Red Hill Cheese Bushranger Gold

If you are a fan of washed rind as I am, then you'll be most interested in this next cheese.

Cheese Maker: Red Hill Cheese
Cheese: Bushranger Gold
Location: 81 William Road (Off Arthurs Seat Road), Red Hill
Cellar Door: Open daily Noon-5pm (except Christmas, Boxing Day & Good Friday)

Bushranger Gold is a washed rind, goat cheese and that warning sticker is really unnecessary as your nose will immediately tell you that is one of those delightfully stinky cheeses. While taking these photos, even through the wrapper those heady mushroom scents kept wafting up to tease me.

Bushranger Gold is described as

A wild washed-rind goat-milk cheese with a delectable, complex cauliflower flavour, lingering on the palate. Mild when young; sticky and pungent with an explosive flavour when fully mature.

It is also made using vegetarian rennet.

I must include a caveat that the "best by date" for this particular cheese is March 15th - so at this early stage of maturation, the flavours are all very mild. It will be very interesting to compare another specimen closer to its best by date.

I would imagine that the interior would become a bit more runnier along with an intesification of flavours and aroma. Currently the skin is highly edible and though the interior is firm, it still is quite creamy in the mouth.

Paalo thought this had similar characteristics to a Taleggio and can vouch for its delectability.

If you are unsure of washed rinds then this would be a really good place to start and perhaps built up to a more matured version.


Originally published here

Meredith Dairy Woodburne

Meredith Dairy is a sheep and goat farm situated in South-western Victoria that has been producing cheese since the early 90's. Their aim is to produce "farmhouse" style cheese using both French techniques and cultures.

Cheese: Meredith Dairy Woodburne
Cheese Maker: Meredith Dairy
Location: Camerons Road, Meredith

Woodburne is made in a French farmhouse style (Camembert) - it is a white mould, surface ripened cheese. It is sold at between 2 and 4 weeks of age and reaches full maturation at 8 weeks. You'll find that as it matures the flavours will develop and the interior will break down into that gorgeous runny ooze that is so loved.

With this particular cheese you can see the cheese closed to the rind has begun to break down - this is still 2 weeks away from reaching full ripeness. It also hasn't been out of the fridge for too long so you will see, as it comes up to room temperature that it will tend to become runnier.

There is a lovely sweet creaminess to the cheese with an appealing bite found in the rind.

I sourced this cheese from Leo's in Kew but I've also read that Meredith Dairy can be found in the US - it is available by special order.


Originally published here