Smoked Gouda

Smoked Gouda from the Netherlands, a cow's milk semi-soft cheese cold-smoked over hardwood after a short aging. The smoke does most of the work on the outside, with the buttery Dutch Gouda underneath staying sweet and pliable.

The paste is supple and slices cleanly, pale gold with a darker amber band where the smoke has settled in along the rind. On the palate it leads with sweet cream and a soft hazelnut warmth, then the wood smoke pulls through the middle and sits on the finish, savory and a little resinous. It melts beautifully, which is most of the reason it ends up in mac and cheese, grilled cheese, and on burgers in the first place.

This is the easy crowd-pleaser of the smoked cheese shelf, sweet enough to win over people who think they don't like smoky flavors, and substantial enough to carry a sandwich on its own.