Wrångebäck
- Producer
- Almnäs Bruk
- Country
- Sweden
- Region
- Västra Götaland
- Size
- 12 in diameter
- Weight
- 22 lbs
- Website
- www.almnas.com
- Milk
- Cow
- Treatment
- Raw
- Classification
- Hard
- Rennet
- Animal
- Rind
- Natural
- Style
- Alpine-style
To take a bite of Wrångebäck, the first registered cheese brand in Sweden, is to step back in time—to 1896, perhaps, when the cheese was served at a farewell reception for Andrée, the famous balloonist, on the eve of his disastrous expedition to the North Pole, or to 1935, when it was served at the Swedish Parliament’s 500th anniversary dinner.
It all started at Almnäs Bruk, a farm situated on the picturesque west coast of the second largest lake in Sweden, Lake Vättern. It was founded in the 19th century by the great-grandfather of current managing director Thomas Berglund, who transformed the property’s former brick factory into a cheesemaking facility—a function that upheld until 1961. In 1987 due to his father’s poor health, Berglund returned to the estate from Switzerland, where he had been working, and decided to start making cheese. After many years of planning, traveling to France and Switzerland to study cheesemaking, and gaining organic certification, he re-started cheese production on the property in 2008.
Today Almnäs Bruk makes a modern version of its original cheese. Wheels are aged for at least one year—sometimes as much as three—on the same wooden planks that were used in the original dairy. During that time, they’re washed with salt water less and less frequently, until the rind turns from creamy white to orange, ultimately transforming into a deep reddish-brown.
Tasting Notes
Exuding aromas of buttered pumpernickel toast, this cheese’s dense, fudgy paste dotted with crystals yields supersavory umami on the palate. Notes of warm milk and penuche fudge linger.
Pairings
Pair it with salami or an IPA.
