My recent cheese kicks have been aged Gouda and Morbier. I’ve gone through several different varieties and ages of Gouda, and have decided that I most like the 5-year-old Gouda. The 3-year-olds still taste very young and very Gouda-ish. By 5-years, though, the cheese just changes character completely. I used to poo poo Gouda, but now that I’ve had it aged, I will champion it. An aged Gouda is complex, with fruity and nutty flavors. I taste port, whiskey, and raisins, in it. It’s absolutely fantastic. At 7 years, though, I feel the cheese is past its prime. It loses some of its sweeter and fruitier overtones and, while still good, becomes a drier, less flavorful cheese. At least in my opinion. It’s still damn good, but just not as well balanced as a 5-year Gouda.
And Morbier. Well, it’s just a standard, classic cheese. Pungent, but smooth, with a beautiful layer of ash in the middle. It’s a very pretty cheese.