Cheese of the Week No. 5

I don't usually go far beyond "sweet" or "nutty" in my descriptions of cheese. Rarely do things like pasture and mushrooms make themselves apparent to me, but this week's pick is a different story.

Durrus: raw cow's milk, Ireland. This beautiful washed rind cheese from County Cork is distributed by Neal's Yard Dairy of England. The cheese is just over an inch thick and about 8" in diameter. The rind is a nice orange-tan and is speckled with salt crystals. It has a pungent, musty smell, but nothing too offensive. The inside, though, is amazing stuff. The golden paste is soft, but not spreadable, and has a sprinkling of small holes. I tasted hops and grass at first, then walnuts and mushrooms, and it has a tangy finish that lingers. This is one of my new favorites.