HARBISON
MILK TYPE: Pasteurized Cow Milk
STYLE: Bark-Wrapped, Bloomy Rind
MILK SOURCE: Local Pastured Herds
FORMAT: 9 oz Wheel
AFFINAGE: 6-13 Weeks
TYPICAL PROFILE: Sweet Cream, Button Mushroom, Woodsy, Raspberry, Mustard
THE STORY
HARBISON is named for Anne Harbison, affectionately known as the grandmother of Greensboro. Along with breathtaking views, traditions and people are part of what makes Vermont's working landscape special; we're proud to honor Ms. Harbison's contribution with this cheese.
SENSORY
Harbison is a soft-ripened cheese with a rustic, bloomy rind. Young cheeses are wrapped in strips of spruce cambium, the tree's inner bark layer, harvested from the woodlands of Jasper Hill. The spoonable texture begins to develop in our vaults, though the paste continues to soften on the way to market. Harbison is woodsy and sweet, balanced with lemon, mustard, and vegetal flavors.
PAIRING AND SERVICE — Harbison is a great excuse to gather a few friends and scoop into a decadent treat. When a bit younger, the bark can be peeled away for sliced portioning. If the bark has fused with a more loosened paste, then the best approach is to leave the bark intact and spoon out portions from the top. Pair with oakey white wine, or barrel-aged sour beer. Fruit mostarda and crusty bread make nice accompaniments.
MY SPRUCE BAND SHOULD BE DAPPLED WITH BLUE-GREEN FLORA
MY SPRUCE BAND SHOULD BE DAPPLED WITH BLUE-GREEN FLORA
Have you ever noticed any blue-green mottling on the surface of your Harbison’s spruce band? It’s likely you have!
This is a species of penicilium communae—a more rustic variety of the same penicilium that constitutes Harbison’s rind. This microflora is intentionally left on the bark and is totally harmless.