Cabot Clothbound Cheddar

I'm an unabashed fan of all cheeses from the Cabot Creamery in Vermont. If you're looking for a reasonably priced but still good cheddar, it's hard to do better than the regular Cabot cheddars found in the dairy case at your grocery store. However, for those who appreciate something more complex, I bring you the Cabot Clothbound Cheddar.


Make no bones about it, this might be the nuttiest cheddar cheese you'll ever taste. It's dry, too, with a consistency near that of an aged Gouda. It's somewhat similar to true English cheddars such as Keen's, but the nutty flavor really sets it apart. It's definitely not for everyone, but if you like nutty cheeses and Cheddar cheese, I can definitely recommend this one.

This was purchased at Whole Foods, Princeton NJ, for $19.99/lb.

Cowgirl Creamery Devil's Gulch

The Devil's Gulch is a bloomy rind cheese from Cowgirl Creamery in California. It's one of three seasonal varieties they release throughout the year - all are the same, with the exception of the topping. This one features a mixture of dried sweet and hot peppers, as you can see below.

The addition of the peppers adds a smoky flavor to this otherwise somewhat-sweet and mushroomy cheese. I had it with some Club-style crackers, which gave me a mix of sweet, salty, and smoky...quite a combination in my mouth! The piece I bought isn't totally ripe and soft in the middle, so I'll be sure to get one that is next time I purchase this - and there will be a next time.

This cheese came from Gourmet Library in Springfield, NJ. While there I spoke with the fellow in charge of their specialty foods, since they are primarily a wine shop. He advised me to sign up for their email list (which I already have), since they often send specials and free shipping codes via email. They also post the same on Twitter. Not only does this store have a great selection, they have unbelievably low prices. This cheese was $12.99 for a 9 oz. piece, yet I've seen it selling for nearly $20 elsewhere.

I no longer need to head to NYC to find a good selection of cheese!

My first post! The Manchester

Hi and welcome to 52 Weeks of Cheese! I hope anyone reading this blog will benefit from my obsession with cheese and might try some or all of the cheeses I write about here.

With further ado, I bring you the Manchester:


This cheese is a washed-rind (read: stinky) goat's milk cheese from the Consider Bardwell Dairy in Vermont, but it's not your typical washed-rind cheese. Unlike the others I've had, it doesn't have a strong, offensive odor. The scent is strong but not nearly as pungent as, say, Taleggio. It's not a soft cheese, as you can see from the picture. The flavor is rather nutty and not at all what I expected, but I'll sure be getting this one again...if I can afford it.

This cheese came from the Bedford Cheese Shop in Brooklyn, NY, and was $26.00/lb. If you ever find yourself in that area, this shop is definitely worth a look. They had as much cheese jammed into that store as was humanly possible, and their site reflects a mere fraction of what they actually had on hand. Check them out!