9 Gouda Cheeses You Can Find At The Grocery Store, Ranked

There's nothing quite as delicious as a good gouda. Hailing from the Netherlands, this cheese can be so many things. The younger versions of the dairy product tend to be fresh with an almost bouncy texture, while older, more aged varieties tend toward a lovely crystallization that creates a pleasant crunch in your mouth along with complex, caramel-y flavors that truly make it shine. But if you're new to artisanal cheese and decidedly not a cheese expert, how do you know you're getting a good one? I've tasted nine different goudas you'll likely be able to find at your local grocery store and ranked them, starting with my least favorite and working my way to the best of the group.

Of course, you may not agree with all of my rankings. After all, taste is a subjective thing. But if you're new to the world of gouda, this ranking may help you choose a variety that will suit your palate. I tend to prefer more aged, complex goudas, so those rose to the top of the ranking, but I also prized flavor and texture more generally.

Let's take a look at the grocery store gouda landscape. Then, you can get out there and try these cheeses for yourself.

Listen, I have nothing against sliced cheese (including American cheese). I think it's great if you're looking for a convenient way to add more cheese to your culinary routine, and it's ideal for sandwiches that need an element of creaminess to them. All that being said, Finlandia's Gouda isn't at the worst spot on this list simply because it's sliced and the other varieties covered here are not. Rather, it's because both its flavor and texture were somewhat lacking.

Take a bite of this stuff, and you may not even be able to tell that it's gouda right away. That's because that strong aroma is essentially not there at all when you open the packet, and it takes several seconds to get any of that fresh dairy flavor you might expect from a young gouda at all. Finally, you'll notice a mild, simple dairy note with that signature gouda sharpness, but it's not pronounced enough to really make things interesting. The texture is almost plasticky, which makes it less appealing.

If you're looking for a gouda for someone who doesn't like gouda very much at all, this stuff may be your best bet. Otherwise, you're better off checking out some of the other options on this list.

The description of this cheese definitely matches the name. As soon as I took a bite of it, I immediately registered how creamy it was. That's a welcome improvement from the worst-ranked cheese on this list, but Royal Hollandia Creamy Mild Gouda definitely didn't have the best texture of the bunch, either. This one was also slightly plasticky, although it wasn't so off-putting that I'd refuse to eat this stuff.

"Mild" is also an accurate descriptor because this cheese is indeed mild. Maybe a bit too mild, if you ask me. There's a light, creamy dairy flavor that's almost bordering on fruity, but that flavor is definitely not very pronounced. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. If, for instance, you don't tend to love strongly flavored cheeses but want to try to expand your palate, then this might be a good cheese to start with. But if you already love gouda and are looking for a variety that completely expresses its gouda-ness, this may not be the brand for you.

If you're looking for a young, fresh, and unfussy gouda that has a bit more of a pronounced flavor to it, you may want to check out Artikaas Red Wax Gouda Youngsters. It's light and creamy, and when you cut into it, it almost has a snap to it, which creates an interesting textural element to the cheese. It's savory but not salty, per se, and it seems like it's a pretty accessible cheese for most people out there. The flavor is nice and pleasant, with a very subtle vegetal edge, but it's far from a funky, super-complex cheese.

At my local grocery store, this cheese was also at a relatively accessible price as well, which makes it a win for those who are just dipping their toe into the world of gouda. It's far from my favorite of the bunch, but I think it's a solid choice for a nice midday snack.

There's gouda, and then there's smoked gouda (which makes an excellent addition to a party-friendly appetizer). Smoking the cheese seems to bring out its more delicious, appealing flavors, highlighting nuttiness and sweetness with a wonderfully smoky touch. Or, at least, that's what's happening in this Maple Leaf Cheese Natural Dutch Style Smoked Gouda. That smokiness is far from intense. Actually, it took a minute for the flavor to really hit me, but when it did, the effect was lovely. It's still quite a mild cheese, with that young dairy freshness to it, but with a layer of smoke that makes things a bit more interesting.

This cheese may be a midway point for people who are looking for something more complex than a very young, light version of gouda but aren't exactly looking for something intensely caramelized at the same time. Although I think this cheese would make a good addition to a charcuterie board or on its own as a snack, I can imagine it would be even better in a sandwich. That being said, its lack of complexity and so-so texture means it can't stand up to some of the better-ranked cheeses on this list.

Texturally speaking, Boar's Head Gouda was one of my favorites of the bunch. This one was very soft but, at the same time, quite springy. That made it easy to cut and even easier to enjoy. A buttery richness (and a slightly buttery flavor) was the first thing I noticed about the cheese, followed by a nice chewiness that made me want to go back in for another bite. It's firmer than butter, of course, but it almost feels like it melts like butter in your mouth.

Flavor-wise, this cheese didn't seem super complex. Like a lot of the grocery store goudas I tried on this list, it tasted young, fresh, and overall pretty mild. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's not quite as interesting as the top three cheeses in this ranking. If you are looking for a milder gouda, though, this one is worth checking out.

Head to Trader Joe's if you want to taste some of my favorite cheeses on this list. The chain is known for its high-quality cheese selection, and the gouda options didn't disappoint. Out of the three varieties of gouda I tried from Trader Joe's, the store's Double Cream Gouda was my least favorite — but that doesn't mean much, considering it still comes at number two on this list. This cheese is incredibly rich and creamy with a springiness and dense texture that makes it automatically appealing.

Flavor-wise, it's not quite as interesting as the top three on this list, but it definitely boasts some complexity despite its mildness. I picked up on a slight vegetal, mushroomy quality that made this gouda a nice departure from the simpler options further down in this ranking. Overall, if you're looking for a cheese with a super creamy texture that's easy to like but packs a punch of flavor, this Trader Joe's find should be on your must-try list.

Trader Joe's Dutch Gouda Cheese is a cheese you can always keep on hand that will work in so many different ways, whether you want to eat it on its own, include it on a simple cheese plate, or include it in a cheese-heavy recipe. Admittedly, this cheese isn't the most complex on the list, but it has a slightly nutty flavor despite its freshness, which really made it stand out from the other younger and less complex cheeses in this lineup. It's delicious, approachable, and proves once again that Trader Joe's can definitely deliver when it comes to cheese.

The texture, though, is what earned it its number three spot on this list. It's slightly springy, which I noticed in many of the cheeses I tried for this ranking, but this one is also wildly creamy, taking it to the next level. Buttery, almost but not quite spreadable, I think just about anyone could enjoy this cheese.

This cheese marks a big step up in terms of complexity, texture, and flavor, which is why aged gouda is one of the best cheeses to splurge on. As the oldest cheese on this list (about two years and seven months old), it makes sense that the flavors are much more developed here, with a richness and complexity that makes it stand out from the crowd. Those nutty, mushroomy flavors come to the fore with that age, accompanied by a sweetness that brings it all together.

The texture is quite important when it comes to aged goudas. Younger versions of the cheese are creamy and bouncy, but more aged iterations take on a crystallized texture that creates a subtle crunchiness to the cheese. It may not be for everyone, but it's a texture I especially love, which is a big reason why Trader Joe's 1000 Day Gouda Cheese is near the very top of the ranking. There's a lot you could do with this cheese, but to really appreciate what it has to offer, I'd simply eat a piece with a square of dark chocolate for an ideal cheese and chocolate pairing and call it dessert.

As someone who loves aged cheese, especially gouda, I assumed that Trader Joe's 1000 Day Gouda Cheese would be my favorite of the bunch. After all, it is aged longer than the others included in this ranking. But I was surprised when I found that Rembrandt 12 Month Aged Gouda Cheese was the one that really stood out to me. As soon as I opened the plastic package, I was hit with an intensely nutty aroma. I knew it was going to be good even before I took the first bite.

My first impression was the deeply savory, salty, and caramelized flavor of this cheese, which was immediately appealing. Then came those subtle, almost sandy crystals that made the texture feel like a true experience. I cannot emphasize enough that this gouda is really something special if you happen to enjoy aged cheeses as much as I do. Like the last cheese, you could pair this gouda with a nice square of chocolate, but it's so delicious that I'd choose to enjoy it all on its own so you can really concentrate on the flavors. This is, without a doubt, one of my new all-time favorite cheeses I've tried.

I tasted each of these cheeses at the same time, starting with the younger options and then working my way to the more aged varieties on the list. The criteria for the ranking was based on flavor, first and foremost, but texture played an important role. My general perception of quality was the most important factor, but I also ranked more complex and interesting cheeses above the simpler varieties.