This week I reached out for a Gouda Bacon Cheeseburger, new from the No. 3 burger barn, Wendy’s, with 6,600 restaurants from coast to coast and pole to pole.

Right off the bat, I wonder: Is Wendy’s serious with this burger? Really, how many of its customers have lit up Wendy’s consumer hotline: “Don’t get us wrong, we’ve been eating your cheeseburgers for decades, but they’re getting, you know, kind of blah. What your cheeseburgers need is a thick slice of Gouda cheese. Oh yeah, and a glop of melted Gruyere cheese.” I’ll put the over/under at, in the words of celibate genius George Costanza, absolute zero.

For the record, Gouda is a slightly sweet cheese, one of the world’s oldest, from Holland. Gruyere is a popular cheese from Switzerland. What they’re doing on a burger in the U.S. is an international mystery. My only guess is that Wendy’s is trying to establish itself as the gourmet leader in the lower-price tier of burger joints.

Anyway, here’s the Gouda Bacon Cheeseburger breakdown: a quarter-pound, never frozen North American beef patty, a slice of Gouda, a dollop of melted Gruyere cheese sauce, Applewood-smoked bacon, red onions, garlic aioli, tomato and fresh spring mix on a toasty brioche bun.

Total calories: 640. Fat grams: 38. Sodium: 1,160 mg. Carbs: 37 g. Dietary fiber: 2 g. Protein: 37 g. Manufacturer’s suggested retail price: $5.09. Not cheap, and your price may vary — and vary up, like at the airport.

If a Gouda Bacon Cheeseburger isn’t “Gouda-’nuff,” perhaps you’ll enjoy a side of new Bacon Fondue Fries, all smothered with Gruyere cheese sauce and bacon pieces. Don’t worry, there’s no traditional fondue action, with the potential horror of double-dipping fries in cheese.

How does the Gouda Bacon Cheeseburger stack up against, say, the Baconator? If you’re a bacon freak (and by that I mean normal), the Baconator is your smart play at Wendy’s. If you’re a member of Dave & Harry’s Epicurean Cheese of the Month Club, then the Gouda Bacon Cheeseburger is your pick.

The Gouda Bacon Cheeseburger does have a distinctive, different flavor. You’ll know, first bite in, that Gouda is not a neutral taste. It’s sweeter and bolder and way, way more aromatic than American cheese. It’ll stay with you.

Warning: There is a Top 10 drip factor here. The Gouda melts evenly and smoothly. Then the oozy Gruyere and oily aioli enter the picture. If you’re eating in-house, keep the tray on your table. If you’re eating this while driving … put a towel on your lap and lean the bag against your shirt. You’re still going to be wearing some of this burger after lunch.

Bottom line: It’s a limited-time-only deal, so give it a try. It’s a change-of-pace burger. But you’ll always return to your smoky master: the Baconator.