Essex / l’Amuse - "Black Betty" a/k/a Brabander Reserve Goat Gouda, aged 18 mos. (Netherlands, priced per ounce)

Milk: Pasteurized goat's milk (Saanen breed)

Producer: Fromagerie l'Amuse / Cooperative dairy in Zijerveld, Netherlands

Affinage: Aged approximately 18 months

Style: Aged Gouda

Origin: Netherlands

Betty Koster founded Fromagerie l'Amuse in Amsterdam in 1989 alongside her husband Martin. A destination for serious cheese lovers, l'Amuse is celebrated for its rare, small-production Dutch gems — among them Wilde Weide and Terschelling. Betty's decades-long relationships with Dutch farmers, cheesemakers, and opleggers (affineurs) grant her access to an unparalleled range of wheels, selected and aged to her exacting standards.

"Black Betty" — also known as Brabander Reserve — is the crown jewel of that cellar. Pressed from the milk of Saanen goats and aged far beyond the typical Brabander, it develops a firm yet yielding paste studded with crystalline casein crunch. Layers of sweet caramel and toasted nuttiness unfold slowly, with a clean, bright finish that only goat's milk can deliver.

The reigning queen of aged Gouda, to which all others simply bow.

Pairings: Aged Riesling, Sauternes, Tawny Port, honeycomb, Marcona almonds, quince paste

Priced per ounce.