Irish Farmhouse Cheeses for St Patrick’s Day

This year, we’ve partnered with Neal’s Yard Dairy to
bring a special promotion on two Irish farmhouse cheeses to celebrate St
Patrick’s Day.  While Neal’s Yard offers a range of Irish cheeses, we
decided to focus on the two that they considered to be tasting best at the
moment – Coolea and Durrus. 

Coolea

–
Tasting notes
for the File 4/6 Batch – “Phenomenal!  There is a succulence in this
cheese right now that is not always present.  A nice aged gouda flavor but
without the dry texture.  Some cheddar notes to balance it out”

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, Ireland.

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

– Tasting
notes for the File 4/6 Batch – “Currently our favorite of the smaller washed
cheeses.  A very smooth flavor with a pleasant nuttiness.”

An early
pioneer in the resurgence of Irish Farmhouse cheeses, 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.