The Aldi Advent Calendar of Cheese

I'll update this post weekly as I work my way through the advent calendar. Unlike tea and beer, where I have strongly held opinions, I know almost nothing about cheese so I'm flying blind on this.

In previous years I have done beer and tea.

1. Extra Mature Cheddar - I lack the vocabulary to describe cheese. The internet says an extra mature cheese has been aged for at least 15 months and has a complex and sharp flavor. I thought this cheese started with a very smooth and understated flavor, then a strong wine presence made itself known with the finish. Overall, it’s tasty and I would eat it again.

2. Black Pepper Gouda - Smooth and creamy with a little bit of a pepper bite. Quite tasty.

3. Smoked Cheddar - I'm not generally a smoked fan unless it's meat, but this was good. The smokey notes are subtle.

4. Spiced Apple Cheddar - It had some sort of spiced flavor, but I wouldn’t call it apple. It tasted fine, just a bit undefinable.

5. Mature Gouda - Creamy and buttery-tasting goodness. Would eat again.

6. Cheddar with Whiskey - A mild cheddar with a slight hint of whiskey as you finish the cheese. You could also smell whiskey as you ate the cheese.

7. Cheddar with Port Wine - The port gives the cheese a reddish tint, but otherwise, the wine flavor is very subtle, bordering on not there. I did taste these immediately after the whiskey cheese without cleansing my pallet, so this may be an unforced error on my part.

8. Goat cheese - This may be my first time eating goat cheese. I like it. It tastes like cow milk cheese, but a little tangier.

9. Black Truffle Cheddar - Today I learned that I do not like the taste of black truffle.

10. Mustard Gouda - I’ve never been a fan of mustard, so not surprisingly I was not a fan of this cheese.

11. Sweet English Cheddar - This tasted like cheddar to me. Which is good, but I’m missing whatever makes it different than run-of-the-mill cheddar.

12. Mimolette - Tasty cheese. It’s french, but don’t know what that does to the taste.

And that is it, as the cheeses repeat for days 13-24. I feel a little cheated on that point. Overall, this is my least favorite of the 3 advent calendars I've completed. I don't taste enough difference between most of these to make it worth the effort to care if I'm eating Sweet English Cheddar or Mature Cheddar.