By Peg Todloski, Weaver Street Market Specialty Department Merchandiser
Through our Special Delivery program, we bring in small-batch, artisan cheeses a couple of times a month. We bring in a limited amount of these amazing cheeses and sell them at a crazy-good price. When they’re gone, they’re gone, but not to worry, there’ll be something else on the way. Be sure to stop by our cheese counters to find out what Special Delivery we’ve received lately.
This week’s Special Delivery cheese is Cabot Creamery’s clothbound cheddar from the Cellars at Jasper Hills. In 2003, Cabot Creamery asked Jasper Hills to age a special batch of cheddar, sparking a revolutionary collaboration. After more than a decade, this relationship has grown; it has helped cultivate many other cheesemaker partnerships, pairing cheesemakers with Jasper Hills’s unique aging process. Fresh wheels from area cheesemakers are introduced into one of seven specially calibrated vaults, where they receive customized care until they reach perfect ripeness.
Cabot clothbound cheddar as a young cheese is received at the Cellars at Jasper Hills, coated in lard, and wrapped in cloth. The cheese ages for 10 to 15 months in the cellars, where the wheels are constantly brushed, turned, and monitored for quality.
This cheddar is a cheese with a rustic crystalline, crumbly texture and nutty aroma. Flavors are deeply savory up front, starting with brothy notes that end with a caramelly, milky finish. Serve with charcuterie, fresh apples, or savory sweet jam. Pairs well with off-dry ciders or hoppy ales.