Trappist washed-rind from a French monastery: old-school, hearty, and approachable.
Mont des Cats, a Trappist washed-rind cow's milk cheese from the abbey in Nord, France. Buttery, savory, hearty. Order online.
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Mont des Cats is a pasteurized cow's milk Trappist-style washed-rind cheese from the Abbaye du Mont des Cats in Godewaersvelde, up in the Nord of France near the Flemish border. The monks here have been making cheese in this recipe for well over a century, and it's one of those old-school washed-rinds that drinks-in its character from the rind inward.
The paste is semi-soft and pale yellow, supple under the knife with a smooth even break. Up top you get that deep reddish-orange rind, the kind that lets beneficial bacteria do the work of mellowing the paste as the wheel ages. On the palate it leads with butter and fresh cream through the middle, then pulls savory and lightly mushroomy on the back end from the washed rind. It's funky in the good sense, hearty without being stinky, and the finish lingers just long enough to make you want another bite.
Think of this as the granddaddy of the Port Salut family, only with more backbone. A real old-school monastery cheese, made the way it's been made for generations, and right in the sweet spot for anyone who likes a washed-rind that's confident but still approachable.
Semi-soft and supple, the pale yellow paste yields under the knife with a smooth, even break and a light springiness.
A Trappist-style washed-rind that leans hearty rather than stinky, with a savory pull from the rind and a mellow, buttery middle.
Finishes savory and a touch earthy, holding on the palate for a beat or two before fading into a clean, milky note.
Buttery and milky through the paste, with a clean fresh-cream note that balances the rind's funk.
A light brown-butter note through the middle, gentle rather than pronounced.
Mushroomy and lightly cellar-like from the reddish washed rind, with a soft beneficial-bacteria funk that stays mellow.
No real heat or piquancy, just a quiet savory edge from the rind.
Washed rind
Deep reddish-orange washed rind that hosts beneficial bacteria, contributing a mushroomy, savory note that mellows the paste from the outside in.
Mont des Cats stands on its own, but the right partners turn a wedge into a moment. Regional pairings first — they were built for each other.
Trappist ales echo the monastic origin and lift the rind's funk, while a soft red or dry cider matches the buttery paste without overwhelming it.
Crisp fruit cuts the buttery paste and a touch of sweetness or sharp mustard plays off the savory washed rind.
Video represents style and type of cheese - may not be an exact match in all cases.
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Domenico and his team are fantastic. I’m a chef and I often get my supplies from The Cheese Store — unique products, carefully selected, from top Italian and French cheeses to excellent local ones.
Absolutely loved the cheese store! Everyone was super helpful and friendly. Lena helped us — she was very knowledgeable on all the cheeses: where they came from, what the region is like, what they are known for. It was like wine tasting for cheese.
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“One monastery, one cheese — a single Trappist wheel made by the monks on the same Flemish hill for over a century to support the abbey.”
Pressed uncooked cow's milk wheel with a brine-washed rind, aged roughly two months in the northern French Trappist tradition.
Carefully packaged and shipped from our Beverly Hills shop.
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