Speaking of Cheese

Forgive me for my exuberance; it must seem like I'm a little over the top regarding something as humble as cheese, but I have to make you understand about the cheddar from Grafton Village, Vermont. It's four years old, which means that one teeny tiny little morsel fills you with such good cheddar sharpness that you almost can't stand it. I tell you, after the first bite I thought I could fly. It's razor sharp, but it still manages to be creamy.

I got the Four Star cheese in a set that also includes cheddars aged for one, two and three years. I'm sure they're fine, and to clearly appreciate the beauty of the Four Star, I ought to have tried them in order, but I wanted immediate gratification. I am an American, after all.

The price of the cheese is quite acceptable. The configuration I ordered places the per-pound price about $12, which is only a little more than I pay for very decent but still inferior Canadian Black Diamond white cheddar down at the cheese stand at the market. The shipping charges are near highway robbery, especially given that the cheese is placed in a plain cardboard box and sent UPS Second Day air. On the other hand, I recognize that the Grafton Village cheese folks (they also make/sell maple syrup, and if it's half as good as the cheese, on a hot waffle with butter it would send me into orbit)don't get the volume shipping discounts that folks like Lands' End and Amazon get. Still, I don't think my package really cost $14.95 to send, even if you include the price of the box.

I may complain about it here, but when I think about that cheese, $14.95 seems a small price to pay to get it to me. Please don't tell the cheese people I said that.

Anyway, I also found a web site that has a better interface than Grafton Village's own site while still stocking a full line of their cheese. This link takes you right to it. I can't speak to their shipping prices, but they do have the cheese.

Live a little. Get some cheese today.

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