Holy smokes! This is good!
Smokey Blue is a blue cheese made by Rogue Creamery in Oregon, USA.
Effectively, David Gremmels drew his inspiration from Smokey Bear when naming this unique cheese. Once they have formed the wheels of cheese, the cheesemaker cold-smokes them over Oregon hazelnut shells. Afterwards, they mature the wheels in a cave for 90 days.
A co-op founded in 1933
In 1933, an enterprising entrepreneur from Portland, Oregon, founded the Rogue River Valley Co-op. In collaboration with the community of Central Point, they built Southern Oregon’s first artisan creamery cooperative. Overall, their goal was to help local dairy farmers make ends meet during the Great Depression.
Unsurprisingly, the Rogue Valley proved to be a particularly effective area for rearing dairy cows. In addition to this, their milk was ideal for cheesemaking due to the area’s great soil and plentiful water. Soon after, two “cheese giants” took note, including Tom Vella, the famed cheesemaker. Over the years, he and his partner turned the little cooperative into a successful cheese manufacturing.
Learning from “The Godfather”
In 1998, Ignazio “Ig” Vella took over Rogue Creamery from his father, Tom. From the beginning, he preached the significance of artisan products and was dubbed “The Godfather of Artisan Cheese”.
After many decades of family ownership, Ig thought it was time to sell Rogue Creamery. Around the same time, he met local entrepreneur David Gremmels. Actually, David had been looking for local cheese to use in a wine bar he was planning to open in Ashland, Oregon.
From day one, David set his mind on creating new blue cheeses that celebrate the local terroir.
World’s first smoked blue cheese
Whilst Rogue River Blue is his most awarded cheese, David has developed an incredible range of cheeses at their production facility. Currently, their offerings include the very popular Caveman Blue and this unique smoked blue cheese.
Overall, the slow smoking process infuses the cheese with unique aromas. Indeed, your nose will detect notes of barrel-aged vanilla, bread pudding, and candied bacon. In addition to this, your palate will taste spicy-sweet flavours of honey, apple, and nectarine. And a mild “blue” finish.
How to serve Smokey Blue
Serve in a burger and deviled eggs. Moreover, this unique blue cheese pairs well with nut brittle or preserved fruits.
Stands up well to bigger red wines, including Cabernet Franc and Zinfandel or with an American Whiskey.
