Appenzeller, A Sub-par Swiss

Today's is a tale of a mighty mountain Swiss cheese that has fallen victim to mass production and export. Appenzeller, or Appenzell, gains its name from the canton of Appenzell in easternmost Switzerland. It has a lot going for it; washed in a secret brine concoction giving it fruity and spicy notes, made from raw milk, with the flavor-giving power of the Alps behind it, yet with quality comes popularity, with popularity comes demand, and with demands comes supply. Sadly most of the supply that reaches the fair shores of import countries is nowhere near the high standard that made it famous, so we find pieces like the one I bought.

Origin: Appenzell, Switzerland
Milk: Cow, unpasteurized whole milk
Rennet: Animal
Affinage: About 3 months
Notes: Some ingredients in the brine wash include: herbs, pepper, white wine, cider, water, salt. In proper operations this mixture will be tirelessly rubbed over the rind on repeat during the aging process to impart a strong essence into the cheese.
Thoughts: This piece struck me as being mildly  tangy and a little bitter, on account of the raw milk, but what got to me most of all was the rubbery, spongy texture. So elastic was it, in fact, and so forgettable were the carelessly arranged flavors, that I didn't even finish the small piece I bought, it just wasn't appetizing. Where does this leave us. In the spirit of objectivity I'd recommend finding and trying some if you can, it is an interesting cheese at the very least and couldn't do much harm to your next fondue. I wouldn't include it on a cheese platter, at the very least because there are such better Swiss cheeses to be had. Perhaps one day I'll find myself in Appenzell and I'll have a revelation, but so far I'm not impressed.


Question
Including the wrapper in pictures of food is really cool, right guys?