If I took my own advice, I probably wouldn’t have bought this cheese. Only after I brought it home and tried it did I notice a key piece of information on the store label. The packed-on date—when the wedge was cut and plastic-wrapped—was more than two weeks earlier. No wonder it tasted stale. Only when I scraped the cut sides did I find the nutty, roasted-onion aroma I was hoping for. Underneath that oxidized exterior was a different cheese, a glorious cheese, but I wouldn’t have found it without deeply shaving the surface.
So watch that packed-on date, people. If the cheese you want was wrapped several days before, either choose something else or be prepared to refresh it. Here’s how.
Making Rockflower bloom: Albert and Silvio Schöpfer
And now the reveal: Rockflower, a newcomer from Switzerland, offered plenty to love after a good scraping unleashed its aroma. Produced in the foothills of the Alps, with raw cow’s milk from nine neighbors, this 12-pound wheel is the creation of a father and son who also make Emmentaler. Swiss creameries receive quotas for Emmentaler; they’re not allowed to make more even if they have excess milk. Creating a unique, branded cheese like Rockflower allows a creamery to fully monetize all the milk it gets.
Albert and Silvio Schöpfer care for Rockflower for the first four months at their century-old mountain dairy, then transfer it to Gourmino’s caves in the Bernese Alps. The wheels spend at least six months there, aging deep inside a mountain on wooden shelves. They are monitored by the affinage experts at Gourmino, a collaborative that matures and markets several top Swiss cheeses.
Named for an alpine wildflower, Rockflower debuted in the U.S. in late 2022. “It’s our most successful cheese in terms of growth and new placements,” says Joe Salonia, Gourmino’s U.S. representative. Not surprising; it’s easy to love. Resembling a fine Gruyère, it has a dry rind, a firm, dense interior with a few pinhead-sized eyes and a seductive aroma of roasted onion, toasted walnut and cooked cream. The flavor blossoms on your tongue and lingers.
Look for Rockflower at these retailers. A Belgian strong golden ale, like Duvel or La Chouffe, makes a great companion. As for wine, my preference would be a full-bodied white wine or a dry oloroso sherry.