Cottonbell

Producer

Boxcarr Handmade Cheese

Country

United States

Region

North Carolina

Weight

14 oz

Website

boxcarrhandmadecheese.com

Milk

Cow

Treatment

Pasteurised

Rennet

Animal

Rind

Mold Ripened

Style

Soft-Ripened (Brie-like)

Siblings Austin and Samantha Genke have been farming on a 30-acre slice of land in North Carolina since 2009; in 2014, they built a cheesemaking facility and launched Boxcarr Handmade Cheese. The dairy currently sources milk from neighbor farms: Jersey and Holstein milk from nearby cows, and Alpine, Nubian, and Saanen goat’s milk from another dairy nearby. In the Spring of 2019, the Genkes plan to begin milking their own goats.

This fuzzy square is a wintertime version of Cottonseed, the dairy’s decorated goat’s and cow’s milk bloomy-rind. As temperatures drop and caprines become pregnant, the Genkes aren’t able to source goat’s milk. So they’ve created Cottonbell: the same style, soft-ripened with a Penicillium candidum rind—only it’s made entirely from cow’s milk.

Tasting Notes

Smooth and creamy, and slightly less funky than its goat's milk counterpart, Cottonbell is milky on the palate with a mushroomy, truffle-laced finish. When ripe, it nearly turns to liquid.

Pairings

This oozing bloomy rind is perfect alongside a spoonful of caramelized onions, a few slices of pear, or some red wine and a hunk of baguette.

Photo by Boxcarr Handmade Cheese