The Fabulous Beekman Boys: Beekman 1802 Blaak

By Aaron Estes, Cheese Editor

At this point I think everyone has heard about the hit reality show “The Fabulous Beekman Boys” that airs on the Planet Green network. But, for those of you who are not familiar, it follows the lives of two men -- Josh and his partner Brent -- who decide to lead the lives of farmers, explore the merits of sustainability, and develop their various products and lifestyle brand of Beekman 1802. 

On a working farm in Sharon Springs, NY, Josh and Brent are raising a dozen chickens, a couple of pigs and approximately 80 goats. One of the byproducts of raising goats is an ample supply of goat’s milk which in turn, lends itself to making cheese.

After doing a bit of research and with some assistance from the local creamery at Cooperstown Cheese Company, the Boys started producing cheese from their goat’s milk. Not happy with the acidity and sharpness of an aged cheese made purely from goat’s milk, they decided to mix in some cow’s milk (60% goat/40% cow) to add a layer of complexity and round out the flavor profile.

The cheeses are aged for approximately four months and then “blackened” on the exterior with a hardwood ash. Although some traditional chevre and soft goat’s cheeses do incorporate vegetable ash (think Capriole’s “Sofia”), the rinds on aged varieties are usually left to their own devices, with perhaps some washed encouragement from the affineur. The result here Beekman "Blaak," a dark and textured 2 lb-wheel, with a hint of smoke on the nose from the exterior ash.

With all of the hype surrounding the show and the Beekman brand, this cheese was popular right from the outset. Even before people had a chance to try this cheese, they wanted it.

I have now had an opportunity to try this cheese on two separate occasions from two separate wheels with two different groups of people, and the cheese has left me, for lack of a better word, wanting.

Visually, this is a gorgeous wheel. The blackened ash completely coats the rind and enhances the textures that are present from the basket molds used in making this cheese. It is definitely a conversation piece to have this cheese on your board as the contrast between the pale paste and the dark rind is quite stunning.

But, after letting the cheese come to room temp, I didn’t get anything on the nose beyond the smoky hints from the wood ash that coats the outside. I actually thought it was a bit overpowering.

What disappointed me -- on both occasions I might add -- was the lack of flavor or complexity. When combining cow and goat's milk, I expect a cheese that marries the tangy bite from the goat’s milk with a mellow and rounded creaminess from the cow’s milk. Blaak didn’t provide that for me or for the others that were tasting this with me.

This cheese is incredibly mild which isn’t necessarily a bad thing if that is what you are looking for. Personally, I look for pronounced and unique flavors, a nice balance of salt, and overall complexity. This cheese may contain some of those elements, but they are muted to the point of being nearly absent.

In looking at my fellow tasters (two cheese shop owners for one tasting, and a certain founder of a respected New York wine site for the other), we had that same look of recognition on our faces after trying a couple of pieces. This cheese is made by people who are on TV! Every major shop in the Northeast wants this cheese! So…why don’t we like it?

I can’t really answer that question. Sometimes hype, fame or reputation may cloud objectivity in trying something for the first time. That is the main reason why I wanted to try this cheese again from a different wheel, in a different location, with a different group. Was it just me? No.

Now it sounds like I didn’t like this cheese on any level. I am not saying that at all. I just think there is vast room for improvement. I look forward to seeing how the Beekman brand and “Blaak” evolve over time.

Comments

[Lenn Thompson]

Aaron: As that "certain founder" I will concur that this cheese was underwhelming. I wouldn't go so far as to say that I disliked it...there simply wasn't enough flavor to dislike. It was boring.

I've only had it one that one occasion and would love to try it again.

[Brent and Josh]

Thanks for the balanced review. We always think there is room for improvement, too, which is why we intend to continue to perfect Blaak rather than divert our attention to creating different cheeses.

The next season of Blaak goes into production when the goats freshen in March. We hope that each season gets better and better.

Thanks for all that you do to support NYS cheesemakers.

[Aaron Estes]

Thanks for the comment Brent and Josh. Many cheesemakers seem to diversify the number of cheeses they offer in an effort to please everyone in the market, as opposed to focusing on the unique qualities of their milk to produce a good cheese. Making one style of cheese to create the balance and profile that you are looking for before adding to your portfolio, is a great way to focus on quality in my opinion. I look forward to tasting future wheels!

[Carlo DeVito]

Sorry, folks. I couldn;t disagree more. I like this cheese very much. It's a semi-soft cheese, that is mild. We serve it and sell it in our tastingroom, and it extremely popular. Many fo the folks that come in don't know of the television show (sorry, Boys).

We have all kinds of cheese that smell like dirty feet, old socks, and all kinds of unmentionables. On some Saturdays, we don't like to even open the cheese fridge. But this cheese, wheather or not the customers know about the show (which is fabulous) or not, is extremely popular. The cheese is mild and good.

Gouda is popular. There are mild Tommes. That all this is. Sounds like your looking for a Cabernet flavor in a Pinot glass. It's a nice solid cheese that's nice to eat. Not everyone want a tangy, smelly cheese.

[Aaron Estes]

Carlo - I am glad to hear that you and others enjoy this cheese. As I said in my review, mild is not a bad quality at all if that is what you are looking for. I enjoy mild cheeses right along side aged Goudas, funky Cheddars, spicy blues, and pungent washed-rinds. In this particular case (for me) there just wasn't the right balance.

[Lenn Thompson]

Carlo: I've had the pleasure of eating just about every style of cheese made with Aaron and I can say definitively, he appreciates mild, nuanced cheeses far more than you seem to believe. If anything I'm the one looking for more aggressive, stinky flavors/character.

I think what happened here (for Aaron and for myself) is two fold.

First, there is so much hype around this cheese in some circles, that it would have been difficult to live up to them no matter what.

Second, with the unique ash component and beautiful wheels... the cheese itself is just a big whelming. Not underwhemling, just...whelming.

The book just doesn't quite match the cover. But this is a new cheese and producer. I look forward to subsequent Beekman cheeses.

[b11z]

Two city slickers making idiots of themselves is not entertaining- it's an old story, boring and predictable. Rather drop them in the wilderness- it would get to the point of city dwellers being completely inept in the real world quicker, and they'd probably move back in one episode. This is an insult to people who can survive longer than two days beyond the shadow of high rises. I'm sure the locals are laughing their ass off at these two nuts.