On Friday, June 11, the 2nd World Jersey Cheese Awards were judged on the Isle of Jersey in the English Channel. The competition received 102 entries from 10 countries and awarded 38 medals.
The judges, a mixed panel of cheese experts, local chefs and representatives of local organizations, scored each cheese with a possible 50 points at stake. John Allison, one of the UK’s expert cheese judges, headed up the judging panel.
Two artisanal cheesemakers from Vermont — Cobb Hill and Spring Brook Farm — took home three of the gold medals.
Cobb Hill took two golds — one for its Four Corners and one for its Ascutney Mountain. Four Corners is a brined Cheddar with a natural rind, slightly crumbly texture and strong, tangy flavor that is best at three months. It's 11" in diameter and 2" to 4" high.
Ascutney Mountain Cheese is a sweet, nutty cheese similar to Gruyère, Appenzeller or Raclette. By four months, it has a mild, clean flavor. Most wheels are aged 8 to 10 months to develop more complex character. It has a firm yet creamy texture, with tiny eyes throughout the interior. Wheels weigh between 8 and 12 pounds, are 11" in diameter, slightly domed, and 3" to 5" high.
Spring Brook Farm took a gold for its Tarentaise. The semi-hard, natural-rind raw-milk cheese is handcrafted from the raw milk of pasture-fed Jersey cows. Throughout the entire natural aging process, no preservatives, synthetic flavors, additives, or waxes are used. By the time it's ready for sale, it has been turned and washed at least 50 times. Each wheel weighs 18 to 25 pounds, is13.5” to 15” in diameter and 3“ high.
Jan Fialkow is the managing editor of Cheese Connoisseur and Deli Business magazines.