“As pure a taste of place as we can make.” This new American classic explores how milk from different cows in disparate places changes cheese.

The Cornerstone Original Project aims to “demonstrate the elemental nature of the raw milk by producing high quality, natural cheeses with the clearest expression of terroir.” This collaboration between Parish Hill Creamery, Birchrun Hills Farm, and Cato Corner Farm formed in an effort to answer the American Cheese Society’s call for American Original cheese. Using the same recipe, techniques, and processing from start to finish, the only distinguishing factor of each is the milk from which it starts.

Parish Hill’s rendition is farmstead to the bone (or rind, if you will). Strong earthy funk on the nose leads into a delicious and deeply vegetal paste. The holey character comes from never being pressed, and you can tell this is a wheel (or block) that’s had a chance to breathe.

MILK: unpasteurized cow’s milk
TASTING: vegetal, earthy, funky
SERVING: melted on carbs (potatoes, bread, etc), fresh on a cheese board, served with berries
PAIRING: dry full bodied red wine, rye whiskey, piney IPA beer

ORIGIN: USA
MADE IN Vermont, USA