Brand: Beehive Cheese Company
Place of Purchase: Wheatsfield Organic Co-op in Ames, Iowa
Country/Region of Origin: Utah
Price in Iowa: $19.78/pound
Milk: cow
Processing: a nice cheddar rubbed with espresso and lavender in oil and salt
Texture: semi-firm
Color: straw yellow
Rind: Washed and natural
Aroma: mild dairy
Taste: mild dairy, tingly coffee notes, umami and floral notes deep in the background
Mouth feel: firm and chewy
Notes: This is a very good example of what a clever cheesemaker can do to create a unique, artisan cheese. I've had Beehive Cheese's Seahive Cheese, rubbed with honey and sea salt. I actually avoided the Barely Buzzed last time I saw it because I didn't think I would like the taste. So, here we are, about two months later, and I'm eating coffee-flavored cheese.
And it is delightful.
The coffee note are right there, in the foreground. The cheese itself has the flavor and mouth-feel of a very young gouda, which has a sweet and nutty background flavor. But the coffee notes blend with the gouda background to create a symphony of tastes. I think that a nice cup of espresso or a dark chocolate would pair well with this cheese, but be careful of serving it with competing flavors. Find something to accentuate the flavors already present in this amazing cheese.
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