Red Witch (Rote Hexe)

Red Witch, or Rote Hexe, is a raw cow's milk Swiss semi-hard cheese, easy to spot by the paprika-rubbed rind that gives the wheel its deep red color and its name. Aged for about five months, this is a properly Alpine recipe with a washed-rind twist that pushes it well past the usual semi-hard territory.

The paste is firm and dense, breaks in clean slabs under the knife, and still keeps a buttery, creamy feel on the tongue. On the palate it leads with brown butter and toasted hazelnut, the kind of nutty Alpine pull you'd expect from a five-month wheel, then opens up into a slightly funky, pungent finish coming off the paprika rind. There's a gentle warmth on the back end, more rub than heat, that lingers and pulls you back for another slice.

This one sits in a class of its own among Swiss semi-hards. It's a serious snacking cheese with real character, the kind of wheel that disappears fast once it's on the counter.