Roaring Forties Blue comes from King Island Dairy off the northwest coast of Tasmania, Australia, named for the westerly winds that batter the island and keep its pastures green year-round. It's a pasteurized cow's milk blue sealed in dark wax instead of left with an open rind, and that single decision changes everything about how the cheese eats.

The paste is semi-soft and buttery, holding its shape under the knife with a smooth, even blue spread running through. Because the wax locks the moisture in, the wheel keeps a real fresh-cream sweetness all the way through aging, with toasted hazelnut and a little caramel building underneath. The blue note is steady and confident, more warm pepper on the back of the palate than sharp bite, and the finish lands on salted butter rather than salt and tang.

If you've been put off by aggressive cave-aged blues, this is the one that brings you in: rich, creamy, sweet on the front, gentle on the finish, and unmistakably blue in the middle.