California · United States
Dry Jack.
Dry Jack shatters under your knife into crystalline shards that melt into warm caramel and roasted hazelnuts. Its natural rind carries earthy, almost savory notes that give way to a complex center with hints of butterscotch and dried stone fruit—a cheese that tastes like California sunshine aged in oak.
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The story
How it's made.
Why it tastes that way.
Dry Jack was created accidentally during WWI when a San Francisco cheese merchant aged standard Monterey Jack longer than usual because he couldn't sell it quickly enough.
The extended aging transformed it into a hard, flavorful cheese used as a Parmesan substitute. Ig Vella at Vella Cheese Company in Sonoma became famous for his Dry Jack.
Production · spec
- Milk
- Cow · pasteurised
- Family
- Hard
- Rind
- natural
- Age
- 7–24 mo
- Intensity
Tasting profile
What it tastes like.
Caseo's flavour axes are drawn from each cheese's flavour and aroma profile. This is Dry Jack's fingerprint.
Aroma
Nutrition · per 100g serving
What's in a wedge.
A 100g serving — about a finger-thick wedge. Daily values use the FDA 2020 reference of 2,000 kcal. Expect ±5% variation between wheels.
Estimated values — based on similar cheese family data
Serve, cut & store
Out of the fridge,
into its prime.
Guidance for hard cheeses — general practice, not a per-wheel measurement.
Rest
Take it out about 30–60 min before serving — cold stiffens the fat and locks up the aromas; cool room temperature is when the flavour shows up.
Cut
Use a sturdy knife, or break it into craggy chunks with a spike — shards and shavings beat neat slices.
Store
Wrap leftovers in cheese paper or wax paper — never cling film, which suffocates the rind — and keep them in the warmest part of the fridge.
Rule of thumb: the softer and riper, the longer it needs. Thick pieces need longer than thin — and don't leave cheese out much past two hours.
Pairings · Caseo curated
What goes with Dry.
26 pairings across 8 categories.
Wine
Beer & Cider
Where to find it
Cheese counters.
Counter listings for Dry Jack are being verified. Check back soon.
Verified counter listings coming soon. Our team updates listings monthly.
Substitutes
No Dry Jack at the counter?.
These will play a similar role on the board and in the pan.
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