Emmentaler AOP | Switzerland | Cow’s Milk | 90kg Wheel, Raw Milk, Alpine Firm (Copy)
250 gram cut
Reypenaer XO is a 36-month aged Dutch gouda made in the traditional style—slow-aged in century-old warehouses in Woerden, where time, wood, and air shape the cheese as much as the milk. This isn’t modern factory gouda. It’s a return to the slow, hands-off affinage of the Netherlands’ golden cheese age.
Over three years, the paste contracts and darkens into a deep toffee gold, packed with calcium lactate crystals and layered flavour. Expect notes of butterscotch, roasted hazelnut, whisky barrel, and browned butter, with a firm, flaky texture that melts slowly and leaves a long savoury finish.
The age shows—not just in sharpness, but in structure and depth. Every bite tells you exactly how long it’s waited.
How to Pronounce Reypenaer: RAY-puh-nair (not “ree-pen-air”)—the name is old Dutch, and while spellings may vary regionally, the standard pronunciation places emphasis on the first syllable. Keep it clipped and confident—RAY-puh-nair—and you’re in the right neighbourhood.
250 gram cut
Reypenaer XO is a 36-month aged Dutch gouda made in the traditional style—slow-aged in century-old warehouses in Woerden, where time, wood, and air shape the cheese as much as the milk. This isn’t modern factory gouda. It’s a return to the slow, hands-off affinage of the Netherlands’ golden cheese age.
Over three years, the paste contracts and darkens into a deep toffee gold, packed with calcium lactate crystals and layered flavour. Expect notes of butterscotch, roasted hazelnut, whisky barrel, and browned butter, with a firm, flaky texture that melts slowly and leaves a long savoury finish.
The age shows—not just in sharpness, but in structure and depth. Every bite tells you exactly how long it’s waited.
How to Pronounce Reypenaer: RAY-puh-nair (not “ree-pen-air”)—the name is old Dutch, and while spellings may vary regionally, the standard pronunciation places emphasis on the first syllable. Keep it clipped and confident—RAY-puh-nair—and you’re in the right neighbourhood.
250 gram cut
Reypenaer XO is a 36-month aged Dutch gouda made in the traditional style—slow-aged in century-old warehouses in Woerden, where time, wood, and air shape the cheese as much as the milk. This isn’t modern factory gouda. It’s a return to the slow, hands-off affinage of the Netherlands’ golden cheese age.
Over three years, the paste contracts and darkens into a deep toffee gold, packed with calcium lactate crystals and layered flavour. Expect notes of butterscotch, roasted hazelnut, whisky barrel, and browned butter, with a firm, flaky texture that melts slowly and leaves a long savoury finish.
The age shows—not just in sharpness, but in structure and depth. Every bite tells you exactly how long it’s waited.
How to Pronounce Reypenaer: RAY-puh-nair (not “ree-pen-air”)—the name is old Dutch, and while spellings may vary regionally, the standard pronunciation places emphasis on the first syllable. Keep it clipped and confident—RAY-puh-nair—and you’re in the right neighbourhood.
Origin: Woerden, Utrecht, Netherlands
Milk: Pasteurised cow’s milk
Rind: Natural, brushed and dry, inedible
Weight: ~13k Wheel
Maturation: 36 months minimum
Texture: Firm, flaky, crystalline
Shape: Traditional gouda wheel; sold in wedges
Style: Long-aged Dutch gouda, naturally ripened in historic warehouses
What It Is
Reypenaer XO is a 36-month aged Dutch cheese, made using traditional gouda methods and aged naturally in historic ripening warehouses dating back over a century. The cheese is produced in Woerden, near the Old Rhine, where changing seasonal conditions—temperature, humidity, air circulation—replace mechanical control. The result is a cheese with deep character, structural complexity, and a powerful sense of place.
Unlike vacuum-aged goudas, Reypenaer develops a firm, crystalline body and layered aroma. Aging is slow and non-linear. Each wheel is monitored and turned by hand. Over time, the moisture recedes, the paste darkens, and flavour compounds concentrate—especially free amino acids like tyrosine, which form crunchy, savoury crystals.
Taste and Texture
Rind: Firm and dry; not eaten. Natural maturation gives it a slightly waxy, earthy scent.
Paste: Deep amber-gold with visible tyrosine crystals. Dense, dry, yet melts slowly on the palate. Slices flake cleanly.
Flavour:
Butterscotch, dark caramel, and browned butter
Roasted hazelnut, malt, and light smoke
Sharp lactic tang and gentle salt
Long, nutty, slightly woody finish
These flavours develop through slow proteolysis and Maillard-like reactions during aging—deepening both sweetness and umami.
Pairing Logic
Reypenaer XO is rich, dry, and sweet-savoury. It pairs best with acidity, fruit, or oxidised depth.
Classic Pairings:
Aged sherry (Amontillado or Palo Cortado)
Dutch-style jenever or single malt whisky
Riesling Auslese, Madeira, or Vin Santo
Porter or dark Belgian ale
Non-alcoholic:
Cold brewed oolong or roasted barley tea
Apple shrub or pear juice with clove
Malted cocoa or bittersweet hot chocolate
Avoid: Dry reds with high tannin, as they mute the cheese’s crystalline richness.
Serving Guidance
Bring to room temperature at least 45–60 minutes before serving. Slice with a sharp knife or cheese plane—expect flaking. Serve in shards, not cubes.
Excellent with seeded rye, nut-studded crackers, or spiced fruit paste (quince, pear, date). Use as the final cheese on a board, or solo with a glass of something contemplative.
Storage
Wrap in waxed or cheese paper. Store in a sealed container in the fridge. Keeps for 2–4 weeks once opened. If the surface darkens or develops oiliness, trim lightly—interior remains clean and stable.
Do not freeze. Flavour and texture are tied to structure, and freezing breaks it down.
Waste-Conscious Use
Grate into hot grain dishes (farro, barley, polenta)
Shave over roasted pumpkin or sweet potato
Mix shards into shortbread dough for savoury biscuits
Fold into gougères or savoury scones
Use rinds in onion broth for added depth
This is not just an aged gouda—it’s a deliberate act of aging. Reypenaer XO is the taste of patience, skill, and wood-shelved time.