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Best bites: Outstanding cheeses of 2013

December 31, 2013 No Comments

Ruckles from Salt Spring Island Cheese Company. Photo: Bob Chelmick.

We bring the curtain down on 2013 with friends in fromage recalling the memorable cheeses that crossed their palates this year. In alphabetical order, mainly, here are 22 outstanding cheeses of the year just ending—plus new Canadian fondues and a pilgrimage cheese lovers must make.

Flavoured cheeses

It is surprising, even to me, that two of my three faves of 2013 are flavoured cheeses, which to me is a testimony to high-quality cheesemaking. Flavours that meld with the cheese substrate where the cheese and the flavour counterpart do a sublime dance.
—Janice Beaton, Owner, Janice Beaton Fine Cheese, FARM Restaurant

Ruckles, Salt Spring Island Cheese Company
David Wood knocks it out of the park, again. In a sea of so many pedestrian offerings of marinated goat cheese, Ruckles is in class all its own. Firm yet silkily textured cylinders of cheese are bathed in grapeseed oil which is speckled with a mix of thyme, rosemary, chives and garlic, in perfect proportion.

Chili Pecorino, The Cheesiry
The Chili Pecorino is one of my favourite offerings from Rhonda Zuk Headon’s repertoire. The balance of chilis embedded in this toothsome cheese provides a gentle heat that lingers on the palate while the nutty, olive flavour of this sheep milk cheese still holds its own. Not an easy accomplishment but Rhonda pulls it off!

Cheese fondues

Cheese fondue, the melted-cheese dish popular some years ago, is making a comeback—but without the classic ingredients of Comté, Beaufort, Gruyere or Emmental.

Four new ready-to-eat Cheese Fondues arrived on the market in 2013. All amazing, with either Louis d’Or, 14 Arpents or Victor et Berthold or the one from Charlevoix with both 1608 and Hercule in the box!
—Alain Besré, Fromagerie Atwater and Aux Terroirs

One of my best bites was a fondue made from Victor et Berthold, a beautiful washed rind from Fromagerie Du Champ a la Meule in Québec. This cheese made one of the most delicious fondues of all time. It made me very happy.
—Wendy Furtenbacher, Blogger, CurdyGirl, Cheesemonger, Sobeys Queensway

Outstanding cheese of 2013

Alfred Le Fermier (24 months), Fromagerie La Station de Compton
Alfred Le Fermier is a true, rustic, organic, raw cow’s milk farmstead cheese made in small batches, pressed and cooked, washed/turned by hand, as a way of life on the farm. It has a European style, but with local terroir, as a result of choosing closely the hay from their local Estrie region. Note heavy woodsy, herbal and mild floral aromas, with layers of milky, grassy and buttery complexity on the palette, more pronounced when aged for 24 months.
—Vanessa Simmons, Cheese Sommelier, Savvy Company

Beau’s Abbey Style Cheese, Gunn’s Hill Artisan Cheese
A delicious marriage of Gunn’s Hill Artisan Cheese of Woodstock, Ontario, with Beau’s All Natural Brewing of Vankleek Hill, Ontario. This sumptuous semi-soft cheese is washed with a seasonal beer from Beau’s. Beer and cheese together, pure bliss!
—Gurth Pretty, Senior Category Manager, Deli Cheese, Loblaw Companies

Brebichon, Les Fromages du Verger
I simply adore Brebichon, a farmstead sheep milk cheese that is oh so creamy, delicate and lucious. This apple juice washed cheese is an absolute must buy on every stop I make at Fromagerie Atwater in Montréal.
—Wendy Furtenbacher, Blogger, CurdyGirl, Cheesemonger, Sobeys Queensway

Chemin Hatley, Fromagerie La Station de Compton
Made with organic raw milk from a closed herd of fourth-generation family-farmed cows, this cheese readily fulfills its potential. Supple and fragrant, with yeasty and savoury aromas, and a long layered finish.
—Julia Rogers, Cheese Educator, Cheese Culture

Crottin à ma Manière, Fromagerie L’Atelier
The goat’s milk cheese Crottin à ma Manière from Simon Hamel at Fromagerie l’Atelier in the Bois-Francs region of Québec surpasses famed Chavignol of France, is much cheaper and it’s federally licensed.
—Alain Besré, Fromagerie Atwater and Aux Terroirs

Dragon’s Breath Blue, That Dutchman’s Cheese Farm
A rare find and 2013 Canadian Cheese Grand Prix finalist, Dragon’s Breath Blue is a closely guarded family secret. Unique in shape and size, these small cylinders of blue cheese are aged only a few weeks then coated with wax for ripening another 2-6 months. The flavor and texture varies by season, more buttery/creamy in the summer months with higher fat content in the milk. Note sharp blue flavor, moist texture with fruity notes, and little blue veining depending on exposure to air. More than worth the shipping charges!
—Vanessa Simmons, Cheese Sommelier, Savvy Company

Figaro from Glengarry Fine Cheese. Photo: Vanessa Simmons.

Figaro, Glengarry Fine Cheese
I choose Figaro from Glengarry–not that I don’t love (and love the Global award!) for the Lankaaster Aged but I kind of forgot about the amazingly fresh and delicate qualities. And we found each other again this year–lucky for me.
—Sue Riedl, Cheese Columnist, The Globe and Mail

Fleur des Monts, La Moutonnière
Not as consistent as one might want, though still an ambitious and expressive farmstead cheese modeled loosely after Manchego, but more floral, bright and pungent.
—Julia Rogers, Cheese Educator, Cheese Culture

Grizzly Gouda, Sylvan Star Cheese
I’ve served the Grizzly Gouda from Sylvan Star many times at events or at home this year and it is outstanding in its complexity, looooong finish and “ability to wow” factor.
—Sue Riedl, Cheese Columnist, The Globe and Mail

La Sauvagine Réserve, La Maison Alexis de Portneuf
Somehow the cheesemakers at Alexis de Portneuf improved their already mouth-watering, soft, mixed rind La Sauvagine cheese. What did they do? Add cream to it, making it a triple crème. Grab some of this cheese while you can. A limited amount of this OMG mouth experience was created.
—Gurth Pretty, Senior Category Manager, Deli Cheese, Loblaw Companies

Laliberté, Fromagerie du Presbytère,
I have to start with Laliberté from Fromagerie du Presbytere–the triple cream that I could not stop eating, and made from organic milk to boot.
—Sue Riedl, Cheese Columnist, The Globe and Mail

Lankaaster Aged, Glengarry Fine Cheese
Supreme Global Champion at the 2013 Global Cheese Awards, this firm to hard cow’s milk cheeses comes shaped in a loaf or wheel, covered in a waxy rind, and is a Gouda-style after Dutch farmstead cheeses. It’s a rich, dense, chewy cheese with intense buttery, fruity, caramelized nutty flavors that linger forever.
—Vanessa Simmons, Cheese Sommelier, Savvy Company

Le Vlimeux, Fromagerie Le Mouton Blanc
It’s not hard to see how this multiple Caseus award-winning cheese is smokin’ hot! Vlimeux is a firm, pressed, uncooked raw sheep’s milk cheese, with a hard, waxy, glossy, caramel-hued rind. Smoke, salt and nut permeate the interior overlaying the cheese’s natural sweet milky flavors in a perfect complement.
—Vanessa Simmons, Cheese Sommelier, Savvy Company

Maple Cheddar, Black River Cheese
What could be more Canadian than Black River’s Maple Cheddar? This cheese provides a bite that is perfectly balanced between sweet and savoury, and just —Wendy Furtenbacher, Blogger, CurdyGirl, Cheesemonger, Sobeys Queensway

Parmigiano-Reggiano rinds
Okay, this is part of the cheese but my wife and I cannot resist adding small cubes of it into our soups, chili, tomato sauce and risotto. The dried rind softens in the broth, releasing its flavour and becomes chewable. We love it so much that we actually have to buy some from our local grocery store.
—Gurth Pretty, Senior Category Manager, Deli Cheese, Loblaw Companies

Pont Blanc, Fromagerie Au Grés Des Champs
Pont Blanc is a soft, lactic, surface ripened cow milk cheese. A rare find outside the farmstead retail store, the skin-like rind on this beauty reminds of intricate ivory lace, while the dense interior has the texture of a soft cream sandwich and moist piece of cheesecake. Note pronounced flavors and aromas of fresh sweet milk, and grass that linger and linger.
—Vanessa Simmons, Cheese Sommelier, Savvy Company

Ricotta, Quality Cheese
The 2013 Canadian Cheese Grand Prix Grand Champion, the humble Ricotta from Quality Cheese reigned supreme, winning against more than 225 of Canada’s best cheeses, a first ever for both an Ontario cheese and a fresh category cheese. Fresh, creamy, melt in your mouth Ricotta (which means re-cooked in Italian, as it’s made from the leftover whey after making other cheese). Very light, but rich, and very versatile as a simple cheese to eat with a variety of garnishes/condiments or used in cooking.
—Vanessa Simmons, Cheese Sommelier, Savvy Company

Taleggio, Northern Italy
Taleggio (1996 Italian DOP) has and will always be in my Top 10. It’s a semi-soft, washed rind, smear-ripened Italian cheese that is named after Val Taleggio where it has been made since the 10th century. The cheese has a thin crust and a strong aroma, but its flavour is comparatively mild with an unusual fruity tang.
—Alain Besré, Fromagerie Atwater and Aux Terroirs

Water Buffalo Mozzarella, Old West Ranch
James Meservy deserves a medal for perseverance! He has faced many challenges in the last two years in his attempt to bring high quality Old West Ranch Water Buffalo Mozzarella to the artisan Canadian cheese market. When it is in its finest form, it is dense and velvety without being the least bit rubbery and sweetly milky with a tangy underpinning that keeps us reaching for more.
—Janice Beaton, Owner, Janice Beaton Fine Cheese, FARM Restaurant

Only one imported cheese—Taleggio—made the 2013 most memorable list, but Julia Rogers offers this recommendation:

As far as international picks go, I’d suggest that any cheese lover make a pilgrimage to Neil’s Yard Dairy in London. The pleasures are too many to enumerate, but this is mecca, without a doubt. Here’s just one photo. And, yes, I tasted virtually everything in the shot.
—Julia Rogers, Cheese Educator, Cheese Culture

Neal's Yard Dairy: Mecca for cheese lovers. Photo: Julia Rogers. — Neal’s Yard Dairy: Mecca for cheese lovers. Photo: Julia Rogers.

cf_beaus_father_son_cropped — Steve Beauchesne with his father, Tim, at Beau’s All-Natural Brewing Company east of Ottawa.

The company logo says a great deal about the ethos of Beau’s All-Natural Brewing Company with the old-fashioned tractor symbolizing the hard work of Eastern Ontario’s farmers and the close family ties that strengthen their businesses.

Father and son team Tim and Steve Beauchesne founded Beau’s All-Natural Brewery on July 1, 2006. The family-run brewery also employs members of the immediate Beauchesne clan, in-laws, and close friends who have become like family.

When Tim and Steve started Beau’s, the pair had no professional background brewing beer; Tim ran a textile manufacturing company, while Steve worked for the provincial government. The idea of starting a family brewery was born over a pint in 2004. By 2006 Steve had moved home and the pair opened their craft brewery in Vankleek Hill, Ontario, an hour’s drive east of Ottawa.

“The idea of starting a brewery with my Dad just seemed like too much fun to pass up,” Steve admits.

The team noticed a void in the craft brewing business in Eastern Ontario, compared to the oversaturated Toronto-area market. They decided to brew a beer that reflected the Eastern Ontario geography and culture, because, as Tim said, “Eastern Ontario needs a beer to call its own.”

The Beauchesne’s secured Matt O’Hara as the Beau’s brewmaster. Matt has previously worked for Canadian beer makers McAuslan Brewing in Montreal and Upper Canada Brewing Company in Guelph, Ontario.

They focused on using local, natural ingredients to craft their suds. Their beers are made with certified organic malts and hops, and local spring water. There are no chemicals or fillers, and Beau’s beers are unpasteurized to ensure their flavour is pure.

“There are many, many reasons for this: supporting our community, stewardship of the environment, caring for the health of our customers,” Steve says. “But when it comes down it, for me, the most important reason is that I believe that organic ingredients make a superior beer.”

The Beau’s company also prides itself on being “totally D.I.Y.” – they brew, bottle, sell, market, and deliver their own products.

For the Beauchesne family, being a locally focused brewery means contributing to the community. Since April 2010, Beau’s All Natural Brewery has raised over $104,000 toward charitable works, community building, and independent arts, surpassing their goal of raising $100,000 in one year.

2962542 — Beau's brewmaster Matt O'Hara. Photo by Pat McGrath, The Ottawa Citizen.

Beau’s All Natural Brewery began with a single beer, Lug Tread Lagered Ale, the company’s award winning, signature brew. In 2010, Lug Tread won Gold in the Kolsch category at the Canadian Brewing Awards. Along with Lug Tread, Beau’s also offers a line of seasonal beers and their Wild Oats line – an experimental, limited-release series geared toward true beer fanatics.

“The idea of drinking only one beer every day just seems wrong to me and so it also seemed wrong to only brew one,” Steve said.

The Beau’s collection features:

Lug Tread Lagered Ale: The signature Beau’s beer, and its most popular brew. Crisp and golden-coloured, Lug Tread is top fermented like an ale, then cold-aged like a lager. Lug Tread tastes of malt and hop with delicate fruit flavours.

Beaver River I.P.Eh?: This Spring seasonal offering is the Beau’s take on an India Pale Ale, combining European and North American brewing styles. It’s a hoppy, strong beer (at 5.5 per cent alc./vol.) tasting of citrus and earth.

Festivale Alt Beer: The Summer seasonal beer celebrates the Eastern Ontario festival season, and was first crafted for the Ottawa Jazz Festival. Alt is a German-style beer, and this interpretation is crisp and light tasting, with caramel flavours.

Night Marzen Oktoberfest Lager: Beau’s Fall beer, Night Marzen is a traditional harvest brew, with bready malt flavours and noticeable hops. It was created in 2008 to celebrate Oktoberfest and the Eastern Ontario harvest season.

Bog Water Gruit Ale: Bog Water, Beau’s Winter seasonal beverage, was inspired by the Alfred Bog, an Eastern Ontario landmark. The beer features a truly unique hop replacement: bog myrtle, an herb commonly used in brewing during the 16^th century. Bog Water is a malty beer that tastes of an earthy bitterness with notes of plum.

BEAU’S ALL-NATURAL BREWING COMPANY

10 Terry Fox Drive, Vankleek Hill, Ontario K0B 1R0 Toll-free 1.866.585.BEER

Beau’s brews are available at select LCBO stores, the Beau’s All Natural Brewery and at pubs and restaurants.

Beau’s All Natural Brewing Company will be a Featured Craft Brewer at The Great Canadian Cheese Festival taking place June 4-5 at Crystal Palace in Picton, in the heart of Prince Edward County, Ontario’s newest wine region and fastest-growing culinary destination. Beau’s beers will be available for tasting at tghe All-Day Cheese-Tasting Seminar Program and Cooks & Curds Cheese Gala on Saturday and during Artisan Cheese & Food Fair on Sunday.

—Phoebe Powell

Phoebe Powell, CheeseLover.ca’s roving reporter, is based Ottawa and has been known to lift a pint, with or without cheese at hand.

Best bites: Outstanding cheeses of 2013

Beau’s: All-natural beer, all-family brewery, all Eastern Ontario