The Cheese Ambassador selects the finest small-batch, handcrafted cheeses available and delivers them to cheese lovers in a trio that's perfect for a cheese tasting party or to serve during a cheese course.

The American Artisanal Collection contains three carefully handmade American artisan cheeses: Aged Gouda, Cave-Aged Blue and 3 Year Old Cheddar.

All three varieties complement each other beautifully but can also hold their own quite well.

The Aged Gouda hails from a fourth-generation master cheesemaker in central Wisconsin. It's aged over 6 months and acquires a nutty flavor and a smooth, velvety texture.

The Cave-Aged Blue follows the tradition of Roquefort and Gorgonzola and is matured for 70 days in the sandstone caves of southern Minnesota. It has a bold blue cheese flavor with a deliciously creamy texture and rich taste.

The 3 Year Old Cheddar is from Amish country in Pennsylvania and is produced by their dairy farmers (using old-fashioned farming techniques including horse-drawn plows). It's a complex cheddar that crumbles beautifully.

Before serving the cheeses, allow them to come to room temperature. We sampled the American Artisanal Collection with a sliced baguette, raspberry jalapeno jelly, orange blossom honey and a platter of prosciutto and genoa salami.

I was partial to the Cave-Aged Blue drizzled with a little honey, but The Cheese Ambassador includes full tasting notes with each trio of cheese.

$35 from The Cheese Ambassador