Appenzeller comes out of the Appenzellerland in northeastern Switzerland, where dairies have been making cheese under this name for at least 700 years. The Silver Label is the youngest of the three official tiers, aged three to four months and the most approachable of the family. The paste is a clean straw color, semi-hard but supple, dotted with tiny "eyes" and slicing cleanly off the wheel. Each dairy guards its own herbal brine recipe, often built around wine or cider and a private blend of local herbs, brushed onto the wheels during curing to build the golden rind. That wash drives the flavor: a nutty, lightly fruity Alpine base with a brine-washed savory lift and a gentle peppery tickle on the back of the palate. The Surchoix (gold) and Extra (black) labels push that spice further with longer aging; the Silver keeps it polite. It's a melting cheese as much as a board cheese, classic for fondue and gratins, and the Silver Label took a spot among the top 20 cheeses at the 2024 World Championship Cheese Contest.
