We could all learn a valuable lesson from Hook’s Cheese Company in Mineral Point, Wis. about how to keep your customers always wanting more.
Where were you 15 years ago? I’m guessing you probably were not thinking about aging out a delicious piece of Wisconsin Cheddar Cheese. But lucky for us, that is just what Tony and Julie Hook, owners of Hook’s Cheese Company had in mind.
In the mid-1990’s, the Hook’s set aside 5,200 pounds of artisan Cheddar with the purpose of aging it. As the cheese aged, they sold large chunks at 10- and 12-years. But, 15 years later, a special batch of 1,200 pounds of the Cheddar made its debut, quickly finding an enthusiastic audience with local and national media – from the Associated Press to USA Today.
Sales of the now-famous Cheddar are limited to two lucky Wisconsin Cheese shops and as news of the cheese spreads, orders are pouring in from across the U.S. and other countries. The cheese initially sold for about $35 a pound, but as demand grew, the price skyrocketed to nearly $60 a pound. Even at its steep price, nearly all 1,200 pounds of the Cheddar sold in less than one week. Luckily, I reserved my prized piece from very last shipment at Fromagination.
The Cheddar didn’t last more than a few hours in my possession – we had a tasting last night! I think the best way to truly appreciate the flavor and textural nuances of the 15-year Cheddar is to sample it alongside several other Cheddars. We set up a flight with 5-, 10- and 15-year Cheddars.
We started with the youngest cheese and slowly worked our way towards the oldest. The 5-year Cheddar was almost mild in flavor, a very nice cheese, but not terribly complex. Next was the 10-year Cheddar — it was very sharp and crumbly. The 15-year Cheddar was amazing – you might expect it to be even more sharp than the 10-year, but that wasn’t the case. It had a rich, well-balanced flavor and the texture was much creamier than the younger cheeses. In addition, it had plenty of the crunchy little crystals I love so much. This cheese is worth every penny!
If you missed out on this 15-year Cheddar don’t despair, another batch of the extra aged Cheddar is expected to be available sometime this spring.
-Megan
