Some notes on supermarket cheddars, so i know which ones i like. For reference, and although it's not listed here, the best i've ever had is Co-op own-brand mature cheddar (the one that comes in a brownish-red packet).
The score is supposed to be out of five, but i've been systematically overrating things.
| Shop | Brand | Type | Nationality | Alleged Maturity | Tasting Date | Notes | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tesco | Carberry | Irish | Mature / 3 | ? | Bloody awful. Sour, with no richness. Almost like a Cheshire or something. Might just about be okay for toasting, but worthless for eating. EDIT: also hopeless for toasting. | * | |
| Tesco | Farmhouse | West Country | Mature / 4 (Rich/Tangy) | ? | Pretty good. Sharp, tasty, but lacking developed richness. The sharpness is overpowering in the aftertaste. | *** | |
| Tesco | Creamfields (Discount Brands) | Mature / 3 (Rich/Creamy) | ? | Pretty good. No sharpness at all, but as it says, rich and rather creamy - undercut a little by surprising sweetness. If this had some bite, it would be a solid four. | ***½ | ||
| Tesco | Davidstow | Cornish | Mature / 3 (Rich / Creamy) | 2009-06-01 | Sharp, but not excessively so; has a pronounced sourness which buttresses the sharpness. Offsets the harshness with considerable creaminess, but only middling richness and complexity. | ***½ | |
| Tesco | Canadian | Extra Mature / 4 (Strong/Tasty) | 2009-06-01 | Creamy, but sharp, with the sharpness overwhelming the fairly weak flavour. | **½ | ||
| Tesco | Ford Farm | Coastal | Dorsetine | "rugged mature" | 2009-06-06 | Good flavour, modest sharpness, just enough to accent the taste. Quite rich and creamy in the follow-through. Almost textbook. A little soft, though, and could do with more complexity. | ****½ |
| Pilgrim's Choice | Somerset | Extra Mature / 5 | 2009-07-06 | Creamy, with definite but not excessive sweetness, and very rich. For a mature cheddar, little sharpness; mature cheddars often wildly overdo sharpness, but this one very slightly underdoes it. | ****½ | ||
| Tesco | Mature / 3 (rich / creamy) | 2009-07-11 | A very middle-of-the-road cheddar: sharpness, some bitterness, little complexity, modest creaminess. | ** | |||
| Kerrygold | Irish | Mature / n (desc) | 2009-07-11 | Intriguing dryness, a little like a Manchego; manages to have an edge without actually being that sharp. Unremarkable flavour. | *** | ||
| Seriously | Farmy | British | "a rich country character" | 2009-08-14 | Wasn't impressed at first, but it's really grown on me. A quiet baseline of sweet creaminess, healthy sharpness, and a solid richness, elusive around the mouth | ****½ | |
| Lidl | Valley Spire | British + Irish | Vintage Reserve | 2010-03-02 | A little nondescript, but hard to fault. Good texture, solid sharpness initially dominates richness, with the balance reversing in the aftertaste. Should toast well. | **** |