Best New Englander Soft Cheese Types
Oma is an American cheese produced on Jasper Hill Farm in Vermont by the Von Trapp family (yes, the descendants of the family from The Sound of Music). The cheese has a washed rind and it's made with raw milk coming mostly from Jersey cows.
The body is soft and supple, yet never runny. The aromas are nutty and earthy, while the flavors are rich, creamy, meaty, barnyardy, pungent, and slightly sweet, with notes of chocolate, butter, and cured meat. It is recommended to pair this cheese with Belgian ales, IPA beer, and fig jam.
Harbison is an American cheese that's produced in Vermont, at Jasper Hill Farm. It is made from cow's milk and has a bloomy rind. The cheese is traditionally wrapped in strips of spruce. It has a creamy and soft texture, the aromas are fruity, rich, floral, and mushroomy, while the flavors are best described as sweet, woody, and lemony.
The cheese is named after Anne Harbison, who originally contributed to its production. It is recommended to serve Harbison with baguettes, mostarda, and barrel-aged sour beer.
Pair with
THE BEST Harbison Cheeses
Coupole is an American cheese produced in Vermont by Vermont Creamery in Websterville. The cheese is made from goat's milk and it's shaped into a dome. The texture is creamy and dense, while the aromas and flavors are fresh, mild, and milky.
The wrinkled rind has a strong and intense aroma that makes the cheese stand out on a cheeseboard. Coupole is an award-winning cheese, including a silver medal at the 2011 World Cheese Awards. This unique cheese is named after its likeness to a snow-covered dome.
Pair with
Weybridge is an American cheese hailing from Vermont. The cheese is made from pasteurized cow's milk. Underneath its delicate bloomy rind, the texture is dense, creamy, soft, and chalky. With age, it becomes runny with rich and more complex flavors.
The aromas are earthy, while the flavors are citrusy, acidic, creamy, mushroomy, and savory. It's recommended to pair Weybridge with sparkling wines, apple cider, or a glass of pilsner. Serve it with berry preserved and fresh homemade bread.
Pair with
Cremont is an American cheese hailing from Vermont, its name meaning cream of Vermont. The cheese is made from pasteurized goat's milk, Jersey cow's milk, and cream. It's aged for 2 weeks, during which a combination of mold and yeast is added to the cheese in order to impart a unique flavor.
Underneath its crinkly cream-colored rind, the texture is smooth and creamy. The aromas are yeasty and nutty, while the flavors are smooth, nutty, creamy, and yeasty. It's recommended to serve Cremont with fruit jams and crusty bread on the side. Pair it with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.
Bonne Bouche is an American soft cheese made in Vermont. The cheese is made from pasteurized goat's milk and microbial rennet. The rind is mold-ripened and sprinkled with tree ash, and it's then aged for 10 days until it develops a wrinkly rind.
After that, it continues to age for up to 80 days. The rind has a yeasty aroma, while the texture is smooth and creamy. The flavors are grassy and citrusy, but they become more robust and piquant with further aging. The name of the cheese means good mouthful.
Winnimere is an American cheese hailing from Vermont. The cheese is made during winter from raw milk of Ayrshire cows. It's named after the corner of Caspian Lake. Winnimere is washed with local beer, resulting in pink-colored rind with pungent and woody aromas.
The texture is very creamy and spreadable, while the flavors are sweet, with hints of bacon and spruce due to the fact that young cheeses are wrapped in spruce cambium strips. Near the rind, the flavors become more intense, while crystallized amino acids give it a slightly crunchy texture.
THE BEST Winnimere Cheeses
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Hooligan is an American cheese produced in Connecticut by Cato Corner Farm. The cheese is made from raw milk of Brown Swiss and Jersey cows. Its rind is washed in brine, and underneath it, there is a chalky, soft, creamy, and slightly runny texture of the body.
The aromas are pungent and stinky due to the washed orange rind which contains surface-ripening bacteria and yeasts. Hooligan is aged for 2 months, resulting in flavors that are grassy, vegetal, intense, mushroomy, and savory. The cheese melts very well, so it can be used in (fabulously stinky, in this case) grilled cheese sandwiches.
Pair with
Melinda Mae is an American cheese originating from Lebanon, Connecticut. This Brie-style cheese is made with cow's milk and ripens for 11 days. Underneath its bloomy rind, there is an ivory-colored, smooth paste with a runny and soft texture.
The aromas are yeasty and fruity, while the flavors are sweet, mild, buttery, and slightly pungent. It is recommended to pair Melinda Mae with fruits, nuts, and malty beverages.
Prix de Diane is an American cheese hailing from Waldoboro, Maine, where it's produced by Lakin's Gorges Cheese. The cheese is made from pasteurized cow's milk. Underneath its bloomy rind, the texture of this brie-style cheese is soft and creamy.
The aromas are rich, while the flavors are buttery, creamy, subtle, and citrusy. It's recommended to serve Prix de Diane with turkey, sandwiches, pasta dishes, or avocados in order to bring out its full-bodied and creamy flavors. The cheese is named after a horse race in France.
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