I will second the vote for aged Gouda -- it's familiar, yet surprisingly different. Along those same lines, Vella's dry Monterey Jack cheeses are excellent, firmer than what you think of when you think of Monterey Jack cheese, and much, much better tasting, too. I can get the "special select dry" locally and it's one of my favorites.

...it might be fun to try to put together a tasting of cheeses that are variations on "standard" cheese -- find a "classy" version of a Gouda, Jack, Cheddar and so on, just to explore the full range of possibilities even in the basic cheeses. Anybody know of someone making a good "American cheese"?


If you like cheeses with additional flavors thrown in, sage derby is one of our favorites, and it's readily available, but there are a large range of qualities out there, so it may take a little experimenting. I'm also a fan of Red Dragon, a Cheddar made with ale and mustard seeds that has lots of flavor and is great for casual snacking with crackers and a beer.