Artikaas Vintage Lot 36
Beecher's Flagship
Salemville Amish Blue
Original Gourmet Cheese Club Selections - 2026
Click the months below to learn about our featured cheeses for 2026.
Please note that occasionally we are able to secure a truly special, hard to find cheese on short notice and may substitute an item.
Featured Cheeses - January 2026
- Country: The Netherlands
- Cheese Texture / Type: Firm
- Milk Type: Cow
- Cheese Age: 36 months
Visually, this cheese is a deep golden-orange color, a warm amber hue. The paste is firm and crumbly with loads of crunchy protein crystals, or as we like to call them, delicious bursts of concentrated flavor. Yet once the Artikaas is in your mouth, it becomes luscious and creamy, a melt-in-your-mouth treat. The Artikaas shows decadent, rich flavors of butterscotch, browned butter, caramel, roasted nuts, and whiskey.
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- Country: United States
- Cheese Texture / Type: Semi-firm
- Milk Type: Cow
- Cheese Age: 15 months
Beecher’s Flagship is a semi-hard cheese made from pasteurized cow’s milk. Due to the long aging process of approximately 15 months, the cheese develops a uniquely robust, nutty flavor. Beecher’s Flagship is extremely versatile and will work great crumbled into an omelet or frittata, melted into macaroni and cheese, sliced for sandwiches or burgers, or simply sliced on your cheese board. It is also a perfect pairing with dry wines like Pouilly Fuisse or Syrah, as well as your favorite IPA or Hefeweizen...
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- Country: United States
- Cheese Texture / Type: Semi-soft; Blue
- Milk Type: Cow
- Cheese Age: 60 days
Salemville Amish Blue Cheese is made from cow’s milk, this cheese has a mild, earthy flavor, well balanced and flavorful. This cheese is nationally and internationally renowned for its quality, balance and flavor. Crumble on salad or pasta tossed with garlic and olive oil, stir into hot mashed potatoes, or make into delicious blue cheese salad dressing. Amish Blue cheese is excellent with big, bold red wines...
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Featured Cheeses - February 2026
- Country: Italy
- Cheese Texture / Type: Semi-firm
- Milk Type: Cow
- Cheese Age: 5-10 months
When the cheese is fresh, the taste is mild and delicate, and the color is white. The texture is compact with an even oscillation, and the rind is smooth and flexible. As the cheese matures, it becomes grainy and crumbly and the rind dries and darkens. Its flavor becomes mellow and fruity with and full flavored finish, and its color slowly turns to a pale, straw-yellow. Typically, you will find this cheese served as an eating cheese with crusty bread. You can also shred it on pasta dishes, and serve it in omelets, sauces, and fondue. Try it with Pinot Grigio...
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- Country: France
- Cheese Texture / Type: Semi-soft
- Milk Type: Cow
- Cheese Age: 60 days
Port Salut is a semi-soft natural cheese that is most recognized by its orange rind. It is rather mild with a savory, sweet flavor, unlike many other French cheeses. It is a cheese that has universal appeal with its smooth, velvety texture and light acidic taste. The pâte is elastic, cream-colored, soft, and supple with a very faint aroma. Bon appetit...
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- Country: England
- Cheese Texture / Type: Firm
- Milk Type: Cow
- Cheese Age: 12 months
We love Farmhouse Cheddar for its, buttery, nutty, cheddary richness, without the slightest hint of bitterness or bite. The aroma of authentic farmhouse cheddar should be nutty or grassy, with a rich texture and complex flavors ranging from fruity to a woody oakiness. The color of the cheese should range from straw yellow to beige, and the texture should be open with a few cracks… rather than rubbery and dense, which indicates factory processing. You’ll know great cheddar if you can still taste the sweet nuttiness several minutes after you have finished your first mouthful...
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Featured Cheeses - March 2026
- Country: The Netherlands
- Cheese Texture / Type: Semi-firm
- Milk Type: Cow
- Cheese Age: 4-6 weeks
Artikaas has been making artisan cheeses in The Netherlands for six generations, since 1890. Today’s cheesemakers combine traditional and sustainable cheesemaking methods that date back over 2000 years with modern-day technological advances to create enduring cheese masterpieces of texture and flavor to satisfy the growing international demand...
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- Country: England
- Cheese Texture / Type: Firm
- Milk Type: Cow
- Cheese Age: 3 months
Real farmhouse Cheshire, like the one we so proudly bring to you this month, comes from the county of Cheshire. This northern part of England is irrigated by the River Dee. The county was originally made famous for sheep's milk cheeses, but Cheshire was always made from cow's milk as are most cheeses in northern England today. To be called Cheshire, the cheese must be made from milk derived from the Cheshire area pastures and made in that same locale, using specific cheesemaking processes and a minimum age...
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- Country: Spain
- Cheese Texture / Type: Semi-firm
- Milk Type: Sheep
- Cheese Age: 3 months
One taste of Mahón, a smooth, supple, hard cheese named for the capital of Menorca, will prove to any skeptic why cheese production here has become world renowned. A unique cheese with a sweet and fruity aroma and a rich, bold flavor, Mahón is not for those who prefer bland cheeses. Made from cow's milk, it has a yellowish rind and a spicy and somewhat salty cheese flavor...
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Featured Cheeses - April 2026
- Country: Netherlands
- Cheese Texture / Type: Firm
- Milk Type: Cow
- Cheese Age: 18 months
Aged 18 months, this cheese looks and feels similar to parmesan but it is more closely related to gouda in taste and feel, offering a smooth, creamy texture followed by a sharp, salty flavor due to its extensive aging...
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- Country: England
- Cheese Texture / Type: Firm
- Milk Type: Cow
- Cheese Age: 4-6 months
White Wensleydale is firm but not dry and hard, creamy yet the surface is slightly uneven and crumbly, and has a slightly sweet but also tart flavor. It’s sometimes described as having a nutty, buttermilk flavor and with a honey aftertaste, and gentle aroma of cut grass. It has a fine curd, minimal texturing, and high moisture content. Wensleydale is usually eaten young, at about a month old. This cheese goes...
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- Country: France
- Cheese Texture / Type: Soft; Bloomy Rind
- Milk Type: Cow
- Cheese Age: 30 days
A bloomy rind cheese with lots of flavor, Fromage d’Affinois is mild and buttery. Often confused with brie, its texture is similar to a creamy cheesecake. It is made using a process known as ultra filtration. This imparts a taste like a triple-crème, although the fat content is closer to a double-crème. Enjoy it with grapes, pears, strawberries or crusty French bread. Accompany it with a tasty zinfandel, a sauvignon blanc or a viognier...
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Featured Cheeses - May 2026
- Country: United States
- Cheese Texture / Type: Firm
- Milk Type: Cow
- Cheese Age: 7-10 months
Dry Monterey Jack is an American favorite! Made similarly to Monterey Jack, this cheese is aged longer and has a firm texture with a sweet, nutty flavor. Dry Jack is terrific grated, sliced, or used in recipes. Try it in casseroles or on soups or Mexican-style dishes...
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- Country: United States
- Cheese Texture / Type: Semi-soft; Blue
- Milk Type: Cow
- Cheese Age: 5 months
Point Reyes Original Blue is California's first classic style blue cheese. Made by a family-run dairy farm and creamery in Marin County, it's all natural and made with raw cow's milk, plus it is also Kosher-certified, gluten-free, and made with microbial (vegetarian) rennet. Even if you’re not a fan of blue cheeses, Point Reyes Original Blue’s sweet, buttery and fresh milk flavor will sure win you over. Being a versatile cheese, it’s great crumbled in salads, added to sauces and dips, and will be amazing on your cheese board.
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- Country: Italy
- Cheese Texture / Type: Semi-firm
- Milk Type: Sheep
- Cheese Age: 30-60 days
The Sini Family began making Cacio de Roma more than thirty years ago on a small dairy farm in in the countryside of Rome. Second generation master cheesemaker Uncle Domenico Sini uses same-day sheep's milk collected from local shepherds to produce Cacio de Roma in the same way as did his forefathers. Once the cheese obtains its form and some texture, it is bathed in sea salt for 24 hours and then aged on wood in cellars for thirty days. The end result is a creamy textured cheese with a mild, balanced flavor finishing with a touch of fruit. It's the essence of the classic Italian table cheese found universally in Central and Southern Italy. In Italy this type of cheese is referred to as Caciotta (Kah-CHO-ta) for its small round form. Not only is it enjoyed as a table cheese either before or after a meal, it is also used in everyday cooking as it melts very well. Some typical uses are as a filling for ravioli, in salads, on pizza or for simple things like grilled cheese sandwiches...
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Featured Cheeses - June 2026
- Country: Switzerland
- Cheese Texture / Type: Firm; Washed Rind
- Milk Type: Cow
- Cheese Age: 3-4 months
Aged for 3-4 months, you'll find this cheese on the slightly spicy side. It's a pressed, cooked-curd cheese with occasional pea-size holes. We found it to have a pleasing, smooth texture. Its real charm though, is its fruity tanginess, making it a perfect complement to delicious summer fruits or to be served as a dessert cheese...
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- Country: Italy
- Cheese Texture / Type: Semi-firm
- Milk Type: Sheep
- Cheese Age: 45 days
Most Pecorinos are oily cheeses because sheep's milk contains very high amounts of butterfat… one of the reasons this cheese is so delicious. So when Pecorino comes to room temperature don’t be surprised if you see beads of oil on the cheese, these are "butterfat tears" that weep naturally from the cheese, and they indicate that it's the perfect temperature for eating. Pecorino is usually eaten as a table cheese but will occasionally be shaved on top of fresh beans (perfect for summer salads) or lightly sautéed greens. Try it instead of Parmigiano on your next bowl of pasta. Its flavor is dense and the peppercorn sensation will bring new dynamics to your next meal. This selection should be served with a full-bodied red wine...
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- Country: Italy
- Cheese Texture / Type: Firm
- Milk Type: Cow
- Cheese Age: 6-9 months
This unique variety of cheese has a very distinct taste. Its aroma is strong and is reminiscent of the fragrance of yeast and dried fruit. Occasionally one can even distinguish a note of boiled chestnuts. To the touch, it is slightly elastic when it's relatively young and harder when fully matured. The dark shades of yellow straw that distinguish this variety can at times reach the intensity of amber. The sweet taste can acquire a somewhat more savory flavor and ranges to slightly piquant. The rich aroma becomes refined with seasoning and has a hint of dried fruit, butter and sometimes, exotic fruits...
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Featured Cheeses - July 2026
- Country: Spain
- Cheese Texture / Type: Firm
- Milk Type: Sheep
- Cheese Age: 6 months
Manchego has a distinctive flavor and an equally distinctive look. It can be recognized by a unique, zigzag or crosshatch pattern in its black-gray or buff-colored rind. (It is created by the rippled surface of the press used to make it. The rind itself is inedible. Inside, you’ll discover an ivory-colored interior and several small holes. Most Manchego fans are pleasantly surprised at their first taste of this hard cheese: Rich, full and slightly salty at the finish. Even its aroma has been described as special, suggesting lanolin and roast lamb...
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- Country: Spain
- Cheese Texture / Type: Firm
- Milk Type: Sheep
- Cheese Age: 6 months
The cheese has a hard, dry texture yet is feels pleasantly oily when consumed. It is a real favorite of those who enjoy a tasty, chewy cheese. Adherents rave about its distinctive rich, buttery flavor and perfumed aroma. Even its hard, orange-brown rind is edible. The cheese is often served with a full-bodied Spanish red wine and is considered a perfect companion for grilled or barbequed meats, which makes it especially appealing for summertime barbeques as an added treat. One culinary recommendation: it is perfect to melt on top of barbequed burgers. How ironic that the most famous of Basque cheeses should find notoriety on America’s outdoor grills!
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- Country: England
- Cheese Texture / Type: Semi-firm
- Milk Type: Cow
- Cheese Age: 60 days
Five Territories from Britain's Abbey Farms is an amazing combination of five different British cheeses that are layered on top of one another to create a one of a kind cheese. The name is derived from the five different territories (counties) of England of which each layered cheese is originally from: Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Cheshire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset...
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Featured Cheeses - August 2026
- Country: Croatia
- Cheese Texture / Type: Semi-firm
- Milk Type: Cow and Sheep
- Cheese Age: 4 months
Dalmatinac won the Super Gold at the World Cheese Awards in 2014 and in 2017, Dalmatinac won Silver at the same awards along with numerous other awards in all the years in between. In fact, Culture cheese magazine, America’s first and leading magazine devoted to cheese lovers, has put Dalmatinac on its list of the World’s Best 50 Cheeses.
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- Country: Italy
- Cheese Texture / Type: Firm
- Milk Type: Sheep
- Cheese Age: 3 months
The maturing process takes two or more months, producing a cheese with a rustic appearance – a thick, sometimes fuzzy, grey rind with patches of yellow or red molds. The pâté can be a buttery color or so pale that it is virtually white. It has many small eyes, and smells and tastes earthy like a cave. Tomme de Savoie is mild and creamy, fruity and nutty, but also a robust cheese with overtones of salt and an unmistakably raw flavor. Pair it with sausages, fruit, bread, and wine...
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- Country: Italy
- Cheese Texture / Type: Semi-firm
- Milk Type: Cow
- Cheese Age: 8-10 months
We are delighted to share with you this month the wonderful, not-to-be-missed Montegrappa. It is a cheese with a storied history, having been made for centuries at the bottom of the 5825-foot Mount Grappa in the province of Treviso, in the Veneto region of Italy between the Venetian plains and the northern Alpine region, not far from the village of Bassano del Grappa. It shares its heritage with Asiago and Montasio DOP cheeses, whose farmers’ cooperative decided to create the Montegrappa as a comparable, yet milder and sweeter alternative.
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Featured Cheeses - September 2026
- Country: Switzerland
- Cheese Texture / Type: Semi-soft
- Milk Type: Cow
- Cheese Age: 3.5 months
Jùscht is a young cheese, aged three and a half months total. Its youthfulness reveals itself on the nose and palate, where it shows a smooth and supple texture (no crystals), a sweet yeastiness, and aromas and flavors of muesli milk – milk that has absorbed the flavors of muesli. Jùscht’s flavor profile makes it a perfect breakfast or snacking cheese. It is so decadent that you will not be able to stop at just one bite....
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- Country: England
- Cheese Texture / Type: Semi-firm
- Milk Type: Cow
- Cheese Age: 10 months
The helveticus culture creates a slightly fractured or crunchy texture – which results in this cheese’s hallmark crumble and snap when you bite it – making it the perfect cheddar for your cheeseboard. To serve, allow it to warm to room temperature to release all the flavors. While it is visually beautiful, it also has an irresistible flavor profile – it’s delicate, slightly sweet, and savory – with notes of toasted nuts and caramel.
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- Country: France
- Cheese Texture / Type: Semi-soft; Blue
- Milk Type: Cow
- Cheese Age: 30 days
Compared to Roquefort, its super-intense and crumbly relative, Bleu d'Auvergne has a creamier texture and a more subtle, rustic flavor. For a special treat, serve it with Sauterne and toasted nuts, or with a full bodied red wine. Bleu d'Auvergne is great crumbled on a tossed salad or add it directly to your freshly made vinaigrette to mellow the acidity. Try a small piece on a slice of apple for a beautiful, healthy snack!
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Featured Cheeses - October 2026
- Country: Wales
- Cheese Texture / Type: Firm
- Milk Type: Cow
- Cheese Age: 2-3 months
This moist, crumbly cheese offers a slightly sour but buttery flavor and a sharp, but not overpowering smell. A cheese of international reputation, it is creamy, light and subtle in flavor… a gastronomic delight to satisfy all palates...
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- Country: France
- Cheese Texture / Type: Firm
- Milk Type: Cow
- Cheese Age: 3 months
You are about to enjoy a cheese that was savored, and even written about, by the Romans over 2000 years ago. Its rich heritage was born in central France in the Auvergne mountains at an altitude of over 3000 feet. Auvergne has exceptionally lush pasturelands due to the volcanic soil, mountain storms, and summer sun - all of which give this celebrated cheese its rich and vigorous taste. Two thousand years ago, the curds were put into a wooden cylinder called “le Formage,” which is now the French word for cheese. Cantal bears the AOC designation and can be found in 3 sizes...
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- Country: United States
- Cheese Texture / Type: Firm
- Milk Type: Cow
- Cheese Age: 2 years
In the US, as well as Internationally, Grafton Village Cheese Company is renowned for its Cheddar products. They are part of the New Wave of American Farmhouse Cheesemakers, who have been energizing our taste buds with distinctive farmhouse cheeses for a decade or so. Quality and incredible tastes that will wake up your palate are still the hallmarks of this company's products. Their savory cheddars are made with milk from selected herds of Vermont Jersey cows, whose milk is known for its extraordinary creaminess and high butterfat content. Farmers owning these herds have signed affidavits stating that their animals will not be treated with synthetic bovine growth hormones. These cheddars are 100% natural, and free of any chemical preservatives or additives...
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Featured Cheeses - November 2026
- Country: Belgium
- Cheese Texture / Type: Semi-soft
- Milk Type: Cow
- Cheese Age: 8 weeks
Young Farmdal is everything you want in a fine gouda, but with a softer paste. It is ivory in color, with a luxurious buttery texture. While it shows traditional gouda notes of caramel, it is more reminiscent of sweet cream and vanilla with a tangy finish. It will accompany fresh fruit, charcuterie, and crackers on an appetizer platter. Or, melt it for fondue, grilled cheese sandwiches, mashed potatoes, and cheese-based soups.
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- Country: United States
- Cheese Texture / Type: Semi-firm
- Milk Type: Cow
- Cheese Age: 1-3 months
Sage Derby is a vegetarian cheese made from cow's milk. In the seventeenth century, the custom of adding sage (a herb valued at the time for its health-giving properties) to Derby cheese was born. These days, the cheese is blended with spinach juice and dried sage.
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- Country: United States
- Cheese Texture / Type: Semi-firm
- Milk Type: Cow
- Cheese Age: 90 days
Point Reyes Toma is all natural and made with cow milk, as well as being gluten-free and made with microbial (vegetarian) rennet. This semi-firm cheese is creamy with buttery flavor with a grassy tang finish making it the perfect cheese to go with just about anything. Toma also means "cheese made by the farmer himself" in Italian and that’s fitting as it’s made by a family-run dairy farm and creamery in Marin County...
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Featured Cheeses - December 2026
- Country: France
- Cheese Texture / Type: Firm
- Milk Type: Cow
- Cheese Age: 6 months
All Comté is graded using a 20 point grading system. A green label ensures the cheese has been graded 15 points or higher, this also denotes it to be labeled "Comté Extra". The Comté you are tasting with this month's selection is naturally Comté Extra. Thanks to its uniqueness, its cultural importance and its economic contribution to the region, Comté cheese was one of the first cheeses to be awarded a label of origin guaranteeing its quality (AOC). As one of the premiere cheeses of France, we know you'll enjoy this exquisit taste of French living. Bon appetit!
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- Country: Italy
- Cheese Texture / Type: Semi-firm
- Milk Type: Goat
- Cheese Age: 3+ months
Pantaleo’s rind is a pale yellow. Inside is a firm, crystalline ivory paste that crumbles easily when sliced. On the nose, it shows an inviting juxtaposition of savory herbs and warm, melted caramel. At first the flavors are gentle and mild on the palate, but they intensify midway through. There is pronounced nuttiness and salinity enhanced by lively, bright citrus and floral notes. The finish is clean and pleasantly spicy with notes of white pepper.
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- Country: England
- Cheese Texture / Type: Semi-soft; Blue
- Milk Type: Cow
- Cheese Age: 3 months
According to Trevor Hickman, resident of Wymondham in East Leicestershire and a Stilton historian, the background of the cheese is somewhat cloudy. A blue-veined cow’s milk cream cheese was produced by farmers at Wymondham as soon as pastures were enclosed, but the first written reference to Stilton cheese was in 1722. Other references made about the same time clearly indicate that Stilton was very popular even then...
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Experience International Variety
You might receive a Gaperon, originating in France during the 14th Century, an
authentic Lancashire by Ruth Kirkham, and an Italian Taleggio matured in the
caves of Valsassina…all in one shipment!
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