Washed-rind from Austria's Alps balancing creamy sweetness with savory depth.
Austrian raw cow's milk washed-rind from Vorarlberg. Semi-soft, mushroomy, hazelnut and brown butter with a long savory finish. Order online.
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Shadow Blossom is a raw cow's milk washed-rind wheel from Hofkäserei Kraus in Vorarlberg, the alpine western tip of Austria where the milk comes off cows grazing herb-rich mountain pasture. The rind is orange-tinged and sticky, brined and turned by hand through the aging, and it does most of the heavy lifting on flavor.
The paste is semi-soft and supple, pale straw with a smooth, pliable break that yields cleanly under the knife and stays moist all the way through. On the palate it opens with sweet alpine cream and toasted hazelnut, then the rind pulls the whole thing into mushroomy, meaty, forest-floor territory with a long savory finish. There's a brothy pull on the back of the palate that lingers well past the swallow.
Washed-rinds from this corner of the Alps sit right in the sweet spot where the sweetness of the milk keeps pace with the funk of the rind. Nothing aggressive, nothing shy, just a well-made mountain cheese with real depth.
Semi-soft and supple, gives just slightly under the knife with a smooth, pliable paste that yields cleanly and stays moist through the center.
Pronounced washed-rind character with meaty, savory depth from the brined rind, balanced by the sweeter alpine milk underneath. Bold but not aggressive.
A long, savory finish that pulls mushroomy and slightly beefy across the back of the palate and sticks around well past the swallow.
The fresh-milk note sits in the background, more sweet cream than yogurt, giving the paste a gentle richness underneath the rind funk.
Toasted hazelnut and browned butter through the middle, a hallmark of Vorarlberg alpine milk from cows grazing herb-rich mountain pasture.
Mushroomy and forest-floor from the brine-washed rind, with a clean vegetal pull rather than aggressive barnyard funk.
No real heat, just a quiet savory pull on the back of the palate.
Washed rind
Sticky, orange-tinged washed rind that carries most of the meaty, mushroomy intensity. Edible, and the flavor deepens noticeably as you approach it from the paste.
Shadow Blossom stands on its own, but the right partners turn a wedge into a moment. Regional pairings first — they were built for each other.
Aromatic Austrian and Alsatian whites cut through the washed-rind funk without fighting the sweet alpine paste. A Trappist ale echoes the yeasty, savory rind.
Crisp orchard fruit and honey lift the sweeter side of the paste, while rye and cornichons stand up to the meaty rind.
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