Pirate Blue

"Pirate Blue" is the only raw milk farmstead blue cheese available in our region. Naturally, it's hand-crafted by our friends at Clover Creek Cheese Cellar in Williamsburg, Pennsylvania. While some eaters are deterred by the thought of "blue" cheeses, there is much to be appreciated in this case.

"Pirate Blue" is the most perfectly balanced buttery, salty and pungent of cheeses. It's so good that Clover Creek was asked to supply the chefs of the U.S. Open in Oakmont, Pennsylvania two months ago so "Pirate Blue" was in high-demand and cellar inventory was wiped out as a result.

Unfortunately (?) you can't just make blue cheese overnight. That's something we need to remember about all of the region's farmstead cheeses.

Pirate Blue is no exception. Facts: The "Blue" in "Pirate Blue" comes from a beautiful blue-tinged fungus called Penicillium roqueforti. The cultures are mixed in with the curds before being pressed into wheel molds but the coloring (and flavor) can't develop unless exposed to air. To allow the cultures to develop, holes must be poked into the wheels so that they can breathe. Here's a video of Anthony Rice poking holes into aging wheels of blue cheese at Clover Creek Cheese Cellar: Instagram.com/clovercreekcheese.

Of note, my forever favorite Pittsburgh Ice Cream Co. batch was "Honey Pecan Blue" from Winter 2015.