July 30, 2024
Cheese Wisdom: A gouda style cheese from Ireland
A double-milk cheese from America’s cheese state
by Anita Skogland
Coolea, County Cork, Ireland
Where to Purchase: Orrman’s Cheese Shop, Uptown
Price: $28/lb
The Style: Creamy, firm, and rich with notes of butterscotch, honey, and butter
Flavor Profile:: Full-bodied with a lot of sweet notes due to using only milk produced from Holstein cows from April to October. Spring/summer milk is sweeter because the cows are grazing on fresh sweet grass.
How to Enjoy: As an accompaniment to a bourbon or rum tasting, on a cheese board, grated on simple noodles with fresh herbs and butter, served with fresh peaches.
Wine Pairings: Trocken-style Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Chenin Blanc, Soave, Lambrusco
Extra Reading: The Willems family moved from Holland to County Cork in the 1970s and became cheese makers shortly thereafter. They liked their home country gouda cheese and decided to make that style in Ireland. The cheese curds are pressed for six hours to reduce liquid and saltiness, then hand-coated in the distinctive yellow coating and aged for three months to one year.
