October is American Cheese Month. The American Cheese Society says, “American Cheese Month is a celebration of North America’s delicious and diverse cheeses, and the farmers, cheesemakers, retailers, cheesemongers and chefs who bring them to your table.”
So I thought I would bring a different cheese to Chow Town readers every day in October. Stay tuned to see what delicious cheeses North America has to offer! There are sure to be some classic favorites and new must-haves that will suit everyone’s tastes.
Rogue River Blue
Producer: Rogue Creamery
Place: Central Point, Ore.
Milk: Cow
Type: Blue
Rogue Creamery is known for their great blue cheeses. It was founded in 1933 to re-create the classic blue cheeses of Europe. Since then the cheeses have taken on a delicious life of their own.
Their Smokey Blue is one of my favorites. But this time of year their seasonal Rogue River Blue hits the cheese shops. This creamy, full flavored and spicy blue hits all the right notes. It is wrapped in grape leaves that are macerated in Clear Creek Pair Brandy. This gives the cheese a fruity note along with its bacon, berry and vanilla flavors.
It is produced only with fall milk that has higher fat content based on the cows being late in their lactation cycles. The wheels of cheese are then aged and released the following fall when production starts up again.
Rogue River Blue is a cheese that has consistently been ranked among some of the best blue cheeses at the World Cheese Awards.
Lincoln Broadbooks loves cheese. He is one of the first cheesemongers in the United States and Canada to become an American Cheese Society certified cheese professional. He is the manager and buyer for The Better Cheddar in Prairie Village. You can find him on Twitter @LincolnBbooks and on Instagram @lincycheese.
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