Amsterdam Cheese Company has four stores across Amsterdam's city centre: Damrak, Kalverstraat, Leidsestraat and Nieuwendijk. At the Kalverstraat they have one tasting room where Dutch Gouda gets the attention it deserves.
Good Gouda isn’t complicated to make. But making it taste the way Amsterdam Cheese Company’s does requires three things that can’t be replicated anywhere else: the right farmers, the right cows and the right cheese.
Amsterdam cheese company work with a small group of carefully selected independent Dutch farmers, chosen for their top tier milk quality. The cows spend as much time outside as possible and enjoy the occasional massage.
The grass the cows eat is also crucial for the taste of the cheese. The grass grows on soil that sits twelve feet below sea level. The specific combination of climate and terrain gives the milk a natural sweetness, that’s what makes their cheese so delicious.
The stores feel like walking into a friends kitchen, warm, unhurried, with enough cheese variety to choose, from a mild four-month Gouda to the 12 month Maxima cheese, this cheese brings a deep, complex flavor while keeping that signature creamy bite. The staff are very helpful, you can ask them anything about the cheese age, pairing, or how to get the cheese home in good condition.
For visitors who want more than a free sample at the counter, the Kalverstraat tasting room runs a 45-minute guided tasting of six Dutch Gouda cheeses with pairings, in a group of maximum 12 people. That’s where the full story gets told.
