Cheese

Dedalus and Jasper Hill Farm work directly together to bring you the highest quality cheese being produced in the state. Each wheel of Alpha Tolman that arrives in the shop is specially selected by the cheese wizards up in Hardwick so that it meets our custom “Dedalus Profile”. Alpha Tolman is a raw cow’s milk, washed rind cheese made using traditional Alpine-style methods. Aging out between eight months to a year, expect notes of tropical fruit, caramelized onions, and beef broth.

Betty and Martin Koster source their Goudas from the best cheesemakers and cheesemaking co-operatives throughout the Netherlands. L’amuse signature is aged at a higher humidity and temperature than most Goudas. This keeps the paste moist and sweet, while still developing crunchy tyrosine crystals. Think butterscotch candy in cheese form. 

A delicious and highly decorated Gruyere from Fribourg, Switzerland. 1655 is aged by Fromage Gruyere SA, the smallest of the Gruyere Affineurs and selected from the premier dairies that they source from. 1655 shows considerable seasonal variation though each wheel shows distinct fruit notes up front with a long and savory finish. Pair with Fallot Whole Grain Mustard or England Preserves Red Onion Marmalade.

One of the last small-batch, natural-rind Manchegos in production, the cheesemakers at Sierra la Solana age these wheels a minimum of 6 months to best develop the flavors of the milk. The sheep’s unique diet of grasses, grains, and olives from the groves in which they graze results in a perfectly balanced and  complex flavor, carrying notes of buttered toast and green almonds. 

A rich and sweet goat’s milk Gouda sourced from a small farm in the Brabandt region of Holland. Aged under the watchful eye of Betty Koster at Fromagerie L’Amuse just outside of Amsterdam, Brabander is silky and sliceable, with a flavor like toasted marshmallows. Capable of convincing even the most goat-skeptic cheese lovers, Brabander is also incredibly wine-friendly, although we love it for a fun dessert bite, topped with some of Venchi's chocolate hazelnut spread. 

As the USA's oldest sheep dairy in operation, the cheesemakers at Vermont Shepherd certainly know what they're doing. Extra Aged Invierno is their raw mixed-milk cheese that benefits from an extended aging period in the caves - at least two years before hitting our counters. The cows' milk lends a little sweetness that plays nicely with the earthy richness of the creamery's own sheeps' milk. Expect notes of grass and roasted garlic, with a tiny bit of crunch.

A unique expression of one of France's most popular cheeses, available only at Dedalus. The affineurs at Marcel Petit make sure that they choose the perfect wheels throughout the year for our personally selected flavor profile. Notes of toasty cashew, beef broth, and roasted carrot coexist with Comte's classic buttery richness in these extremely limited edition wheels. All you need is a bit of Vin Jaune.

A hearty Alpine cheese made near the ruins of Schlossberger castle in the Emmental region of Switzerland. These wheels are a favorite on our counters - super savory and perfect for both snacking and melting, Schlossberger has the classic alpine brothiness you'd expect with a toasted-nut sweetness and light crystallization that makes it a versatile pairing partner.

One of only two cheeses produced on Vermont Shepherd's farm, Verano, meaning "summer," is made only during the warm summer months when the sheep graze in the luscious pastures of Southern Vermont. Sweet and earthy with a fatty richness, Verano and a crisp bottle of Albarino will make any weeknight feel like a celebration. 

Shelburne Farms Three Year Cheddar is a counter favorite, and for good reason. An extra year of age gives this cheddar much more pronounced notes of tropical fruit and crunch.

The classic Italian melting cheese. Fontina holds it out while standing apart from the swiss and french greats. Versatile and workable, this cheese holds its own on the cheeseplate as well with distinct notes of mushroom and cured meat.

Once the most well-known and widely-available British cheese, true Cheshire is now one of the rarest of birds. In fact, there remains only one surviving farmhouse Cheshire producer in the UK - the Appleby family on Hawkstone Farm. The farm is currently owned and operated by Sarah Appleby, who - together with cheesemaker Garry Gray - oversees cheese production, and her husband Paul, who takes care of the cattle and ensures their milk is of the highest quality. Their herd of cows graze on Shropshire's mineral-rich grasses, resulting in a flinty but still super rich paste.

Parish Hill's distinctly Vermonter take on an Italian Fontina style. This gorgeous natural rind cheese is given a wash in beer brine as part of its aging process, resulting in a flavor that's savory while retaining that nutty Vermont Terroir.

One of family cheesemakers Casa Madaio's most precious wheels, this sheeps' milk cheese is aged to crystalline perfection in natural stone caves perfumed with locally-sourced spring herbs. A bit of toothy bite gives way to flavors of sweet thyme blossoms and sun-baked grasses.

Visually stunning and equally impressive in taste, Monte Enbro is made by a legendary father-daughter team in the Avila mountains of central Spain. The curds is hand-formed into bricks and bloomed with blue mold. Unique and intense, the flavor is equal parts earthy, peppery, and tangy, and becomes stronger with age. The rich goats' milk renders a paste that ranges from flakey to dense and creamy as the cheese ripens; grab a hunk for an experience to be enjoyed by adventurous eaters.

A masterful sheeps' milk offering from the affinatori of Casa Madaio. A dark, earthy rind surrounds a rich golden paste with notes of roasted hazelnuts and wild honey, with a gentle sheepy finish.

High Lawn Farm's well-tended herd of Jersey cows produce some stunningly rich cheeses. Monger-favorite Crema Alpina takes inspiration from old-world Taleggio, but keeps it local. Washed in Down East cider, Crema Alpina is bouncy, bright, and funky with a buttery finish. Try it with a dollop of mandarin marmalade, or on top of your next homemade pizza for a perfectly melty bite.

Meaning old oak, Ur-Eiche is made by master cheesemaker Christa Egli and her team at Chasi Girenbad in the Swiss Canton of Zurich. Christa's process starts with using milk that has been rested overnight before a house made culture blend is added. The cheese is washed in a brine aged in oak barrels as well as oak extract and aged for a minimum of ten months. The resulting wheels are savory with a woodsy aroma and the distinct, pineapple like sweetness found in alpine favorites like aged Gruyere.