If you ever search on the word “cheese” on mybeerbuzz.com, you’ll see that I really enjoy tasting cheese; and if you read my cheese reviews or you happen to know me, you’ll know I genuinely love cheese. I’m a big fan of all different varieties of cheeses and I really love cooking with them as well as pairing cheese and beer. I should also admit that I tend to get lost for way too long in the cheese aisle when we’re grocery shopping (and spend way too much money).
With that in mind I was excited to get an opportunity to try Wisconsin Bread Cheese & Baked Cheese. Now I know what you’re thinking, but I want to get it in up front. Bread Cheese in fact has NO BREAD so it is Gluten Free.
Today’s Bread Cheeses comes from Wisconsin’s Carr Valley Cheese and one of their creative cheesemakers Sid Cook. I’ll also be sampling Brun-uusto (Brunkow’s Original Baked Cheese). The Beer Cheese name comes from Finland and the fact that there is a crust on the cheese…and as Carr Valley & Brunkow’s put it, “Taking inspiration from Finland's famed cheese known as Juustoleipä (pronounced: hoo-stah-lee-pa), it was traditionally made with reindeer milk (YES, Reindeer milk!). Since then, cheesemakers from The State of Cheese, Wisconsin have adopted this Scandinavian transplant and now make it with cow’s milk for an authentic, but unique take on juustoleipä… with a much longer shelf life! Bread cheese is baked in special ovens until the sugars on the outside of the cheese caramelize and form that toasted crust that make tastebuds dance for joy.”
If Bread Cheese alone isn’t tasty enough, Carr Valley also makes Pizza Bread Cheese, Bacon Bread Cheese, Cranberry Bread Cheese and even Jalapeno Bread Cheese & Brunkow’s offers Pizza, Jalapeno, Bacon, garlic and Cranberry as well.
Today I’ll be sampling Garlic Bread Cheese and Carr Valley recommends you grill, bake, microwave, air fry or do what I did and simply put it in a fry pan and heat it up. This makes the Bread Cheese soft and warm and it seems to really enhance the aromas and flavors. I’ll also be sampling Brunkow’s Brun-uusto Baked Cheese, and you’ll be amazed at how much they have in common, including the warming process.
I always enjoy tasting my cheese plain and I can tell you the Bread Cheese tasting begins as soon as your nose picks up on the aromas of the warming cheese. The first bite of both cheeses has a really pleasant soft and warm texture, and the crust actually can get a bit crispy which really makes for a wonderful mouthfeel as you taste it. The crust also has a bit of caramelization when you heat it, so the contrast of slightly sweet and earthy cheese really works well. The cheese itself has a wonderful and complex set of buttery flavors with a very subtle sweet and nutty flavor as well. To say Bread Cheese is a bit addictive would be an understatement, in fact I struggled to not finish both packages before some of my pairings below. The Carr Valley Garlic Bread Cheese also adds an additional savory element with garlic on board. Think about a warm and crusty loaf of actual garlic bread and you’ll have a pretty good idea what this cheese tastes and feels like.
I paired both of my Bread Cheeses with some rustic Scandinavian crackers as well as some raspberry preserves and both pairings left me with the impression that Bread Cheese pairs nicely with almost any complimentary food. I do think the garlic bread cheese would pair better with fig preserves than raspberry, but raspberry was still really good. Of course I paired both cheeses with beer, and my choice was Tröegs Field Study IPA. The combination of buttery slightly sweet cheese and the notes of grapefruit, stone fruit and pear coming from the beer made for a heavenly pairing and I highly recommend Bread Cheese as a great way to introduce people to beer and cheese pairings.
I originally planned to pair the Bread Cheeses with my dinner or some roasted garlic, but I honestly finished both blocks of cheese in one setting before I ever got to additional pairings. I did manage to save a piece of Carr Valley Garlic Bread Cheese for some fresh tomato sauce and it was probably one of the best combinations of all. I think this was where the Bread Cheeses really shine and other than beer, this was my favorite pairing.
Carr Valley Bread Cheese & Brunkow’s Brun-uusto have to be some of the most unique cheeses I’ve sampled in a long time. The slightly sweet crust and buttery flavor make for a really amazing cheese tasting experience and I can’t stress enough how much these cheeses will please all of your senses from smell and taste to feel and texture.
Overall this is an amazing style of cheese and one that I know will find it’s way back into my refrigerator very soon. Be sure to try out Carr Valley Bread Cheese and Brunkow’s Brun-uusto for yourself, and when you do try them, be sure to let us know what YOU think.
About Carr Valley Cheese:
With several Master Cheesemakers on staff that love new product development, there’s a lot of creativity and openness to trying new things. But most importantly, as with all of their 100+ delicious cheese varieties, starting with the best milk on the planet is key. Their facilities are located in rural areas and fresh milk is delivered daily from local Wisconsin farms, some of whom have supplied Carr Valley for generations. Perfecting the Bread Cheese creation process took A LOT of experimenting as well as working with the Center for Dairy Research at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. The talented Wisconsin cheesemakers believe that cheese making is 50% science + 50% Art for a 100% mind blowing cheese experience.
About Brunkow’s Cheese:
Brunkow Cheese has been producing cheese in Darlington, Wisconsin, since 1899. We are a family owned and operated company that sources milk from small neighboring dairies to make artisanal cheeses. All our methods are traditional, our recipes old world, and our methods sustainable. We create cheeses by the hard work of our hands.
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