I opened Gouda #2 a few days ago, kept half of it to eat and bagged the other half for a while longer. While it doesn't taste to me like what I think of when I think of Gouda, it's my first semi-hard cheese to taste like...well...cheese. My wife, in fact, said, she liked it--which, also, is a first. With most of my aged cheeses, she has lied to me say, "No, really, it's good." But this time, she actually means it. So, while I'm not totally satisfied with the results, I'm pleased. Hopefully the others will be as good and better...
Here is a picture. The texture was good--pliable, easy to slice (didn't "gum up" like others I have made). I don't have the experience or the vocabulary to describe the flavor. If I were to try, I'd include "a little buttery" and "a tiny bitter aftertaste". I was surprised by the holes. I thought I had done a good job of pressing under the whey. I'm not good at distinguishing between gas holes and mechanical holes, but I presume these are mechanical.