Merry Goat Round Spruce Reserve

Nestled in the quiet mountains of western Maryland, Firefly Farms Creamery is mastering the art of making award-winning goat cheeses. Founded in 2002 by partners Mike Koch and Pablo Solanet, the duo work hard to stay true to their mission of sustainability, quality and tradition. Firefly works exclusively with local family owned farms all within a 30-mile radius to source fresh raw goat milk that is free of additives, preservatives and stabilizers. All of their cheeses are scooped, turned, salted, washed, brushed and wrapped by hand and are displays of some of the best artisan cheese setting the standard of cheesemaking in the US today.

Merry Goat Round Spruce Reserve grew out of the desire for a new way to age their award-winning bloomy-rind counterpart-the Merry Goat Round cheese. Enter world renowned chef Jose Andres and the idea to wrap the small forms with a layer of spruce bark and the rest is history. The Spruce Reserve is a soft-ripened, luxurious, bloomy-rind cheese made with pasteurized goat's milk and vegetarian rennet. Aged for one month, the silky, spoonable center gives way to rich umami flavors bursting with a complex array of mushroom and juniper. The super creamy, mushroomy paste opens up to subtle earthy aromas, inviting you in for another bite. The Merry Goat Round Spruce Reserve is perfect simply on its own and paired with a glass of Pinot Noir or Sauvignon Blanc.