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“Cheese Wiz Sasha Davies on Flagship Reserve...Rethinking an Original”

Welcome to your monthly lesson de fromage with The Strong Buzz Cheese Wiz, Sasha Davies of www.cheesebyhand.com. This month Sasha profiles Beecher’s Cheese Flagship Reserve, a raw cow’s milk cheddar-style cheese that’s made in Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington where it’s aged for 18 months. Here’s the skinny on the cheese, the producer, how it’s made, and what condiments, wines, and beers (a pint of Guinness!) to pair it with. This week, why not try some?

The Producers:
Kurt Dammeier, founder and owner of Beecher's Handmade Cheese is a true jack-of-all-trades. When I first met him in the summer of 2006, I was prepared to write him off as a shrewd businessman capitalizing on the booming artisan cheese industry. In part he might agree with that statement, but he would add that the impetus for his involvement was not big bucks. Despite the high price tag of artisan cheese I don't know many producers who have made big bucks selling their wares, it was a growing passion for good, clean food. By good and clean Dammeier means food without preservatives and artificial colors or flavorings.

The American artisan cheese scene did not exactly embrace him at first, but soon acknowledged that his experience and success in other entrepreneurial industries (software packaging, e-commerce, and micro-brewed beer) had a lot to offer to such a new market. At every turn, Dammeier's choices about how to develop his cheese business have been sensitive to market issues.

For example, he opted to make cow's milk cheeses because he felt that smaller farms are often more likely to work with sheep and goats. He also decided to make an aged cheese, something that requires more initial capital. And finally he placed his cheese production facility in Pike's Place Market with vast windows surrounding the cheese vats, offering the public an opportunity to learn about a variety of cheesemaking methods. All of these actions are a testament to the fact that Dammeier believes a rising tide floats all boats.

In four short years, Beecher's Handmade Cheese has earned a reputation not only as a quality artisan cheese producer—the Flagship Reserve was a runner up for Best in Show at the American Cheese Society judging last summer—but also as an anchor in the Pike Place Market as an educational facility and a retailer of excellent cheeses from the Pacific Northwest region.

The Cheese:
Flagship Reserve was born from Beecher's signature or "flagship" cheese that Kurt invented with his first cheesemaker. They dreamed of a cheese that showcased the best qualities of some of America's most beloved cheeses—cheddar, gouda, and emmentaler. The Flagship recipe follows the process for making traditional cheddar. This means that once the curds have been separated from the whey, they are pressed with rakes and hands into rectangular blocks that are stacked and flipped at regular intervals. Cheddaring is the step responsible for the fantastic dichotomy of textures in traditional cheddar—moist and craggy at once.

The Reserve version of Flagship was developed by taking the traditional method one step further by bandaging the wheels in cheesecloth and aging them for 18 rather than 12 months. The results are nothing short of fantastic.

Flagship Reserve has layers upon layers of flavor. The interior of the cheese has fruity and buttery notes while the pate closer to the rind is reminiscent of the musty and earthy flavors associated with tomme style cheeses. Although bandaged cheeses normally make me think of fall and winter, the Reserve seems absolutely perfect for picnics. A wedge of this cheese with a couple beers or a bottle of wine and some slices of charcuterie would make for an absolutely perfect afternoon just about anywhere.

Pair Flagship With:
Wines—Chardonnay would be a great white for this cheese because it will bring out the buttery notes. (Bourgogne Blanc "Chitry," Alice et Olivier De Moor – 2005). On the red side, something from the Loire would be an interesting combination because of the vegetal notes in the cheese and the wine- also very affordable. (Chinon "Les Petites Roches", Joguet - 2005)

Beer—I'm tempted to say Stout because I think of a wedge of Cheddar and a pint of Guinness and feel very happy but let's branch with the Dogfish Head Brewery 90 Minute IPA whose fruitcake and raisin flavors will bring out the fruit and nutty notes in the cheese.

Condiments—Chutney. One of the few good things to come from the British colonization of India is the stellar combination of cheddar and chutney. An interesting one to try is Busha Browne's Banana Chutney from Jamaica. Spicy and sweet with fruity flavors to bring out those in the cheese.If you’re making up a cheese plate, a nice European Counterpart would be Montgomery's, Westcombe, or Quicke's Cheddars.

Available at:

Balducci's: 81 Eighth Avenue at 14th Street

Murray's: 254 Bleecker between 6th and 7th

—Sasha Davies

 

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Posted: May 1, 2008

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