It’s happened! The holidays are officially upon us now that Black Betty and Rush Creek are back in our shop! I know many of you are acquainted with these special cheeses because we field desperate calls throughout the year about whether they’re in stock. We feel your pain, friends, it’s hard to live without them for so much of the year. But now, finally, we can tell you YES, WE HAVE THEM! In case it’s been too long and you’ve forgotten these beauties, or you haven’t had the immense pleasure of trying them yet, here’s a refresher/introduction.

Meet Black Betty. Black Betty is a mature two-year-old goat gouda with a rose gold paste, inky black rind and flavor that’ll knock off not only your socks, but your shirt, pants, hat, and sweater, too. The age makes Black Betty rich and sweet, but the savory, tart notes from the goat’s milk keep it from being overwhelmingly sugary. That’s balance, baby! I like to crack my wedge of Black Betty with the tip of a large knife, creating craggy nuggets that I pop into my mouth one by one. Ok fine, five by five, but how could I not want to hoover it up all at once?? The crumbles taste like tangy cultured butter and caramel sauce!

Now that I’m drooling, onward to Rush Creek Reserve! This gooey raw milk treat comes from Uplands Cheese Company in Wisconsin. Andy Hatch makes Rush Creek exclusively from fall milk because it is nice and fatty. This means the cheese will have the luxurious, spoonable texture we all love. 

Young wheels are wrapped in a strip of spruce bark to age, which helps the cheese’s structure and adds a woodsy, slightly spicy flavor that reminds me of walking through the woods in winter and smelling someone’s faraway fire. How cozy is that? Slice off the top rind and spoon the ooey gooey cheese onto slices of baguette or a crisp, fruity cracker.

Each year, these cheeses show up in early November and bring joy to cheese fans for two glorious months before they sell out. They are gift-worthy treats that we crave all year, and now FINALLY they’re back in stock and ready to make our lives better. I can’t believe that I get to prance over to the case right now and take a bite of each of these cheeses. Ten months out of the year, that’s not even possible! Let’s eat up!

For the love of cheese and holiday arrivals,

Kiri