300 Day Gorgonzola

1/4 LB 1/3 LB 1/2 LB 2/3 LB 3/4 LB 1 LB 2 LB 3 LB 4 LB 5 LB $17.00 per pound

Abbaye De Belloc

Raw Sheep | Aged 6+ Months

Made By Benedictine monks in the Mountains of Aquitaine

One of our personal favorite Pyrenees mountain sheep's milk cheese. Creamy, buttery, nutty and fun.

Rennet: Animal

Related Cheese: Petit Agour, Etorki, Istara, Malvarosa, Pastore

1/4 LB 1/3 LB 1/2 LB 2/3 LB 3/4 LB 1 LB 2 LB 3 LB 4 LB 5 LB $22.00 per pound

Abrigo

Pasteurized Goat's Milk | Aged 3-4 Months

Made in Catalonia, Spain

Like all the other nu wave Spanish cheeses this one borrows liberally from tradition while forging its own path. It borrows the simple pressed curd recepie that is the Spanish idiom, and a traditional cheese form called tronchon. It makes the cheese look like it was stolen from a cathedral. The paste is verging on hard, and is very dense, with a salty, creamy flavor highlighted by a moldy note and a metallic tang.

Rennet: Animal

Related Cheese: Ibores, Garroxta, Montcabrer

Pairings: Cava, Spanish Whites, Cote Du Rhone, Cognac

1/4 LB 1/3 LB 1/2 LB 2/3 LB 3/4 LB 1 LB 2 LB 3 LB 4 LB 5 LB $22.00 per pound

Aged Gouda

1/4 LB 1/3 LB 1/2 LB 2/3 LB 3/4 LB 1 LB 2 LB 3 LB 4 LB 5 LB $25.00 per pound

Aragones

Pasteurized Cow's Milk | Aged 3-6 months.

Made by Julian in Rioja Country, Spain

Aragones is a rare cheese type in Spain. Spain has very few washed rind and very few cows milk cheeses. Julian makes the only other common Spanish washed rind, Pata Cabra. The cheese is more in a Belgian idiom. The paste is smooth and thick, in that zone between sliceable and spoonable and has a lovely balance of fruity flavors and funky rich flavors.

Rennet: Animal

Related Cheese: Brigid's Abbey, Chimay

Pairings: Belgian ale, Rioja Reds, Bourbons

1/4 LB 1/3 LB 1/2 LB 2/3 LB 3/4 LB 1 LB 2 LB 3 LB 4 LB 5 LB $22.00 per pound

Bayley Hazen

Raw Ayrsihire Cow | Aged 4-6 Month

Made at Jasper Hill Farm in Greensboro, Vermont by Master Cheesemaker Mateo Kheeler and team.

Jasper Hill are the rock stars of American cheese, and this is their first hit. Bayley Hazen is a classic natural rind, English style blue. The smaller fat globules in the Ayrshire milk breakdown quickly in the agin process, and help the cheese maintain a drier profile. The paste is nutty and crumbly, with a slight sharpness. If there was no blue, Bayley Hazen might taste like a good English hard cheese. The mold is relatively mild with a subtle mouthfilling warmth with faint hints of anise and parsley. Bayley Hazen is named after a nearby military road built by Washington to fight the British on the Canadian front. Wiley Canucks!

Rennet: Animal

Related Cheese: Stilton, Fourme D'Ambert

Pairings: Stouts, Dopplebock, Port, Banyuls, American Whiskey

1/4 LB 1/3 LB 1/2 LB 2/3 LB 3/4 LB 1 LB 2 LB 3 LB 4 LB 5 LB $21.00 per pound

Brebirousse de Argental

Pasteurized Sheep | Aged 30 Days.

Made in cooperatives in the South West of France.

Brebirousse is a rare soft sheep cheese. Don't let the red crust fool you this is not a washed rind, but the flavor is still full and funky. The first thought when this one hits your tongue is cream cheese. It has a thick, gummy texture and a rich backbone balanced by lactic tang. Wait one second and the flavor will devolop into an hearty animaly punch.

Rennet: Animal

Related Cheese: Brebiou, Nevat

Pairings: Local Reds and Whites (Bergerac sec anyone?) Champagne, Pilsners

1/4 LB 1/3 LB 1/2 LB 2/3 LB 3/4 LB 1 LB 2 LB 3 LB 4 LB 5 LB $20.00 per pound

Brie de Nanjis

Pasteurized Cow's Milk | Aged 30 days

Made by Fromagerie Rouzaire, Tournan en Brie, France

Brie, the poster child for fancy cheese, gets a bad rap. Sure, there is a lot of crappy Brie out there. Sure, the raw milk stuff is generally more flavorful. But, there are some firms that care and they make excellent, pasteurized, French Brie for export. Rouzaire is one such firm. They make several varieties of Brie de Blanc; the only real difference is the shape. All of them are bulging, not runny, when ripe, and have flavors of garlic, mushrooms, and just shelled peas.

Rennet: Animal

Related Cheese: Camembert, Robiola, other Bries

Pairings: Champagne or Pilsner Beer.

1/4 LB 1/3 LB 1/2 LB 2/3 LB 3/4 LB 1 LB 2 LB 3 LB 4 LB 5 LB $17.50 per pound

Bucherondin

Pasteurized Goat | Aged 4-7 months.

Made in the Loire Valley by Sevre et Belle

Bucherondin is a classic example of the ubiquitous French goat log. The flavor is bright, lemony, and clean, with minimal goaty flavors, and a full creamy finish and silky mouthfeel.

Rennet: Animal

Related Cheese: Loire Valley Chevre, Humboldt Fog, Leonora

Pairings: Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Belgian Ale, Dry Gin.

1/4 LB 1/3 LB 1/2 LB 2/3 LB 3/4 LB 1 LB 2 LB 3 LB 4 LB 5 LB $0.00 per pound

Caciocovallo

Pasteurized Cow's Milk | Aged 2-6 months

Produced on Sicily

Starting in Sicily, Caciocovallo has managed to conquer most of the Eastern Mediterranian, from Southern Italy to the Balkans. Caciocovallo is made with the pulled curd process, very similar to Mozzarella. The worked, high acid curd is resiliant to the warmer temperatures in the South, and ages well into a hearty snackable cheese. As far as the name goes, there are two schools of thought. One suggests that the name, "cheese on horseback", refers to the fact that the cheese was originally made from mare's milk. This is both unsubstantiated and dubious. The other, more likely option suggests the traditional manner of aging gave it the name. Traditionally a pair of the cheeses are hung on either end of a long rope, somewhat reminicent of saddlebags.

Rennet: Animal

Related Cheese: Mozzarella, Provolone

Pairings: Ice Cold Beer. Sicilian and Sardinian Whites.

1/4 LB 1/3 LB 1/2 LB 2/3 LB 3/4 LB 1 LB 2 LB 3 LB 4 LB 5 LB $0.00 per pound

Cashel Blue

Pasteurized Fresian-Holstein Cow's Milk | Aged 12 weeks and up

Made at Beechmont Farm, Fethard,nr Cashel, Co Tipperary, S Ireland. Invented by Louis and Jane Grubb. Now made buy Geurt Van den Dikkenberg.

Cashel Blue is a product of the Grubb Family farm. The farm has been in operation since the 1950's, but it wasn't till 1984 that they turned to cheese making. The first batches of cashel blue were made in a small copper vat. Now, they produce in 5 4,500gal tanks. They create the unique flavor and texture of cashel by giving the cows a high protien feed. The cheese has a dense, fudgy texture and a medium strength blue mold. The paste hints of cedar and seaweed, eggs and cream.

Rennet: Vegetable Rennet

Related Cheese: Other young, soft sweet blues: Crozier, La Peral, Berkshire Blue

Pairings: Madiera, Oloroso Sherry, Port and Stout, Islay Scotches.

1/4 LB 1/3 LB 1/2 LB 2/3 LB 3/4 LB 1 LB 2 LB 3 LB 4 LB 5 LB $22.00 per pound

Cheddar, Quebec Vintage

Pasteurized Cow | Aged 5 yr

Made by Old Quebec Vintage Cheddar, and then aged in Lancaster, PA by S Clyde Weaver

A classic, super sharp American Style Cheddar. The Quebec vintage is tart, sharp, and fruity with a very clean taste. Not necissarily the deepest flavor, but certainly a very big one! After the Cheese is made, it is allowed to rest for one year and then sent to Pennsylvania, where the cheeses are graded, and those destined for longer maturing are sorted out.

Rennet: Animal

Related Cheese: Other American Style Cheddars: Shelburne, Cabot, Tillamook, Rogue.

Pairings: American I.P.A., Zinfandels, and Rye

1/4 LB 1/3 LB 1/2 LB 2/3 LB 3/4 LB 1 LB 2 LB 3 LB 4 LB 5 LB $0.00 per pound

Clara

Raw Goat's Milk | Aged 2-3 months.

Produced in Catalonia, Spain

A relatively recent invention, Clara is a treasure of a raw goat cheese. The small cheese has a rough, natural rind, and two textures. There is a dry flakey center, and a more knit soft edge. The dry texture is matched in the earthy flavor, look for notes of hay and flint.

Rennet: Animal

Related Cheese: Caerphilly, Tomme Crayeuse

Pairings: Spanish Whites, Pinot noir, Tokaij

1/4 LB 1/3 LB 1/2 LB 2/3 LB 3/4 LB 1 LB 2 LB 3 LB 4 LB 5 LB $21.00 per pound

Eden

Raw Jersey, Guernsey, Shorthorn, and Brown Swiss | Aged 2-4 Months.

Made By Sprout Creek Farm, Poughkeepsie, NY

Eden is a rare sort of Washed rind, very firm and yet pungent. It almost seems to be a washed rind slapped on a firmer style of cheese. No matter, It is a success. Eden has strong acidic notes, balanced by the lingering nutty flavors of a washed rind. The cheese is made on an educational farm started by the brothers and sisters of the sacred heart to help kids get back to the land.

Rennet: Animal

Related Cheese: Darsonval, Tomme de Pyrenees

Pairings: Belgian Ale, Mountain Whites, Bourbon.

1/4 LB 1/3 LB 1/2 LB 2/3 LB 3/4 LB 1 LB 2 LB 3 LB 4 LB 5 LB $27.00 per pound

Emmenthaler

Raw Cow | Aged Minimum 1 Yr

Made By Emmi, under their Kaltbach brand in the Canton of Lucerne, Switzerland

Emmental is the real Swiss. The Cheese is made in giant 180lb wheels in the West of Switzerland, and then aged in a high temperature cave to stimulate Bacterium Shermanii in the starter culture to create CO2 and thus the beautiful perfectly round holes in the wheels, the cheese is then moved to a slightly cooler room for extended aging. The paste has the knit, pliable quality of all good Alpine recepies. The flavor is higher and thinner than the others. Less nutty, earthy, or creamy, the cheese is instead incredibly fruity, with the classic "swissy" piquant finish.

Rennet: Animal

Related Cheese: Gruyere, Appenzeller, Fontina, Jarlesburg

Pairings: Light bodied whites, Alpine wines, Belgian Ale and Brown Ale,

1/4 LB 1/3 LB 1/2 LB 2/3 LB 3/4 LB 1 LB 2 LB 3 LB 4 LB 5 LB $14.00 per pound

Fiore Sardo

Raw Sheep | Aged 8-12 Months

Made by Pinna Fromaggi, Sardinia

The Pinna family represents a number of small farmers in Sardinia. They insist on traditional lamb's rennet, which helps contribute to the funky flavor. The cheeses are selected at 4 months, and brought to the central facility for further curing and smoking. It's smoked over slow burning heather for almost a month. The smoke flavor is subtle and integrated into the flavor well. The cheese has almost a powdery texture, and a funky spicy quality with spare notes of herbs, and of course, the smoke.

Rennet: Animal

Related Cheese: Other Pecorinos, Idiazabal

Pairings: Pale Ale, Bourbon, Sardinian Reds

1/4 LB 1/3 LB 1/2 LB 2/3 LB 3/4 LB 1 LB 2 LB 3 LB 4 LB 5 LB $16.00 per pound

Fontina

Raw Cow's Milk | Aged 1 year minimum

Produced in Valle d'Aosta, Italy

Fontina is another cheese whose name has been borrowed by so many imitators that the original is almost forgotten. The real Italian Fontina is made and aged in an Alpine style. It's less creamy and nutty than Gruyere, but it brings a big fruity flavor, and a pleasant texture. With proper aging, it can even develop a slight sharpness.

Rennet: Animal

Related Cheese: Centovalli Ticino, Gruyere.

Pairings: Valle D'Aosta wines, Medium Lagers, Cognac

1/4 LB 1/3 LB 1/2 LB 2/3 LB 3/4 LB 1 LB 2 LB 3 LB 4 LB 5 LB $19.00 per pound

Fourme D'Ambert

Pasteurized Cow | Aged 2-6 months

Made By Millerdome, Near Auvergne, France

France's secret weapon answer to Stilton, Forme is an ideal little blue. The region of production is much smaller than its cousin D'Auvergne. Consequently the cheese tends to be of a higher quality. The paste is slightly more knit than Stilton, with a more mellow, yet more present mold. The flavor is buttery, salty , and full, with a nice kick of animal flavor on the final note.

Rennet: Animal

Related Cheese: Stilton, Bayley Hazen, Blue D'Auvergne, Blue Des Causses

Pairings: Sauternes, Port, Porter.

1/4 LB 1/3 LB 1/2 LB 2/3 LB 3/4 LB 1 LB 2 LB 3 LB 4 LB 5 LB $12.00 per pound

Gran Queso

Pasteurized Friesian Holstein |

Made at Roth Kase in Monroe, WI

Roth Kase has a long tradition of Swiss cheese making in the family, so it's no wonder that their attempt at a "Manchego" style cheese for "tapas" should end up having more in common with a swiss cheese. The cheese has excellent flavor: the robust piquancy of a good Emmentaller but with a richer backbone and more sweetness. It's certainly a grand cheese, it just has nothing to do with any Spanish cheese I know. Gran Queso won several major awards at its inception, including an ACS first place in 2004, and a gold at the World Cheese Awards in London in 2005.

Rennet: Vegitarian

Related Cheese: Emmentaller, Toma Tenero

Pairings: Alpine and Rhone whites, Brown Ale, Coffee, Vodka and Eau de Vie

1/4 LB 1/3 LB 1/2 LB 2/3 LB 3/4 LB 1 LB 2 LB 3 LB 4 LB 5 LB $11.00 per pound

Grayson

Raw Jersey Cow. | Aged 4-5 months

Made at Meadow Creek Dairy, Galax Virginia by the Feete family. Cheese maker Helen Feete.

Meadow Creek Dairy is a small, seasonal family dairy in the rural mountains of South Western Virginia. Their washed rind, Grayson, is perhaps America's greatest washed rind. It's similar to the firmer washed rinds of Northern France. The rind is a thick day glo orange, and the paste is a bright plastine yellow; it almost looks fake it is so perfect and beautiful. The texture melts into a thick sauce on your tongue, and the flavor is a burst of butter and eggs with a hint of the aroma on the exhale.

Rennet: Animal

Related Cheese: Livarot, Taleggio

Pairings: Belgian Ale, Cider, Bourbon, German whites and reds.

1/4 LB 1/3 LB 1/2 LB 2/3 LB 3/4 LB 1 LB 2 LB 3 LB 4 LB 5 LB $19.00 per pound

Great Hill Blue

Raw Cow | Aged 2-4 Months.

Made By Great Hill Cheese Co., Marion, Massachusetts

Great Hill is located on Buzzard Bay, 50 Miles South of Boston. The cheese is made in a creamery style, pooling the milk of neighboring farms, as well as their own prize winning Guernseys. It's a straight up American blue, rindless and clean flavored with a nice blue bite. It's perfect for cooking, or when what your craving is the platonic ideal of blue.

Rennet: Animal

Related Cheese: Oregon Blue Vein, Point Reyes

Pairings: Stout and Porter, Port, Banyuls, Scotch.

1/4 LB 1/3 LB 1/2 LB 2/3 LB 3/4 LB 1 LB 2 LB 3 LB 4 LB 5 LB $16.00 per pound

Gruyere

Raw Cow | Aged Minimum of 1 year

Made by Emmi, under their Kaltbach "cave aged" brand in Western Switzerland, near Lucerne

Nobody does it like the Swiss. They were the first, and really the only government to essentialy nationalize their cheese. The Alpine style almost necessitates a creamery style of production, and highly specialized roles in its creation. Cheesemaker, herdsmen, and affineur all contribute thier skills to make this one of the greatest cheeses on the planet. The cheese is butter and nutty, with a nice fruity hit, counterblanced by sharpness, a swissy picuancy, and the earth funk only real and attentive cheese aging can provide. The texture is pliable and moist, yet dense and hearty. This is a cheese for all times and all seasons

Rennet: Animal

Related Cheese: Emmental, Pleasant Ridge Reserve, Fontina, Appenzeller

Pairings: Whiskey, sherry, alpine style wines, nut brown ales, and an absolute must with ham.

1/4 LB 1/3 LB 1/2 LB 2/3 LB 3/4 LB 1 LB 2 LB 3 LB 4 LB 5 LB $14.00 per pound

Harpersfield Double Soak

Pasteurized Holstien Cow | Aged 4-7 months.

Made by Brovetto Family Dairy in Harpersfield NY. Cheesemaker, Ron Brovetto

Ron and Corine Brovetto moved to upstate New York from Long Island to get back to the land in the 1970's way before it was cool. The farms around them began to disappear, but they continued to thrive. In 1999, at age 65 Ron decided he wanted to make cheese. He fondly rememberd Tilsit from his childhood, and set about trying to make that. His unique cheese now comes in a variety of flavors. We buy one that he soaks in Ommegang ale, and then resoak it in Brooklyn's Local 1 and age it further. Upstate cheese and upstate beer combine with a NYC cheese shop and NYC beer to make a cheese with a smooth yet melting paste, and a full yeasty, beery flavor, with a backbone of tang.

Rennet: Animal

Related Cheese: Tilsit

Pairings: Brooklyn Brewery's Local 1 or Ommegang's Abbey Ale

1/4 LB 1/3 LB 1/2 LB 2/3 LB 3/4 LB 1 LB 2 LB 3 LB 4 LB 5 LB $21.00 per pound

Hooligan

Raw Jersey Cow |

Made at Cato Corner Farm in Colchester, CT by Mark Gilman

Cato Corner has been a cow farm for over twenty years, but it wasn't till 1997 that Elizabeth MacAlister decided to see if making cheese could help keep the farm running. In 1999 her son Mark joined her and quickly took over the cheesemaking operation. They make a wide variety of cheese from their herd of 40 cows, but they are best known for their washed rinds. Hooligan is the flagship in that catagory. The little bright orange bombs reek to high heaven and taste of hearty eggs and bacon. Their strong, funky flavor is delivered by a smooth, nearly soft paste. The cheese has considerable variation through the year, the cheese being at peak about 2-3 months after the start of cooler weather.

Rennet: Animal

Related Cheese: Red Cloud, Fium Orbu, Aragones.

Pairings: Alsatian whites and Dark Lagers.

1/4 LB 1/3 LB 1/2 LB 2/3 LB 3/4 LB 1 LB 2 LB 3 LB 4 LB 5 LB $28.00 per pound

Hudson Red

Raw Cow | Aged 2-3 Months

Ghent, NY

Made by Doug Ginn at Twin Maple Farms just at the end of the Taconic Parkway and destributed by Pampered Cow. This raw washed rind cheese runs soft to slightly firmer and always packs a punch with its sticky silt-like rind.

Rennet: Animal

Related Cheese: Liverot, Grayson, Taleggio

Pairings: Pretty Things Jack d'Or, Alsacian Whites

1/4 LB 1/3 LB 1/2 LB 2/3 LB 3/4 LB 1 LB 2 LB 3 LB 4 LB 5 LB $24.00 per pound