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. The first three columns are a total mess, sorry about that.
| 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.
2010-09-14: Still the same. Very good. |
****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. | **** | |
| Lake District Cheese Co | Cumbrian | Mature (rich & tasty) | 2010-04-17 | Creamy, rich, not at all sharp - almost like a strong Edam (?!). Really good, but just needs a little more edge. | ***½ | ||
| Lidl | Valley Spire | British + Irish | Extra Mature | 2010-09-14 | Excessively sour. Not a lot else to it. | *½ | |
| Tesco | Parkham Farm | Farmhouse | West Country | Extra Mature / 5 (strong + tangy) | 2010-09-25 | Decent. Solid sharpness, a hint of creaminess, some richness, slight sourness in the aftertaste. | ***½ |
| Tesco | Parkham Farm | Farmhouse | West Country | Mature / 4 (rich + tangy) | 2010-10-08 | A good all-rounder. Good flavour, with gentle sharpness. | **** |
| Tesco | Lake District Cheese Co | Lacustrine | Mature | 2011-01-09 | Unremarkable. Sharp, bitter aftertaste, no richness or creaminess discernable. Toasting just makes the bitterness more pronounced. They also do an Extra Mature which is only slightly better (forgot to review it). | *½ | |
| Seriously | Strong | (tangy + savoury) | 2011-11-17 | Creamy, a little sharp, with a well-developed fruity richness. Very good. Loses much of its interest on toasting. | **** | ||
| Anchor | Extra Mature | 2014-08-25 | Creamy, just touch a touch of sharpness, halfheartedly savoury, rather flabby. Unobjectionable and forgettable. | *** | |||
| Sainsbury's | Vintage reserve | English | Vintage / 6 (Strong/Powerful) | 2016-03-06 | Underpowered. No perceptible sharpness or savouriness; a little bitter. | ** | |
| Marks & Spencer | Cornish Cove | Davidstow | Cornish | Mature / 5 (rich and full flavoured) | 2016-03-25 | Good! Intensely savoury, with complex flavours below the surface. Comes in a little bitter and leaves a little sour. A hint of crunch. | **** |
| Sainsbury's | Taste the Difference | Keen's West Country Farmhouse | British | Extra Mature / 5 (tangy and complex) | 2018-04-07 | Good sting of sharpness, cellar, sour savouriness | **** |
| Sainsbury's | Mary Ann's Dairy (tertiary) | Mature | 2021-09-23 | A little sour, quite sweet, dry, fairly bland | *½ | ||
| Sainsbury's | British | Mature / 4 | 2021-09-23 | Rather sharp / sour, not much to it, hint of farmyard | *½ |