Coolea is our main boo thang when it comes to Irish cheese. Helene and Dick Willems started making cheese as a hobby. In the 1970s, they moved from Holland to a small farm in the beautiful mountains of Coolea in West Cork, where they began making a gouda style cheese with the extra milk from their cows. Coolea is named for the town where it is made, Cúil Aodha, which when Anglicized, becomes Coolea (pronounced kool-ay). Soon, the neighbors caught wind of the Willems’ delicious creation, and word spread through Cork and across the country. They were so dang good at cheesemaking that, in 1986, it became a full-fledged business! Their son, Dick, took over in 1993 as Coolea made its way into cheese shops around the world.

Coolea has the rich butterscotch flavor of an aged gouda, with the savoriness of white miso, the sweetness of bourbon, and the caramelized nuttiness of buttered toast. Drooling yet? Be sure to eat Coolea at room temperature for the full taste experience, perhaps with a glass of warming Irish whiskey on the side for good measure. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

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