"At the end of a Scenic Vermont road lies a cheese lover's paradise," the Boston Globe wrote about Sugarbush Farm in 1975. Looking over the pictures of piles of cheese on Sugarbush Farm's website, Lily Macartney '08 and I, self-proclaimed cheese enthusiasts, were intrigued. So on a pleasant fall afternoon with nothing better to do (except for our ever mounting pile of coursework), we threw our history books to the winds and set off for that scenic road and for the golden, creamy treasure promised at its end.
Located only 20 minutes away near Woodstock, Vt., Sugarbush Farm looks out over a now colorful section of the Upper Valley. Jack and Marion Ayres bought the farm in 1945 and became the first Vermonters to package cheese in waxed bars for travel without refrigeration.
The second, third and fourth generations, now the Luces, have kept the family business going. After taking in the view and congratulating ourselves for choosing a school in the middle of picturesque nowhere, Lily and I decided to schmooze with some locals before hitting up the tasting room.
First we met Bonnie Lynn, a Holstein calf living in a round plastic dog house. Since she looked ready to settle down for a late afternoon nap, we moved on to her neighbors, the sheep. They seemed interested in conversing, but soon we realized they were just intent on eating Lily's camera (if you visit, be sure not to let that camera strap dangle). Feeling a little used, we next met a precocious young goat intent on securing all of our attention by prancing around wildly, bah-ing at us and generally making a fool of itself (freshmen, take note).
Having had our fill of the domestic fauna, Lily and I rambled down to the sugar house to see how Sugarbush makes its maple syrup. Syrup? You say. Was this not a cheese-tasting adventure? Ah yes, my friend, but Sugarbush offers myriad Vermont specialties: cheese, syrup, preserves, sequestered country weddings in the tiny chapel out back (as the Web site states, "we can help you with the very simple rules for marriage in Vermont..."). Sugarbush has something to offer everyone, whether they are cheese lovers, pancake lovers or just plain lovers.
Lily and I discovered the sugar house down a path clearly marked for the 65-plus crowd (with signs like "STAIRS" next to a short escalade and "UNEVEN GROUND" next to flat dirt paths).
Inside, we found said crowd engrossed in the maple syrup video. As fascinating as they seemed to find this documentary, we moved on to the machinery displaying the transformation of sap to syrup. After ogling over the shiny equipment (and after receiving a few choice glances from an elderly woman who did not seem to appreciate our commentary competing with her learning the history of syrup), we decided the time had come for a taste.
Opening the door to Luces' store, one is immediately overcome by the concentrated aroma of cheddar. Lily and I met Sue, our friendly guide to 15 different samples of cheese and four kinds of syrup. "We use two local cooperatives for our cheese to ensure quality and prevent sharper cheeses from getting bitter," she explained.
Sue guided us from the creaminess of Mellow Cheddar to the tangier sharp cheeses. Dare we try the cheddar aged six years? Or the horseradish cheddar to open the sinuses? Lily and I especially enjoyed the Extra Sharp Cheddar (aged three years) and the Smoked Cheddar with Salami. All were delicious -- a cheese lover's paradise indeed.
After recovering from the kick of the Jalapeno Cheddar, I was ready for some maple syrup tasting. Sue explained the science behind the syrup. The time the sap is collected during the spring determines its composition and resulting taste. "At first, sap consists entirely of sucrose, but it is converted to fructose and finally glucose over the course of the syrup season" she said. "The longer you wait, the more maple-flavored the syrup will be." Sugarbush sells four kinds of syrup from Light Amber, a vanilla-tasting syrup made from the earliest sap collected in early February, to Extra Dark Amber, a robust maple syrup made at the end of the season in early April. Lily and I decided we preferred the Dark Amber, a rich blend of fructose and glucose, but it was a tough call.
Licking my last tasting spoon, I thought it was about time to buy my mini jug o' syrup and cheese bar and head home. Until I discovered the smorgasbord of homemade sausage, jam and preserve samples on the large marble table in the next room. Yum! The preserves and jams ranged from the traditional strawberry to the more exotic mango pepper. After many a jam-coated oyster cracker, I purchased the cinnamon pear jam (sweet, with a nice kick of cinnamon in the aftertaste) and Lily selected the raspberry peach. We headed to the car with our cheeses, jams and syrups, we patted Bonnie Lynn goodbye and took in a last view of the mountains.
The next time you are in the mood for a little more variety in cheddar than Food Court can provide, the next time Aunt Jemima just doesn't cut it, the next time you want to see some real fruit in your jam or the next time you drunkenly propose to that special someone, I highly recommend a trip to Sugarbush Farm. Be sure to say hello to Sue and Bonnie Lynn for me. And bring back some cheese to share!
