I had the pleasure of sampling another ACS winner this week, this one is a raw cow’s milk cheese called Pleasant Ridge Reserve from the Uplands Cheese Company in Wisconsin. This one is a repeat, having won the ACS best in show award in 2001 _and_ 2005!
Picture cows grazing in an open pasture in Wisconsin, that’s where this cheese starts. It’s made from fresh, unpasteurized milk, which gives it a wonderful flavor with great _terroir_. )And if you don’t believe that cheese has _terroir_, you haven’t been eating enough *good* cheese.)
The Pleasant Ridge Reserve reminds me a bit of a Gruyere. It’s not quite as “rough” as Gruyere, that is it’s not nearly as firm, nor does it have the grit/grain of a good aged Gruyere. However, it has a very, um, pleasant flavor that make it a really fantastic, straight up eating cheese. It has a great, nutty taste, which really hit the spot on this chilly fall day. I did not melt it, but I have a feeling it would melt well, and I’m sure it would be great to sample at different ages to experience it again and again.