A gift of 12-year aged sharp cheddar
A week or so ago I went through an ‘orange’ phase due to our abundance of fresh oranges. A foodie friend from Wisconsin (Paula) mentioned that she could use a little sunshine to brighten her day. So, I sent her a gift box containing my orange marmalade, candied citrus peel, an orange cake, and a few of Geggie’s amazing shortbread.
Yesterday, I received a thank you gift from Wisconsin including this amazing 12-year aged sharp cheddar and the most amazing fresh spinach you’ve ever seen (more on that another time). Clearly, I made out best in this deal :-)
Paula raved about the cheese from Hook’s Cheese Company, a local maker of traditional and artisan cheeses. The company is family-run and owned by husband and wife team, Tony and Julie Hook. In 1982, Hook’s Cheese Company won a world championship award for their colby. I’m glad Paula supports her local cheesemakers who create such high-quality, handcrafted products.
The aged cheddar I received is absolutely amazing. I’ll admit that although I love cheese, I cannot claim to be an expert in the field. However, I do know what I like and this cheese is strikes me as superb on all accounts. The texture is slightly crumbly and clearly different from an un-aged cheese. The intensity of the cheddar flavor is apparent and the consistency smooth and creamy. My grandfather loved sharp cheddar and this cheese brought back many good memories as well.
I am pacing myself to occasional small nibbles as I want the cheese to last as long as possible. Last night, I opened a Cabernet Sauvignon and nibbled on the Hook’s aged cheddar, it was a match made in heaven. The bold red wine balanced well with the intense flavor of the cheese.
A big thank you to Paula for such a lovely gift and a super big thank you to the masterful cheese artisans, Tony and Julie Hook, for making such wonderful cheese. I don’t see that Hook’s Cheese Company has a web site, but I’ve provided their contact information below. Hook’s cheese is distributed to finer cheese stores across the nation, so keep an eye out for them!
Hook’s Cheese Company, Inc.
320 Commerce St.
Mineral Point, WI 53565
Phone: (608) 987-3259
Store Hours: Fridays: 4:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
OR at the Dane County Farmers’ Market
thepowerguides on 09 Mar 2008 at 12:11 pm #
Wisconsin Sharp Cheddar is as good as anywhere else in the world , I have 3 sharp cheddars I like British, New Zealand and Wisconsin , so you did pretty well there
steve
Erin on 09 Mar 2008 at 12:41 pm #
I’m not so sure I could be made to nibble delicately on that cheese, I believe I’d be much more inclined to take great hulking bites ;)
White On Rice Couple on 09 Mar 2008 at 8:01 pm #
Goodness this looked fantastic. Gotta get our hands on some.
We just ate a big piece of mimolette cheese to satisfy our orange cheese kick!
Geggie on 10 Mar 2008 at 12:20 pm #
Yum. And i never really thought about using shortbread for bartering, but it’s sturdy and will hold up to shipping, so it makes sense. Enjoy your cheesy goodness.
Allen on 11 Mar 2008 at 9:40 am #
Thepowerguides: I haven’t tried cheese from New Zealand but will have to look for some!
Erin: OMG, I’m still pacing myself but it’s so dang good.
White on Rice: I’ve never had mimolette but will have to add that to my shopping list as well!
Geggie: Your shortbread make wonderful gifts — we had friends over and they raved about them too. :-)