15 Year Aged Cheddar

Demiurge

I just bought 2 pounds of it for myself, friends, and family.

This is a rare treat and they have already sold 80% of it in pre-orders.

Mfg. Website: http://www.hookscheese.com/hooks.html

Best place to buy it: http://www.wisconsincheesemart.com/product_info.php/products_id/1246

(no affiliation)

It's expensive at $25/half pound, but well worth it if you like good cheddar cheese.

Hook's 15 Year Old Cheddar isn't just cheese - it's a work of art. Aged by Tony and Julie Hook for an incredible 15 years, this limited edition cheese is not to be missed. It's smooth, sharp, and bursting with flavor. Spread throughout is crystallization that can only be found in a fine aged cheese. Without a doubt, this is a cheese to savor.

Don't miss out! Limited quantities available.

Doing my part to further the stereotype, too.

concealer404

Oldest i can find is 3 years. LAME.

Sherardp

The best cheese is the welfare block cheese man. That stuff is mad old and good too............

seeclear

There was a cheese shop up by Lakeside in Ohio, my brother in law got some cheddar there that was seriously aged (50 or 75 years), but it was so strong that you really couldn't eat it. At least I wouldn't want to. Hard core stuff.

Demiurge

seeclear wrote: »

There was a cheese shop up by Lakeside in Ohio, my brother in law got some cheddar there that was seriously aged (50 or 75 years), but it was so strong that you really couldn't eat it. At least I wouldn't want to. Hard core stuff.

Are you sure about those ages, because cheese eventually becomes "dead" long before that. That's crazy, though..I'd try it.

After aging 15 years, America’s oldest cheddar goes on sale

What may be the oldest and priciest cheddar in America was released Friday by a world champion Mineral Point cheese maker, just in time for holiday entertaining and gift-giving.

It's the single malt scotch of cheddar.

Hook's 15-year-old cheddar, which made its debut Friday at Larry's Market in Brown Deer for $50 a pound, will be available in tony Beverly Hills starting next week.

Older cheddars may exist, but if they do, they're the stuff of private stashes in cheese maker cellars - not available to the general public, said John Umhoefer, executive director of the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association, which hosts national and world cheese competitions.

"I don't think there's any cheddar out there older than this one that you can actually buy," Umhoefer said. "Fifteen years is a good stretch of time to hold a cheddar - perhaps as long as a cheddar can hold for most people's palates. Making a cheddar that ripe, without it turning bitter or acidic, is a rare skill."

Julie and Tony Hook are proven cheese makers; a Colby made by Julie Hook was crowned best cheese in the world at the World Cheese Championship in 1982.

The Hooks kept 1,200 pounds of cheddar in airtight plastic at 38 degrees for 15 years, checking a sample block twice a year to see how it was progressing.

"I knew this was something I could put away for 10 to 12 years," Tony Hook said. "But it was still excellent at 12 years, so we kept aging it and tasting it. Most people aren't in the business of investing their money that long in cheese."

The couple may try aging a 40-pound block for 20 years to meet a growing demand for aged cheddar.

Larry's Market sold four pounds of its 40-pound limited edition allotment its first day in the store, said co-owner Steve Ehlers. He said he expects to easily sell the rest within a few weeks - even at $50 per pound.

It's the most expensive cheese the gourmet food store has ever carried, Ehlers added. It's also the most expensive cheese at Fromagination in Madison.

Fromagination will get its 40-pound allotment sometime Saturday. The Hooks also plan to sell the cheese at the Dane County Winter Farmers Market on Saturday at Monona Terrace. It's a relative bargain at the Hooks' factory in Mineral Point, where it sells for $35.95 per pound. But the factory retail shop is closed Saturdays.

"Cheese making is an art form," said Brian Morello of Milwaukee, who bought a ¾-pound hunk of the vintage cheddar Friday at Larry's Market. "I consider my purchase to be a form of cheese philanthropy. For $50, I supported the arts and got a great piece of cheese."

superjunior

I bet that is some tasty stuff! my local chease shop has an aged white cheddar that is to die for. yummy!

Willow

5 yrs is the oldest I've had. I love the taste, even more so when I bite and get tons of little crystals. 15yrs would be amazing to try.

skipf

In my younger days I was a butcher in a small grocery in a resort town in NC. We would buy 10 year old Wisconsin chedder and age it for another 10 years in our cooler before selling it. Man that was good cheese. So sharp you could cut the knife with it.

Demiurge

I shipped a gift basket to a friend in California from Wisconsin Cheese Mart, so if you want to try this stuff you can order it and they'll ship it to you (not sure about internationally).

cstmar01

Never heard of that site but I've been going to local Cheese places all my life. Best stuff ever, and I'll have to give this a try.

Also bread cheese ( I think its the name) is very good too. It has more of a fried outside but nice soft inside and its just amazing for some wine and cheese nights. Good stuff but also pretty expensive depending on where you get it, and its not aged at all. I think like 10-15 bucks a half pound or so??

Face

Ordered some, thanks.

ben62670

I love cheese. I Love cabot. Must be a treat!

Willow

NO international shipping :mad:

heiney9

Demi, is that article current? Meaning they will be at Monona Terrace this Saturday? That's a 50 minute drive for me, might be worth it and then I can head into Downtown Madison and hit some of the cd/record shops.

H9

Demiurge

Willow wrote: »

NO international shipping :mad:

This is from the manufacturers website:

http://www.hookscheese.com/March%202010-%2015%20year%20cheddar-WEB%20PAGE.pdf

It gives links to other places to buy from...not sure if you'll have luck with those. I only have experience with the one I posted in the OP.

seeclear

Demiurge wrote: »

Are you sure about those ages, because cheese eventually becomes "dead" long before that. That's crazy, though..I'd try it.

I could be wrong. It has been a while since we were there, (my daughter was 2 or 3 and she is 13 now), but I remember it being crazy old.

Des Moines

Do you know if they ship from the cheese factory or local sales only?

Demiurge

Des Moines wrote: »

Do you know if they ship from the cheese factory or local sales only?

I don't know if they'll ship or not, only that they'll be selling it again at the factory starting tomorrow. The way they worded it on their .PDF it sounds like it will be an in-store only thing.

So far as I know the stores aren't marking it up beyond what they've been selling it for at the shop $50/lb.

Although this is on their site, too:

To order our cheeses you can e-mail, call us at the factory, or fax an order in.

- 5 pound minimum per address
- We do not ship cheese curds


To request a price list call, fax or e-mail using the information below.

e-mail hookscheese@yahoo.com

Fax (608) 987-2658

phone (608) 987-3259

If they stick to their rule that would be $250. :eek:

Sami

It's the single malt scotch of cheddar.

LOL. Cheddar? I love cheese but Cheddar is one of the American things I do not get. How is that 15 year old, does it still taste close to regular cheddar?

comfortablycurt

I'm a cheddar junkie. I think this is a bit out of my price range though...lol

I bet that's some damn good cheese. Someone break off a chunk and mail it to me!!:p

superjunior

I was thinking about starting a chedder relieve fund for conceiler. I just feel bad for anyone without good access to chease..:D

Demiurge

Sami wrote: »

LOL. Cheddar? I love cheese but Cheddar is one of the American things I do not get. How is that 15 year old, does it still taste close to regular cheddar?

If you try to cut the stuff it will fall apart. If you've ever had truly sharp cheddar...this is much sharper than that. It is also a lot saltier and the milk proteins crystallize giving a slightly crunchy texture.

You just eat this stuff straight up or with a beer or wine. No putting it on burgers or anything (well, you could....but )

I am just anxious to try it more than anything. I'm perfectly happy with 9 year aged cheddar which is much more readily available. Our shipments of this stuff probably won't go out until the 27th.

Willow

Demiurge wrote: »

If you try to cut the stuff it will fall apart. If you've ever had truly sharp cheddar...this is much sharper than that. It is also a lot saltier and the milk proteins crystallize giving a slightly crunchy texture.

You just eat this stuff straight up or with a beer or wine. No putting it on burgers or anything (well, you could....but )

I am just anxious to try it more than anything. I'm perfectly happy with 9 year aged cheddar which is much more readily available. Our shipments of this stuff probably won't go out until the 27th.

My favorite part! Yes straight up, with wine, crackers, apples and grapes.

Face

I'll have a box of Triscuits and a bottle of Conundrum ready.

concealer404

superjunior wrote: »

I was thinking about starting a chedder relieve fund for conceiler. I just feel bad for anyone without good access to chease..:D

I think i'm going to have to harness the power of the internet to see what's up. It's weird not seeing a bunch of specialty or "high end" grocery stores... still not used that out here.

I checked the specialty cheese section at Kroger the other day on my $300 grocery spree, and they had some nice older cheddar, but still no horseradish cheese.

I did buy a round or two of Camembert, though.

Now if i could just find my horseradish, and maybe some Stilton w/ blueberries?

heiney9

It seems the Fall/Winter Market is at The Senior Center and not at Monona Terrace until Nov/Dec 2010. I guess I'll pass.

H9

Disc Jockey

concealer404 wrote: »

Now if i could just find my horseradish, and maybe some Stilton w/ blueberries?

That Stilton with blueberries is good stuff, had some for the first time over Thanksgiving.

Thanks for the heads-s up on the cheddar Demi, I have a chunk is on the way

mhardy6647

Another worthy on-line cheese vendor FYI and FWIW.
(and on-line is a pretty cheesy place)

http://www.wsu.edu/creamery/

hearingimpared

Lasareath wrote: »

Here's Hook's Cheese price list if you would like to order some or their cheeses they will not sell their 15 year old cheese directly. You must buy that through a distributor.

I'm going to order some cloby and some of their blue cheeses.

Yum bleu cheese! Sal, have you ever tasted the Sicilian cheese with the worms in it?

hearingimpared

Lasareath wrote: »

Yes, my dad used to buy it.

I had it as a kid, good stuff if you can get past the worms. My grandpop used to buy it all the time and tease my brothers, sisters and cousins with it. I was the only one who would eat it. I wonder if you can still get it here in the States?

superjunior

hearingimpared wrote: »

I had it as a kid, good stuff if you can get past the worms. My grandpop used to buy it all the time and tease my brothers, sisters and cousins with it. I was the only one who would eat it. I wonder if you can still get it here in the States?

first I've heard of this, do you remember what its called?