Gatekeeper
- Producer
- Old Chatham Sheepherding Company / Crown Finish Caves
- Country
- United States
- Region
- New York
- Website
- crownfinishcaves.com
- Milk
- Sheep
Cow - Treatment
- Pasteurised
- Classification
- Semi Soft
- Rind
- Mold Ripened
- Style
- Soft-Ripened (Brie-like)
- Flavor
- Flavor added to rind
This triple-cream cheese starts out young disk made at Old Chatham Sheepherding Company in upstate New York. Made from a mix of cow's and sheep's milk, it ripens into a luscious little wheel over time.
The transformation happens over 15 days at Brooklyn's Crown Finish Caves, where affineurs experiment with maturation methods and as diverse array of washes in a former layering tunnel under the Nassau Brewery building. (The tunnels here stay at about 50 degrees Fahrenheit year-round, the perfect climate for ripening cheese.)
Much experimentation here has centered around Gatekeeper, which has been washed in a range of different ciders while aging, yielding several iterations. First, it was washed in Millstone's Farmgate—hence its name—a dry and earthy cider from Maryland that gave the cheese a unique allium flavor. Now it's washed in Farm Flor from Graft Cider, a pleasantly-sour cider from New York. Fruitier than Farmgate, though still not super juicy, the rustic, barrel-aged libation pushes the cheese in a funkier direction.
Tasting Notes
Fudgy, dense, and creamy, Gatekeeper's flavors range from fruity to vegetal to funky.
Pairings
While hard cider is the obvious choice, we also love Gatekeeper alongside fresh peaches or a Finger Lakes riesling.
Photo by Kristine Jannuzzi.
