Our April Cheese Club Collection

A P R I L

C H E E S E

C L U B

April’s Cheese Club Collection offers a
comprehensive sensory ‘deep-dive’ experience,
featuring three rare, limited-release cheeses…

along with two particularly precious pairings
from Brooklyn Cured and Botanical Springs…

…and a pocket-sized tasting journal for logging
each and every cheesy endeavor you embark upon.

With April’s Collection, we’re also launching our
Members-Only ‘Club Cocktail Hour’ — read on to learn more!

WHAT’S IN THE BOX?

RAW MILK CHEDDAR ‘CONUNDRUM’

We consider all of the cheeses in this month’s collection to be bonafide rarities — Black Label Bayley doesn’t come around often, and Special-Wash Willoughby is usually only available to one particular region at a time — but this raw milk cheddar might be just be the crown jewel among these other gems!

What is it, exactly, that makes this cheese so very special? Well, you know that we’ve been successfully aging cheddars like our award-winning Cabot Clothbound for years, but it’s been a long time since we’ve made a cheddar ourselves.

This is the first original, in-house cheddar recipe that we’ve developed since creating the now-extinct Aspenhurst, a small-batch cheddar that we made just a handful of way back in the beginning.

We are thrilled to be able to capture the rich, complex flavors of our own herd’s raw milk in such a dynamically-developing cheese. At once grassy, fruity, nutty, and toasty, with just the right amount of classic Vermont Cheddar ‘sharpness,’ this cheddar is bold enough to stand alone and smooth enough to pair with anything from cured meat to marmalade.

WHAT’S A ‘CONUNDRUM’?

Whenever we find ourselves on the right track with an R&D project, and we’re ready to share our experimental success with premier customers like you, we dub it a ‘Conundrum.’ These ‘Conundrum’-labeled batches are usually released in very small quantities as a ‘sneak preview’ to select groups of customers whose feedback we especially value. Eventually, this ‘Conundrum’ will be officially named, and it will make its way into our regular lineup of cheeses. Until then, you can celebrate the fact that you were one of the first to try it out, before it even officially existed!

BAYLEY HAZEN BLUE — BLACK LABEL RESERVE

Oh, Bayley! Perhaps our most visually-striking cheese, this blue-veined beauty has served as a ‘gateway blue’ for hundreds, if not thousands, of apprehensive cheese-eaters. Blue cheeses have a bit of a reputation for being assertive, but Bayley is always gentle, buttery, and well-balanced. Those of you who are already caught up in this love affair may think that Bayley couldn’t possibly get any better — but we have news for you:

For the second time ever, we’ve got ourselves a batch of Black Label Bayley. This particular batch, 12.02.20, fits into what we refer to as an ‘ocean and umami’ flavor profile. Boasting notes of fresh seafood, fermented soy, black pepper, and cured meats, this batch is especially fudgy and smooth in texture.

WHAT MAKES A BATCH ‘BLACK LABEL-WORTHY’?

Usually, when a young cheese expresses remarkable depth, balance, & clarity of flavor, it’s a sign of overall excellence. It’s likely that such a cheese will continue to improve over time — each of its positive attributes concentrating; its overall flavor profile becoming more & more cohesive.

At the same time, any flaws that may not have been obvious before will begin to age into focus—so close attention must be paid. A batch must continue to exceed already-high expectations, grading after grading, in order to make the cut.

Once it’s abundantly clear that a particular batch is indeed a cut above the rest, our skilled sensory team works together to determine its trajectory towards peak deliciousness, and that’s when we get to share it with you!

LEARN HOW TO TASTE LIKE A SENSORY EXPERT

When we’re analyzing each cheese’s sensory qualities, we like to use something called a ‘spider graph’ to help visualize its unique profile.

At April’s Members-Only Club Cocktail Hour, our Sensory Team will take us through this process and teach us how to use this tool to develop our own palates and hone our tasting skills!

SPECIAL-WASH WILLOUGHBY: PFRIEM FAMILY BREWERY BRETTA III

Willoughby is a plucky, lovable washed-rind cheese. While this category of cheeses can be quite aromatic, Willoughby’s bark is definitely worse than its bite. Beyond those bold, funky aromas lies a surprisingly mellow profile, with notes of freshly-risen dough, fermented fruity flavors, and ballpark peanuts.

Willoughby’s texture is pudgy and succulent — soft enough to spread on bread or crackers, but firm enough to cut into. This particular batch of Willoughby is washed with pFriem Family Brewery’s Bretta III Farmhouse Ale, which has both earthy-herbaceous qualities and warm tropical-fruit notes. This infused wash lends a little extra sweetness and brightness to the Willoughby, making this batch extra-complex and delicious.

BOTANICAL SPRINGS BIRCH SYRUP

Botanical Springs crafts artisan birch, maple, and honey products in Richford, VT. With an established emphasis on sustainability from the beginning, founders Francesco and Tayler are committed to increasing biodiversity and maximiz-ing productivity while minimizing their impact on the land.

Reminiscent of a long-aged Balsamico, this birch syrup was made for dramatically drizzling over cheese! This secret weapon is sweet and viscous, almost like dark molasses, but with a surprisingly tart, distinct-ly cherry-like finish.

BROOKLYN CURED BRESAOLA

This Bresaola (essentially the beef equivalent of prosciutto) is one of our favorite cheese-pairing items, ever. In addition to making delicious cured meats, we love how founder Scott Bridi goes out of his way to responsibly source heritage breeds and to work with farmers who practice regenerative agriculture.

Air-dried and seasoned simply with traditional herbs and spices, Scott’s Bresaola is velvety-smooth, complex, and umami-rich, which makes it an ideal pairing for all three of the special cheeses included in this collection.

33 BOOKS CO. — CHEESE TASTING JOURNAL

Dave Selden is the genius behind these brilliant little pocket-sized tasting journals, designed and made by 33 Books Co. in Portland, OR. The cheese-tasting template printed on every page is designed to help you take notes both quickly and thoroughly, which is incredibly helpful when you’re tasting multiple cheeses in one sitting, or if you’re just trying to get into the habit of regularly writing down sensory observations and need a little structure to guide you.

Since April’s Club Collection features three especially unique cheeses, we decided now was a good time to introduce this essential tool. As you taste through our new R&D cheddar, Black Label Bayley, and Special-Wash Willoughby, jot down your notes in this journal — then, next time you taste Cabot Clothbound, classic Bayley, or regular Willoughby, you can easily refer to your notes and see how they compare!

These special collections sell out fast —
don’t wait to sign up for this ultimate sensory experience!

…BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE!

NEW: MONTHLY MEMBERS-ONLY CLUB COCKTAIL HOUR

We’ve decided to add a social component to our Cheese Club!

Join us on the Friday of each month’s delivery week for an opportunity to mingle with fellow Club Members, pose questions to the Jasper Hill team, and show off whatever fabulous cheese plate, beverage pairing, or prepared dish you’ve created with your Club Kit! We’ll be featuring folks from our own cheesemaking, affinage, creative, and sensory teams, and as often as possible, we’ll invite representatives from our partnering brands to join us, too. Curd Nerds, unite!

For April’s Club Cocktail Hour, we’ll be Curd-Nerding out for a mini-class with the Jasper Hill Sensory Team, who will walk us through the sensory evaluation process — and we’re including an appearance from one of our affinage specialists, reporting live from the vaults!

This event is available exclusively to Cheese Club Members.

Once you sign up for the Club, you’ll get a card in your first delivery directing you to the Jasper Hill Virtual Clubhouse — where you’ll be able to access Club Cocktail Hour, current and past recipe and video content, and more!