Cheese

Set includes:

• Comte -A classic French Cheese from the Pre-Alps, region of Franche Comte.  Made from 100% cow's milk, aged to a seductive smoothness, with distinctive overtones of roasted cashews and almonds.  Combines in your mouth beautifully with reds, whites or bubbly. 
• Sherry Gray -  a super buttery ash ripened double cream from Vermont, this rich, sumptuous round 
• Le Pico - a creamy, gently herbal soft-ripened goat’s milk cheese from France.
• Plus a box of wafer crackers.

Manchego (raw sheep’s milk, Spain)

Widely hailed as the best Manchego available outside of Spain, this farmstead classic is full of subtle herbal and citrusy overtones. - Martin Johnson, Cheesemonger at 67Gourmet

Full description

There are less than ten cheesemakers left in Spain making farmstead PDO Manchego artesano with a natural rind like the one we offer at Essex St. Cheese. Farmstead means the animals live at the same farm where the cheese is made. PDO Manchego artesano is the Spanish government's seal of approval saying this is the real deal, the same great cheese that Don Quixote enjoyed hundreds of years ago. A natural rind—unwaxed, not the artificial brown like most Manchegos you see—allows the cheese to breathe; the cut cheese's aroma is clean, it smells like hay and almonds.

Touted by its producer, the great Dutch affineur Betty Koster, as the vanilla milkshake of the cheese, this goat’s milk aged gouda is seductively smooth and has a slight overtone of brown butter in the finish. Lean, easygoing and sweet, the cheesemaker calls this goat’s milk gouda, “the vanilla milkshake of cheeses.” We also get notes of brown butter.  Pair it with something really minerally and dry.

 - Martin Johnson, Cheesemonger

Farm Notes:

Goat milk is not typically used for producing aged cheeses, or Goudas of any age.  But when the affineur is the preeminent Gouda maturer in the world, anything is possible.  Betty lets Brabander rest at temperatures higher than normal, which elicits savory notes  and a slight gaminess that are not commonly found in Gouda. The extra aging on the Black Betty wheels lend a crunchier, more butterscotchy flavor to the cheese, which sings with a perfect caramel crunch.

Our cheese and charcuterie platters are the runaway hit of any gathering.  Designed for groups ranging from 12 to 15 guests, our platters feature a stellar variety of artisan cheese and small producer cured meats, garnished with cornichons, olives and peppers.  In addition, we can tailor your platter to suit your preferences.

Raw cow’s milk, Switzerland

Nutty, dense and sweet, this Gruyere style cheese is rinsed in white wine as it ripens and aged by master affineur Rolf Beeler.  Pair it with an Old World Chardonnay or your favorite whiskey.

- Martin Johnson, Cheesemonger | 67 Gourmet

Fudgy, pleasantly dank, and smooth in texture, this complex Vermonter comes from Jasper Hill, the great Northeast Kingdom cheesemakers.  It's slight funk make it the perfect gateway cheese for novices new to washed rind aromas.  Pair it with your favorite Chenin Blanc or Vouvray.  

Martin Johnson, Cheesemonger

Buttery, salty and very sweetly fungal, this Sardinian sheep cheese is laced, intensely lacked with black truffles.  Entertain with Moliterno as a table cheese or turn any dish extraordinary (mmmm...risotto...) with it.  Pair with your favorite New World Chardonnay.

Martin Johnson, Cheesemonger

Sweet, buttery and smoky, this Vermont sheep cheese is infused with a bit of cow's milk and smoked over applewood.  Pair with your favorite Old World Chardonnay.  

Martin Johnson, Cheesemonger

Pre-packaged. Approx size 6oz

Martin Johnson, Cheesemonger writes:  "Our most popular cheese, this French classic offers well balanced overtones of sweet grass and roasted cashews.  It pairs nicely with a wide variety of red and white wines."

Full Description:

Indulge in the exceptional flavors of the Selected Comté from Marcel Petite, carefully chosen by Essex Street Cheese based on flavor rather than age or price. This Comté reaches you at its peak ripeness, showcasing its beguiling aromas of hazelnuts, fried onions, and spring berries, complemented by hints of cut grass, wet earth, and straw. With its herbaceous and fruity profile, kissed with deep, luscious creaminess, this Comté is a cheese lover's delight. Pair it with crusty baguettes, dried fruits, and a glass of red wine for an exquisite tasting experience.

Ingredients: Raw cow’s milk, salt, cultures, animal rennet

Contains: milk

Background: Marcel Petite was an affineur (ager of cheese) who, in the 1960s, established an aging facility at a former military fort called Fort Saint Antoine. Though Marcel Petite passed away in the 1980s, his legacy and philosophy of aging has endured. Fromageries Marcel Petite specializes in slow, cool maturation of Comté, coaxing out complexity and nuance from the ripening wheels. Marcel Petite was the first person to practice this aging technique and, of the 150 fruitières in the region, the company works with 35. In their words, they are “the biggest of the little affineurs.” 7,000 tons of Comté passes through their caves each year and fruitières deliver cheese roughly twice per month, bringing in anywhere from 20 to 40 wheels at a time, depending on the size of their cooperative.

Is it a cheddar or a Gruyere?  

The answer is both!  It's a cheddar highlighted by savor and sharp flavors, but this unique Vermonter is made with some Gruyere cheese culture which yields sweet, nutty overtones too.  It melts beautifully and pairs with your favorite red wines.  

Martin Johnson, Cheesemonger

The classic table to barn experience highlighted by an aroma that will make you think that farm animals are in your lap, this cheese--beyond the aroma--offers a rich, sumptuous, savory experience that sis unmatched by any other dairy delight.  Pair it with your favorite Spatlese Riesling.  

Martin Johnson, Cheesemonger

The most unique cheese that we carry and one of the most unusual cheeses in the world, this Portuguese sheep cheese is coagulated with a thistle based rennet.  What results is a cheese that starts out goopy and buttery and then in an abrupt change of direction, it finishes tart, lean and sour.  Pair with your favorite Vouvray or New World Chardonnay.

Martin Johnson, Cheesemonger

An ashen pyramid of delightful goat's milk cheese from Vermont, Bonaparte is one of the signature cheeses of Lazy Lady Farms, a very Vermont operation: part wind powered, part solar powered, one woman (Lani Fondlier) and a two assistants.  She tests her goat's milk daily and makes the cheeses that are right for its characteristics.  Pair with your favorite Chablis.

Is this the best cheese in the world?  This extraordinary Australian delight is made from a blend of goat and sheep's milk then marinated in Extra Virgin Olive Oil with fresh thyme and peppercorns, and it's certainly in the conversation.  

Pair with your favorite fruit forward red,  

Martin Johnson, Cheesemonger