Authentic Alsatian washed-rind from the Vosges: pungent, savory, soft and supple.
Real Alsatian Munster AOP from Haxaire in the Vosges. Soft washed-rind cow's milk cheese, spoonable, pungent, savory. Order online.
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This is real Munster from Alsace, made by Haxaire in Lapoutroie up in the Vosges mountains of eastern France. Not the mild sliceable loaf you grew up calling Munster in America. This is the AOP washed-rind cheese the name actually refers to, cow's milk, soft paste, and a sticky orange-red rind built up through repeated brine washings during aging.
The paste underneath is pale ivory and supple straight out of the fridge, then turns spoonable and almost runny as it warms to room temperature. Flavor leads with a savory, meaty pull from the rind, mushroomy and a little barnyardy, with a buttery cow's milk roundness underneath that keeps the whole thing from tipping into pure funk. The finish is long and salty, with a quiet onion-skin note that hangs on the back of the palate.
It's definitely not for the faint of heart, and that's the point. Let it come up to temperature, scoop it onto walnut bread with a few cumin seeds the way they do in Alsace, and you'll taste why the locals have been making this exact recipe for centuries.
Soft and supple straight from the fridge, with a thin orange-red rind giving way to a pale ivory paste that goes spoonable and nearly runny as it warms to room temperature.
A real washed-rind from Alsace, not the mild American grocery-store version. Pungent on the nose with a savory, meaty pull on the palate that builds the longer it sits out.
Long savory finish that hangs on the back of the palate, with a salty, slightly oniony pull that lingers well past the swallow.
Buttery cow's milk underneath the funk, with a soft cultured-cream note that keeps the paste round even when the rind goes loud.
A quiet brown-butter warmth through the middle, more about richness than a distinct hazelnut note.
Classic Alsatian washed-rind funk, mushroomy and a little barnyardy from the repeated brine washings that build the orange-red rind.
A gentle salty bite from the brine wash, not properly piquant. The intensity here is funk and savor, not heat.
Washed rind
Sticky orange-red rind built up through repeated brine washings during aging. It carries most of the pungency and adds a savory, slightly oniony edge to every bite.
Munster stands on its own, but the right partners turn a wedge into a moment. Regional pairings first — they were built for each other.
Alsatian Munster has its classic regional partners in Gewürztraminer and Pinot Gris from the same valley. The aromatic sweetness in those wines balances the salt and funk of the washed rind.
In Alsace, Munster is traditionally served with cumin seeds sprinkled on top, and melted over boiled potatoes as part of a tartiflette-style supper. The earthy spice and starch ground the cheese's strong aroma.
Video represents style and type of cheese - may not be an exact match in all cases.
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“Multi-generational affineurs of Alsatian washed-rind tradition, specializing in raw and thermised cow's-milk Munster aged in the humid stone caves of the Vosges foothills.”
Hand-washed, hand-turned wheels rubbed every 2-3 days with brine and morge to build the signature orange-red B. linens rind.
Hand-cut to order the day it ships. Packed cold for overnight delivery.
Taste it for yourself →Cold-ship 2-day overnight nationwide
