Everybody has an idol. These cheeses are worshipped for their complexity, for their craftsmanship, for the quality of the ingredients that go into them. If you’re a Cheddar fan, consider this list your British Invasion. All but a few of them are made (or at least inspired) by the Queen’s minions.
Avonlea | Beecher’s Flagship Reserve | Cabot Clothbound Cheddar | Cheddar Ale Soup | Zeke’s Maple Bacon Grilled Cheese | Fiscalini Bandaged Cheddar | Frumage Baladin | Gorwydd Caerphilly | Isle of Mull Cheddar | Keen’s Cheddar | Lincolnshire Poacher | Montgomery’s Cheddar | Ogleshield | Sparkenhoe Red Leicester | Stichelton | Tomme Dolce | Vermont Shepherd | Cheese Board: Craft Beers and Artisan All-Stars | Cheese 101: How to Pair Beer and Cheese
CANADA, RAW COW’S MILK
PERSONALITY: British Cheddar meets Anne of Green Gables—earnest and earthy.
Amid the Cheddar set, Avonlea is something of an anomaly. It was developed on Prince Edward Island by an enterprising ice cream shop-owner named Scott Linkletter who got bitten by the cheese-making bug in Britain. Rumor has it he got so excited by his first taste of real Cheddar that he arranged to study with a pair of Cheddar masters in Somerset (namely George Keen and James Montgomery) before launching his own business. Later, Linkletter worked with Canadian cheesemaker Armand Bernard to develop a special recipe, and in 2011 the two caused a sensation at the American Cheese Society (ACS) Awards when Avonlea won Best Clothbound Cheddar.
Avonlea is notable for its briny, buttery taste and gentle tang. Sometimes it has a hint of baked potato. Like other clothbound cheeses, Avonlea can be a twinge musty around the rind. Cut off the muslin and eat the sweet, crumbly center. Few Canadian cheeses make it into the States, so this is a rare treat. Linkletter claims he named this cheese “Avonlea” because this is how Cheddar would have tasted at the turn of the century when Anne of Green Gables was written.
Good matches: Apples, nuts, and chutney always work well with crumbly bums like this one. Try melting it on raisin-walnut bread with a layer of coarse-ground mustard.
Wine/beer: Pick a dry, red Bordeaux or a hoppy IPA.
UNITED STATES, COW’S MILK
PERSONALITY: The Ivy League grunge rocker of the Cheddar-sphere—earthy but sophisticated.
In the world of Cheddars, Beecher’s is a newcomer. Created in 2002, it’s the invention of Seattle food pioneer Kurt Beecher Dammeier, who wanted to add brewpub appeal to the world of cheesemaking. When he opened Beecher’s Handmade Cheese in Seattle’s Pike Place Market, it became an instant phenomenon, and Dammeier has since gone on to open a giant retail-plex in Manhattan, complete with a cheesemaking room and restaurant. Despite the Disney-esque grandeur of his vision, Dammeier produces excellent cheese under the watchful eye of cheesemaker Brad Sinko.
Beecher’s Flagship Reserve looks like a clothbound Cheddar, but it contains starter cultures traditionally found in Alpine cheeses. This contributes to BFR’s superior meltability and rich nuttiness, a trait that often lurks in the low notes of wonderful Cheddars. For something extraordinary, try Beecher’s Marco Polo Reserve, which is studded with green and black peppercorns—it’s a salami lover’s paradise.
Good matches: Make this into a grilled cheese sandwich at once!
Wine/beer: Try this with a glass of Syrah or a brown ale.
UNITED STATES, COW’S MILK
PERSONALITY: This is the “labradoodle” of Cheddars—it’s got so many flavors going on that it’s a breed unto itself.
Before block Cheddar existed in big yellow lumps, the British perfected a cave-aged cheese that was wrapped in cloth. Clothbound Cheddar, or “bandaged Cheddar” as it’s also called, is the original Cheddar cheese. A few American makers have revived this process because it produces a beautiful, sharp, slightly crumbly Cheddar: just like the kind the Queen eats.
Cabot Clothbound is Vermont’s answer to British Cheddar. It’s remarkably sweet with distinct notes of brown butter and toasted pine nuts. You may even detect notes of Gruyère or Parmigiano. If you don’t love the earthy robustness of traditional British Cheddars like Keen’s (page 171) and Montgomery’s (page 172), give this one a try. It’s caramely and buttery without a musty edge. Note that this is a pasteurized cheese and yet the depth of flavor is remarkable—one reason this cheese is a rockstar.
Good matches: This is a great autumn cheese, especially alongside Honeycrisp apples. It’s also remarkably good with condiments like apple-pepper jelly or stone-ground mustard. With a dish of salted almonds or pretzels, you’ve got an instant snack.
Wine/beer: For a red, try a Pinot Noir or a cigar-boxy Rioja. For a white: Chardonnay, moderately oaked. Cabot Clothbound also works well with dry cider, pale ales, and nut brown ales. Dogfish Head’s 90-Minute Imperial IPA is an inspired pairing.