Mestemacher Whole Grain Bread (Organic Whole Rye, 17.6 oz, pack of 6)

The bread is excellent. However, this time the shrink-wrapped packages were only put into a plastic envelope. They should be boxed to avoid breakage and crumbling during transport and delivery.

I have been ordering this bread since 2020. It is supposed to be shelf-stable, but I have been refrigerating it so if I keep it around for months it definitely won't go bad. I usually order every 3-6 months. I ordered some in mid Sept 2023 and put in fridge and still had a couple older loaves I ate first. I opened the Sept bread a week ago and did not see mold but clearly tasted it. Opened a 2nd package and smelled the mold. I threw away all 6 loaves, forgetting it was only a few weeks old. Then I moved up my Subscribe and Save for this for January to Nov 4. Just received a couple hours ago. It is cold where I live so this has not been in heat. The same moldy taste on the edges of bread can be smelled. I am so sad this wasn't a one-batch problem, or me keeping it too long. I have cancelled my Subscribe and Save until I find out if this is an Amazon warehousing problem or a Mestemacher problem.

This whole rye bread is a little more dense than the pumpernickel. The flavor is mild and I eat it as toast. I find it crumbles a little more than some of the other varieties. I will probably switch back to one of the other varieties next time.

We call it rye bread in Dutch, but it's more like the name on the package, 'Whole Rye'. Love it toasted with butter, creme fraiche and jam. The toasted smell is terrific and creme fraiche is the perfect accompaniment. Getting regular bread of high quality from an esteemed bakery is a 45-minute trip for us. We have them but they're not close and not available at the markets. Ordering these packages from Mestemacher is a great consolation.

I've enjoyed this bread form Amazon and elsewhere. Having nothing to do with my rating, but hopefully useful for other customers: This is not the bread that most people in the US is are used to. It is VERY dense and a very different consistency, VERY whole grain (rough), so may not be what many like. Slices are VERY thin. This also make it more likely to crumble, sometimes get moldy too, in shipping. This is a high sodium and salt bread, so if you are on a salt restricted diet, not for you. My own review, rating related: I grew up on high and whole grains, so used to UN-American rough textured foods like this. While I am not on any salt restricted diet, I find the salt too high for my taste. One of the reasons we use less. At times, crumbling during shipping, and some mold, can be a problem. Also, the price has increased since my last order, now more expensive than other sellers including my local health food grocer, has made me cut the amount on my next scheduled Subscribe and Save order by more than half (60%)...I may just cancel it and get it locally. Hope you find this useful!