Cabrales Blue, 150g wedge

From the heights of the Picos de Europa mountains, Cabrales is a much celebrated, strictly artisan cheese with a creamy crumbly texture. For centuries this has been matured in mould rich caves in a very isolated area suited to mixed herds. The paste is well streaked with blue veins and cavities.

Cabrales is the perfect cheese to be eaten at the end of a meal and is outstanding with an Asturian cider, a good aged whisky, or a fortified wine such as port, sweet PX sherry or a robust Riojan white. It is also delicious with a slice of quince paste on top to balance the flavours.

The producer is Pepe Bada, and the dairy was created in 1985 by Pepe’s mother in a hamlet called Tielve, within the Picos de Europa National Park.

"The first notes are an explosion of nuttiness on the tongue that turn to a truffle intensity. Then comes a smokiness and finally the long aftertaste: dense, spicy. This is the cheese of the Gods" Will Self