Rush Creek Reserve Cheese

An late autumn/winter-only cheese, made with milk from cows fed a diet of dry winter hay, Rush Creek Reserve is creamy, soft, and woodsy.

The Flavor Experience

Rush Creek Reserve cheese is only available in the winter, when Upland's herd of cow's switch from grazing on summer grass to winter hay. The subtle shift in diet is what makes this young, soft cheese so good. Inspired by Vacherin Mont d'Or, the standard of French raw milk cheeses, Rush Creek Reserve is every bit as soft and creamy but made on this side of the Atlantic. And unlike its French counterpart, Uplands Cheese doesn't remove the spruce wrapper after the aging process has finished, but rather leaves the wheel of cheese wrapped in a fine layer of spruce bark, which imbues the cheese with a woodsy, distinctive taste.

The Story

In 1994, two couples bought a farm together in Pleasant Ridge, in the Uplands region of Wisconsin, to join herds and manage dairy production together. The farm's unique and untouched location provided new and diverse grasses and herbs for their cows to graze on, and in turn produced quality milk both couples knew could be turned into delicious, Alpine-inspired cheeses of their own. Today, Uplands Cheese Company is run by two new couples, who started out as apprentices to the cheesemaking process, and who bought the farm from the original owners in 2014, further preserving the legacy and excellence of their award-winning cheeses.

Usage Tips

Eat it like ice cream: straight off a spoon! A small spoon, of course, so you can share with friends. Peel back the top layer of rind and, keeping the wheel contained in its spruce bark wrapping, scoop out a mouthful of this creamy, gooey cheese. Enjoy on baguette for a cold take on fondue.

Quick Facts

Country of Origin: Dodgeville, WI, USA
Milk Type/Treatment: Cow
Rennet Type: Traditional
Age Range: 60 Days