I greatly underestimated how much stronger a cheddar could get past the 7 year stuff I’ve eaten a lot of. The flavor is overwhelming, the bitterness makes me think of a super dark chocolate. I can usually eat quite a lot of 7 year cheddar in one sitting but I could barely eat more than 2 ounces of the 16 year before the flavor became sickening.
by ashergs123
18 Comments
Noob
Try it with a slice of apple. Most cheeses are easier to eat when paired with a complementary food. If you can get something like Branston Pickle where you live that usually goes well with aged cheddar.
How is it melted?
That’s just crying out to be in a grilled cheese sandwich with some tomato soup.
A lot of people stop maturing at 16.
I think 4-5 year (cheese) is about the limit for me before my enjoyment drops sharply
My wife is very excited to find and try some asap
Pov Leonardo DiCaprio:
Put it on apple pie
Good Mythical Morning just did an [episode](https://youtu.be/qEX9WmtoosA?si=c-BwSgkcjMYDkzIU) about this.
I’ll stick to 1000 day Gouda thank you very much. I like the little crystals.
IMHO 16 year aging is a gimmick. An aging candidate cheese candidate needs to be flawless and intentionally made with less lipases and salt so that the flavor and breakdown of fat (what makes it spicy) would not overwhelm. Cheese with annatto coloring aged in Cryovac bags and no rind isn’t exactly your typical candidate. Though this style called block cheddar does have some gems. Cheddar doesn’t see much benefit beyond 3-4 years aging. The bacterial culture are long dead and the remaining enzymatic activity halts as the cheese loses its moisture. In good examples you would see formation of crunchy tyrosine crystals embedded in the body of the cheese.
Aging itself is not just putting it in vacuum bags and throwing it at the back of a walk-in cooler. It is done in cave like temperature (53°F or so) and requires turning, grading, and tending to the rind if the cheese has rind (huge benefit in terms of flavor depth, aroma, texture of the cheese, its presentation and its protection from contaminants).
Taste some 2 year old Montgomery’s or Pitchfork Cheddars from the UK, or American cheddars like Cabot Clothbound from Jasper Hill or Street Ched from Urbanstead and see the depth and maturity. No need to wait 16 or even 7 or 4 years to get there when you have a master cheesemaker and gorgeous milk.
Like wine -it only gets better for a period and then plateaus before beginning to go downhill. Cheap wine would not age well for 16 years. Great stuff will.
Seeing this post reminded me that I have the exact same cheese in my fridge and I just ran to eat some. Its definitely bitter, but I absolutely love this 16 Year Cheddar. I’m sorry you don’t love it! I crumble it on top of salad when I’m not eating it on crackers
Is that super expensive?
“Sharpness” (a term I had to learn when I moved to US, as only Americans seem to use this to describe cheese) is not dependent on age.
A cheese made to be “sharp” can be only a few months old.
Likewise, a cheese made to be mild will not get any sharper because it’s stored for a few years.
A good cheese will develop more complex flavors if it is aged well. But won’t get “sharper”.
If it’s not aged well, it’s just a cheese that is getting older.
Too much BS is spread about “aged” cheese and how strong it tastes.
Let me at it! I love a good sharp chedd.
Never a more worthy entry to r/eatityoufuckingcoward
How much per lb?