Ashbrook
- Producer
- Spring Brook Farm
- Country
- United States
- Region
- Vermont
- Size
- 16 in diameter x 3 in height
- Weight
- 18 lbs
- Website
- farmsforcitykids.com
- Milk
- Cow
- Treatment
- Raw
- Classification
- Firm
- Rennet
- Animal
- Style
- Alpine-style
Spring Brook Farm is a dairy set on over 1,000 acres in the lush green hills of Reading, Vermont. The property is home to over 100 registered Jersey cows, plus goats, chickens, roosters, pigs, and turkeys. Spring Brook is a farm with a mission; parent organization Farms for City Kids offers on-site agricultural education programs for urban youth. And thanks to its expanding product line of award-winning cheeses and partnerships with local dairies, the farm is a boon to the local economy, too.
Ashbrook—originally called Ashlyn but renamed to avoid confusion with a Canadian goat’s milk cheese—is an instant star. Recipe development began in early 2014, with wheels hitting the market later that year. The washed-rind wheel is based loosely on French Morbier with a New England terroir twist. Sister to wildly popular Reading and Tarentaise cheeses, Ashbrook is made with high-quality milk from two small area dairies, Fox Valley Farm and Jericho Hill Farm, and aged for about three months.
Tasting Notes
Aromatic of damp, dark cellar with mild funk, its orange rind encloses milky, sweet paste with a wispy layer of vegetable ash running through the middle.
Pairings
Consider texture and acidity: Green peppers and other crunchy veggies and fruits with bright flavors are fresh foils for this pungent cheese. Ashbrook demands bubbles to cut through its rich Jersey butterfat—Crémant d’Alsace or farmhouse ale, in particular.
