Originating from Seattle, Beecher's Flagship is a semi-hard cheese made with cow's milk. It is left to age for a minimum of 15 months until it develops a creamy and crumbly texture and a robust nutty flavor. Apart from this signature cheese, there is also a special version called Flagship Reserve, which is made with the last milk curds.
Due to the preparation process, it is richer in flavor and texture, and the cheese wheels are wrapped in cheesecloth before being left to age for at least a year. Interestingly, there is also a subvariety of Flagship Reserve, called Yule Käse, which is left to age for 13 months in blackberry honey and red wine, giving it a nutty, caramel-like flavor with notes of berries and honey.
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Habanero Cheddar is an American cheese hailing from Oregon. This semi-hard cheese is pressed into blocks and it's made from pasteurized cow's milk, habanero chili peppers, and spices. Underneath its natural rind, the texture is crumbly and creamy.
The aroma is spicy, while the flavors are spicy, tangy, and savory. The cheese melts well so it's often used in grilled cheese sandwiches, but it can also be melted over burgers and nachos.
Colby is an American cheese originating from the city of Colby in Wisconsin. This semi-hard cheese is made with cow's milk and has a firm, springy, and open texture. Its flavors are mild, creamy, and sweet, so Colby is often used in hamburgers, grilled sandwiches, fajitas, or served with apples, pears, and rye bread.
Colby is sometimes compared to cheddar, even though these two cheeses taste different – Colby is softer, it has a higher moisture content, and the curd is washed, which reduces the acids in the cheese, making it less tangy.
Brick is an American cheese hailing from Wisconsin. When pressed with coal-fired bricks to let the moisture out, it is also shaped into a brick, hence the unusual name. The cheese is made from pasteurized cow's milk and it's smear-ripened with bacteria.
Underneath the washed rind, the texture is smooth and open with small eyes throughout the body. The aromas are rich and pungent, while the flavors range from mild and sweet when young to tangy and intense with nutty hints when aged. It's recommended to serve Brick with pickled vegetables and au gratin dishes.
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Buttermilk Blue is an American blue cheese originating from Wisconsin, where it is made by Roth. The cheese is made with raw milk from Jersey and Holstein cows. It is aged in cellars for at least 2 months, resulting in a creamy and crumbly texture, fresh and mellow aromas, and piquant and tangy flavors.
The interior is ivory in color, with blue-gray veins dispersed throughout it. Buttermilk Blue should be paired with figs, pears, dark chocolate, and raw vegetables. Because it crumbles so easily, it is a great addition to burgers, pizzas, salads, and dips.
Goat Gouda is an American semi-hard cheese produced in California. This Gouda-style cheese is made from pasteurized goat's milk and cream. The rind is natural, and the texture is dense, firm, and smooth, sometimes slightly grainy. The aroma is sweet and the flavors are caramel-like, milky, and nutty.
Goat Gouda ages for about 5 months before it's ready for consumption. It's recommended to pair it with a glass of Chardonnay and serve it with sour cherry preserve.
Monterey Jack is an American cheese made from cow's milk. It originates from Monterey in California, where it was first made by Spanish missionaries under the name queso blanco pais, but it was later taken from them by David Jack, who bought nearly all of Monterey in 1859 and renamed the cheese to Jack's Cheese, soon to be called Monterey Jack's Cheese.
Historical shenanigans aside, this semi-hard cheese has a firm, open, supple, and compact texture and a natural rind. It is pale yellow in color, while the flavors are mild and buttery. Monterey Jack also melts exceptionally well. It has a few subvarieties, such as Dry Jack and Pepper Jack.
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VARIATIONS OF Monterey Jack
Maytag Blue is an American blue cheese originating from just outside Newton, Iowa, on Maytag Dairy Farms. The cheese is made with Holstein cow's milk since 1941. It ripens for 6 months, and during the time it develops a texture that is dense and crumbly.
The aromas are strong and pungent, while the flavors are tangy and lemony. It is recommended to crumble Maytag Blue in salads, melt it on burgers, and pair it with a glass of lager or ale.
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Bayley Hazen Blue is an American blue cheese produced by Jasper Hill Farm in Greensboro, Vermont. The cheese is made from raw cow's milk and it has a natural rind. It's named after an old military road that was commisioned by George Washington.
The recipe for this cheese was developed by altering the aging process and the shape of a Devon Blue recipe. The texture of Bayley Hazen Blue is dense, firm, and slightly dry, yet creamy and fudge-like, with blue veins running throughout it.
Pinconning is a traditional semi-hard American Colby-style cheese. It's named after Pinconning, Michigan, where it was first created by Dan Horn in 1915. The cheese is aged up to 120 months, giving Pinconning a special savory flavor. It's made from cow's milk and it's available in mild, medium mild, medium sharp, sharp, extra sharp, and super sharp (more than 7 years!) varieties.
The texture changes with aging, but it's usually creamy, rich, and open. It's recommended to use it in dishes such as mac & cheese and soufflés.
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