Cheese Profile
We had such a strong positive response to Deer Creek’s chartreuse-soaked Moon Rabbit that I grabbed us another from Deer Creek’s vault: their wonderfully creamy, rich 5 Year Private Reserve Specialty Aged Cheddar. You can read more about Moon Rabbit and Deer Creek Cheese here.
Reflecting on the concept of cheese age while approaching this 5 year aged cheddar. One of the things I learned spending time with affineurs (cheese agers / selectors) and cheese graders is that “older = better” is a common misconception. All cheeses are produced with an ideal age in mind. The cheesemaker will manipulate a range of factors – curd size, the pressure on the cheese press, the culture combination – in alignment with the intended age of a cheese.
An Emmentaler meant to be eaten young but aged 5 years? Yuck! Dried out and bitter. A cheddar meant to be aged out 5 years but eaten at 2 months? Bland and flabby. Part of what makes affinage (cheese aging) such an art is knowing when a cheese has hit its peak age. As my mother puts it: “the true artist knows when to stop.” The licensed cheese graders at Deer Creek practice exceptional skill in identifying the appropriate aging arc for every wheel of cheese that passes through their creamery.
You’ll be enjoying Deer Creek’s 5 year this week and then a Vermont Cheddar – a 2 year from Shelburne Farms – slated for next week. If you can, I’d recommend setting aside a little scrap to do a side-by-side comparison. Deer Creek recommends cider and dried cherries with this cheese. This cheese is fantastic on its own, but it’s equally delicious shredded and added to a grilled cheese sandwich with a smear of jam and slice of ham.
Fun Fact
One of my favorite French sayings: “Beware the man who only likes strong cheese”