Comte Rivoire Jacquemin

Since I had like that Trois Comte so much, I thought I'd try a younger Comte to see if that appealed as well.

Cost: $15.99/lb.
Official description: raw cow hard-ripened, Franche Comte, France.
Did I like this: Eh.

I thought that this basically had the weirdness in the taste of the Trois Comte (not necessarily bad, just a bit weird) but with more of a rubbery texture and none of the fun crystal action that comes with age. So perhaps I don't like all Comte cheeses, just the really aged ones.

Gouda

I did some intense Googling and discovered that gouda is at least one kind of cheese that often comes in a black wax rind. So I tasted a few samples from a very friendly cheesemonger at Garden of Eden and I think this was it, that mysterious cheese from June that I liked so much! And then I went a bit nuts and bought all kinds of gouda from him...

Boerenkass Gouda - 2 yrs. old

Cost: $14.99/lb.
Official description: Raw milk farmhouse gouda made from cow's milk and aged for 2 years. Prized by cheese experts. Try it and see why! Imported from Holland.
Did I like this: Yes! This is the one that looked most similar to the cheese I remembered, with a plain black wax rind.

Old Amsterdam aged gouda

Cost: $17.99/lb.

Official description: Old Amsterdam has a smooth, rich, and robust taste. It is a multi-award winning cheese. Perfect on a cheeseboard and in a variety of recipes. Bring to room temperature before serving. Aged gouda type cheese. Has a nice buttery aftertaste. Imported from Holland.

Did I like this: Yes! The description is right about this being better after it's been brought to room temperature. This is the one that the cheesemonger happened to be packaging up and gave me a sample that first hooked me on the idea that gouda was it.

Farmer's 4 yrs. old aged gouda

Cost: $15.99/lb.
Official description: Aged cow's milk cheese. Very complex flavor. This is a true Boerenkass. This cheese similar in texture to parmigiano reggiano. Very firm and flaky. Imported from Holland.
Did I like this: Yes! This cheese is amazing. Very, very hard and at times I had to gnaw on it a bit to soften it sufficiently, but amazing salty-complex flavor.

I might have to consider getting a hard cheese knife/slicer for this kind of cheese. Seems like generally I prefer the taste of really aged and hard cheeses.

Lucy's Whey: Cabot Clothbound Cheddar

I went to Lucy's Whey a couple days ago to try to find that black wax covered hard cheese that I liked so much from the summer. Sadly, the shopgirl had no idea what I was talking about, so I supposed it was some kind of seasonal cheese. I really hope I can eventually hunt it down.

Anyway, I asked for a recommendation of the most aged and hard cheese they had, and ended up coming away with some Cabot Clothbound Cheddar. Apparently this is one of their most popular cheeses, beloved by both cheese connoisseurs and newbies.

Cost: $20/lb.
Official description: Made from the pasteurized milk of one herd of cows, wrapped in cloth to create complexity, and aged for 10-14 months in the Cellars at Jasper Hill. An approachable and balanced cheddar that is sweet, savory, tangy, and grassy. Do be careful: this cheese is known to be very addictive.
Did I like this: Yes.

Just a solid cheddar, as they said, good for both newbies and connoisseurs.

Midnight Moon

I tried this cheese after coming across a few favorable reviews of it online.

Cost: $26.99/lb.
Official description: Sharp, Crumbly, Clean. Hard-ripened goat cheese from Holland.
Did I like this: Yes!!

This is a new favorite cheese. Slightly tart like goat cheese tends to be, but more of the texture you'd usually expect from a cheddar. The rind has white wax around it that flakes off and I accidentally ate a bit of it thinking it was cheese but other than that I love this cheese.

I bought some more of the 3yr aged Comte (Trois Comtois) and still love its complexity and crystals from aging, but it's definitely more of a slightly weird cheese (slight bitterness in the taste?) than this one. This one probably has wider appeal.

[update] Found out yesterday (3/4) that Whole Foods sells Midnight Moon too! For slightly cheaper price too, $24.99/lb. Not enough to go out of my way to get it at Whole Foods instead, but good to keep in mind I figure.