Monocacy Ash - Cheese Course

by Max Shrem, Posted Mar 2nd 2010 @ 5:00PM

Cherry Glen Goat Cheese

An ash-layered goat's milk cheese looks like a deliciously creamy and sweet chocolate-layered cake (without the chocolate). For example, a cross-section of Monocacy Ash (pictured, left) reveals a bright white cakey paste highlighted by a thin layer of vegetable ash. But unlike many ash-coated goat's cheeses, like the popular Humboldt Fog, Monocacy Ash from Cherry Glen Farm in Boyds, Md., comes in a smaller size and in the cylindrical shape of a Charolais. More importantly, it lacks the bitter aftertaste and acidity of many ash-coated goat's milk cheeses.

"It's got a great goat tang, but without the barn," says Cherry Glen Farm's Tracy Kirkman of the cheese's smooth, clean taste that's reminiscent of a French Sainte Maure de Touraine. The cheese's similarity to French goat's milk cheeses can be attributed to the fact that it's made in a traditional French style. "Diane Kirsh, the farm owner, is a retired French teacher who has frequently traveled to France," says Kirkman.

So, what exactly is it about this French style that creates such a well-balanced flavor, both sweet and grassy? According to Kirkman, it's all about the quality and handling of the milk. "If you don't have good milk, you will taste it in the cheese," she says. Named after the Monocacy River located near the farm, this cheese's superior milk has a lot to do with the goats that graze freely on Maryland's green pastures. The farm has an award-winning breeding program, for example. Just this past year, Wayne Cullen, the farm's manager, received the Premier Breeder award for the U.S.

Monocacy Ash is produced from the milk of three different breeds of goat: Toggenburg, Alpine and Lamancha.

"Our goats are all good producers with a mid-range butter fat content," says Kirkman. "Too much fat in the milk can cause problems when making light, bloomy rind cheeses." The main difficulty with excess butterfat is being able to drain moisture off during the cheese-making process. And as a result, the flavor can be too acidic. The milk they use, however, has less butter fat, making the taste of Monocacy Ash just right.

Although there are many ash-coated goat's milk cheeses in the U.S., such as Wabash Cannonball, none have the same lusciously creamy texture and taste as Monocacy Ash. In 2009, it received a Bronze medal at the U.S. Cheese Championship Contest in Madison, Wis. The folks at Cherry Glen Farm are keeping their fingers crossed for this year's competition in mid-March. In the meantime, let us know what you think. To find the cheese in your area, check out the farm's website.

Filed Under: Cheese Course
Tags: cheese course, cherry glen farm, goat cheese, monocacy ash cheese