Cabot Creamery and Jasper Hill Farm Clothbound Cheddar, Vermont

Being a Wisconsinite, I love my cheddar. Sharp, mild, aged, young – I love them all. I don’t limit myself to Wisconsin cheeses, even though I do take special pride in my home state’s offerings, because then I’d miss out on gems like Cabot Creamery and Jasper Hill Farm’s Clothbound Cheddar.

Cabot Creamery and Jasper Hill Farm's cave-aged clothbound cheddar

How can two cheesemakers take credit for this cheese? In the words of a song from one of my childhood Sesame Street LPs, “Co-operation makes it happen!” Cabot Creamery gets the cheese started, but it is then cave-aged in Jasper Hill Farm‘s cellars. The result is a mild yet full-bodied cow’s milk cheese that has a comforting presence on your palate, even long after you’ve swallowed your last bite.

A classic combination

I usually enjoy my cheddar with apples, but I don’t think the Granny Smith apple I had on hand was the best match for this cheese’s subtle sweetness. I’d like to try it with my favorite, the Gala, or a Honeycrisp when the variety is in season. (Honeycrisps were developed in Minnesota, by the way.) Normally, I have my cheddar and apple as a mid-day snack at work, which means I’m not savoring them with a glass of wine, but Liz Thorpe, the wholesale manager at Murray’s Cheese, recommends a medium-bodied Chardonnay.

Cabot Creamery only produces a limited amount of Clothbound Cheddar each year, so act fast! If you have trouble finding it in your local cheese shops, mail-order may be the way to go. Cabot recommends checking with Murray’s Cheese or Artisanal Cheese for availability.

Tagged as: Add new tag, American-NewEngland, cabot creamery, chardonnay, cheddar, Cheese!, jasper hill farms, new england, vermont