5 Spoke Creamery: Hudson Valley Cheesemakers

New York’s bucolic lower Hudson Valley region is the home of 5 Spoke Creamery, where husband and wife team of Alan and Barbara Glustoff produce cheeses with reserved elegance and outstanding flavor. Rooted in a firm knowledge of traditional cheese making techniques, they have created a line of cheeses that are true originals, made exclusively from grass fed raw cow’s milk.  Originally a farmstead operation, these days the milk is provided by a neighboring dairy. This allows the Glustoffs to streamline their operation and to focus on cheesemaking, while still maintaining the local terroir so integral to the finished products.

 

French Inspiration

As it turns out Alan and I have something in common that is somewhat unusual among most Americans; a love of French Cantal cheese. For me, it began some twenty plus years ago on my first day as a rookie cheesemonger at a busy cut to order counter. Looking out over hundreds of unidentifiable wheels and a steady stream of customers, it was the one cheese that I could quickly identify due to its large size. (It didn’t hurt that it was also within easy reach). Well, not only did my plan work in getting me through those first few days, but I also made a cheese friend for life that remains a favorite to this day.

For Alan, it also began quite a few years ago with a taste while living in France, following his tenure as a food scientist in Holland. And for him it served as the inspiration for his first and flagship cheese Tumbleweed.

 

American Originals

As for the similarities to Cantal, Tumbleweed does indeed share the buttery lactic flavors and crumbly texture of that time-honored classic, augmented by a touch of Cheddar-like sharpness. Two fundamental differences are that Tumbleweed’s exterior is coated with white mold, and its minimum age of one year. It is also about one quarter the size, and comes in a tall rectangular shape versus a large round drum. Deceptively mild at first, the flavors of Tumbleweed are complex and will develop and linger on the palate in a very satisfying way. I find that very quality to be a hallmark and one of the crowning achievements of the 5 Spoke lineup: all of their cheeses offer a bouquet of flavors that continue to evolve long after the initial taste, a hallmark of a great cheese in my opinion. During the tasting with Alan for this piece I remarked that I was still tasting one of their cheeses a good fifteen minutes after eating it!

That cheese was Harvest Moon, similar in size and shape to Mimolette. It was in fact the absence of Mimolette in the American marketplace for a time that prompted Alan to purchase round cheese molds from France and to develop this cheese, one of their biggest sellers to this day. Ideally aged between nine and twelve months for optimal flavor and texture, the version I sampled was roughly half that age and was outstanding nevertheless. And its bright orange interior will lend visual appeal to any cheese offering.

Crawford is a tall drum aged for one and a half plus years.It offers some of the same qualities of Tumbleweed but with a more assertive up-front flavor that one might call spicy (not hot, but rather “spicy” as in aged Italian cheese) or piquant, with a cheddar-like tang. The more intense flavors of Crawford will stand up to the sturdiest red wines.

 

Tomme de Savoie was used as jumping off point for Porter, which is a good bit firmer and more crumbly than the Tomme. And 5 Spoke also offers a number of straight up Cheddar types. Redmond Cheddar and Welsh Cheddar offer great flavor and a toothsome texture, all offered up in the classic rindless cheddar log format. Cheesemongers as well as chefs take note: while suitable for your best cheeseboard , these are both excellent kitchen cheeses as well, and offer a great price-to-value ratio in today’ cheese marketplace; one would be hard pressed to find an aged raw milk cheddar with that much flavor at their price points. Try them on a salad or in cooked dishes. Forager, flavored with garlic and chive, offers all the satisfaction of English Cotswold, but with a greater depth of flavor due to the raw milk production. And Browning Gold, a natural rind cheese dusted with white mold and aged two years, delivers nutty and buttery flavors to rival the best aged English farmstead cheeses.

 

Responsible Farming Techniques

In addition to their commitment to great cheese, Alan and Barbara are equally passionate about reducing their impact on our planet. Their farm is one hundred percent certified solar powered due to their partnership with Energize NY, an organization dedicated to furthering renewable energy for businesses in the Empire State. And they also grow a variety of perennials on their property to support a healthy bee population.

5 Spoke Creamery takes its name from Alan’s love of bicycling. His colorful bicycle, decorated in soft pastel tones and company logo, is parked outside of the creamery entrance and serves as their mascot of sorts. It is meant to symbolize a slower, more conscious way of life. Their products and farm serve as a great example of quality food that is produced in harmony with sustainability and a respect for nature.

5 Spoke Creamery is located in Goshen NY. While they do not sell their cheeses on-site, they can be purchased directly from the farm online, and in selected retail outlets.