Day 532 : SCS Version 6.0, Dispatch # 4 - Sheep's Milk Jewels

For our final Connecticut / Swiss post I thought I would choose a decadent sheep's milk cheese from each locale.

A few facts about sheep's milk and sheep's milk cheeses before we get started:

1. Sheep's milk contains even more lactose than cow's milk so for those of you who are lactose intolerant, sheep's milk cheese is not a better option, unfortunately.
2. It has a higher percentage of fats, minerals, and solids than cow or goat's milk, but not as much as water buffalo milk.
3. Unlike both goat and cow's milk, sheep's milk is not traditionally utilized for "drinking" purposes.
4. Sheep produce a significantly less amount of milk than cows. But was that a really shocking fact? Of course not, sheep are significantly smaller than cows and therefore produce less milk.
5. Cheeses made with sheep's milk tend to be richer, rounder, and more full bodied.

So let's get going folks!

From Connecticut, we turn to Beaver Brook Farm, the state's largest sheep farm located in Lyme. The 175 acre farm was purchased in 1917 for $2,000 by the current owner's grandfather. Can you believe being able to buy land for that cost nowadays? Wouldn't that be a miracle! For the first portion of its life, the farm functioned as a beef and hay farm and in 1984, when the current owners took over the farm, they slowly transitioned it to a primarily sheep farm. Today, Beaver Brook produces eight different artisanal farmstead cheeses utilizing cow and sheep's milk, yogurts, and a wide variety of wool products. For today's cheese, I chose their Sheep's milk Herbes de Provence cheese -- a small seasonal hockey puck sized cheese infused their own special blend of herbes de provence and lavender. Decadent, creamy, and unctuous interior paste is coated with the most fantastic vegetal and herbaceous exterior profile providing for a fantastic dichotomy of flavor nuances.

Image courtesy of http://www.beaverbrookfarm.com/

And what of our Swiss counterpart?

How's about Schaf Reblochon?

Classic Swiss Reblochon cheese is crafted here with sheep's milk instead of the normal cow's milk. What changes with the milk switch up? Classic sheep's milk flavors are very prominent -- round, buttery, farmsteady, and rustic notes with the most fabulous melt in your mouth textures. This small gooey soft roundelle coats every crevice of your mouth for all the right reasons. Enjoy this with a nice dark beer, something that can stand up to the cheese. Definitely considered a splurge, clocking in at $48 a pound at Artisanal Cheese.

Image courtesy of http://www.artisanalcheese.com/