Trader Joe's Mull of Kintyre Scottish Cheddar Cheese

I might as well just be honest with you: I don't recall ever having heard of the Mull of Kintyre prior to last week, when I noticed this cheese at Trader Joe's. I know now that a song by that name was a huge hit for Paul McCartney & Wings, but it somehow escaped my attention for the last 40 years. What's more, I now realize that I've actually seen the Mull of Kintyre--the southernmost tip of the Kintyre peninsula--though I didn't know it at the time. During a tour of the British Isles in 2014, my ferry from Scotland to Northern Ireland passed by it.

But none of that had anything to do with this purchase. I just wanted some cheese, and my eye fell on this as one that I had not tried before. Frankly, I expected another in a long line of virtually indistinguishable white cheddars. It was not to be so.

This one is truly superior. It is as rich and sweet and smooth and creamy and buttery as any cheddar cheese I've ever eaten. Full-flavored without being the least bit sharp or harsh. Absolutely first rate. I quickly learned that I have difficulty stopping once I start eating it, even after I'm past being full.

This is a new product for TJ's. It apparently rolled out in February. I'm not clear on whether it's to be a perennial or is just a feature cheese, destined to disappear soon. Oh, please let it be the former! It would be a shame if the newest member of my Top Ten List were no longer available.



Will I buy it again? 

Every chance I get.


Bonus: Here's Paul McCartney and Wings playing "Mull of Kintyre":



Paul McCartney & Wings - Mull Of Kintyre (1977) by DemonPreyer1

McCartney bought a farm in Kintyre in 1966, about 20 miles from the mull, and spent a lot of time there in the 1970s. Apparently he has been functionally withdrawing from it in recent years, though.


Addendum 

I went back to the store to buy another chunk of this, and asked one of the employees to look up on the computer whether this was a permanent or temporary product. He found that what they had on the shelf was the last they were going to get--at least for this season. Will it come back next year? I guess we'll have to wait and see. In the meantime, I bought four of them, and put three in the freezer. I know that freezing is not good for cheese, but I couldn't just let it go away without trying something. Get it while you can!

Addendum #2 

Last night I tried it side by side with some Lite Sharp Celtic Cheddar, effectively pitting Scotland against Ireland in an epic cheese contest. I like both of them a lot, but Scotland won.

Addendum #3 

I suspect that TJ's is repackaging one of the award winners from the Mull of Kintyre cheese company.

Addendum #4 

After posting my usual daily notice on Twitter of a new review here, I got this reply and retweet from an account I did not previous know existed:

Here's the account information:

From that, I think it's pretty safe to conclude that my speculation in Addendum #3 above was correct! And another TJ's supplier has outed itself on Twitter!