My family gathered for a late Christmas celebration this week, and I had 7 cheeses ready to share. Here are the varieties, described by their "clock" position:
1:00 - Gouda, 3 months old
2:00 - "Malembert," 7 weeks old
4:00 - Cantal, 8 months old
6:00 - traditional cheddar, 8 months old
8:00 - Caerphilly with olive oil and smoked paprika coating, 4 weeks old
10:00 - plain Caerphilly, 6 weeks old
11:00 - Montasio, 3 months old
All were good, and the cheddar was exceptional (if I do say so myself), but I was especially pleased by the Gouda -- after two years of making cheese, including at least three attempts at Gouda, this is the first one that has really come out right. Very smooth and flexible, mild but not simplistic flavor. All my previous efforts got too acidic and crumbly. I've got another half that I'm planning to try in another 3 months or so.