Cutting the cheese

All attempts to find Coastal locally have failed. I have even tried the specialty wine and cheese shops. I did put in a suggestion in the Costco box to bring it back. Mail order really isn't an option. Mainly due to cost of shipping and i don't want to get "addicted" to a product i must order online.
 
Sofar of the locally available stuff the Kerrygold Reserve is my favorite. Lots of places sell it and it is a really good cheddar at a very good price for an import.
 
Costco has the Tillamook extra sharp white cheddar 2yr but only in a 2lb block. Ive never tried it but the others i have tried were just ok. Nothing special stood out about them. Maybe when my supply gets low i will try it. Im sure its worth the cost but i keep hoping the "sample staff" will offer it first someday.
 
I might have found it at Whole Foods although they might be stocking Barber's now instead. It appears they do stock the cave aged goat cheddar exported by Ford Farms. Traders Joes coastal might actually be a relabeled Ford Farms and its pretty cheap. It comes from Dorset England also.
 
Neither one is really close to me but close enough for when i want to treat myself.
 
Yep, Whole Foods has it. They call it Ford Farms Seaside and its about $13/lb
 
Too bad its not available. Yesterday found Camembert in the store for the first time in some years, Castello, just grabbed one to see how it is. Need to make some fresh bread/crackers for it :)
Goat Cheddar would be great to try :) Ford Farms Seaside yup looks like the one.
 
I just hate to get locked into a product i love and i can only get it online. Im already in that trap with the Kilchurn cave aged. Insanely expensive once you include shipping. USDA Prime beef tenderloin is cheaper. :D
 
Fresh Thyme has a goat cheddar ive been tempted to try several times. BoarsHead has a 1000day old Canadian cheddar that looks interesting too. Sofar ive found the UK imports to be closer in flavor to what i really like in a cheddar. Cabots cloth bound though was really really good.
 
I prefer Camambert to Brie actually but i really need to be in the mood for either one. Usually i just cant eat it fast enough before it gets too "funky" for my tastes.
 
Yes thats the one from Kilchurn Estates. Its about perfect IMO. Costco had it in a gift set. You got 2 500gram blocks in the set for around $100 for over 10lbs of cheese. The others cheeses were very good but the cave aged cheddar was by far my favorite.
 
This is a steal if you like the selection of cheeses. https://www.costco.com/Sid-Wainer-and-Son-Ultimate-English-Cheese-Collection%2C10.25-lbs..product.100047256.html
 
Your Price 99.99$
Price Per POUND: $9.76
Shipping & Handling included *
  • Kilchurn Estate Wensleydale with Cranberries, 2.8 lb Half Wheel
  • Kilchurn Estate Red Leicester, 1/4 Wheel Cut, approximately 2 lbs.
  • Kilchurn Estate Stilton, 1/4 Wheel Cut, approximately 2.25 lbs.
  • Kilchurn Estate V Majestic Cheddars, 1/4 Wheel Cut, approximately 1.25 lbs.
  • Kilchurn Estate Krystal Pure Cave Aged Cheddar, 2 x 500 grams
Retail from Sid Wainer for that set is nearly $250 plus shipping.
https://www.sidwainer.com/product/ultimate-english-cheese-selection
 
Well i finally caved in while at Costco today. My supply of cheddar is running low and that damn Tillamook  extra sharp white 2yr was there taunting me. How i dreaded the thought of taking home 2lbs of cheese that might be no better than Kirklands. Well, at about $10.80 for 2lbs its hard to not give it a chance,
 
I have to say it was the best sub $6lb i ever spent on a cheddar!!! While not as sharp as the Cabots Seriously Sharp its a noticeably better cheddar. Texture feels slightly younger than a 2yr but there is no doubt its mature. No rubber cheese in this block just nice crumbly cheddar. I just ate a turkey sandwich before trying it so i will need to return to it again. I had a piece with half of a apple pear which was a bit mild to match up with a sharp cheddar.
 
If i had to say one bad thing about it....it would be its not very nutty to me. IMO though that would be overly critical for a cheese at this price point. Its DELICIOUS!!
 
I picked up a small sample of Heartland Mark Twain edition cave aged goat cheddar. This cheese is really damn expensive btw at around $20/lb or roughly the same price as Cabots Cloth Bound or Grand Cru Surchoix
 
Well i had high hopes for this one and its quite tasty but this is one confused "cheddar". It tasted much closer to a cave aged Gruyere to me and one that was far far too young to be sold. After some research i found out why. It was only aged in the Mark Twain cave for 31 days and it shows. I had to do some digging just find out how long it was aged. Everything about this cheese screams leave me the hell alone for another 15 months. As a young "alpine" cheddar it is quite good although rather mild for my tastes. Texture was more like a damp Parmesan or Kaltbach. That is about the only way i can describe it. Almost gritty vs crumbly.
Goat-Cheddar.png
 
Its was good but at that price point ive had much better. The Grand Cru Surchoix is fantastic and so is the Cabots Cloth Bound. To be fair this is my first goat "cheddar" so im very unfamiliar with the usual flavor. On the next trip to Fresh Thyme Market i will grab a small block of the goat cheddar they sell. I dont think it was cave aged but it was nowhere near $20/lb either.
 
What an interesting Irish cheddar except for i cant find a reference to it. The only Kildery mentioned on Jerrygold's site is for a Swiss type for the German market and this is not a Swiss or even remotely close.
 
P3M9n2E.jpg

 
This is a young cheddar as far as texture goes but the flavor is quite bold. SUPER creamy too. Sharp is the main thing that comes across and what a cheddar burger this would make. Best of both worlds, sharp and "melty". I will need to taste it again later. I had a bite of a 7 Pot and a chimi with some hot sauce so my palette is a bit off atm.
 
Walmart had it. I like the Reserve Cheddar 2yr much better but i do prefer well aged cheddar. This is almost like a cross between a German butter cheese or Havarti and a sharp cheddar.
 
I dont know how the Brits do it but even the cheaper (for export) cheddars have been surprisingly good. The Excalibur Vintage 12 month is no exception. Sharp, nutty and creamy....and CRUMBLY!!! A absolute delight at around $6-7 for 200grams. This 12month old cheddar would rival many older domestic cheddars on all levels.
1859.png
 
Well, which to try first? Whole Foods has a wonderful selection and since its kind of a drive i bought a few, The Somerset was a steal for an aged English Farm House at $3.99/6oz The Seaside is just under $9/lb. I have never heard of this particular Cabots Catamount Hills but just by feel it seems to be the youngest cheddar of the bunch..
 
Sounds interesting though after a quick Google search
 
The store carries some Vermont cheeses, like those from Jasper Hill, but when it comes to better sellers, Brent mentions first Catamount Hills, that he describes as “a kind of Italian cheddar”.
Catamount Hills is aged 9 months and the secret of its “Italian” taste is that it uses parmesan enzymes, which gives it its sweetness. On its label, you can read that it is “a hand-selected, hard Italian-type cheese with notes of swiss and Parmesan flavors”. The word “cheddar” doesn’t even appear on the label!
Click to expand...
 
The goat cheddar is incredibly firm compared to others ive picked up and the ONLY one ive found aged for over a year
RXx2gk3.jpg

 
Ive already sampled this Hatch chile Gouda at Whole Foods...This will make a amazing grilled cheese. The flavor was great.
nD0tznI.jpg

 
 
I havent tried all them yet but.....
 
The farmhouse extra mature cheddar i would swear is Barbers Reserve in a different wrapper. Its distributed by somerdale.co.uk and they distribute Barbers also. There is no age on the package but i would be amazed if its less than 18 months. The nutritional data matches Barbers also....Very tasty English sharp West County farmhouse cheddar. At roughly $4/190grams its a good value.
 
The Cabot Catamount Hill is not what i would call a cheddar but it is soooooo good. Its far more like a Alpine cheese and a very good one at that. Its very similar to the Cabots Alpine White but tastes much more like a Gruyere. Really nutty with a nice semi firm texture bordering on that of a aged Swiss. I didn't taste anything remotely close to cheddar or Parmesan. It melted awesome on some Triscuits with bacon bits and a slice of jalapeno.....Really a must try if you like Gruyere or Swiss.
 
The Hatch Gouda is just wonderful. Just killer melted over Triscuits or whole grain chips. Nice amount of zip too but not what most of us would consider hot. My brother destroyed it before i could make a grilled cheese with it. I was not able to get a brand off of it but will try again next time im at Whole Foods.
 
The Mount Sterling goat cheddar is everything the Mark Twain cave aged was not. Firm and without any doubt a cheddar. A little on the pricey side but quite enjoyable. Real nice balanced flavor profile but just ever so slightly mild for my tastes. I think most people would find it just about right though.
 
NOW, the Seaside is really delicious and at around $9/lb its an exceptional bargain for an import. It tastes like an English cheddar. So well rounded. Nothing covers up or fights the other flavors. Texture is good to very good for its age and the occasional crunch of the crystals is there. To me this one is more of a sweet buttery than just creamy. It melted well on a roast beef sandwich. REALLY glad i found this one at Whole Foods. They do have it on sale occasionally at a rather large savings of $2 or more per pound.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top