Smoked Gubbeen

Smoked Gubbeen is a semi soft, gently smoked, waxed cheese made by Giana Ferguson in Cork, Ireland. Giana’s husband Tom’s family have farmed at Gubbeen for several generations. Giana came from Spain via France, with a cheesemaking background. She is responsible for the cheeses; he, the milk.

Their herd is a mix of breeds: pure-bred Friesians, Simmenthals, whose milk is also famously used in Emmenthal, Jerseys, Shorthorns and black Kerrys, a rare, local breed. All of these breeds produce quite low volumes of milk with high solids, which is good for cheesemaking.

Smoked Gubbeen is the smoked version of the famous Gubbeen. It is fundamentally the same cheese, however the smoked version has been wrapped in a black wax from Holland called Ceska. This keeps the smoke in while still allowing the cheese to breathe. The result is a gentle smokiness that doesn’t overpower the beautifully complex flavour of the cheese.