Go for the (Cougar) Gold!

From Washington State University Creamery in Pullman, WA comes Cougar Gold: a delightful sharp white cheddar (despite the "Gold" in the moniker) sourced from real cows in Washington state. 

Weighing in at nearly two pounds, this fromage arrived in the mail in a tin can. According to the user manual, this cheese can be stored (refrigerated and unopened) indefinitely, becoming "sharper, more flavorful, drier and crumbly with age". It's a substantial amount of cheese, so plan for how you'll use or preserve it.

After opening and extraction, you're left with a delightful cheddar wheel:

Much softer than previous cheddars we've sampled, Cougar Gold is simultaneously creamy and sharp. Despite warning in the user manual that the cheese may crumble, we found it quite supple to cut and enjoy. There's a notable freshness to the flavor and the texture. We paired Cougar Gold with a local Hazy IPA, which mellowed the cheese in a pleasant way - accenting the nuttiness of the cheddar. As additional accouterments, we tried house made seeded crackers with dried apricots, both pairing nicely.

The user manual also includes a fantastic recipe for mac and cheese which is worth the effort:

We were so taken with Cougar Gold that we went back and tried the WSU's basil infused, jack style "Viking" cheese, which is also superb:

Order online and give them a try!