In the late 1800’s Colby was first created and made near Colby, WI, hence it’s name. While similarly made to Cheddar, colby doesn’t undergo the cheddaring process; a multi-step process that reduces whey content, adjusts acidity, adds the characteristic cheddar flavour, and tends to results in a more dense final product. The Robin has come to us because it’s creator Chris Gentine sought out to create a Colby of yesteryear.
Chris Gentine grew up in the WI Cheese world and currently has a business which seeks to share some of Wisconsin’s best cheese with the rest of the world. He achieved immediate success with his WI Vat 17 Cheddar and there’s no doubt that his WI Grade AA 1 year and 3 year are the absolute best of the best in their class. With he’s goals in sight and his seemingly midas touch, I recall asking “what’s next?” and being stunned by his response. He replied that he wanted to recreate a colby that he remembered from his childhood. He explained how this style of colby is relatively unknown anymore, as most of the colby readily available are more like (if not exactly) a mild cheddar.
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