bourbiza mohamed
As for the similarities to Cantal, Tumbleweed does indeed share the buttery lactic flavors and crumbly texture of that time-honored classic, augmented by a touch of Cheddar-like sharpness. Two fundamental differences are that Tumbleweed’s exterior is coated with white mold, and its minimum age of one year. It is also about one quarter the size, and comes in a tall rectangular shape versus a large round drum. Deceptively mild at first, the flavors of Tumbleweed are complex and will develop and linger on the palate in a very satisfying way. I find that very quality to be a hallmark and one of the crowning achievements of the 5 Spoke lineup: all of their cheeses offer a bouquet of flavors that continue to evolve long after the initial taste, a hallmark of a great cheese in my opinion. During the tasting with Alan for this piece I remarked that I was still tasting one of their cheeses a good fifteen minutes after eating it!
That cheese was Harvest Moon, similar in size and shape to Mimolette. It was in fact the absence of Mimolette in the American marketplace for a time that prompted Alan to purchase round cheese molds from France and to develop this cheese, one of their biggest sellers to this day. Ideally aged between nine and twelve months for optimal flavor and texture, the version I sampled was roughly half that age and was outstanding nevertheless. And its bright orange interior will lend visual appeal to any cheese offering.
Crawford is a tall drum aged for one and a half plus years.It offers some of the same qualities of Tumbleweed but with a more assertive up-front flavor that one might call spicy (not hot, but rather “spicy” as in aged Italian cheese) or piquant, with a cheddar-like tang. The more intense flavors of Crawford will stand up to the sturdiest red wines.
