Essex Street / Fromagerie l’ Amuse- ‘Brabander Goat Gouda’ (Netherlands, priced per ounce)

Fromagerie l’Amuse Brabander Goat Gouda — Netherlands, Priced Per Ounce

Brabander is one of the rarest and most sought-after Dutch goat Goudas in the world — and it arrives in the US exclusively through Essex Street Cheese, the New York importer that has made it their mission to bring Betty Koster’s extraordinary selections to American tables. Betty founded Fromagerie l’Amuse in Amsterdam in 1989, and her decades-long relationships with Dutch farmers, cheesemakers, and opleggers (affineurs) give her access to cheeses that simply cannot be found elsewhere. Brabander is the crown jewel of that collection.

Made from pasteurized Saanen goat’s milk at a small cooperative dairy in Zijerveld, Netherlands, and aged 6–9 months, Brabander develops a firm, golden paste with a clean, bright tang balanced by the buttery caramel depth that only aged Gouda can achieve. Notes of toasted nuts and a subtle, lingering sweetness round out a finish that is complex, satisfying, and unmistakably Dutch.

• Producer: Fromagerie l’Amuse / Betty Koster, Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Importer: Essex Street Cheese, New York (exclusive US importer)
• Origin: Zijerveld, Netherlands
• Milk: Pasteurized Saanen goat’s milk
• Style: Aged Goat Gouda
• Aging: 6–9 months
• Tasting Notes: Bright tang, buttery caramel, toasted nuts, subtle sweetness, long finish
• Pricing: Per ounce
• Best Paired With: Dry Riesling, Grüner Veltliner, light Pinot Noir, honeycomb, dried apricots, toasted almonds

Rare, exclusive, and extraordinary — Brabander is the Dutch goat Gouda that cheese lovers seek out by name.