A Visit to Capriole

This week I had the opportunity to visit Capriole to sample several of their products, meet a few of the baby goats, and purchase some of their hand-made cheeses. Capriole is located just north of Louisville in the rolling hills of southern Indiana. Written words can not do justice to either the farm or the cheese. It is a delight to the senses. The cheeserie is characterized by an unpretentious simplicity. This is certainly not an Interstate "Grandpa's Cheese Barn" kind of place.

On my visit I was greeted by a radiant young woman that I learned was an agricultural student intern from Hungary. She set out several cheeses for me to sample and explained a bit about each one. I decided on three cheeses:

Wabash Cannonball -  a 3ounce ball of chevre dusted with ash. This particular cheese one the 1995 American Cheese Society's Best of Show

The O'Banon - The original banon cheese has been made for centuries in the Haute Provence of France. Capriole's version is larger & fresher than the French cheese giving it a lighter, palate-cleansing edge. Traditionally, the chestnut leaves used to wrap the cheese were soaked in eau de vie. Capriole uses Old Forester or Woodford Reserve Bourbon. The tannins in the leaves & the bourbon combine to give this creamy, dense cheese just a nuance of a kick. The updated name was inspired by Frank O'Bannon, former governor of Indiana.

Fresh Goat Cheese Log with Wasabi - I feel immediately in love with the goat cheese/wasabi combination the minute I tasted it. The taste is so clean and fresh with that wasabi zing. This is great on crackers and also makes a great cucumber tea sandwich.

After I made my cheese purchases I stopped by to see the baby goats and snapped a few photos. I'm already talking about a return trip, this time with the family.