Cheese of the week: Sweet Vanilla Cardona

Name: Carr Valley's Sweet Vanilla Cardona

Place of Purchase: Carr Valley Cheese in Fennimore, Wisconsin

Country of Origin: USA/Wisconsin

Price in Wisconsin: $16.10/lb.

Milk: pasteurized goat milk with added vanilla & sugar

Processing: Original Spanish-style goat cheese, vanilla and sugar added, aged eight months

Texture: Semi-Firm

Color: pale cream

Rind: Natural

Aroma: Sharp dairy

Taste: warm dairy, floral notes, sweet caramel, umami finish

Mouth feel: firm and creamy

Notes: I was up in Wisconsin doing some cave camping at Eagle Cave with the Scouts, and we passed Carr Valley Cheese on our way home. Well, I just had to stop. Their selection was modest, but unique. Sure, you could find Cheddars and Colbys, squeaky cheese curds and Goudas. But there was a whole cooler full of unique, artisan cheeses made from cow, goat or sheep milk. I eventually decided on one of the cardona cheeses, a family of "spanish-style" semi-firm goat cheeses unique to Carr Valley. I couldn't find out much about the processing, but my choices were between Cocoa and Sweet Vanilla Cardona. I thought the cocoa was a bit over the top. I've been seeing cheese fudges slowly edging into the cheese coolers, so I'm gunshy about buying a treat instead of a cheese. The Sweet Vanilla Cardona is probably a dessert cheese. It would go well with dessert wine or fresh fruits. However, the added sugar wasn't overpowering, and the vanilla just added warm flowery flavors. It was complex and robust enough to hold its own on any cheese tray. I think my next step with Carr Valley Cheeses is to get one of their Champion Cheese Selections by mail order. It's pricey, but you get a lot of unique cheeses for your money.