Welcome to another special edition of the HCT Cheese Blog.    Today’s entry is special for being the most expensive cheese we’ve ever reviewed here, priced at only $26.99 a pound (ouch!)

Biographical Information:

1. Blue Mont Bandaged Cheddar
2. Obtained from: Madison Whole Foods (University Avenue)

This is grade-A, super hippy, only-in-Wisconsin cheese territory folks.  I can’t locate a website for the Blue Mont cheesemakers itself, but there are quite a few cheese selling websites up that talk a bit about the farm and the process used to make this and other Blue Mont cheeses.

Bleu Mont Dairy lies in the beautiful rolling hills near Blue Mounds, just west of Madison, Wisconsin.
Bleu Mont Dairy is part of a farmcommitted to sustainable agriculture and renewable energy. The farm sits atop a ridge near Blue Mounds State Park in the picturesque driftless region of southern Wisconsin. Even from a distance, the main power source — a 10kw wind generator — can be spotted above the treetops.
A long driveway leads past a field of rotational organic gardens up to the passive solar home and newly constructed underground cave, greenhouse and orchard. Besides assorted organic cheeses, Willi and his partner Q’uitas grow in-season garlic and asparagus.

…

Organic milk is sourced from local dairies and cheesemaking takes place either at Cedar Grove’s facility or at the nearby Uplands Dairy, makers of Pleasant Ridge Reserve. His artisan cheeses are made with milk from certified organic and rotationally grazed cows.
However, Willi brings all his cheeses back to Bleu Mont for aging. Having constructed a straw bale “cave” in 2003, Willi recently finished construction of a vast undergroun [sic] cave that has been built into the hillside adjacent to the house.
Cheeses are aged on cedar boards and both the temperature and humidy [sic] of the cave remain constant without any artificial or mechanical help.
With help from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Dairy Research, Willi traveled to England to learn from several cheddar producers.

From Marion Street Cheese Market

Organic milk, underground cave, aged on cedar boards, wind-powered super-hippy cheese.  No wonder it costs almost 27 dollars a pound.

Now, to review the cheese itself; this is a good cheddar.  Mild, dry for a cheddar, nice rich, slightly sharp flavor.  Sort of a cross between a cheddar and an asiago.

However, by the standards of local cheddar, I just don’t think it’s anything exceptional.  I appreciate the attention to detail and the green power, organic milk, etc.   Ultimately though, unless you can get a very small piece, like I did, I can’t recommend spending this amount of money on this particular cheese. It’s just too pricey.

My Review: 3/5 stars.

Second Opinion by the Roommate: Basically the same, 3/5 stars.