When does quality peak in a cheese destined for long aging? I’ve had 10-year-old Cheddar (awesome), 4-year-old Parmigiano Reggiano (underwhelming) and a cheese that spent 7 years in a can. (More on that soon.) More recently, I had the opportunity to taste Gouda at four different ages, an enlightening example of what can happen to this iconic Dutch cheese over time. Online merchant igourmet is now carrying these extra-aged wheels so you can duplicate my tasting at home. I’ve served the four cheeses, side by side, to several people now and have been surprised by the reactions, including my own.