Tarago River “Hillcrest Farm” Lavender
Origin: Neerim South, Gippsland
Cheesemaker: Laurie Jensen
Fresh curd style cheese, medium soft in texture. This cheese has not been pressed, so paste of cheese will show some open texture. Mild, creamy style of cheese where the flavour and texture has been enhanced by the addition of dried Lavender dispersed throughout the cheese.
Tarago Gippsland Blue
Origin: Tarago River, Gippsland, Victoria
This was Australia’s first farmhouse blue that utilises only cow’s milk from their own farm. Rich Gorgonzola style, very creamy texture, tangy finish that develops even further if cheese is allowed to mature.
Tarago River Blue Orchid
Origin: Neerim South, Gippsland, Victoria.
Adapted from a Danish blue recipe, this style differs in its apparent creamy texture. When young, this cheese is characterised by a slightly bitter flavour which will mellow as it ages into a sharp, sweet, full- flavoured cheese. This cheese does weep a little moisture to maintain a soft, crumbly texture.
Tarago River Shadows of Blue
Origin: Neerim South, Gippsland, Victoria.
A rich mild double cream blue vein, similar to a” Blue Castello”. A Roquefort style mould culture is used that breaks the texture down to a soft, and mild full flavour.
Tarago River Royal Victorian Blue
Origin: Neerim South, Gippsland, Victoria.
Cheesemaker: Laurie Jensen.
Striking looking blue cheese, with distinct marble effect. Creamy, rich flavoured style with hints of English Stilton on the finish. The orange colour / flavour is from Annatto. This rich food ingredient is made from the waxy pulp surrounding the seeds of the Annatto tree, a small native of tropical America.
Tarago River Jensen’s Red
Origin: Tarago River, Gippsland Victoria
Orange terracotta rind with a buttery, mild, slightly acidic interior when young. As this cheese matures it develops a dense, supple texture and a concentrated, slightly sweet, fruity flavour reminiscent of apples.
Gippsland Tarago Brie
Origin: Gippsland, Victoria.
Cheesemaker: Laurie Jensen.
White mould surface ripened Brie style with a luscious creamy texture. Superb flavour for those who choose to enjoy their Brie fully ripened.
Tarago River Triple Cream
Origin: Tarago River Cheese, Neerim South, Gippsland Victoria.
Cheesemaker: Laurie Jensen
A richer Brie style, very buttery in texture, light lactic flavour that takes on more complexity when fully mature.
Strezlecki Goats Blue
Origin: Tarago River Cheese Co. from Gippsland, Victoria
A subtle goaty flavour and soft proteolysed texture. It is well veined with a traditional natural rind. The taste is nutty, clean and well balanced with a full aromatic bouquet. It is made on best quality spring milk.
Gippsland Hill farm Mature
This farmhouse cows milk cheese is made by the Tarago river Cheese Co. Hill Farm is situated in the tiny hamlet of Neerim South, amongst the rolling hills of Gippsland, east of Melbourne, Victoria.
This cheese style could be confused for cheddar, but has not been “cheddared”, but is simply gently pressed curd that had been allowed to mature and form a natural crust. Though only 8-9 months old it has attained good flavour and length.
Enterprize Brie
Origin: Tarago River, Gippsland Victoria
The young cheese has a thick, pure white-rind coating and a custard-yellow, soft texture. As it ages it becomes more buttery and slightly sticky, with a mellow creamy flavour.
Gippsland “Traditional Brie ”
Producer: Tarago River Cheese Co. (Neerim South, Gippsland, Victoria)
Cheesemaker: Laurie Jensen
While Tarago River Cheese Co. have long made what I would refer to as an ‘Australian’ brie style and as good as it is it conforms to a pristine white (fluffy bunny) mould that is very fresh, firm and it is invariably consumed too early.
As a general comment white mould cheese styles here in Australia seem to have fallen into a hole in so far as they are seen very much as a commodity line, price is everything to the detriment of quality. A common cry amongst cheesemakers is that can no longer make any money out of Brie and Camembert
(largely their own fault for dropping their prices to gain market share). One notable exception would be Jindi Brie, which has always resisted price discounting (to their credit), but I have felt for a long time the whole brie ‘thing’ should be reassessed. I would like to think that I have had a very small part in the emergence of this Traditional Brie, mainly through nagging Laurie Jensen.
“Traditional Brie” follows the line of French Brie and looks more closely at flavour and an active culture that creates an early break-up of the white mould. It is noticeably less moist and has very good length of flavour even when quite young. We hope it will develop into being a ‘thinking person’s brie’ –perfect for the discerning diners at Ricky’s, rather than a superficial cheese that resembles a dollop of cream in your mouth and little or no complexity.
“Childers” Goats Camembert
Origin: Tarago River Cheese Co., Neerim VIC
A unique Camembert style cheese made with goat’s milk. A soft to runny texture – depending on the season and the age of the cheese. The flavour is subtler when young, but can mature into a full goat cheese flavour.
Enterprize Foundation Blue (Victoria) 850g
Created to celebrate the founding of Melbourne, this is a double cream blue cheese made with mould that is first grown on bread before being added to the curds. Very creamy, but characterised by a strong blue mould.