The only cheeses my wife wanted to try were the Gouda and Wensleydale. So the Gouda was something she'd actually eat, rather than back away slowly from with a sharp object ready to fend off any sudden attack. This is a good thing. I can't eat all this cheese by myself.

We went for the smoked Gouda. Semi-soft, creamy, very subtle smokey flavor, mild tanginess. We tried it on it's own and in some mini-burgers. Very yummy.

One thing I've always wondered about is just what the hell they mean by smoked. I've slow smoked plenty of meat, and this cheese didn't look in any way smoked. No smoke ring. No light coating of stray ashes. No leathery outer layer. Even more odd is that gouda seems to melt pretty easily. I'm pretty sure I'd end up with Gouda soup if I tried to smoke this stuff.

I think our chain is being yanked. It's smoke flavored isn't it?