Raw Milk Cheese
Vegetarian-Suitable Cheese
The Lady brought home another winner from Cary Bryant and David Gremmels and all the great folks who make Rogue Creamery cheeses.
Caveman Blue is a result of painstaking cheesemaking by David and Cary that began in 2002 soon after buying the creamery from the cheesemaker legend, Ig Vella. The guys wanted to distinguish themselves and Caveman was to be the cheese to represent the “new generation” at Rogue. However, they had some problems with consistency and while they labored to perfect this cheese, they became famous with other winners such as Rogue River Blue and Echo Mountain Blue. They also expanded their line to include non-blue cheese favorites as well such as Tou Velle and Lavender Cheddar.
All of the blues at Rogue Creamery use different strains of Penicillium roqueforti for bluing and the cheesemakers realized that the strain Caveman used needed its own temperature and humidity in order to develop the natural rind wanted. This rind also sets Caveman apart from the other Rogue Creamery blues. They built a separate facility for aging Caveman and success soon followed.
Caveman has the density of fudge and butter with crystals. It has fruity overtones and I got a whiff of bacon. This cheese is moderate in blue boldness and only slightly salty. There is a nuttiness that is quite pleasant and satisfying with a bit of vanilla at the end.
We enjoyed this cheese after dinner as dessert with slices of Bartlett pear. It was the perfect ending to the meal.
I give Caveman Blue 4 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).
Serving Suggestion: This cheese should be savored and that’s just how The Lady served it – as dessert.
Wine Pairing: The Lady chose Sineann’s Old Vine Zinfandel from Yamhill County, Oregon. The Lady prefers to pair her cheeses with local wines whenever possible.
Beer Pairing: The Man chose Oregon Trail Brewery’s Bourbon Barrel Porter. He felt its vanilla notes went well with Caveman.
Bit of trivia: Since 1971, an imposing statue of a caveman has guarded the entrance to Grant’s Pass in Southern Oregon. He was erected by the city’s Caveman Club and stands 17 feet tall. The purpose was to promote the nearby caverns at Cave Junction. On July 4, 2004, the fiberglass statue was ignited and heavily damaged. Teens were the suspected vandals. By July 2005, the statue had been repaired and returned to its pedestal where he still stands proudly today.
