Product Review & Giveaway! John Wm. Macy’s CheeseSticks

Look what came in the mail!

Not one, but FOUR boxes of John Wm. Macy’s Cheesesticks.

Lucky me!

And lucky one of you too, if you keep reading.  😉

When Slesh and I went to the 2012 Boston Wine Expo in January, we stopped by the John Wm. Macy’s booth to sample some of their products.  After all the wine samples we had, handfuls of food to the face a snack was definitely in order.  The two of us left the booth saying how delicious the twisty, crunchy cheesesticks were.

I’m thrilled for the opportunity to sample and review their products further!

Company Background

John Wm. Macy’s CheeseSticks products are made from high-quality, all-natural ingredients, with fresh sourdough baked daily.  John Macy discovered his passion for food and entertaining as in his teens when he worked a summer job catering clambakes on Martha’s Vineyard.  This experience led him to start his own catering business where he created CheeseSticks.  The twisted sticks made from fresh sourdough, grated cheese, and seasoned butter were so popular that John became convinced he could find a broader market for them and launched John Wm. Macy’s CheeseSticks in 1984 from the kitchen of his New York City apartment.  Since then John has enlisted the help of his brother Tim and moved the company to a 40,000 square food manufacturing plant in Elmwood, NJ.

Product Reviews

Note – These were taste-tested with the help of my friends during our girls Valentine’s Day celebration!

1.  Original Cheddar

The Original Cheddar flavor is the product that started the company.  It’s made from both shredded sharp cheddar and asiago cheeses, layered between thin sheets of fresh sourdough and then seasoned with cayenne butter.

The girls and I liked how these twists were flaky and crispy.  These cheese flavors weren’t overbearing, but were subtle enough that one of my roommates said they tasted “slightly cheese nippy.”  They did have a little “kick” at the end, which I think we can attribute to the cayenne butter.  I definitely wouldn’t classify these as spicy though – I am sensitive to spicy foods, so if I could handle these anyone can.  One friend didn’t like that they were so long and twisty because she thought it was a lot to eat at once, but I kinda liked that aspect because it makes them unique!  I feel like I wouldn’t be as likely to continuously pick at smaller pieces and then accidentally eat the whole box too many in one sitting.  In my opinion, these would be great on the side of a soup or salad.

Melting Parmesan

The Melting Parmesan CheeseSticks are also flaky, crispy, and baked to “the perfect crunch.”  These are made from mounds of shredded Parmesan cheese and layered between thin sheets of fresh sourdough and unsalted creamery butter.

Most of us liked the Melting Parmesan flavor better than the original cheddar.  We liked how they tasted a little more peppery and were crispier!  One of the girls said, “These taste like they were made to have with wine” which is funny because that’s exactly where I learned about this company – at the Wine Expo!

Cheddar & Asiago

The Cheddar & Asiago were actually CheeseCRISPS and not CheeseSTICKS like the first two, and originally made from leftover CheeseStick dough.  They have a “double” dose of cheese and a little extra cayenne!

These were my favorite I think!  Everyone liked these because they were bite sized and easier to eat and munch on for a snack.  I agree, but still like the sticks for their unique look and nice presentation quality for when hosting a get together.  Words like “airy,” “crunchy,” and “light” were tossed around.  Maybe we liked these the best because of that double dose of cheese?  This one had the same little “kick” at the end as well.  I’ve definitely topped off this box while studying lately!  They make for a great appetizer and munchie.

Java Cinnamon Dessert Twists

Last one!  These Java Cinnamon Dessert Twists are actually from the company’s SweetSticks line and are made from sweetened sourdough, layered with shredded Monterey Jack cheese, and sugared cinnamon butter.

These were TOTALLY different from the other products.  One friend bit into her sample and said, “OH my god, this tastes like a cinnamon bun in my mouth!”  They weren’t TOO sweet and had a good amount of cinnamon.  This could make a great side to another dessert, you could have them by themselves as a light dessert or snack, or I think they’d be so delicious with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate!  Maybe even for baking too!?  One of the gals said she would even want to try this dipped in oatmeal.

So many good suggestions, ladies!  I would definitely get these products again, and would love to even try out some of the other flavors or products from the company’s WheatSticks line too.  Definitely make sure you click over to the John Wm. Macy’s website and check out all their product offerings – there’s a ton of great stuff, and gift tins too!

But first, enter my giveaway.

Because if you win, I promise you won’t regret it!

John Wm. Macy’s has kindly offered to give away the same FOUR boxes to one lucky Fitness & Feta reader!  THANK YOU!

All you have to do for this giveaway is leave a comment on this post telling me which flavor you think you’d like best if you win. 

As always, I offer extra chances to win by doing any of the following.  Note, only the initial comment is required but these just increase your chances of getting the goods:

1. Like Fitness & Feta on Facebook by clicking here.
2. Like John Wm. Macy’s Cheesesticks on Facebook by clicking here.
3. Post the following on your personal Facebook page:  “I want to win four free boxes of cheesesticks on Fitness & Feta!” and then linking to this post.
4. Follow Fitness & Feta on Twitter by clicking here.
5. Follow John Wm. Macy’s Cheesesticks on Twitter by clicking here.
6. Tweet the following:  “I want to win four free boxes of @JWMCheeseSticks from @FitnessandFeta!” and then linking to this post.
7. Subscribe to Fitness & Feta via the “Sign Me Up” button on the left hand side of my site.
8. If you have a blog, mention this giveaway in your own blog.

Make sure to leave a separate comment for each giveaway entry you choose to do, that’s the only way they will count.

I will announce the winner on Friday.  Good luck!

Disclaimer/Disclosure:  I did not receive any financial contributions for this review; however, I did receive free products from the company so that I could test them out and then tell you my thoughts.  All opinions are my own or are coming from the friends that helped me taste test.  Just thought you should know!