the cheese blog

Grafton Clothbound Cheddar

Grafton Clothbound Cheddar is a raw cow’s milk cheese made by Grafton Village Cheese Company in Grafton, Vermont. The cheese is bound in cheesecloth and cave aged (at Jasper Hill Farm) between 10 and 12 months. This apparently is Grafton’s attempt at making an authentic clothbound English Cheddar on par with Montgomery’s or Keen’s.  Wine Spectator Magazine recently named it one of the top 100 cheeses in the world.

Grafton Clothbound Cheddar has a natual rind, obviously covered with cheesecloth. The rind permeates about .5″ into the outer edge with slight veining in the interior. The aroma is musky, earthy with the rind. Without the rind, the aroma is slightly fruity and earthy. The paste is a bit oily. The texture is semi-firm with a bit of tooth. The color is slight pale yellow to off-white. The taste is chalky and flinty, with slight stone fruite (apricot?), then tending to the mushroom tastes. It’s a tad briny, but not sharp or bitter. Grafton Clothbound is a very complex cheese that easily rivals the A-level English Cheddars.