Asturias · Spain
Cabrales.
Cabrales hits your palate like a lightning strike—intensely salty and spicy with green-veined complexity that evolves across your tongue, its semi-soft paste yielding to reveal earthy, almost fermented barnyard notes. The aroma is boldly pungent and mineral-forward, a promise kept by its cave-aged character. This is a cheese that demands attention, not polite acknowledgment.
Origin
43.3°N · 5.9°W
The story
How it's made.
Why it tastes that way.
Cabrales is produced in the Asturian village of Cabrales in the Picos de Europa mountains, where the humid limestone caves provide ideal conditions for natural mold growth.
It has been made for centuries by local farming families. The cheese received Spanish DO protection in 1981 (EU PDO in 1996) and is distinguished by the green-foil wrapping that denotes authentic origin.
Production · spec
- Milk
- Mixed · raw
- Family
- Blue
- Rind
- natural
- Age
- 2–5 mo
- Protected
- PDO · since 1996
- Intensity
- 5 / 5
- Texture
- semi-soft, blue, crumbly
Tasting profile
What it tastes like.
These bars are a visual read of Cabrales's flavour and aroma notes, scaled by the cheese's overall intensity — a quick guide, not a lab measurement.
Aroma
Nutrition · per 100 g serving
What's in a wedge.
A 100 g serving — about a finger-thick wedge. Daily values use the FDA 2020 reference of 2,000 kcal. Expect ±5% variation between wheels.
Serve, cut & store
Out of the fridge,
into its prime.
Guidance for blue cheeses — general practice, not a per-wheel measurement.
Rest
Take it out about ≈1 h before serving — cold stiffens the fat and locks up the aromas; cool room temperature is when the flavour shows up.
Cut
Use a thin or wire knife and wipe it between cuts; aim for wedges that share the veins evenly.
Store
Wrap leftovers in cheese paper or wax paper — never cling film, which suffocates the rind — and keep them in the warmest part of the fridge.
Rule of thumb: the softer and riper, the longer it needs. Thick pieces need longer than thin — and don't leave cheese out much past two hours.
Pairings · Caseo curated
What goes with Cabrales.
44 pairings across 8 categories.
Wine
Beer & Cider
Where to find it
Cheese counters.
Counter listings for Cabrales are being verified. Check back soon.
Verified counter listings coming soon. Our team updates listings monthly.
Substitutes
No Cabrales at the counter?.
These will play a similar role on the board and in the pan.
Take it with you
Want to remember this one?.
Log it, pair it, and keep your own tasting notes — Caseo is free.
