Mont des Cats is a pasteurized cow's milk Trappist-style washed-rind cheese from the Abbaye du Mont des Cats in Godewaersvelde, up in the Nord of France near the Flemish border. The monks here have been making cheese in this recipe for well over a century, and it's one of those old-school washed-rinds that drinks-in its character from the rind inward.

The paste is semi-soft and pale yellow, supple under the knife with a smooth even break. Up top you get that deep reddish-orange rind, the kind that lets beneficial bacteria do the work of mellowing the paste as the wheel ages. On the palate it leads with butter and fresh cream through the middle, then pulls savory and lightly mushroomy on the back end from the washed rind. It's funky in the good sense, hearty without being stinky, and the finish lingers just long enough to make you want another bite.

Think of this as the granddaddy of the Port Salut family, only with more backbone. A real old-school monastery cheese, made the way it's been made for generations, and right in the sweet spot for anyone who likes a washed-rind that's confident but still approachable.