Willoughby, named for the lake in northern Vermont, is one of the many cheeses made by Jasper Hill Farm in Greensboro. It was originally made by Ploughgate Creamery, but after a fire in 2011, production was stopped. Jasper Hill revived the recipe. Willoughby is a semi-soft, pasteurized cow’s milk cheese that’s aged six to twelve weeks.
The washed rind cheese is soft and buttery, but the rind has a lot of funk, maybe too much for our taste. Eaten with accompaniments and in small doses it is good, but too much on its own is overwhelming. Try it as part of a larger cheese plate with charcuterie, nuts, and cornichons.
We rated it 3/5 for the overwhelming funkiness. It’s often sold in the full 8oz round. We paid $16.99 making it pricey $34 per pound. It won’t be making the regular rotation here, but if you’re a fan of funk, give it a try.
Cheese: Willoughby
Country of Origin: USA, Vermont
Milk: Cow
Rating: 3/5
Concord Culinary Lyceum 
This is one of my favorite cheeses, and one of my favorite of our lakes!