The folks at the Cellars at Jasper Hill named Alpha Tolman after a dairy farmer who built the library in their tiny town of Greensboro, Vermont. His grandfather, Enoch (another great Vermont name!) was actually one of the town’s original founders. Cheesemakers receive milk for Alpha from neighboring farms, add starter culture and rennet, coagulating the milk into curds. The curds are strained and salted, pressed into molds, and then aged for eight to twelve months. Throughout the aging, the wheels are regularly turned and washed in brine, creating the reddish-brown rind and adding complexity to the flavor of the final product.

Alpha Tolman has a special place in our hearts not only because the cheesemakers use top quality ingredients and age it carefully, but also because it is a key ingredient in our Epic Grilled Cheese. We love it for its smooth texture and its alpine inspired flavor. Like many mountain style cheeses, it is nutty like brown butter, beefy, and has the sweetness of caramelized onions. While it is ideal for grilled cheese, it is also perfect for any dish that needs something melty and delicious – fondue, chili, cheeseburgers, aligot, black bean quesadillas, French onion soup, khachapuri, grilled sausages with peppers and onions, risotto …