Death & Taxes

GOODBYE CHEESE LOVERS!

10 YEARS OF AWARD-WINNING CHEESES • 2009-2019

Bleating Heart Cheese enjoyed a decade of cheesemaking in California.

Our last remaining cheeses were sold in 2019.

It was our immense pleasure to share our handcrafted, award-winning

"American Original" cheeses with all those who supported us.

This site is no longer being updated,

but all content about our cheeses and our history will remain here.

PLEASE CONTINUE SUPPORTING LOCAL ARTISAN CHEESEMAKERS

Cow Milk

Pasteurized Organic Cow milk • Beer-Washed Rind

Our newest creation, "Death & Taxes," is a super tasty collaboration with Moonlight Brewing Company. Fresh organic jersey cow milk is pasteurized, cultured, and coagulated with natural calf rennet. The resulting cheese curds are cut, stirred, and then scooped into basket forms by hand. After brining the next day, the cheeses are regularly flipped and washed with Moonlight Brewing's "Death & Taxes" black lager. The cheese's namesake is a cult favorite beer that pretty much every beer enthusiast in the Bay Area (and beyond) knows and loves. The dark beer gives the rind a distinctive stained wood appearance, imparting aroma nuances of yeast and hints of chocolate from the darkly roasted malts. The paste is dense and buttery with a fudge-like mouth feel and the golden hue is from the rich jersey cow milk. It was Benjamin Franklin who uttered the now (in)famous quote "in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes." While that quote may still hold true, we figure that some things are certain to make you happy: beer and cheese!

Read a review of the cheese here: Yet Another Home Run

GOLD MEDAL WINNER, CALIFORNIA STATE FAIR 2018
GOLD MEDAL WINNER, CALIFORNIA STATE FAIR 2017 (first competition for this cheese)

Availability:

YEAR ROUND

Where To Buy

Click on the Where to Buy menu link above to see where you might find Bleating Heart cheeses. Keep in mind that due to our small and seasonal production, the cheeses are not always available, so call ahead to see what's in stock! If you have any questions about buying Bleating Heart cheese, please use the contact form available under the contact menu link at the top of this page to get in touch with us. Feel free to contact one of our distributors directly if you wish to make a wholesale purchase. Our cheeses are sold and served at fine food purveyors and dining establishments, or may be shipped to you direct by contacting Cowgirl Creamery at (866) 433-7834

The Bleating Heart® Name

What's with the name Bleating Heart®? Well....cows moo, goats and sheep bleat. From the Merriam-Webster dictionary:

bleat : to make the natural cry of a sheep or goat

Also, it is a play on the term "bleeding heart" which is defined as "a person who shows extravagant sympathy especially for an object of alleged persecution." We certainly have extravagant sympathy for American food artisans, with a special soft spot for cheesemakers and brewers, but mainly we just thought this name was funny.

Cheese Availability

Cheese availability is subject to change, and largely depends on how much milk we are able to get at what time of year, and how much space we have in our aging rooms. We make jersey cow milk cheeses year round but our production is small. Sheep milk is seasonal because dairy ewes only produce milk for about 6 months out of the year. This means our sheep cheeses are seasonal as well. They are typically available from late Spring through Fall. From time to time, we also make mixed milk cheeses, and water buffalo cheese when we can get the milk. As our cheeses come in and out of availability, we will show it on the cheese page. If you are looking to buy our cheese, click on the Where to Buy menu link above.