Porter

Producer

5 Spoke Creamery

Country

United States

Region

New York

Size

8.5 in diameter x 3.5 in height

Weight

5 lbs

Website

www.5spokecreamery.com

Milk

Cow

Treatment

Raw

Classification

Firm

Rennet

Microbial

Rind

Natural

Style

Alpine-style

Each package of cheese made at this upstate N.Y.-based farmstead creamery is adorned with a sketch of a bicycle, hinting at founder Alan Glustoff’s philosophy: bike travel, like cheesemaking, requires a constant, fine-tuned sense of one’s surroundings, as well as a flair for adventure and willingness to forge ahead into the unknown. Also: cheese-fueled biking is a nice way to burn those calories.

It was that very attitude that drew the former Pennsylvanian to a 100-year-old dairy farm in Goshen, which he purchased and rebuilt alongside his wife, Barbara. The duo now make cheese with respect for the local terroir and environment, using raw farmstead milk from Holstein cows in an energy-efficient operation completely fueled by solar power.

Inspired by rustic French wheels of Tomme de Savoie, Porter is a lightly pressed, semi-firm cheese. During three to four months of aging wheels are turned weekly but not washed, encouraging a slow development of a mottled natural rind.

Tasting Notes

That stony rind encases a flexible, light yellow paste with tiny scattered holes. Waxy and vinegary on the nose, its flavor develops slowly on the palate with notes of raw garlic, onion and milk, plus flicks of acidic tang.

Pairings

Pair with medium-bodied red wines like cabernet or shiraz, or serve alongside dark red fruits.