Say Cheese!

Two family-owned cheese producers have put Colorado in the spotlight for fine American fromage

By Kate Bailey
Photography by Martin Crabb
Recipes:
Original Haystack Mountain Goat Cheesecake
Recipes:
Original Haystack Mountain Goat Cheesecake
Blue Corn Enchiladas with Haystack Mountain Goat Cheese
Baked Figs and MouCo Camembert
MouCo ColoRouge and Proscuitto Corn Bread Sandwiches

Click here to see some cool Cheese Trays and Cutting Boards.

American cheese has finally come of age... literally. Far beyond the orange Kraft slices of our childhood, our country's artisan cheese industry is producing exquisitely ripened specimens that are winning inter national awards and threatening the reign of famous cheese-making countries such as France and England. While many of these excellent American cheeses hail from our coasts, two family-owned companies right here in Colorado have taken their craft to a new level, producing some of the finest cheeses in the country.

Haystack Mountain Goat Cheese, haystackgoatcheese.com.

One of the state's oldest, Haystack Mountain was started in the early '90s by Jim Schott and his wife Arlene. Today, the goat farm and creamery, located near Niwot, raises a healthy herd of Nubian and Saanen goats that produce milk for several different cheeses:

  • Boulder Chèvre: This semi-soft cheese has won several awards from the American Cheese Society.
  • Queso de Mano: A raw-milk cheese with a white interior and a nutty flavor.
  • Smoked Chèvre: Cold smoked with applewood.
  • Chèvre in Marinade: Boulder Chèvre marinated in olive oil, herbs and garlic.
  • Haystack Peak: Fresh-ripened cheese shaped like a pyramid.
  • Sunlight: Washed-rind, semi-hard, raw-milk cheese that is aged for 60 days.
  • Snowdrop: A small white disk that is firm with a mild, creamy interior.
  • Red Cloud: This smooth, washed-rind wheel packs a complex punch.

MouCo Cheese Company, mouco.com.

Birgit Halbreiter and Robert Poland, President and Vice President of MouCo Cheese Company, started making cheese in 2000. Today, their Camembert and ColoRouge are enjoying well-deserved accolades from local and national cheese lovers.

  • MouCo Camembert: The company's flagship cheese is a traditional French-style Camembert. It softens as it ages, developing earthy, buttery flavors.
  • MouCo ColoRouge: A washed-rind cheese that has subtle, creamy flavors when young and ripens with mild, spicy notes.