CHEESE
MAY 31, 2020 • WINE SPECTATOR 23RACHEL
VANNIBY DAVID GIBBONS
I
f there’s a common thread uniting the finest cheeses of the British
Isles, it’s family: That each of the seven standouts on this plate tells
a multigenerational farming story is no mere coincidence. After the
Great Depression and the two world wars wiped out nearly all small-
scale artisanal producers, it was holdout families such as the Applebys,
Montgomerys and Quickes who spurred a late 20th-century revival.
The vast majority of British cheeses are either Cheddars, best repre-
sented by the West Country Farmhouse PDO, which includes Barber’s,
Keen’s, Montgomery’s and Westcombe; or blues, exemplified by Stilton
and its modern raw-milk throwback, Stichelton. All are perennial go-
to selections; here, we venture a bit further afield in these categories.➊ Appleby’s^ Cheshire^ zingermans.com,^ $^40 /pound
This renowned “territorial” (traditional place-named cheese), clothbound
and from raw cow’s milk, is courtesy of the Appleby family. Its airy consis-
tency toes the line between soft/moist and dry/crumbly. Dyed a pale orange
with annatto, it offers good saltiness up front, a stimulating lactic tang,
citrusy acidity, overtones of chalky minerality and a buttery-rich finish.➋^ White^ Lake^ Cheese^ Rachel^ murrayscheese.com,^ $^38 /pound
A neighbor of both Westcombe and Barber’s, Roger Longman boldly
launched White Lake in 2004 when he converted his family’s Cheddar-
making operation to goats. Conceived as a gateway for the goat-cheese
averse, Rachel is semihard, oh-so-smooth, clean-tasting and relatively mild.
Highlighting sweet, nutty flavors, it’s indeed a goat in sheep’s clothing.➌ Coolea^ stinkybklyn.com,^ $^34 /pound
To call this “Irish Gouda” would not do it full justice: Made by the Dutch im-
migrant Willems family (Helen, Dick and their son Dickie) in County Cork,
Ireland, it rocks all the butterscotch and caramel flavors you’d expect from
a top-drawer Boerenkaas. Aged up to 16 months, it’s firm, toothsome and
adds plenty of Parmigiano-like fruity, nutty notes in the manner of its Dutch
cousins, Parrano and Roomano.➍^ Isle^ of^ Mull^ Cheddar^ formaggiokitchen.com,^ $^35 /pound
A traditional raw-milk clothbound with a distinct Scottish accent, courtesy of
the Reade family, who rebuilt a decrepit farm in Tobermory on Scotland’s Isle
of Mull in the late 1970 s, it’s hearty and rustic, with a deep, complex profile.
There are musty, sharp, bittersweet notes; peaty, earthy flavors and whiffs of
hay, chocolate and boozy fermentation—which makes perfect sense given
that the cows’ diet contains draff, the dregs of malt from Scotch production.➎^ Quicke’s^ Goat^ Cheddar^ murrayscheese.com,^ $^40 /pound
The Quicke family has been farming in Devonshire since the Elizabethan
era. This goat’s milk cheese, though not technically a Cheddar, follows the
same recipe as a traditional clothbound. Luxuriously dense, quite soft and
smooth, it brings a heap of sweet caramel notes that give way to nutty fla-
vors—there’s a suggestion of almond—and a pronounced goaty finish, with
a persistent, though never cloying, aftertaste.➏^ Sparkenhoe^ Red^ Leicester^ zingermans.com,^ $^38 /pound^
The Clarkes revived this centuries-old raw cow’s milk clothbound on their
family farm in Leicestershire in 2005. Colored a deeper shade of orange
than the Cheshire, this sturdy country gentleman has a similar albeit more
intense profile. Starting with a touch of acidic bite, some nice earthy, meaty
and moderately funky notes and a hint of background sweetness, it re-
solves to a deeply satisfying, savory finish.➐^ Cashel^ Blue^ formaggiokitchen.com,^ $^24 /pound
Newlyweds Jane and Louis Grubb moved back to his family’s County Tip-
perary farm in the early 1980 s and created Ireland’s first blue cheese—a
classic dessert option. It’s strong enough to serve colder than most, but if
allowed to come to room temperature can exhibit some crystalline granules
amid its smooth, soft, moist paste. Delightfully complex, it’s got plenty of
alkaline bite balanced by creamy, sweet, nutty flavors, with a little mocha
and a tingly licorice note.
David Gibbons is co-author of Mastering Cheese.Tasting Plate: British Family Rule
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WS053120_cheese.indd 23 3/18/20 10:04 AM