How long should cheese age? A guide by type

Some cheeses are ready in weeks, others need years. Time in the cellar decides texture as much as taste.

Soft cheeses stay young

Brie and other bloomy rinds ripen in four to eight weeks. Past that, the center turns runny and the rind sharp.

• Fresh and soft: two to eight weeks
• Semi-hard: three to six months
• Hard: twelve months and more
• Every wheel is tasted before it leaves

Patience costs space

A two-year wheel takes a shelf for two years. That is why aged cheese costs more, and why it is worth it.

We sell a cheese when it is ready, not when the calendar says so.