature, it melts in the mouth and is just one of a kind.


Caution
Not your Favorite? That's ok, you probably wouldn't like my taste in music either. Bluegrass is coming back, just you wait.  

Barely Buzzed, Not Actually a Reference to Alcohol

Every now and then you hear about a cheese that sounds, well, gimmicky. Like a little too much work went into the concept phase and not enough into the actual making of the cheese itself. I would say that this trend, especially as it applied to Cheddars such as today's piece, began with the adding of all manner of spices and other sundry bits to what's basically an English Cheddar and calling it things like Cotswold. Don't get me wrong, Cotswold is great stuff and one of the tastier snacking cheeses out there, but many of these cheeses, especially from her Majesty's territories, suffer from being too much added nonsense and not enough good honest cheese to start out with. This will not do.
With that foreboding introduction let us look at Barely Buzzed, a Cheddar from interior of the US that incorporates ingredients from as far away as Turkey and France. I think. It is made in Utah and rubbed down with a mixture of Turkish coffee grounds and French lavender buds, giving this otherwise normal recipe cheddar a whole new spin. But is it good?

Origin: Utah, USA

Milk: Cow, pasteurized

Rennet: Vegetable

Affinage: It's a young cheddar, in the 6 month range I'd say.

Notes: Aged on Utah Blue Spruce aging racks. When I get around to making and aging cheese I'm going to either age it on something really pretentious or really ridiculous, not sure which yet. I'm thinking either boards ripped loose from the ballroom floor of the Titanic or Legos.

Thoughts: Not surprisingly, the flavor the coffee and the lavender gives the flavor of the cheddar a run for its money. The cheddar, by itself not particularly strong or sharp, comes through only just barely alongside the thick coating of espresso and lavender. The taste is unlike anything else and almost belongs to a different category altogether, but is savory and peculiar enough to keep you coming back. My complaint here is that there just isn't a whole lot going on flavor-wise to catch my interest apart from the obvious coating, which is never going to be enough to prop up a cheese by itself. Give me a strong or memorable flavored cheddar and then coat it with this or that or the other but not before. It is a great party piece, it is an interesting excercise in flavor combination possibilities within a single cheese, it is not even a bad cheese, it's just so much less than it could be. 

Caution

If something seems too good to be true, it just may be. The Prince from Nigeria only wants your money, you're not actually the 1,000,000th visitor to the site, your friends on Facebook did not actually get a free iPad 2 just for completing a survey, and not all that sounds funky on a cheese label is gold. 

I feel like that one got away from me at the end there...  

Old Quebec Vintage 3yr Cheddar, Winner of the Most Descriptive Name Award

Today's cheddar.... yeah it's from Canada and it's aged at least 3 years.
Actually there is a little more to this cheese than what stands in the title, but I think they were running out of space. Like the label says it is "Super Sharp" as well, but don't be fooled; this is not a cheddar that tries to stand on its sharpness alone. Made using milk that has been heat treated but not pasteurized, a process carefully described at the company's utilitarian website, Old Quebec Vintage 3 yr Cheddar truly has a complex and solid flavor, an outlier in the rather crowded cheddar field.

Origin: Canada
Milk: Cow, unpasteurized 
Rennet: Microbial
Affinage: At least 3 years, less than 7
Notes: The 3yr cheddar is at least three, the 7yr at least seven, but what they don't tell you is that they actually do the majority of the aging in Lancaster County, PA. Conspiracy?
Thoughts: From the first the flavor has a pronounced meaty and salty tang, a refreshing change from the one-dimensional sweet tang of most cheddars. The age has made this a rather crumbly cheese but still it is impressively creamy, and once the paste breaks down on the palate more the familiar sweet notes are right at home, played off of by the occasional caramel note. The sharpness of this cheese, while certainly there and a major factor in the overall flavor, comes short of overshadowing the other nuances of the flavor, and the result is a fully developed taste that is sure to please. Although this feature is more apparent in the older variety, even at 3 years the calicum casein clusters are already a delight and add just more character to an already impressive cheese.

Caution
If the Canadians and the Amish ever start working more closely together we in the USA might have a crisis on our hands. That concentration of niceness and accents can only mean one thing: violent revolution. 

On a separate and non-link-related note, did you know that when you google image search "Amish Army" there aren't actually any funny pics? Pity, really. 

Ford Farm Coastal Cheddar, Truly Top Drawer

If you are reading this blog in US, then today's cheese has made a longer-than-usual trip to make it to your plate. If you are reading this blog from somewhere other than the US (or the UK), then you probably don't care much for cheddar anyhow. Still Ford Farm Coastal Cheddar is an absolute pleasure for anyone who loves a good cheddar, and it shall not be the last of its kind that I review. Cheddar may not have the sophisticated reputation nor the delicate charm of its friends on mainland Europe, but at its best it is truly stunning.

Origin: Dorset, England
Milk: Cow, pasteurized
Rennet: Vegetarian
Affinage: Up to 15 months, at least a year
Notes: Bad news to my American cheddar-loving friends (I don't know how many times I've asked what kind of cheese someone likes and have heard "well, cheddar's good" in response. What do you like to drink? "well, water's good." Sorry, this is way too long for a parenthetical statement), but we didn't invent Cheddar. That one goes to the proud folks of Her Majesty's 130,000 square kilometers. Don't sweat it, though, we'll always have the moon landing. And Bob Dylan.
Thoughts: Call me a romantic, but I swear you can taste the ocean in this cheese. This is no weak tidal-pool-at-Six-Flags, however, this is the true fury of God's great Atlantic bullying its way into the Channel and pounding on the chalk cliffs. From the very beginning a crazy, full, creamy flavor takes you by storm, the kind of sharp cheddar that is complex and bold instead of just one-dimensionally sharp. A lot of folks will come in to the store asking for our "sharpest cheddar," and while that is one way to go about it, I would suggest it is not how you will find the best cheddar. This cheddar has a dark and earthy intensity to it, balanced with equally strong nutty and savory (and yes "sharp") notes. The texture is relatively dry, but this is by no means a bad thing. It still has the creaminess necessary to carry the flavor and the long aging process means it has developed the small pockets of crystalized calcium that give aged cheeses that heavenly crunch. It is not my favorite cheddar, but it is certainly a contender and something worth searching out in the USA. Coastal Cheddar and a hearty beer (or root beer, but only a hearty one) is one of the most satisfying comfort pre-or-post meal combinations I know. Caution The popularity of cheddar in the English-speaking world means that there are a near-infinite number of poor examples for every worthy one. Here's what you should know:  Cheddar is originally a white cheese, that yellow stuff is not necessarily any better nor any worse, it just has food coloring added to it. A lot of processed cheeses will masquerade as cheddar, have nothing to do with them! Cheddaring, the process that creates cheddar cheeses, can be used to make good and bad cheeses, either educate yourself and buy a variety or ask the stout yeoman behind the counter for help.