Ultra-decadent and unique, American triple creams are changing the game. Here’s a roundup of our favorites to wow your holiday guests.
Trillium
Tulip Tree Creamery
Indianapolis, IN
Pasteurized cow’s milk and cream
Square-shaped Trillium’s ultra-gooey consistency is the epitome of triple cream, and its yeasty aroma, pleasantly salty complexity, and mushroomy notes from the rind are pure decadence.
Kunik
Nettle Meadow Farm
Warrensburg, NY
Pasteurized goat’s milk and cow’s cream
The goat’s milk shines in this tart triple cream, its characteristic tanginess intensifying as it ages. With a compact, cake-like paste, Kunik is a savory version of lemon fudge. It also comes in a mini version.
Gatekeeper
Old Chatham Sheepherding Company / Crown Finish Caves
Old Chatham, NY / Brooklyn, NY
Pasteurized sheep’s and cow’s milk and cream
These diminutive mixed-milk rounds are washed with Graft Cider Farm Flor, a tart farhmouse cider that lends a fruity note to the cheese. Aged for 15 days at Crown Finish Caves in Brooklyn, Gatekeeper develops a vegetal, funky flavor, with a fudgy texture similar to a chocolate truffle.
NOTE: Crown Finish Caves is no longer operating. Try Marin French Cheese Co. Golden Gate if you’re looking for a creamy and slightly funky triple cream washed rind cheese.
Photographed by Beryl Striewski.
Cowgirl Creamery
Petaluma, CA
Pasteurized cow’s milk and cream
Cowgirl Creamery’s first cheese and still its best-seller, Mt Tam has a thick, rich paste with mellow notes of mushroom, hay, and almonds.
Triple Crème Brie
Marin French Cheese Company
Petaluma, CA
Pasteurized cow’s milk and cream
Mild and buttery, Marin French’s triple cream boasts the gooey texture of a traditional brie with extra richness from the added cream. The smooth, silky rind gives the cheese a slightly earthy, tangy finish.
St. Stephen
Four Fat Fowl
Stephentown, NY
Pasteurized cow’s milk and cream
You could easily mistake a piece of St. Stephen for a pat of butter—the luxurious, velvety texture and thin, delicate rind make chewing completely optional. A hint of sweetness is balanced by a mild earthiness.
Organic Champlain Triple
Champlain Valley Creamery
Middlebury, VT
Pasteurized cow’s milk and cream
These adorable crottin-shaped buttons are made with certified organic cow’s milk and cream and aged about two weeks. The dense, chalky paste softens as the cheese matures, and its tart creaminess is offset by the earthiness of the rind.
Kristine Jannuzzi
Food and travel writer Kristine Jannuzzi (aka @nyccheesechick) fell for formaggio the first time she tasted Pecorino Toscano in Florence some 20 years ago. She has been a frequent Culture contributor since 2013, and her work has also been published in La Cucina Italiana, Italy Magazine, and British Heritage Travel, among others. A bilingual dual American and Italian citizen, Kristine currently hosts private cheese tastings and visits to cheesemakers in Tuscany.
