Wrangeback
- Raw
- Animal Rennet
- Age: 14 months
- Cow Milk
- by Almnäs Bruk
- Sweden
If Alpine cheese and aged cheddar had a Swedish cousin, it might look a lot like Wrangeback. This farmstead cheese balances notes of toasted nuts, caramelized sweetness, savory broth, and a gentle briny edge. Dense and dotted with crunchy crystals, it melts luxuriously across the palate. Even more remarkable? Each wheel is aged on the same 150-year-old wooden boards, creating a chain of cross-generational flavor. Pair with Raincoast Fig & Olive Crisps and a glass of something sparkling.
“The first thing that strikes me about Wrangeback is that I can’t compare it to any other cheese! One bite gives you Alpine nuttiness, the next an interesting briny note, then caramel, then those crunchy crystals. It reveals new flavors every time you come back to it.”
- Wrangeback dates to the 19th century, though cheesemaking at the Almnäs Bruk farm ceased in the 1960s and was not revived until 2008.
- It was granted PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) status by the EU. It can only be produced in a certain region and must be made according to a set of regulations meant to protect the integrity and tradition of the cheese.
- The cheese is made exclusively from organic milk produced by the farm’s own Holstein herd, making it a true farmstead cheese from pasture to wheel.
- The rind is regularly washed with brine during aging, contributing to the cheese’s subtle savory complexity and a distinctive cork-like rind.
- Almnäs Bruk was founded in 1225 and operated as a monastery farm long before becoming one of Sweden’s most respected cheesemaking estates in the 1830s.
- They make Wrångebäck, the oldest registered cheese in Sweden, dating to 1889.
- The creamery and aging facilities are housed in the estate’s former distillery, which was built in 1770.
- They renovated, preserving as much of the facility as they could. Their cows graze on pastures starting in spring, producing rich, high-quality, flavorful milk.
- They use traditional methods mixed with modern equipment to make four distinct cheeses.
When you receive your cheese, unpack the order and refrigerate the items. We
recommend using the cheese paper we send most of our products in to store the cheese.
The cheese paper helps cover the items and stop them from drying out, while also allowing
the cheese to breathe. Since cheese is mold, it's a living thing! If you cut off air circulation
to the cheese, you can actually cause it to suffocate and spoil at a faster rate.
