Featured Cheese - March 2025

Based in Southeast Iowa, Milton Creamery was started in 2006 as a joint venture by the Musser Family and local Amish dairy farmers. Today the creamery is solely owned and operated by the Musser Family with the addition of a couple of outside employees. Soon after opening, 17 year old Galen Musser submitted his take on cheddar, Prairie Breeze, and won Best of Class in the Open Hard category at the U.S. Cheese Championship which is one of many awards. Sweeter than most cheddars, this well aged cheddar is loaded with flavor with the added crunch of calcium crystals developed during the aging process.

Buttermilk Blue is all natural and made with cow milk, is gluten-free, and is made with vegetarian rennet. Unlike most blue cheeses, Buttermilk Blue uses a higher butterfat content, resulting in a smoother and creamier texture. Matured in Roth’s cellars for at least two months, it’s delicately laced with blue veins, and is tangy yet mellow. Pair it with raw veggies, figs, pears, and dark choclate, or even enjoy it alone on your cheese board.

Youngsters Chimichurri Gouda is pale ivory in color with a firm, yet velvety paste that becomes even more luscious and creamy as it becomes warm. It will captivate your taste buds with young Gouda flavors like sweet cream and toasted nuts, dashed with the Argentinian-style chimichurri spices of cilantro, fresh parsley, and garlic found throughout the paste. Rich and buttery meet bright and herbaceous in this one-of-a-kind Gouda.

As the name suggests, Red Rock presents a truly eye-catching hue. This annatto-tinted, 3-6 month cave-aged cheese is firm, but the creamy paste has a few striking blue bolts of color (and flavor) running through it. But it’s not just beautiful to admire on your cheese board, it’s also got a delicate and delicious flavor profile. This naturally bloomy-rinded, traditional cheddar recipe adds a touch of blue which doesn’t dominate the flavor profile...

You’ll find Délice des Crémiers a delicate and rich triple crème that will melt your heart and make your cheeks blush! If you care to try the bloomy rind (not everyone does), you’ll discover that it provides a slightly salty tang on the finish. Matured 2-4 weeks, its mouthfeel is as velvety as it gets; buttery cow's milk plus added cream make sure of that. It’s luxurious and indulgent and a world-class dessert cheese in its own right.

Though soft and spreadable, it can still be sliced and offered on a cheese tray, served with blackberries, fresh figs or cherries. Taleggio also can be melted into dishes like polenta and risotto. A merlot will bring out the natural sweetness of this cheese. Effervescent, yeasty beers like lactic Sour Ales and mixed fermentation Farmhouse Ales would also complement this wonderful Italian classic.