The Irish Farmhouse Box
Tasting Guide
Ireland didn't just send you cheese. It sent you four farms, four families, and a few hundred years of craft. This is their story — and your guide to getting every last bit out of what's in your box.
We made you a playlist.
Great cheese deserves great music. We put together a playlist that moves the way a good board does — starting easy and opening up into something more complex. Traditional Irish folk, modern Irish artists, and a few things in between. Put it on before the cheese comes out of the fridge.
"I built Curdbox because I believe the best way to understand a place is through what it makes — and nowhere makes cheese quite like Ireland. These four cheeses are the best of the island: each one a portrait of its region, its maker, its land. I am Irish, and I wanted to do Ireland proud. You won't find this combination anywhere else. I hope it takes you there."
Jay Webster — Founder & Owner, Curdbox
Meet the Makers
Four farmhouse cheeses, four regions, four families who have dedicated their lives to making something extraordinary from the land beneath their feet.
I of IV
Durrus Óg
Sheep's Head Peninsula, West Cork
The Farm
In the early 1970s, Jeffa Gill bought a small farm on the hillside valley of Coomkeen, just above Durrus village in West Cork. She had previously worked in fashion design in London and Dublin — not the typical background for a pioneering cheesemaker. She was among a small group of creative women who sparked the rebirth of Irish farmhouse cheesemaking. Now in their fifth decade, Durrus is still handmade on the same farm by Jeffa and her daughter Sarah Hennessy. In 2020, Jeffa received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Irish Food Writers Guild. She earned every word of it.
Tasting Notes
Washed-rind, semi-soft. The wet, saline sea air of West Cork makes this region perfect for this style. Look for a mottled pink-orange rind developed over weeks of hand-washing. The aroma is hay, undergrowth, and wet soil — it smells of the hillside in Coomkeen. The flavor is long, round, and earthy. Uniquely Durrus.
Edible Rind- Serve at room temperature. Pairs beautifully with the beef bresaola — the fat softens the earthiness of the rind.
II of IV
Cooleeny Brie
County Tipperary
The Farm
The Maher family are the fourth generation to work the land at Cooleeney Farm, outside Thurles in County Tipperary. Faced with cuts in guaranteed milk prices in the mid-1980s, Breda Maher took a cheesemaking course at University College Cork and in 1986, Cooleeney was born. She chose a soft, Camembert-style cheese because the market was full of hard cheeses — a decision that turned out to be exactly right. The farm sits in the heart of Tipperary's prime dairy country, blessed with peaty soil and clover-rich grass.
Tasting Notes
Bloomy rind, soft-ripened. Covered with a white mould rind, underneath which the pale yellow paste is creamy and buttery with some chalkiness. When fully mature, the paste softens to something smooth and mushroomy with a pleasant bitterness. Ireland's answer to Camembert — and in our opinion, better.
Edible Rind- Pull from the fridge 45–60 minutes before eating. Extraordinary on the Sheridans brown bread crackers.
III of IV
Crozier Blue
Cashel, County Tipperary
The Farm
When Louis and Jane Grubb moved back to their family farm in the late 1970s, their ambition was simple: make something extraordinary from Tipperary's exceptional grass-fed milk. Cashel Blue — the first blue cheese ever made in Ireland — was born from that instinct. Crozier Blue came later, when Jane decided to make a variation from sheep's milk. Launched in 1992, it remains the only blue sheep's milk cheese made in Ireland. The name is a nod to an ancient piece of Irish silver. Today it's made by the second generation — Sarah and Sergio Furno.
Tasting Notes
Raw sheep's milk blue. Full, sweet, and cream-like mouthfeel with notes of salt and toasted nuts. The interior paste is shot through with gentle blue veining — moist and yielding inside a natural rind. It's been called "the Pelé of Irish cheeses." We agree.
Edible Rind- Crumble over crackers or layer with the fennel salami — the anise plays beautifully against the sweetness of the sheep's milk. A drizzle of honey turns this into a moment.
IV of IV
Smoked Gubbeen
Schull, West Cork
The Farm
This one has the best origin story in the box. In the early 1970s, Tom Ferguson ordered a pint of Murphy's Stout after a day's work on a West Cork farm. The pint placed in front of him was probably the worst he'd ever seen. When he raised an eyebrow, his eyes met a young woman smiling back — Giana, who had come from London for the summer. They married in 1975. Their 250-acre coastal farm sits one mile outside the fishing village of Schull, with the Atlantic bordering one boundary and Mount Gabriel sheltering the pasture to the north. The smokery started as a hobby for their son Fingal when he was about 13. He now produces over 50 smoked products and is considered one of Ireland's masters of the craft.
Tasting Notes
Cold-smoked over oak and beechwood on the farm. Semi-hard, firm enough to slice, with a warm amber rind. The smoke is present but restrained — it deepens the cheese rather than overwhelming it. Underneath: buttery, savory, with a gentle tang. The one everyone fights over. The last to leave the board. Always.
Inedible Rind- Slice thin. Layer on crackers with the Maison Marc gherkin mustard. Smoke and acid are best friends.
The right order matters.
Start delicate, finish bold. Begin with the Cooleeny Brie — it will be overwhelmed if you've already had the blue. Then Durrus, then Crozier Blue, then Smoked Gubbeen last. It's the boldest and it's the one people remember.
Durrus + Bresaola
Both earthy and mineral. They amplify each other. The fat in the bresaola softens the rind's complexity.
Crozier Blue + Fennel Salami
The anise in the salami brightens the sweetness of the sheep's milk. Unexpected and perfect.
Sheridans Crackers + Everything
Wheaten and nutty — a neutral that enhances without competing. The right base for every cheese on this board.
Smoked Gubbeen + Mustard
Keep the Maison Marc near the Gubbeen. Smoke and acid are best friends. You'll understand immediately.
Serving Temperature
Everything out of the fridge 45–60 minutes before eating. Cold cheese is muted cheese. Non-negotiable.
For a Crowd
Cut wedges of Cooleeny and Durrus, crumble the Crozier Blue, slice the Gubbeen thin. Fan the meats. Scatter crackers. Stand back.
Storage
Soft cheeses (Cooleeny, Durrus) — eat within 5–7 days. Firm cheeses (Gubbeen, Crozier) keep 2–3 weeks, rewrapped after each use.
The full experience
goes beyond the box.
A truly great board is a complete sensory experience — what's in your glass, what's on your table, the light in the room. We curate everything we can ship you. For the rest, here's what Jay recommends picking up from your local wine shop, farmers market, or specialty grocer to make this feel like a proper Irish feast.
Wine
The Glass
- Dry Riesling best with Cooleeny
- Pinot Noir best with Durrus
- Blanc de Blancs works with everything
- Grüner Veltliner underrated pairing
- Sauternes Crozier Blue + honey
Look for something with good acidity — it's your best friend with rich, creamy Irish cheese.
Beer
The Pint
- Irish Stout Guinness · Murphy's · Beamish
- Dry Irish Cider especially with Gubbeen
- Belgian Saison earthy, effervescent
- Farmhouse Ale mirrors the terroir
- Amber Ale crowd pleaser
Can't go wrong with a proper pint of Guinness alongside this board. It's tradition for a reason.
Non-Alcoholic
The Alternative
- Sparkling water with lemon
- Unfiltered apple juice
- Sparkling cider
- Strong black tea very Irish
- Drinking vinegars / shrubs
Strong black tea with the brown bread crackers and Cooleeny is a very Irish move — and a genuinely great one.
Fresh & From the Market
The Board
- Pears · Apples sweet & acidic
- Grapes · Figs any variety
- Honeycomb over the Crozier Blue
- Medjool dates · Dried apricots
- Sourdough or baguette
Whatever looks good at your farmers market. Anything sweet, juicy, or slightly acidic belongs on this board.
From Your Pantry
The Extras
- Walnuts · Marcona almonds
- Hazelnuts · Pecans · Pistachios
- Dark chocolate (70%+)
- Extra crackers or flatbreads
- Cornichons
You will run out of crackers. Grab an extra loaf of something crusty. This is not optional.
Love what's in your box?
Every month, Curdbox delivers 3 hand-selected artisan cheeses and 3 perfect pairings — curated by a 15+ year professional cheesemonger. Subscribe or send a gift before April 1st to get the April box.
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