#coolea

Coolea

Originally from the Netherlands, Helene and Dick Willems brought traditional Gouda-making methods to produce Coolea on their small Irish farm. Their son and daughter-in-law, Dicky and Sinead, have continued the tradition of making the cheese in County Cork.

Made with full-cream cows’ milk, its texture is smooth and compact with slight crystallization throughout. Generally, Coolea arrives to us when it is somewhere between eighteen months and two years old. At this age, the cheese expresses toffee notes, similar to many firm Dutch Goudas. However, Coolea’s sweetness remains in check, balanced by a salty and oh-so-buttery, lingering finish.

 Durrus

An early pioneer in the resurgence of Irish farmhouse cheese, cheesemaker Jeffa Gill began simply at the kitchen stove. Even in her larger operation today, Durrus is made in traditional Swiss-style copper kettles and its curds cut by hand.

To produce the cheese, she uses the milk from two neighboring herds of Friesian cows in County Cork, Ireland. Cows graze on coastal pastures of briny grass, contributing to its unique terroir. This washed-rind cheese has a bit of savory crunch on its exterior. Uncover the paste, and you’ll find a smooth, lush interior punctuated by flavors of fruit, hay and peanuts. Durrus reaches its peak around 6-8 weeks of age.

 Gubbeen

Gubbeen has been made by the Fergusons at the 250 acre Gubbeen Farm in West County Cork for almost 40 years now.  Tom looks after a herd that includes numerous Kerry cows, a rare black breed that ranks among the world’s oldest.  The cattle enjoy warm Gulf Stream winds and a certified GMO-free diet.

it's March so,

 Irish cheese, okay?

xxxxxxx

beautiful

I'm not really a green-beer-and-parades kinda guy, but I can't think of a better way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day than with some of the fine Irish cheeses that are being produced these days. Ardrahan, a washed rind from Kanturk, is one of my favorite Irish cheeses; today's tasting, the Coolea, is a taste of Holland by way of Ireland, a gouda-style pasteurized cow's milk washed-curd wheel. 

In 1979, Helene and Dick Willems, a dutch couple who had relocated to Ireland, to start a small family farm in Coolea, West Cork, decided to start transforming some of their milk into cheese; drawing on their Netherlander origins, they went with a Gouda-style. It quickly grew into a commercially successful — and award-winning — cheesemaking venture. These days they have relationships with top affineurs and distributors like Neal's Yard Dairy. In the late 90's their son Dicky and his wife Sinead took over the operations, and they have expanded and modernized the cheese plant facilities considerably. 

Coming in 8-10 Lb wheels that are aged for at least 12 months, with a yellow-golden, lightly eyed paste, the Coolea is a mild Gouda, relatively young, with a dense, smooth and creamy texture. in flavor it's sweet, buttery and a bit tangy, with distinct vegetal and grassy overtones and subtle notes of butterscotch and toast. This would be a good cheese to pair with Irish beer and would also make a great melter, simply on toast or in a mac 'n' cheese.