Tasting Notes: Beecher’s Flagship

And so, we’ve begun. Starting is always the hardest part, but a bit of serendipity helped me turn this idea into a reality. 

I was in downtown Seattle on a gorgeous, sunny April day when I realized I was just a block or two away from the very best place to start exploring the cheeses of Washington state: Beecher’s Handmade Cheese in Pike Place Market. 

It was a perfect day: nice weather, the market wasn’t too busy, and Beecher’s team was making cheese in their storefront. I watched as cheesemakers cut the curds and folded them, while enjoying a grilled cheese + kimchi sandwich from the cafe menu. 

I also perused the cheese case, taking home the Flagship, the Jack, and a cheese that’s new to me – Aries, from Shooting Star Creamery on the Central Coast of California. 

We ate the Flagship that night, helped by the band of willing teens who came home with my daughter after school. 

Cheese: Beecher’s Flagship
Producer: Beecher’s Handmade Cheese – Pike Place Cafe

Beecher’s describes Flagship as a “semi-hard cow’s milk cheese with a uniquely robust, nutty flavor. It is carefully aged for 15 months to fully develop its complex flavor and ever-so-slight crumble.”

That savory, salty taste and delicious crumble of Beecher’s Flagship tastes like Seattle to my family. It’s the perfect cheese to start with as we embark on this adventure to taste every cheese made in Washington State.  

That night, I used the hunk of Beecher’s Flagship I purchased in the creamy broccoli soup I made for dinner. I replaced the cheddar the recipe called for with Flagship and garnished each bowl with a crispy disc of Flagship I’d baked while the soup cooked. Even the teens at the table went back for seconds. 

On a cheese plate:

Pair with apple slices and roasted hazelnuts to balance the savory and draw out the nuttiness of the cheese. 

If you go: 

Beecher’s Handmade Cheese – Pike Place Cafe (downtown Seattle)