Capriole O'Banon
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- Pasteurized
- Animal Rennet
- Age: 10 Days
- Goat Milk
- by Capriole, Inc.
- United States
- ApproachableAdventurous
- SoftHard
Unwrap the delicious gift that is O’Banon, Indiana creamery Capriole’s take on Banon, a French chèvre. A creamy disc of soft goat cheese wrapped in chestnut leaves that have been soaked in bourbon, rather than the traditional French eau-de-vie. The cheese is velvety and fluffy, with a bright citrus tang, a boozy, tannic kick, and toasty flavors of vanilla and aged oak. O’Banon is stunning with bubbly and best served with Rustic Bakery crisps and a drizzle of Akron Honey’s Bourbon Barrel Honey.
“O'Banon is the perfect cheese plate centerpiece. After unwrapping its delicate, leafy jacket it looks like a flower! I serve it ‘blossomed’ this way with candied chestnuts or slices of toasted seedy bread with honey while I sip on a hot toddy.”
Allergens: Milk
- Capriole's O'Banon is a play on the French cheese Banon, which is a fresh chèvre made with unpasteurized milk and wrapped in chestnut leaves.
- Cheesemaker Judy Schad was inspired to create this cheese after noticing a chestnut tree growing in her backyard. In her version, the chestnut leaves are soaked in bourbon rather than eau-de-vie.
- The exceptionally soft, almost cloud-like fluffy texture is thanks to the delicate process of hand-ladling—scooping the cheese curds into the form by hand to ensure a delicate smoothness.
- The cheese starts with a bright, tart flavor but gives way to a mellow sweetness.
While harder cheeses can stay fresh for up to two to three weeks when wrapped tightly and unopened, fresh style cheeses are best consumed within a few days. The best thing to do is to keep the cheese in one of your refrigerator drawers or the vegetable bin; this will help to keep your cheese from drying out. If your cheese is packed in olive oil or brine, store any leftovers in the liquid and follow package instructions. All cheeses and meats are perishables—by definition they degrade over time—so we encourage our customers to enjoy the cheese while it's in peak condition!
- Capriole, founded by pioneering American cheesemaker Judy Schad, is known for award-winning, hand-ladled goat cheeses.
- Judy and her family moved to their 80-acre Indiana farm in 1976. The farm originally belonged to her husband's family in 1850.
- She and her family worked to restore the farm, and after a few years, she began making cheese for friends using excess goat’s milk from the animals on the land.
- In 1988, they built a commercial dairy and began making cheese full-time. By 1990, they had expanded their goat herd and built a creamery on the farm.
- In 2012, Capriole made the decision to sell their herd in order to devote more time to cheesemaking.
- Today, they source their milk from two local farms—one of which owns their former herd—allowing them to support local farms while ensuring a reliable supply of quality milk.
