Technically, Crowley cheese is a cheddar variant made with Crowley’s unique historic rinsed curd recipe, which produces a moister and less acidic cheddar. Technically Crowley falls in between a conventional cheddar recipe and the other well-known cheddar variants: Colby and Monterey Jack. While Crowley shares the reduced acidity of these cheddar variants, two qualities distinguish our cheese: its much greater intensity of flavor which is a result of our use of raw milk; and its ageability. Crowley’s reduced acidity contributes to an accelerated aging process, while Crowley’s higher moisture content results in a cheddar which melts beautifully, without separating or getting stringy and has great versatility for cooking (check out our Recipes).
Most Crowley is made with Holstein milk from nearby Woodlawn Holstein Farm. Compared with other cheddars, this Crowley is distinguished by a lactic character and lends itself to just about any cheese occasion. We also make a small amount of Crowley with Jersey cow milk from Jersey Girls Dairy each year. The Jersey milk is all A2 (for greater digestibility). Due to its higher butterfat content, as compared to Holstein milk, Jersey milk makes for a much richer, more buttery, and generally more intense flavor than Crowley’s Holstein milk cheese (Learn more: About A2 Milk).
Did you know the sharpness of a cheese is a function of its age? Because of its accelerated aging process, Crowley is available with six different levels of aging – not the two or three typical of most cheesemakers. Each age level has a unique cheddar profile:
Mild (2-5 months) – This cheese offers robust flavor from the raw milk but no flavor yet from the aging process makes the Mild much like a super-flavorful Monterey Jack.
Medium Sharp (6-10 months) – Enough aging so that the cheddar profile is developing, but this is still a young Crowley.
Sharp (about 12 months) – With about a year of aging this is a flavorful cheese has begun to sharpen up and lends itself to just about any cheese occasion.
Extra Sharp (about 18 months) – This is the fullest flavored Crowley that doesn’t threaten to “bite you back”.
Extra Sharp Reserve (about two and a half years) – With this amount of aging, this is a notably sharp cheese that may bite back, but still retains the essential Crowley flavor profile of the younger cheeses.
Unusually Sharp (at least three and a half years) – Crowley’s most aged cheese is aged no less than 3 and a half years but sometimes as long as seven or eight years. Depending upon age and batch variation, this Crowley can be extraordinarily sharp, but may also show a variety of additional flavor notes. We encourage sampling these when possible!
Crowley’s recipe lends itself well to flavoring, and these Holstein milk cheeses generally receive anywhere from three to eight months of aging before release. We occasionally offer aged flavored cheeses. You may see these among the 8 oz. bars listed as available in our Samplers in our online store, or among the cheese listed in our Special and Unusual Cheeses page in our online store.
Garlic: Simple and yummy–the garlic is restrained and in balance with the cheese.
Smoked Garlic: We take the Garlic cheese and maple smoke it. A tasty upgrade for those who enjoy smoked food.
Garlic Chive: Lots of flavor–this is our best-selling flavored cheese. Great for snacking and hors d’oeuvres.
Fresh Chive: In the spirit of a Cotswold cheese, this shows off the simple elegance of chives.
Muffaletta: Crowley blended with a tapenade made with manzanillo olives, fresh garlic and pimentos.
Hot Pepper: Just the right amount of heat!
Sage: The most traditional flavoring (very popular when the factory opened) and the absolute go-to for a Crowley cheese omelet.
Smoked: Another perennial favorite. This is made by maple smoking our Medium Sharp.
All Crowley flavors are all available in convenient 8 oz. bars. For shipping purposes we offer self-selected boxed Samplers in 3-, 6-, and 9-bar quantities.
Crowley continues to offer traditional clothbound wheels in 2.5 lb., 5 lb., and 23 lb. sizes. These cheeses are available with the cloth on or removed and are waxed by hand. Hand-cut wedges from the large wheels are available by special order.
Crowley blocks are hand cut and hand waxed (with no cheesecloth). Blocks can be ordered in various sizes. Please call us to place your order.
Today the predominant dairy cow is the Holstein, but Crowley cheese was made with the milk of other breeds for much of its early history. Jersey cows were very popular throughout the 19th century, famous for the higher butterfat content of their milk (and their sweet dispositions!). Grass-fed Jersey milk makes for a completely different style of Crowley cheese and boasts a more intense flavor than Crowley’s Holstein milk cheeses, as a result of the higher butterfat content. This edition of Crowley Cheese is handcrafted with milk from Jersey Girls Dairy in Chester, Vermont, which has a small herd of grass-fed Jersey cows. Each of these cows has been tested for production of A2 milk. A2 milk has a different beta-casein protein structure than “regular” (A1) milk and may be more digestible for people who have a problem with cows’ milk dairy products. Unlike our Holstein milk cheese, Crowley’s A2 milk cheese is made with a vegetable rennet, not veal rennet.
Crowley cheese made with Jersey cow milk seems to like to take its time before release, so even our youngest A2 Crowley is aged about 18 months:
Crowley Jersey Cow A2 Aged Cheddar: This cheese is released with about 18 months of aging and shows the most butter. Pairs well with Vermont cider or a malty amber ale and a dollop (or a jar) of apple butter.
Crowley Jersey Cow A2 Extra-Aged: Aged about 3 years this reserve cheese shows considerable complexity as the butter comes into greater balance with the flavor from substantial time in our aging rooms.
Crowley Jersey Cow A2 Extra-Aged Reserve: Our sharpest Jersey milk cheese, aged at least 4 years….
