What’s up with this cheese?!! It seems like every American is raving about it and i, a not-so-humble Aussie, need to know what the huge fuss is about this cheese.
Non-Americans – what do you think of Cougar Gold? Would it be worth spending some serious $$$ to get my paws on a tin? What is the taste like compared to regular cheddar cheese?
by PukeyOwlPellet
41 Comments
I wish I could tell you. It costs more to get it shipped to me than the can actually costs, and I’m not terribly far from where it’s made.
Pretty sure it’s mainly just a novelty due to the aging in the can and being extremely shelf stable.
I am also Australian, and literally wanted to post this question earlier, the cost to get it here is insane
I’m in the UK – I’ve never seen canned cheese before. I’m very skeptical ..
Grew up in the area where this is made (Pullman, Washington State.) It is in fact the best cheese I’ve personally ever had. I’m no cheese connoisseur though so hold that opinion lightly. I disagree it’s just a novelty though because it’s canned, it truly is a wonderful sharp cheddar. If you’ve got the money I do think it’s worth ordering and trying at least once 100%.
It’s pretty good, but not exceptional.
I tried it a few years ago, bought a chunk from a grocery store in Seattle (PCC?). Not worth the effort of ordering full cans online. IIRC it was the most aged version and found it quite sour – and not, like, complex aged tangy umami sour, just lactic sour.
(Am Canadian, a cheesemonger, and traditional British varietals are some of my favourite cheeses. I am *so* F-ing picky about cheddars, preferring British style to Canadian or American.)
I’m semi tempted to buy it here in the UK just to see what the fuss is about, £90 ($120 USD) is pretty steep just to pacify my curiosity tho
I’m English and I’ve never eaten it. But from the plethora of posts and images I’ve seen it looks pretty rubbish. Looks way too crumbly for a cheddar, looks quite dry and seems very expensive for what it is. I’d happily try some given the opportunity, but I suspect I can find a better one in any supermarket in the UK.
As an American… How much would it cost you? Do you ever travel to the US or have friends that do who would pick you up a can?
It’s very good, it’s fun to age, but I’m not sure it’s worth it if the price is crazy high.
Good? Yes.
Must try? Yes, but not for crazy prices. It isn’t world changing,but it’s damn good.
Just goes to show a cougar will surprise you every time…
It’s just an American bias on the sub (and on reddit in general). There is nothing special about this cheese, besides the can and aging gimmicks. People spend years waiting to get mediocre results out of an industrial product, when you can buy a 5 year old Comte that will wipe the floor with this cheese.
Don’t spend money and time on this, get yourself some good French or Italian farm cheeses (or a cheese from a local farm), a much better way to spend your money.
I’m from the UK and tried it in Seattle last year – It’s fine, kind of like a supermarket strong cheddar we get in the uk – it’s a bit wet, like those strong supermarket cheddars get in their packaging, it’s definitely not worth spending serious money on.
I’d say if you can get a can for less than $125 Australian, it’s well worth it(if you’re in Australia).
Anyone in the western half of North America should not be paying more than $50 USD for a can, ever. The rest of North America, no more than $75 USD. Europe, no more than $100 USD.
I personally find that there is no significant taste difference between the end cuts cans and the regular cans, so if you go with end cuts, it’ll be slightly cheaper.
If you plan to age it, you must keep it refrigerated the whole time(including transport). If just eating as is, as long as the shipping doesn’t take ridiculously long(like weeks), it’ll be fine.
It’s my favorite cheddar. Overall, somewhere in my top 10 cheeses. Compared to regular cheddar, it is significantly sharper, a bit saltier, has a good amount of umami, and has an overall rich taste. Acid levels are a bit higher than the average cheddar. Its texture is dependent on how long it has been aged; the longer the aging, the more crumbly it is. It is a bit more crumbly than the average cheddar in general, and usually a good bit drier than the average cheddar.
It pairs extremely well with cured meats, but also quite well with steak bites.
The best mac and cheese I’ve ever had was made using 3/4 Cougar Gold for the cheese.
It’s been a family holiday gift for 40+ years. We send 2 cans, 1 to open and the other to age 5-10+ years. We love buying local too
I tried some when I was in New York a couple years ago and it’s a good cheddar. But nothing out of the ordinary and if I had picked it up at the cheese monger for £5 I wouldn’t have noticed anything b special about it.
Though I did live next to cheddar for a few years and was spoilt for good cheeses.
American here. We keep cans of cougar cheese in our fridge all the time, including gold specifically for aging.
Its really good cheese but its not worth $120. Thats not to say you shouldnt spend $120 on it for shits and giggles, but if you are expecting it to somehow go from a $17lb cheese to a $50lb cheese because of the inflated price you would have to pay to get it, you will be disappointed.
I’m Filipino. I have never seen this cheese in any grocery story I’ve been to, but I have heard lots of things from international friends that this is a banging cheese. Even better when aged. But that’s just my knowledge from primary and secondary sources.
I think it would be fun to maybe get for a special occasion. I am American tbf and for Christmas last year I got a can for myself and one for mt parents. It is very delicious.
And also! A few Christmases ago, I ordered an Australian snack imports box for us to share. Though of course that was in 2024
My opinion only, I don’t get it. Tried multiple cougar cheeses, viking, pepper, gold and it’s just a cheddar to me, with many many more being alot better for cheaper.
But, I support education and WSU students doing the work, I always buy a can when in the area for work.
Go WSU go.
Are you accepting answers from non-Americans only? Your phrasing suggests this. Which is quite stupid if you’re assuming Americans are the primary target for your question. No?
Why is it in a can ? I’ve never seen canned cheese (in Ireland)
It’s good but not worth the price
All this aside, any reccs on another memorable cheddar type cheese to gift?
Here’s my question.
Is Cougar Gold actually a cheddar like everyone says? Or even that much of an award winner?
It’s just that looking at the World Cheese Awards 2006 (as you do), it was merely deemed the joint best American entry into the ‘Hard pressed cheese other than Cheddar and other UK territorials’.
Which isn’t even an award – it’s the best of the American entries into the category – and the category was specifically ‘not cheddar’.
Read more at: https://www.thenibble.com/reviews/main/cheese/cheese2/2006-world-cheese-society-awards.asp
I’m an American and I’ve never in my life have heard of this cheese. Wtf is this, wasn’t Kraft cheese an abomination enough for America?!
My sister had this cheese sent to me at Christmas. It’s lovely but I wouldn’t spend that kind of money on it.
The fuck? Cheese in a can?
It’s meant to buy and age yourself. Straight up new it’s good but not special.
For American cheese is is damn good, even better as it ages. It has a good story as well which adds to the mystique.
I’m in the U.S. and completely baffled by it. I’ve never seen it in person anywhere and honestly don’t really have interest in trying it, even if I did.
Never heard of it
I love this cheese! I am an alumnus of Washington state university and would buy these cans from the creamery where it was made. Every time I went home for break I would have multiple requests from family to pick up a can. They were only 22 bucks when you bought it from the creamery when I was there. I wasn’t the only one doing this, usually the last few days before a break in classes the line would be out the door of students buying cheese for family lol.
Im glad to see our cheese is peaking international interest! If you go to the website there is some interesting history on why a college in the middle of nowhere Washington state started making canned cheese. Go Cougs!
It may be amazing, but the tin reminds me of something like spray cheese lol.
I’m American and have never in my life heard of this cheese until yesterday.
American checking in.. never heard of it. But I’d definitely try it.
Canadian here. I looked for it and we can’t even get it and we are right next to the US…
American Cheese enjoyer here.
I’d never heard of Cougar Gold before reddit. Must be a West Coast thing.
America does not equal Reddit. I’ve never even heard of this stuff before Reddit. It seems so disproportionately posted about.
Go Cougs!
If this came from the UK or somewhere else in Europe, the comments would be telling you how absolutely worth it it is. But because it comes from the United States they’re gonna tell you it either sucks or it’s just alright.
Not sure every American has even seen this before lol he never seen this in the NY tri state area. I am curious though but we can get better cheddar that’s not in a can I’m sure.