Rat Trap Cheddar Cheese

$15.99

Calef’s Country Store

Our most famous and best selling hand packed creamy cheddar. Sold by the lb.

Product Details

Calef’s features many varieties of “Snappy Old Cheddar” with varying degrees of sharpness. As a cheddar ages it loses moisture, becomes crumblier, begins to crystalize (tyrosine) and gets sharper in flavor.

Our Cheddar scale, least sharp to stand up and take notice:

  • Sharp – the opposite of it’s name this is our mildest offering
  • Extra Sharp – A bit sharper but still considered a mild cheese.
  • Rat Trap – Our best seller. Creamy, a bit sharp. Cut from hand packed 40LB wheels.
  • Super Sharp – Still creamy but a bit sharper after bite
  • Rugged Cheddar – As the name implies, has some bite. A good start on your aged cheddar journey.
  • 3 Year Aged – Aged at least 3 years, crystals and crumbly texture starting to develop.
  • Wicked Sharp – Crystals and crumbly texture very prevalent. A little bit goes a long way!
  • 6 Year Vintage – Our sharpest offering, heavily crystalized and very crumbly

About The Producer

Calef's Country Store

Calef’s Country Store

Established in 1869, Calef's has been "buying local" since Ulysses S. Grant was president.

In 1869, just after the Civil War, Mary Chesley Calef mortgaged her family farm and pledged her savings to open Calef’s Store in the front rooms of her modest home in Barrington NH. Five generations of the Calef family operated Calef’s Big Store until the 1990’s, including Mary’s son Senator Austin Calef. Today the traditions endure as Calef’s Country Store serves the local community as well as visitors from afar. We still pump our own molasses and honey, cheese is aged in our cooler, and our smoked Ham is mouthwatering.

Walk through our doors today and take a step back to a simpler time, when customer service wasn’t a gimmick, but the way things were done.

The wood floors creak with stories of lore, our wood stove warms passersby, the aroma of fresh baked breads and donuts entice even the healthiest of folks.

Jar after jar of penny candy tempts young and old alike.

Our Calef’s brand old fashioned jams, jellies, pickle items, bread and soup mixes offer something for everyone.

The wooden pickle barrel is still a focal point in the store. Our Ginger Snaps are renowned for their bite.

Next time you visit New Hampshire, stop by and pay us a visit, you’ll be glad you did. Store hours and directions.

Customer Reviews

Customer Reviews

Based on 46 reviews
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C
Cheryl Dixon
Rat trap cheddar cheese

Best cheese ever!

M
Michael Clark
Good Cheese Overall

First let me say, I am a big fan of Rat Trap Cheddar Cheese. There are a lot of places that sell just plain cheddar and try to pass it off as the real thing. If you know Rat Trap Cheese, you can tell the difference. This cheese is authentic, but it came through with the edges dried up and covered in mold. If you know Rat Trap Cheese, you know that getting mold on it is not unusual, it’s part of being a hunk of cheese, the harmless mold just shows up. I just would have expected it to have been wrapped well enough so that the edges didn’t get dry and maybe scrape the mold off before it is shipped. No harm done, I cleaned it off and cut off the dry edges and enjoyed some really good old fashioned cheese. I would surely order it again, I assume this came through this way because these folks were busy with holiday orders.

S
Shirley Macdonald
Delicious

Just plain delicious

D
Debra Gilbert
Brings back wonderful memories...

Growing up in the area in the 60's always meant a family trip to UNH to pick apples in the fall and a stop at Cafe's on the way home. Dad would get the Rat Cheese, Mom would get beans to bake and the four kids got money for the penny candy!! Cafe's was also my grandfathers favor place to visit when he and grandmother came back for a visit. He loved the rat cheese and fin 'Hattie and molasses donuts. He would sit with a cup of coffee and his purchases and be very content.
I moved to Central Maine, but on trips back to the area, I always make time to stop by and enjoy the gift store and a few purchases from the country store.
Cafe's is always a memory I share with friends, along with my rat cheese.

S
Sandra Daniels
Great store!

All your cheeses are wonderful! I grew up not far from your store and always visit when in the area! Ginger snaps are a favorite!