54 culturecheesemag.com BES T CHEESES 2024
Cashel Blue Organic
J&L Grubb
Tipperary, Ireland
Known as Ireland's first artisanal blue,
the original recipe for Cashel Blue was
written by Louis and Jane Grubb in 1984 to
showcase the outstanding quality of grass-
fed cow's milk from Tipperary. Recently,
under the direction of a new Grubb
generation, the creamery began producing
an unhomogenized organic version of the
much-celebrated cheese that was awarded
a Super Gold at the 2022 WCA. Made with
milk from a single herd of Montbéliarde,
Friesian, and Norwegian Red cows, Cashel
Blue Organic is beautifully creamy with
a full-rounded profile and the perfect
amount of tang.
MAD RIVER BLUE
Mad River Blue
von Trapp Farmstead
Waitsfield, Vermont
e Sound of Music may have made the von
Trapp name legendary, but the high-quality
organic dairy and cheeses that the family
has been producing at their Waitsfield farm
since 1959 have kept the legacy alive for
generations to come. Named for the valley
where von Trapp Farmstead sits, Mad River
is an organic natural rind blue that carries
notes of anise, cocoa, and dried fruits with a
mild bite and light mineral finish. Mad River
Blue won Gold at the 2022 WCA, and Bronze
at the 2023 WCA.
PHOTO:
Nina
Gallant
Blue Yonder
Lively Run Dairy
Interlaken, New York
Crafting exceptional cheeses inspired by
New York's Finger Lakes region, Lively
Run Dairy has been family-owned and
-operated since 1982. One of the longest
operating goat dairies in the country, the
Interlaken farm now produces several
cow's milk cheeses, including Blue Yonder,
which placed First in its category at 2023
ACS. Made with raw milk from Holstein
cows, this complex, semi-soft, natural rind
cheese boasts a rich and delicate aroma
that makes it approachable for cheese
enthusiasts new to blue.
PHOTO:
Kateri
Connolly
BLUE YONDER
