Stichelton
February 14th, 2010 | by tb |
It was Christimas time in the UK, and Stilton is basically a requirement for Christmas dinner. However, I wanted something more authentic than even “approved” Stilton, so off to Neal’s Yard for some Stichelton.
Stichelton is an unpasteurized, organic cow’s milk ,English blue cheese made by Joe Schneider at Collingthwaite Farm on the Welbeck Estate. Stichelton is made in a partnership between the owners of Welbeck Estate, Joe Schneider and Randolph Hodgson of Neal’s Yard Dairy.
Stichelton is simply what Stilton used to be prior to laws being passed requiring it to be made from pasteurized milk. Now that Stilton has its own Certification Trade Mark and is an EU Protected Food Name (granted in 1996), any “Stilton” not made in the three designated counties, with pasteurized mik, not pressed, etc. cannot be called Stilton. Hence, Stichelton was born.
The cheese has a medium hard, natural rind with the traditional oranges and grays. The interior is simply amazing. It has so many colors running through the veins (emerald green, turquoise blue, navy blue, medium gray ..) The paste looks like Normandy butter. The aroma is constrained, with just a whiff of pepper and brine. The taste is what I expect from a top class blue cheese. There is a rich buttery background with slight sharpness and pepper from the mold, with some butterscotch and hazlenut flavors swirling around. This is about the complete package, not a single characteristic dominating the experience. If you’re lucky enough to have access to Stichelton, I say get some, get a nice Port, and have a great cheese experience.
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