As 2016 comes to a close, we take a moment to look back at the most exciting cheeses and cheese news to hit Murray’s. Whether it’s awards for our delicious cheeses or new additions to the New York caves, it has been an exciting (and scrumptious) year for us here at Murray’s. And we thank you for sharing it with us!
High up in Northern Switzerland’s Appenzell valley, Walter Rass, of Challerhocker fame, crafts young wheels of raw cow’s milk he calls Tufertschwiller, and sells them only to his village – until this year. 2016 marked an exclusive partnership between Murray’s and Walter Rass, who is sending these mild wheels to us at 3 months, for an extended stay in our New York caves. After aging for an additional 9 months in our alpine cave, our Cavemaster coaxes out sweet flavors of roasted hazelnuts and vibrant alpine grasses, with lush undertones of butterscotch and cocoa.
Wrangeback
Known as Sweden’s oldest brand of cheese, Wrangeback has a storied history and a flavor to match. This raw cow’s milk cheese is made in the same vein as traditional Alpine Gruyere with the mild tanginess of a cheddar. The craggy, brown stone-like exterior has its name pressed into the wheel, a time honored tradition since 1961. Breaking past the rind, the paste is creamy and dense and smells similarly to freshly cut grass and warm milk. A sliver of Wrangeback starts with a bite of tanginess, before it mellows out to a complex, milky umami flavor. This cheese is best enjoyed with an aged, lush glass of Cabernet Sauvignon.
New to the US, this peanutty passion of ours is currently a Murray’s exclusive! Rollright’s rosy rind is not as pungent as your typical washed rind – instead, it imparts flavors of freshly churned butter and slow roasted peanuts. Meatiness lingers towards the rind, like a slab of fried bacon – a taste best enjoyed with a full-bodied red wine. The pasteurized cow’s milk cheese from the clover fields of King Stone Farm comes straight from their Brown Swiss, creating a soft, yolky cheese that melts in the mouth. Mellow, but certainly not lacking in flavor, this cheese is a unique Brit. You’ll taste the flavors unique to Cotswolds, clover and herbs, just like what the cows enjoy through spring to autumn.
Two years ago Murray’s and the Cellars at Jasper Hill embarked on a top secret mission to create an exclusive cheese for Eleven Madison Park’s Iconic New York menu.The result is a spectacular new pasteurized cow’s milk cheese…and Murray’s is the only place you can get it! But this has been a big year for our illustrious Greensward – this bacony, unctuous wheel took home 3rd for Best in Show at the ACS awards! Get a taste of what people are calling cheese greatness – luscious, woodsy, funky, and award-winning!
Take the road less traveled and stumble across this pillowy soft treat. Named for notable Americana poet, Robert Frost, Mystic Cheese Co.’s newest cow’s milk cheese is a delightfully soft and buttery morsel, full of earthy, button mushroom notes hidden underneath fresh milk flavors. Like frost over water on a cold night, the delicate and thin rind breaks away easily to reveal a velvety paste enveloped in a thick, luscious creamline. To celebrate this poetic pale beauty, pop the cork on a bottle of champagne to enjoy – a combination that will brighten the tangy cream flavor and delight your senses.
Meat & Cheese of the Month Club
Your carnivorous cravings are matched only by your insatiable need for cheese. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with our brand new Cheese and Meat of the Month club! Club members receive two cheeses and two perfectly-paired meats every month on their doorstep, the perfect way to satisfy your many cravings, and the perfect gift for that hard-to-please someone in your life. Expect lots and lots of thank yous.
