Texture: close, crumbly, crystalline, dense and firm
Color: yellow
Flavor: buttery, full-flavored, mild, sweet
Producer: Coolea Farmhouse Cheese Limited
Description: Coolea is a cow's milk cheese produced on Willems's family farm in Coolea Co. Cork. Made since 1979, this Gouda-style cheese has a yellow/orange wax layer with a firm, closed texture and smooth pate. As the cheese matures, the pate becomes drier, and finally, the protein crystals are visible after completely matured. It pairs well with Alsace Pinot Gris. The cheese is available in different varieties: Coolea Plain, Coolea Extra Matured, Coolea with Cumin Seed Coolea Matured. Coolea has won several awards, including Best Matured Gouda in the World Cheese Awards 2008, Supreme Champion at the Listowel Food Fair in 2008 and 2009 and Gold Medal in the Irish Food Writers' Guild 2014.