Tasmania Cheeses | Artisanal cheeses archive| Cheese Atlas

C2: Australia’s First Raw Milk Cheese

Cheese Atlas — Mon, 04 Apr 2022 06:43:32 +0000

Raw milk cheese is still a very new concept in Australia. Meet the cheese that started the movement in 2009, Bruny Island Cheese’s Raw Milk C2.

Chunk of C2 – Bruny Island Cheese

Bruny Island Cheese Co.

After spending more than 10 years working with cheesemakers around the world, Nick Haddow came back home to Australia in 2003. Soon after, he established Bruny Island Cheese Co. in Tasmania with a very clear goal in mind.

Without a doubt, Nick’s plan was to bring traditional cheesemaking to Australia. And, there is no practice that is more traditional than the use of raw, unpasteurised milk to make cheese.

Australia’s first raw milk cheese

In 2009, Bruny Island Cheese Co. launched Australia’s first commercial raw milk cheese. The aptly named Raw Milk C2 is a pressed cooked cow’s milk cheese that provides the purest form of expression of the local terroir.

Drawing his inspiration from the mountain cheeses of France, Nick and head cheesemaker Luke Jackson, make Raw Milk C2 using the fresh, unpasteurised milk from their own herd of cows.

What does Raw Milk C2 taste like?

Overall, they mature the wheels of C2 onsite for a minimum of 6 months. In fact, they select some of their best wheels for further maturation up to 12 months.

During this time, an affineur wipes the wheels down weekly to encourage the rind and flavour development.

At 12 months, the cheese develops a sweet aroma and a mildly nutty flavour. Moreover, it has a beautiful, rugged cream coloured natural rind which is packed with flavour.

How to serve Raw Milk C2

As always, you will want to get your piece of cheese to room temperature before serving.

Celebrate the local terroir of Bruny Island by pairing with a local Honey Pale Ale or IPA. Furthermore, this robust semi-hard cheese will match intriguingly with an equally robust red wine such as Syrah or Malbec.

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Roaring Forties Blue: Australia’s Most Famous Export

Cheese Atlas — Wed, 23 Feb 2022 04:30:03 +0000

King Island Dairy’s Roaring Forties Blue cheese is one of Australia’s most popular exports.

Read on to learn about the unique geographical location where it is made, what the cheese tastes like, and how best to serve it.

A unique terroir

Situated in the Bass straight in between Victoria and Tasmania, King Island has a truly unique microclimate. With mineral rich soils, cool temperatures and abundant rainfall, it is the perfect location for dairy farming.

On the island, cows graze on lush pastures to produce a sweet, unusually rich milk. Moreover, the milk, sourced from just a handful of local farms, is delivered fresh to King Island Dairy, every day. All of their cheeses are made on King Island from 100% King Island milk.

The story behind the name

While King Island is a truly picturesque destination on a fine day, it is sometimes lashed by ferocious westerly winds. Actually, those winds blow directly down the 40°S longitude and are known as the Roaring 40’s.

Given the wild and robust qualities in their signature blue cheese, Roaring Forties seemed to be a very appropriate name.

How Roaring Forties Blue is made

At their state-of-the-art facility, Swiss-born Ueli Berger is responsible for all the cheesemaking. As the grandson of a cheesemaker, and the son of a dairy farmer, Ueli grew up surrounded by cheese.

This robust blue cheese is matured in a black wax coating. As a result, it cuts off access to oxygen and encourages the sweet and fruity flavours to develop. Furthermore, the wax rind preserves the moisture in the cheese to create a smooth and creamy texture.

How to serve Roaring Forties Blue

Serve this bold blue with a full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon, Port or an IPA style beer.

Get a true Australian experience by serving on a cheese platter with Pyengana Cheddar and Grand Fleuri.

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Pyengana Clothbound Cheddar: Australia’s Oldest Cheese

Cheese Atlas — Wed, 08 Sep 2021 05:04:56 +0000

Handmade clothbound Cheddars

Pyengana Clothbound Cheddar is a pressed uncooked cheese made by Pyengana Dairy in the North East of Tasmania.

Established by Jon Healey in 1992, the dairy specialises in handmade clothbound Cheddar. Until now, Pyengana Dairy uses a traditional cheddaring method that has been passed down by three generations of Healey’s. Effectively, this makes their Cheddar the oldest specialty cheese in Australia.

Rich and creamy milk

Without a doubt, the area’s celebrated cheeses owe their unique flavour to the high quality local milk. The predominately grass fed cows produce a rich, creamy milk that is perfect for cheesemaking.

A proud Tasmania heritage

Actually, the heritage of making farmhouse cheese in the Pyengana valley dates back to the 1880s. Back then, farmers from Europe settled in the area and used traditional methods to craft hardy cheeses.

Today, the dairy continues this tradition as a custodian of the original recipe and heritage vats.

The artisan's touch

To begin, the cheesemaker adds rennet and culture to pasteurised milk. Following that, they stir the formed curds in whey before drawing them out.

Afterwards, they hand-tear the curds, add salt and loop them into cloth bags. And finally, they press the wheels using a nineteenth century mechanical press.

Wrapped in cloth

Subsequently, an affineur wraps the wheels in a cheese cloth and matures them in a cave-like environment. This underground setting contains natural ventilation ducts which draw cool air down to the maturation rooms.

Overall, this setup maintains a consistent temperature and humidity which is ideal for maturing cheese. In effect, some of the wheels will spend up to 24 months in this environment.

Vintage Cheddar

An affineur grades each batch of cheese to determine how long the cheese is matured. As the cheese ages, it develops a more complex flavour. With this in mind, they select the finest wheels to mature for 24 months as part of the Reserve Vintage range.

At 24 months, the more subtle flavours start to develop and the texture becomes dry and crumbly. It is savoury and full-flavoured with notes of herbs and spices that will linger long after consumption.

How to pair Pyengana Clothbound Cheddar

Enjoy with a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir or Cider. This stunning Cheddar also pairs exquisitely with robust accompaniments like tomato chutney, charcuterie, and pickles.

Thank you for reading

Thank you for reading this post about yet another amazing artisanal cheese. Have you tried this cheese before? Drop us a comment below with your thoughts.

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Finally, keep scrolling to find some more cheeses and recipes that have been recommended for you. Keep it cheesy!

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Coal River Ashed Brie

Cheese Atlas — Sun, 29 Aug 2021 07:50:17 +0000

Made by people, not machines

Coal River Ashed Brie is a triple cream soft cheese made by Coal River Farm in South East Tasmania, Australia.

Daniel and Melanie Leesong established this small farm on green pastures overlooking the idyllic Coal River Valley. After spending years in separate corporate careers, they both were craving a change in lifestyle. This need to escape, coupled with a passion for local Tasmanian produce, inspired them to setup a fromagerie, a chocolaterie and a paddock-to-plate restaurant on their land.

Their mantra was “Made by People, Not Machines”. As such, they were desperate to maintain a small-batch, hands-on approach to every project they took on.

Did you say triple cream?

Their current cheese offering includes marinated feta, blue cheese and a triple cream brie.

Triple cream bries are a fairly recent invention even back in France. The first one of its kind, Le Magnum, appeared on the scene in the late nineteenth century. You might know it by its current name, Brillat-Savarin.

The secret to making a triple cream cheese lies ins the amount of cream that is added to the milk during production. Compared to the more traditional double creams, this utterly decadent style of cheese will have a minimum of 75% butterfat.

You can read more about the differences between double and triple creams by clicking here.

Rolled in charcoal

This decadent creamy delight is made using local pasteurised cow’s milk. When the curd is set, the cheesemaker rolls each wheel in charcoal. Moreover, the charcoal enhances both the overall aesthetics of the cheese and its flavour profile, adding a bit of nuttiness.

Unsurprisingly, its straw-coloured pâte oozes spectacularly when ripe. Besides, its earthy mushroom aroma tantalisingly augments its buttery mouthfeel and mildy savoury flavour.

How to serve Coal River Ashed Brie

Remove your wheel of Brie from the fridge at least 30-60 minutes before serving. This is critical to allow the texture to soften and ooze. In addition to this, you will also liberate the more subtle aromas and flavours of the cheese.

Enjoy this Tasmanian wonder with seasonal forest berries and a glass of Prosecco or Champagne.

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Big B

Cheese Atlas — Wed, 31 Mar 2021 05:28:45 +0000

Takes you to a barnyard in Tasmania

Big B is a semi-hard cheese made by Tongola Cheese in Southern Tasmania.

Tongola Cheese is a small farmhouse dairy that was established by Hans Stuz and Esther Hausemann in the late 1990’s. The Swiss natives moved to the hills overlooking the Huon River, purchased 16 acres of land, and a small herd of Toggenburg goats. Eventually, they added a dairy and tiny cheesemaking facility to the farm.

Best of both worlds

Moreover, the name Tongola is inspired by their experiences in the Swiss Alps living in tongolas (little huts). Back then, they would bring the local farmers’cow to the alpage pastures and make cheese.

In 2017, the cheesemaking facility moved to nearby Leap Farm. Kate and Iain Field took over the business and now make an incredible range of farmhouse goat’s milk cheeses on their farm. Actually, their goats descend from Hans’s and Esther’s herd.

One such cheese is Big B. They make this cooked curd, semi-hard washed rind using pasteurised goat’s milk. Its maturation period lasts for a minimum of 3 months. During this time, the affineur painstakingly brushes and washes every single wheel by hand.

Overall, this process imparts a unique aroma to the cheese. At 3 months, it has a rugged reddish-brown rind with a pronounced barnyard, earthy aroma.

How to pair Big B

Enjoy with some cherry paste and a glass of Shiraz or Merlot.

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Sapphire Blue

Cheese Atlas — Wed, 16 Sep 2020 05:30:01 +0000

The Tasmanian Roquefort

Sapphire Blue is Grandvewe Cheeses’s signature cheese. It is a stunning blue cheese made in Tasmania with pasteurised sheep’s milk from their own herd of Awassi ewes.

Grandvewe Cheeses are a family run dairy located in Birchs Bay, Tasmania. Moreover, they make farmhouse cheeses and have championed sustainable practices throughout their entire operation.

Sweet and rich

The cheesemakers mature wheels of Sapphire Blue for a minimum of 3 months. At that age, the cheese highlights the sweetness and rich texture of the milk.

Furthermore, due to the milk’s seasonality, batches throughout the year will vary in robustness.

However, one constant throughout is the acidity and spiciness. Overall, this in not surprising since its recipe is inspired by the King of Cheeses, Roquefort.

At 4 months, this stunning blue cheese has an orange-tinged thin natural rind. Internally, its off-white pâte is moist but dense with a gorgeous splattering of blue-green veins, imparted by Penicillium roqueforti.

How to pair Sapphire Blue

Enjoy this robust blue with a glass of Moscato or Prosecco or a single malt scotch. If you are more of a beer drinker, a dark Belgian Ale is the perfect companion. Don’t forget a piece of dark chocolate.

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Brebichon

Cheese Atlas — Fri, 21 Aug 2020 04:05:27 +0000

You will smell me before you see me

Brebichon is a soft ripened washed rind made by Grandvewe Cheeses from the pasteurised milk of their own Awassi ewes. Actually, the original recipe for this cheese comes from a traditional Corsican cheese that bears the same name.

On their farm in Birchs Bay, Grandvewe Cheeses hand-make an incredible range of artisanal cheeses including Sapphire Blue and Gin Herbalist. Overall, they have championed a sustainable, zero-waste approach to production.

This Tasmanian Brebichon has an edible outer rind of Penicillium candidum that is common on the soft ripened cheese varieties, giving a slight biscuity look.

A robust aroma

Each wheel of cheese is hand-washed prior to its ageing stage. This gives the ripe cheese a robust aroma that is reminiscent of France’s Epoisses and England’s Stinking Bishop.

On the inside, the creamy, bright and white pâte provides a rich and somewhat nutty flavour. Moreover, this rich soft cheese will leave you with a delicate sheep’s milk essence propelled by the freshness of apples.

How to serve Brebichon

Serve on a cheese board with apple, walnuts and honey. Wash it all down with a Cider, Lager or unoaked Chardonnay.

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Gin Herbalist

Cheese Atlas — Fri, 19 Jun 2020 23:11:47 +0000

Gin is cheese’s best friend

Gin Herbalist is a semi-hard cheese made by Grandvewe Cheeses in Tasmania using a recipe inspired by the famous Corsican cheese, Fleur du Maquis.

Like all the cheeses in their range, it is made using the milk of their own herd of Awassi ewes and Cardoon Thistle which is a vegetarian rennet.

Champions of a zero-waste approach

“Good for our sheep, good for the planet, good for you”

From the early days, Grandvewe Cheeses’s philosophy has driven their entire approach to farming and cheesemaking.

The Herbalist has allowed the team to take their zero-waste approach to the next level. Henceforth, they use the leftover whey from cheesemaking to make gin at the onsite micro-distillery. And, to complete the loop, they then roll the spent botanicals from gin making onto the outside of the cheese.

A young Herbalist is firm but moist and has fresh notes of citrus and yoghurt. As it ages, the rind becomes mottled with a grey-blue mould and the texture softens. Furthermore, the herbs on the outside impart floral and sweet characteristics to the cheese.

How to pair Gin Herbalist

Enjoy with a warm crusty baguette and Grandvewe Cheeses’s own Sheep Whey Gin.

This herbaceous cheese will also pair beautifully with a light red wine like Gamay or Grenache.

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Primavera

Cheese Atlas — Sat, 06 Jun 2020 06:10:57 +0000

The Manchego from Down Under

Primavera is a semi-hard sheep’s milk cheese made by Grandvewe Cheeses in Tasmania. It is inspired by the classic Spanish recipe for Manchego.

Grandvewe Cheeses are a family run dairy located in Birchs Bay, Tasmania. Moreover, they make farmhouse cheeses and have championed sustainable practices throughout their entire operation.

A Spanish tradition

Historically, Manchego finds its roots in La Mancha, Spain. It is a traditional cheese made with the raw milk of Manchega ewes. Moreover, local cheesemakers typically age their wheels for a minimum of 2 months. However, they will select their best cheeses for further maturation up to 2 years when they are called Viejo.

To this day, affineurs use a plaited basket made with esparto grass to mature their cheese. As a result, the cheese develops a signature herringbone texture on its rind.

Like the original, Grandvewe release their version from three months of age but mature some wheels for a year or more.

At 12 months, the cheese has a dense but slightly crumbly texture. In addition to this, its flavour is milder than the Spanish cheeses with savoury and nutty notes and a sweet finish.

How to pair Primavera

Serve on a cheese board or melt in a toastie. Pair with membrillo paste and a glass of Sherry.

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Bay of Fires Clothbound Cheddar

Cheese Atlas — Fri, 01 May 2020 22:53:01 +0000

Thirteen generations of cheesemakers

Bay of Fires Clothbound cheddar is a hard cheese made by Bay of Fires Cheese in St Helens, on the East coast of Tasmania.

Head cheesemaker, Ian Fowler, descends from a long line of cheesemakers in England. In fact, the Fowlers are England’s oldest cheese making family, going back nearly 400 years. Ian was brought up on the family farm in Solihull, West Midlands.

The farm is home to England’s oldest purpose built cheese factory that is still in operation. Moreover, 13 generations of Fowlers have passed on the craft and technique of hand-making cheddar to their children.

A Tasmanian adventure

In 2009, Ian and his wife, Tracey, left their ancestral home and moved to Tasmania to seek a new adventure. Despite being far away from his roots, he found himself roped back in to cheesemaking.

To make this award winning cheddar, Ian uses the traditional cheddaring methods that his father and grandfather tought him. Once he has formed the truckles of curd, he wraps them in lard-coated cloths and allows them to mature for a minimum of 12 months.

At that age, the Cheddar develops a complex rind and a buttery and crumbly golden pâte. In addition to this, it has a pleasant grassy aroma and subtly sweet and savoury flavours with an earthy finish.

How to pair Bay of Fires Clothbound Cheddar

We can’t look past a crisp Tasmanian Cider to go with this delightful cheddar.

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