Idiazabal is originally produced high in the Pyrenees above Pamplona. This rustic Spanish gourmet sheep's milk cheese was often smoked in the rafters of the shepherds' huts. Today, it is made all over the Basque country in both factory and farmstead, from unpasteurized milk.
Idiazabal is produced in small drum shapes in varying sizes. The rind of this gourmet cheese is pale yellow in color and quite hard. The paste is creamy white and fairly compact with a few small holes. Smoked cheeses achieve a wonderful golden-brown color and dark ivory paste during its 5 months maturation.
This smoked gourmet cheese has a delicately smoky, fudge-like aroma and flavor but with the farmyard like tang coming through quite strongly and remaining in the mouth for some time.
In order to comply with US FDA regulation for export to the USA the maturation of this cheese has been extended to over 60 days.