Milleens Dotes

Milleens is a washed rind cheese made with pasteurised cow’s milk. It is probably the strongest of the four classic Irish washed rinds, the others being: Durrus, Gubbeen. In ideal condition, Milleens should have an ever so slightly wet rind and a chalk paste which bulges towards the rind but remains chalky in the middle. The pleasure involved in eating good Milleens centres around the contrast between the whiffy, pungent rind and the fresh, lactic taste of the paste within. The paste, particularly of the small dotes, can be bulging, almost spilling, or it can be a little chalky yet moist. The flavour of the less attractive chalky cheeses can be surprisingly complex and satisfying, while the softer cheeses tend to be sweet and pungent. Certainly best enjoyed at room temperature.