Tillamook Week’s tasting today is the 2012 Tillamook Maker’s Reserve Cheddar.
Did you know that every white cheddar (except Cape Meares) made at Tillamook starts as their 60-day Medium White Cheddar? I didn’t know this until last week. Maybe every Cheesemaker uses the same recipe for their basic and flavored style cheeses but I had never thought about it. And I had never heard it said until Jill Allen, Tillamook Director of Research and Development (Cheese and Spreads) mentioned in during a virtual tasting with Michael Landis ACS CCP last week. (You can view their entire tasting at the bottom of this article.)
2012 Maker’s Reserve Cheddar was made in 2012 when making their 60-day White Medium Cheddar recipe. The only difference between the two cheeses is time. How do they do this?
The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Title 21 that governs “Cheddar” allows the moisture content to be as high as 39%. Most Cheddar Cheeses have an average Water Activity level of .95 (out of 1). Tillamook has lowered the Water Activity in their cheddars which allows them to age the recipe to 8 to 10 years and even beyond. The lower water Activity eliminates that bitter taste that some aged cheddars develop. With this “luxury”, Tillamook cheddars slowly age in cold storage (43-45 degrees F) and with time develop different flavor and texture profiles.
The 2012 Maker’s Reserve Cheddar had been quietly sitting on the shelves of cold storage waiting to be cut up and sent into the world. Occasionally it would be poked by a Cheese Trier for quality assurance by the Cheese Graders. Over those eight years, the meso cultures, which are unique to Tillamook (as discussed in my article about Cape Meares) develop and by the time this cheese is all grown up, you’ll get the following flavor profile: Tart without being bitter, buttery with parmesan notes. (I am a big fan of the Sartori BellaVitano line and this cheese reminded me of the Bella Gold which is made using both Cheddar and Parmesan cultures.) The balance with the saltiness of the cheese and the buttery notes is perfect. This cheese is not as sweet as the Cape Meares I wrote about yesterday. One of my favorite added “bits” with aged cheddars (also some aged Goudas, Alpine and Parms) are the amino acid crystals, which are called tyrosine. The Man calls them flavor bombs. For an in-depth look at tyrosine and other cheese crystals, check out Pat Polowsky ACS CCP’s article at Cheese Toolkit.
Last week I purchased a bottle of Verdant Kitchen’s Ginger Syrup and decided to pair the 2012 with it along with Sanderson Dark Chocolate Caramel Truffles with Sea Salt and some Smyrna Dried Figs. You can NEVER go wrong with Cheddar and Chocolate. I have even seen chocolate-coated dried figs; therefore adding figs is a safe bet as well. BTW, these figs may be dried, but they are nice and plump and sweet which complemented the saltiness of the cheese. The “zing” of the ginger took the pairings to another level without outshining the cheese. The cheese stood up well.
In addition to being an American Cheese Society Certified Cheese Professional, I am a Certified ServSafe Food Production Manager with certifications that also include ServSafe Certified Instructor and Proctor. I am available for cheese events, cheese program development, cheese training, food safety training and 3rd party food safety auditing. See my About Me and Resume pages for more details or call me at 360 921 9908 to discuss availability.
Starting June 12, 2020, you will be able to purchase my curated selection of Specialty Cheeses and Charcuterie at Blue Haven Bee Wine Bar in Canon and Sweet Combs of Honey in Downtown Lavonia. I will be offering my selections of Cheddar, Gouda, Alpine, Flavored and Blues. Plus Prosciutto and other cured Italian-style meats for your summer picnic and snacking needs. Both locations will also carry a selection of my Premium Line of Small-Batch Cheese Spreads.
You can view all of Michael Landis ACS CCP videos on his YouTube Channel.
FTC disclosure: Tillamook sent samples to me for tasting and discussing on my website. Other than the cheese, I receive no compensation from Tillamook. As an #amazoninfluencer there may be affiliate links from which I would derive income should you support these links.
The opinions are my own and those of The Man.
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