Bierkase
Bierkase, better known as Weisslacker, is a salted, surface-ripened cow's milk cheese from Germany that ripens for seven months. It smells as powerful as Limburger but tastes mild, and it is usually eaten with beer.
Key Facts
| Country of Origin | Germany |
| Specific Origin | Germany; also made in Wisconsin, the U.S. |
| Milk Type | Cow's milk |
| Milk Treatment | Pasteurized |
| Rind | Washed |
| Texture | Semi-soft, smear-ripened |
| Flavor | Salty, tangy |
| Aroma | Strong |
| Colors | Pale yellow |
| Age | Seven months |
| Alternative Spellings | Weißlacker, bierkäse |
| Also Known As | Weisslacker, beer kaese, beer cheese, Whitewash, bierkäse |
What is Bierkase Cheese?
Weisslacker comes from Germany. The name is German for whitewashed and refers to the color of the rind. The cheese is also produced in the United States, mostly in Wisconsin. Since 2015 the EU has protected Weißlacker and Allgäuer Weißlacker with a protected designation of origin.
Production starts out much like brick cheese. The cheese is salted and ripened at the surface for seven months in highly humid conditions, which puts it in the same family as Limburger.
The smell is pungent, close to Limburger. The taste goes the other way and comes out mild, which catches out anyone expecting the flavor to match the aroma.
People who like it take it with beer, sometimes dipping the cheese straight into the glass, which is where the names bierkäse and beer cheese come from. Many find it too overpowering to serve with wine. It is also served on small slices of rye or pumpernickel bread, often with sliced onion, and it goes into breads, soups and dips. In the Czech Republic, the country with the highest per-capita beer consumption in the world, it is a common item on pub and restaurant menus.
How Does Bierkase Cheese Compare?
The most relevant cheeses to compare Bierkase against.
