Coolea Cheese
Coolea Cheese is handmade on the mountain farm of the Willems family in Coolea, Co. Cork. It is a family run business established in 1981. Dicky buys in milk from one herd of Holsteins and Friesians. Dicky only uses milk from grass-fed cattle as milk from silage can taint the cheese as it ages. Similarly only traditional rennet is used as it makes far more age-worthy cheeses. The quality of Coolea is testament to Dicky’s attention to detail, and the quality of milk produced in Ireland. Young Coolea is mild, semi-firm and buttery, a very pleasant everyday cheese. By contrast Mature Coolea is intensely full flavoured, deep and meaty, notes of toffee and caramel abound and the cheese has a long finish. The cheese is made using a standard Gouda recipe, yet the result is better than most Dutch Gouda. The secret is simple. Dicky ensures that the high quality of the milk is not lost in production. The Willems family pride themselves on producing a very high quality cheese.
Milk type: Cow
Style: Hard cheese
Flavour: Creamy
Paste: Firm, closed texture, with smooth paste
Rind: Yellow / orange wax
Age: 3-6 months
Format: 8kg wheel
Rennet: Traditional
Pairings: Table red
Season available: Available all year
Made with raw milk: No
Milk type: Cow
Style: Hard cheese
Flavour: Creamy sweet
Paste: Firm, closed texture, with smooth paste. The paste becomes slightly deeper in colour and drier as the cheese ages
Rind: Yellow / orange wax
Age: 7-11 months
Format: 8kg wheel
Rennet: Traditional
Pairings: Full bodied red
Season available: Available all year
Made with raw milk: No
Milk type: Cow
Style: Hard cheese
Flavour: Semi hard sweet
Paste: Firm, closed texture, with smooth paste. The paste becomes slightly deeper in colour and drier as the cheese ages. The flavour intensifies.
Rind: Yellow / orange wax
Age: 12-17 months
Format: 8kg wheel
Rennet: Traditional
Pairings: Full bodied red
Season available: Available all year
Made with raw milk: No
