Cabrales

Cabrales comes from the Asturias region of northern Spain, a DOP blue made from a blend of raw cow, goat, and sheep's milk depending on the season. The wheels are aged in natural limestone caves in the Picos de Europa for two to four months, where the airflow and humidity let Penicillium molds develop on their own without any needling.

The paste is loose and crumbly, breaking into chunks rather than slicing clean, shot through with deep blue-green veining that runs all the way to the rind. The aroma is strong and cavy, and the flavor is bold, with a pronounced piccante bite at the back of the palate, a salty edge, and a long finish that sticks with you.

This is one of the more intense blues in the case, in a class of its own among Spanish blues.