The American Cheese Society conference has been an annual highlight for me for the past 25 years. I get to learn, connect with colleagues and eat cheese until I cry “uncle.” Held in steamy Louisville earlier this month, the three-day meeting brought together makers, mongers, suppliers, distributors, shop owners and groupies like me. My favorite event is the walk-around Meet the Cheesemaker tasting, when dozens of creameries from around the country showcase their wares. When a cheese stands out for me in that cacophony, I know I’ll enjoy it even more in a calmer setting. Here are several cheeses that made an impression and will go into my shopping cart when I see them again. In alpha order:
Matured to perfection: Meadow Creek Appalachian Extra Aged
Appalachian Extra Aged from Meadow Creek Dairy (Virginia): Even cheesemaker Kat Feete was surprised by what happened when she doubled the aging time on the creamery’s alpine-style raw-milk wheel. After eight months in the cellar instead of four, Appalachian is a different cheese, says Feete. It is firmer, of course, but also much more concentrated in flavor—nutty, toasty and brothy. And just look at that interior color—the signature of pasture-fed cows.
Bear Hill from Grafton Village Cheese (Vermont): Grafton Village changed hands last year, with the new owner pledging that consumers would notice no changes. So far, so good. Veteran cheesemaker Mariano Gonzalez (left) is still at the helm and still predictably winning ACS ribbons for Bear Hill. We have so few aged sheep cheeses in this country; Bear Hill shows why we need more. Made with thermized milk from an Amish farm, wheels are matured a minimum of 7 months. Swiss cultures contribute a nutty aroma.
Salad ready: Rogue’s new yuzu-scented blue
Bluzu from Rogue Creamery (Oregon): This was the first cheese I tasted at the conference this year, at a pre-opening party. Was I just ravenous after a long plane ride, or was this new yuzu-infused blue wheel as compelling as it seemed? Yes and yes. I tried Bluzu again at Meet the Cheesemaker and confirmed my first favorable impression. Wheels of Rogue’s creamy Oregon Blue are soaked for a month in yuzu-infused sake, then vacuum sealed with yuzu peel on the rind. Yowza.
Tasty tomme: Caspian from Jasper Hill Farm
Caspian from Jasper Hill Farm (Vermont): It was not love at first taste for me and this newcomer, which I first sampled about a year ago. But the Caspian I tasted at conference, from two different wheels, was captivating—earthy and mushroomy, with a crusty natural rind and dual-textured interior, a near-twin to the Tomme Crayeuse that inspired it. I can’t wait to meet up with this raw-milk cheese again.
Rocket’s Robiola from Boxcarr Handmade Cheese (North Carolina): This finicky ash-coated cow’s milk square can suffer in route to Bay Area shops, so I was eager to taste it in Louisville, closer to its home. Bingo. Like the best versions I’ve had on the West Coast, it reeled me in with its aroma, a merging of mushroom, barnyard, garlic and aged beef. The cheese won an ACS blue ribbon, so the judges admired it, too.
Shakerag from Sequatchie Cove (Tennessee): A cow’s milk blue wrapped in whiskey-soaked fig leaves, Shakerag is moist, creamy and spiritous, with a bold personality. A terrific end-of-meal cheese with walnut bread and sweet wine. Dessert is done.
Whaledale from Mystic Cheese (Connecticut): A rare Wensleydale-style wheel from a cheesemaker who loves the British classics, Whaledale (top left) is all but alone in its style niche in the U.S. Such cheeses are time consuming to make and not to everyone’s taste because they’re on the dry side and relatively acidic. I admire cheesemaker Brian Civitello for charting his own course and advocating for such little-known cheeses. Since I’ve sampled Whaledale only twice and both times on the run, let’s go with his description. “Sour cream mingles with wet stone carried by a bright lactic tang” accords with my memory and makes me eager for more.