Almnäs Bruk Wrangeback

The oldest Swedish cheese known to monger-kind, this Alpine-style cheese is mellow, herby and creamy.

Quick Facts

Country of Origin: Sweden
Milk Type/Treatment: Raw Cow
Rennet Type: Animal

The Flavor Experience

Grassy tang gives way to dense, savory, layered flavor. Slightly nutty and perfectly subtle in its sweetness.

The Story

Fourth generation cheesemakers create one of our favorite Alpine-style specimens at Almnäs Bruk in Sweden, a farm dating back to 1225. Multiple, unique breeds of cow roam the pastures including Vestlandsk Fjordfe, a nearly extinct line. The milk they produce imparts an undeniably unique and interesting flavor.

Usage Tips

Plays nicely with any fruit-forward red, but is generally beverage-friendly and won't put up much of a fight with your favorite drink.

More from Certified Cheese Professional, Hunter Fike:

To say that Wrangeback is one of our favorite Swedish cheeses probably doesn't mean that much, given that there are only so many cheeses from Sweden. It would be more accurate and more meaningful to say that Wrangeback is one of our favorite cheeses, period.

Wrangeback is produced on a farm called Almnäs Bruk, which was established by monks in 1225. It is believe that cheese had been produced there from the beginning, but the name Wrangeback was not recorded until 1830, which makes it the oldest cheese brand in all of Sweden.

After WWII, trends towards industrialization made cheese production less feasible. By 1961, all of Almnas’ milk was redirected to the commodity market. However, in 2008, the 82-year old cheesemaker, Hans Stiller, spearheaded the revival of traditional farmstead production at Almnäs, and they've continued with this artisan technique ever since.

Back in August, our monger team had the honor of doing a virtual cheese tasting, training and batch selection with the team at Almnäs Bruk. Tasting from several days' worth of production, we selected a batch made on February 18th, 30 wheels worth of cheese that will be exclusive to Di Bruno Bros. Here are our notes:

The flavor is gentle at first, with aromatics of fresh grass and cream. Paste is dense and smooth with sporadic flecks of crystallization. Through the middle of the palate, flavors are quick in developing. Lots of barnyard and umami-ness, which build towards a long, lingering finish. A delightful snap of snow pea pods round out the experience.

If you like Gruyere, Comte or other popular alpine cheeses, Wrangeback is right up your alley. It melts nicely, but we love it with a dollop of Tishbi Onion Cabernet jam, which resembles a reconstructed French Onion Soup.