Wensleydale with Cranberries (Clawson)

 

$14.99/lb

 



     Overall, Wensleydale with Cranberries is one of our favorite cheeses and is one of the few (other than the obvious choices like Cotswold, etc, and some goat cheeses) varieties where we like additives mixed in with the cheese itself.  The slightly tangy, creamy, moist-yet-crumbly Wensleydale mixes quite nicely with the sweetened cranberries and lends itself to a number of applications.  Clawson's take on the style smells sweet, with just a hint of sour, funky undertones in the background.  On the palate, it's sweet (almost a bit too much so?) with a mild earthy, lactic flavor.  Crumbly, but not dry.  We picked this up at Schnuck's and, honestly, it's not bad, but it's not our favorite either?  It's rich and creamy, as Wensleydale should be, but there's not quite the tang necessary to balance the richness and the slight sweetness of the cranberries.  I'll have to give Coombe Castle's (our regular brand, at HyVee) another go to compare.  Nonetheless, not a bad cheese, if not stellar. 

Grafton Village Maple Smoked Raw Milk Cheddar

Tag-Raw Milk, Lightly-Smoked Vermont Cheddar

Picked this up at Schnuck's (which I've been hitting up a lot more recently, looking for tasty/interesting cheeses).  I can't remember the exact price, but I think it was between $16-18 a pound; something great that both Schnuck's and HyVee have started doing is to slice up their wheels into increasingly smaller pieces, making it possible to try a variety of exotic cheeses without breaking the bank.  This is a pale butter color, and smells sweet and buttery, like a baby swiss, with a light, pleasant smokiness.  Very mild (much milder than your typical smoked Gouda, for example) with a smooth texture.  Light smoke flavor, along with complex, delicate flavors.  Not at all sharp. 

 

Overall, this is really nice.  Probably best to enjoy on its own or with butter crackers, as any full-flavored wine or beer might easily overpower it. 

Quickes Oak Smoked Cheddar

 

 

Tag--English cheddar aged between 12-15 months, smoked naturally over oak chips. 

 

Dark butter hue, with some crystallization from the age. Light brown edges, from the smoke.  No artificial flavors.
 

Rich, pleasant cheddar and natural smoke aromas.  Dry, relatively heavy texture, much like an aged Parmesan, but without the crystalline mouthfeel.  Dry, natural smoke and wood flavors along with mellow, slightly sweet cheddar flavors.  Overall, this is quite pleasant, but more mellow than I anticipated from the aromas.  Definitely has a bit different smoke character than the smoked cheeses I’m used to (typically cheaper smoked Goudas).  This tastes more natural, earthy, and woody than any others. 

Around $19.99 a lb. at World Harvest.  We love English Cheddar and smoke cheeses, and so we had to try this.  This is fantastic on its own, and would likely pair well with mild breads and malty sweet beers (perhaps a milder Strong Scotch Ale) as well. 

 

 

At the price, it’d have to be a small piece, but I’d definitely buy this again. 



Tintern Cheese

Tag—Creamy, Welsh cheddar cheese with shallots and chives.  From Monmouthshire in eastern Wales. 

Ivory colored, bright green wax, small green flecks throughout

Creamy texture, but surprisingly sharp.  I guess from the combination of a cheddar-style cheese and shallots, I was expecting something savory and a bit sweet.  However, the chives bring a sharp, herbal edge here which, to me, just slightly overpowers the rich creaminess of the cheese. Don’t really get much of the shallots, and the actual chive flavor is fairly mild.   

Around $18.99 a lb. at World Harvest.  Was looking to try an herbed cheese, and decided to try this over the more familiar (and one of our favorites) Cotswold.  It’s (for me) a bit much on its own, but with a nice porter and some (just slightly sweet) rustic beer bread, it’s still pretty nice. 

Likely wouldn’t buy again.