Barely Buzzed (Jersey cow milk, pasturized, vegetarian rennet)

{Barely Buzzed pic via Beehive Cheese Co}

Barely Buzzed is another new favorite cheese made by the Beehive Cheese Co.  I first tried this cheese last year, although the cheesemakers say it has been winning awards since 2007. It is described as having a texture like a mild cheddar, and it is hand rubbed with coffee and lavender. I thought the combination of flavors was unique and very interesting. Some bites would taste like coffee, but in others I tasted the lavender more than anything else. I thought the overall taste was mild, and I would absolutely serve it at parties. The name and flavors alone make it a conversation piece. From the pictures and pairings on the company's website, it seems like beer, coffee, and chocolate would make nice pairings with this cheese.

Carmody (Jersey cow, pasteurized, vegetarian rennet)

{photo via Cowgirl Creamery website}

Cowgirl Creamery in DC is the first cheese shop I ever visited. I didn't even know that shops existed that were devoted to cheese. Carmody was one of the first cheeses I tried there. It's mild and tastes delicious by itself, or on a cracker with black pepper, and it pairs nicely with a Sauvignon Blanc as well. I find it safe enough to serve to guests who may not be into cheese or don't like stinky or pungent cheese. 

The description, according to the website:

Close enough to catch the moist and cooling fog of the Pacific Ocean, Bellwether Farms in Sonoma County, California, can state with pride that their cheeses grace the tables of some of the finest restaurants across the country.

Made entirely from pasteurized Jersey cow milk, Carmody is a firm and golden cheese that rolls smoothly over the tongue with a buttery intensity. As it ages, Carmody turns over a sweet and surprising caramelized undertone.

Carmody is made with vegetarian rennet, a concept that I was unfamiliar with at first. For a while I stuck to pasteurized cow milk cheeses made with vegetarian rennet until I got used to the concept of cheese made with milk from another animal and with rennet from animals too. (Hey, no judgement. For someone who only grew up drinking cow's milk, sheep and goat milk were a foreign concept for a while).  In the years since I first tried Carmody, I'm happy to report that I've opened my mind and palate and moved away from the cow-only, pasteurized-only cheeses. But Carmody remains my favorite cheese.

Piedmont (sheep's milk cheese, Everona Dairy)

Piedmont
I had this sheep's milk cheese for the first time over the weekend. It was soft and very flavorful and is the dairy's signature cheese. Here's how the Everona Dairy site describes it:

Everona Piedmont - Sheep's milk cheese aged to a perfection of taste - nutty flavor, even flowery, with a slight tang and earthy aftertaste characteristic of good sheep's milk cheese.

I had a few slices by themselves, and grated a little on top of some beef. I think this may be the first sheep's milk cheese I've ever knowingly eaten. I liked it and want to try the other flavors Everona has. I also like that it's local to Virginia.

I Love Cheese

I love cheese so much that my husband gave me this book for my birthday.  I started this blog to learn more about different kind of cheese, how it's made, and how to pair it with wine and other foods.