In the wintertime, it’s always a good idea to stock up on emergency food in case of a sudden blizzard. Few foods are more comforting than cheese, and now you can purchase 500 pounds of 20-year-old cheddar. Wisconsin cheesemaker Tony Hook is now ready to sell his 20-year aged cheddar at $209 a pound. Half the proceeds will go toward funding dairy research at the University of Wisconsin, which might just make that high price tag a bit more palatable.
Photo: Fromagination
500 Pounds of 20-Year-Old Cheddar Is for Sale in Wisconsin
Ken Monteleone, owner of Madison cheese-shop Fromagination, which had carried Hook’s Cheese for a long time, said of Hook’s cheese that it was “very smooth and buttery, with all these layers of flavor and these calcium crystals you’d typically only see with parmigiano reggiano.” According to Monteleone, Hook is one of the best aged-cheddar makers in the country.
Hook and his wife, Julie, bought their own factory in 1987 and decided to experiment with aging their cheddars past three or four years. At the time, this was a rare and unique process. Through this experiment, Hook became an expert in cheddar aging and has wound up with a 500-pound batch of cheddar at the 20-year mark. Now, it’s time to sell.
For more details about the cheese, or to make a purchase, check out the Fromagination website. 