Brabander

Producer

Fromagerie L'Amuse

Country

Netherlands

Region

Brabant

Size

14 in diameter

Weight

20-25 lbs

Website

www.lamuse.nl

Milk

Goat

Treatment

Pasteurised

Classification

Hard

Rennet

Microbial

Rind

Waxed

Style

Gouda-like

Caramely-sweet and speckled with crystals, there’s so much to love about this goat’s milk gouda.

Produced at a cooperative in Brabant, in southern Holland, from pasteurized Saanen goat’s milk, wheels of Brabander are selected by Betty and Martin Koster, who run a retail shop called Fromagerie L’Amuse near Amsterdam. In the Kosters’ warehouse, wheels are tended and matured for six to nine months as they age in a white wax exterior before being released and sold. Betty matures her goudas at higher humidity levels and temperatures than other gouda producers—up to 60 degrees Fahrenheit—which allows crystals to form while preserving moistness in the fudgy white paste.

Tasting Notes

Ivory-colored, creamy Brabander is a definite crowd-pleaser. It’s got barely a trace of the goaty aromas that turn some people away from chèvres, instead yielding a caramel-butterscotch flavor that’s perfectly balanced with salt, creaminess, and a hint of acidity.

Pairings

Brabander is fun and easy to pair. It’s delicious alongside a cherry lambic beer. We also love Brabander with Potlicker Kitchen’s Burgundy Anise Wine Jelly—it marries well with the cheese’s brighter notes, while its bittersweet licorice kick highlights toasty caramel flavors. For a pairing emphasizing like-flavors, drizzle it in goat’s milk Salted Bourbon caramel from Fat Toad Farm.