OUR DEcember CHEESE SELECTION

Named after Lake Willoughby, one of Vermont's most beautiful lakes, Willoughby is a small washed rind disk made from pasteurized cow's milk. Ploughgate Creamery initially created it, and after a devasting fire, they ceased cheese making and sold the recipe to the folks at Jasper Hill Farm. Jasper Hill tweaked the recipe to make it theirs and now produce Willoughby year-round.
Willoughby has an assertive flavor with notes of sweet cream, tropical fruit, and a slight funkiness. Its texture is silky and a bit gooey. The rind is often a bit tacky and aromatic. It makes an excellent substitute for the French cheese Reblochon in the famous Savoie dish Tartiflette.
Farm/Producer/Importer: Jasper Hill Farm
Place: Greensboro, VT
Style: Washed
Milk Type: Cow
Rennet: Traditional
Age: 6-12 weeks
Pairing: Alsatian Pinot Gris, Lager

The quest for perfect milk drove Todd and Maugan Trethowen to leave Wales for Somerset's lush grasslands. They built a creamery at Puxton Court Farm, five miles away from the town of Cheddar, where they use milk from their herd of Holstein-Friesian and Jersey cows to craft this traditional West Country Cheddar. It is made following age-old Cheddar making techniques, which include using raw milk, traditional cultures, "Cheddaring" by hand, and cloth-binding. Pitchfork has a dense but creamy texture with an earthy flavor that is perfectly balanced by an acidic tang.
Farm/Producer/Importer: Trethowan Brothers/Neal's Yard Dairy
Place: Somerset, England
Style: Firm
Milk Type: Raw Cow
Rennet: Traditional
Age: 12-18 Months
Pairing: Pinot Noir, Ale, dry cider

Stilton is one of the most celebrated cheeses in England and ours is handcrafted by Colston Bassett Dairy in Nottinghamshire. Colston Bassett purchases their milk from five neighboring farms. The truckles (cylinder wheels) are hand selected by Neal's Yard Dairy for us and are produced to their specifications-they must use traditional rennet and are less pierced so the sweet, buttery flavors shine through and balance the blue, minerally tones.
Farm/Producer/Importer: Colston Bassett Dairy/ Neal's Yard Dairy
Place: Nottinghamshire, England
Style: Blue
Milk Type: Cow
Rennet: Traditional
Age: 3-4 months
Pairing: Port, Imperial IPA