A long-running, slow-burn experiment, Mountain Laurel is modeled after the hard Italian Grana-style cheeses such as Parmigiano-Reggiano and Trentingrana. Currently we are offering the first batch of our 2021 Mountain Laurel for sale.

At over a year of aging, the Mountain Laurel is a dense, full-bodied cheese, whose pronounced grassy and fruity notes are complimented by a rich melted butter flavor and a hint of nuttiness. Smoother and creamier than its European counterparts, the Mountain Laurel makes an excellent cheese for either the kitchen or the table. 

When we started making Mountain Laurel back in 2020, we did a lot of experimenting... including one that's taken a full three years to come into its own!

For this batch, we skimmed the milk, resulting in a much drier, firmer cheese than the regular Mountain Laurel, dotted with crystals formed over its long three-year aging. It's most similar to classic European grating cheeses like Pecorino Romano. The sharp, grassy acidity is mellowed by a walnut nuttiness and a rich, savory finish. This would be a wonderful cheese served with honey and basalmic vinegar, and perfect grated over fresh pasta.

There are only ten wheels of Mountain Laurel in this batch, and we're unlikely to make it quite like this again, so pick yours up soon... when it's gone, it's gone!

This long-aged version of our original recipe Appalachian is aged for over eight month in our cellars. The extra age turns Appalachian into a lush, fruity cheese with overtones of toasted butter, with a mushroom earthiness that recalls the intensity of the cellars and a tangy, smooth finish. The texture is firm but velvety, melting on the tongue.