Gouda

Stop 114 of 265 · Netherlands

Two cheeses on the loop, with something to drink beside it, something for the driver, and the road either side.

The cheeses

Gouda

  • cow milk
  • pressed
  • semi-soft

Young (jong, up to ~4 months)

Drink
Pilsner, or a light BeaujolaisYoung Gouda is mild, springy and milky. Anything sweet or fortified buries it; a clean cold lager or a light low-tannin red leaves it room.
Driving
Cold apple juiceCrisp and simple, which is all a young wheel asks for.

Aged (oude, 1 year and beyond)

Drink
Tawny portLong ageing brings butterscotch, salt crystals and real depth. Now the nutty sweetness of a tawny matches rather than smothers it.
Driving
Cold brew coffeeCaramel and roast on both sides of the pairing.
Eat with
Rye crispbread and mustardDutch shops put a pot of mustard next to the cheese for a reason.

A classic pairing — settled enough that it belongs to the region.

Gouda on Wikipedia

Boerenkaas

  • cow milk
  • semi-soft
Drink
An amber ale, or a soft redMild semi-soft cheese does best with something malty or fruity rather than sharp.
Driving
Malted barley drink, or cold brewMalt and mild sweetness, as the ale has.
Eat with
Rye crispbread, mustard or a fruit chutneyMild and malty cheeses want something sharp or sweet beside them to wake them up.

Derived from the milk and the style of the cheese, not from local custom. A local will have opinions.

Boerenkaas on Wikipedia

The road

Arriving fromStolwijk8 km (5 mi) by road, about 12 min driving.
On toBodegraven9 km (6 mi) by road, about 13 min driving.
GoudaStolwijkBodegraven
Plan the whole loop Gouda in Google Maps

Every cheese on the loop has a drink for the driver as well as one for the passengers. On a driving tour, somebody is always driving.