A cheese tasting is a chance to discover what you actually enjoy: a delicate flavor you would eat on its own, a bolder one you would put on a cracker, or a cheese you would take home for dinner. At Surfing Goat Dairy in Kula, you can make those discoveries where the cheese is produced.
If you are planning a cheese tasting in Maui, our Farm Shop & Café offers a flight of six fresh chèvre flavors. You can visit the café without booking a farm tour, making the tasting an option for a food stop during your Upcountry travels.
This guide explains how to approach the flight, what to ask before ordering, and how to choose between a café visit and a tasting combined with a guided tour.
What Is a Cheese Flight?
A cheese flight is a selection of small portions served together so you can compare them. Our café’s fresh cheese flight features six flavors of chèvre, the French word for goat cheese.
The benefit of tasting several together is the comparison. A cheese that seems mild on its own may taste quite different after a more strongly seasoned bite. You might prefer one plain and another with an accompaniment. There is no need to know specialist tasting terms before you start.
Ask which flavors are being served that day. If you have seen a particular cheese online, check whether it is included rather than assuming the flight contains every variety you want to try. The café’s fresh chèvre flight is also distinct from the broader selection of fresh and aged cheeses offered by the dairy.
How to Taste and Compare the Cheeses
You do not need to turn lunch into a formal tasting session. A little attention to the first few bites can simply help you find a favorite.
Try a Small Bite on Its Own
Begin with the cheese before combining it with other food. Notice how it feels: soft, smooth, dense, or spreadable. Then consider the flavor. Does it seem gentle, tangy, savory, or strongly seasoned to you?
Use whatever words make sense to you. “I would enjoy this on toast” is just as useful as a detailed tasting description, especially if you are deciding what to buy afterward.
Work from Gentler Flavors Toward Stronger Ones
Ask the team which cheese would make a good starting point. Trying a strongly flavored option first can make it harder to notice subtler differences in the next bite. A sip of water between cheeses can help you pause and make a fresh comparison.
There is no single correct ranking. If you are tasting with someone else, compare your favorites after you have both tried the selection. Different preferences are part of the fun.
Return to Your Favorites with an Accompaniment
Once you have tasted a cheese separately, try it with an accompaniment served with your order. Notice whether you prefer the cheese alone or as part of the combined bite.
Keep track of the name of anything you especially enjoy. A quick note or a photo of the tasting information makes it easier to ask for the same cheese in the shop.
Cheese Tasting at the Café or a Guided Farm Tour?
Choose according to what you want to learn and how you want to spend your visit.
A café stop focuses on tasting and eating. A guided tour adds an introduction to the animals and the dairy’s work. If you are curious about the wider farm experience, our guide to visiting a goat cheese farm in Maui provides more background.
| Your priority | What to plan |
|---|---|
| Compare several fresh chèvre flavors | Visit the café and order a cheese flight. |
| Learn about the dairy and meet the goats | Book a guided tour. |
| Enjoy both the farm and a fuller tasting | Book a tour and allow separate time for the café. |
The approximately 30-minute Daily Casual Tour includes goat feeding, an introduction to the dairy and cheesemaking, a taste of fresh chèvre, and a handmade chocolate truffle. A full cheese flight is offered as an additional purchase. The cheese sample included in the tour and the full tasting flight are different offerings.
Feeding or petting goats requires an applicable guided experience. A café order does not provide unrestricted access to the working farm.
What to Ask Before You Order
Three questions can help you choose the right tasting:
- Which cheeses are in today’s flight? Ask about the selection and mention any particular flavor you hoped to try.
- What comes with the order? Confirm the accompaniments and ask whether a flight will suit your group’s appetite or whether you should add food.
- What ingredients should I know about? If you have dietary requirements, discuss the cheeses and accompaniments with the team before making your selection.
If you have booked a tour, mention its start time when deciding when to eat. Keeping the tasting separate from the scheduled activity gives you time to enjoy both without rushing through the last few cheeses.
Make It a Light Meal or Finish with Chocolate
You can build the café visit around your appetite. Alongside the cheese flight, current offerings include charcuterie boards, goat cheese mac and cheese, quiche, baked treats, and chocolate chèvre truffles.
For a tasting-focused visit, try the cheeses first and then choose what you want next. This keeps the flight as the main event while leaving room for lunch or a sweet treat.
The truffles offer another way to experience chèvre: it is incorporated into the chocolate ganache center. Check the café’s current selection before settling on a particular dish or treat.
Choosing Cheese to Take Home
Let the tasting guide your purchase. Think about how you would use your favorite: spread on bread, served with a meal, or shared as part of a cheese board. Tell the team what you have in mind and ask which available cheese would suit it.
You can also browse our fresh goat cheese collection to learn more about individual products. The online collection is useful for exploring choices; confirm what is available in the shop when you visit.
Before buying cheese for later, explain your travel plans. Ask about refrigeration, packaging, and storage for the specific product, especially if you have additional stops planned before returning to your accommodation. For a gift, choose something the recipient can store and enjoy appropriately.
Planning Your Cheese Tasting in Kula
Surfing Goat Dairy is at 3651 Omaopio Road, Kula, Maui. Check the café’s current opening hours before making the drive. If you want to add a farm experience, review the tour schedule and book the activity that fits your day.
Leave enough room in your plans to order, taste, and browse. There is no reason to race through six cheeses simply to fit the visit between two tightly timed activities.
Start with our Farm Shop & Café to explore the current offerings, then come ready to compare a few flavors and find your favorite.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I Need to Book a Farm Tour to Taste Cheese?
No. You can visit the café and shop without booking a tour. Choose a guided experience separately if you also want direct interaction with the goats.
Does the Daily Casual Tour Include a Full Cheese Flight?
The tour includes a taste of fresh chèvre and a chocolate truffle. A full cheese flight is available as an additional purchase; check the current tour details when booking.
Do I Need to Know Anything About Cheese Tasting?
No. Start with a small bite, notice what you enjoy, and compare the flavors at your own pace. Ask the team about the selection if you would like help choosing a starting point.
Can I Buy the Cheese I Liked Afterward?
Ask the shop team whether your favorite is available to purchase that day. Confirm its storage requirements before taking it along on the rest of your trip.