Basque Country and Navarre · Spain
Idiazábal Ahumado.
Smoke curls around notes of roasted hazelnuts and burnt caramel as you bite into this dense, hard cheese—the raw milk of Basque mountain sheep crystallizes into a texture that crackles slightly between your teeth. A sharp, almost peppery heat emerges beneath the buttery richness, while the rind's deep oak-smoke perfume lingers in your mouth long after the paste has melted.
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The story
How it's made.
Why it tastes that way.
Idiazabal is the iconic Basque sheep's milk cheese, made from the raw milk of Latxa and Carranzana sheep. The smoked version (ahumado) is traditional to certain areas of the Basque Country, while unsmoked versions are more common in Navarre.
PDO was granted in 1987, making it one of Spain's earliest protected cheeses. Its production is closely tied to Basque pastoral culture.
Production · spec
- Milk
- Sheep · raw
- Family
- Hard
- Rind
- smoked
- Age
- 2–12 mo
- Protected
Tasting profile
What it tastes like.
Caseo's flavour axes are calibrated against reference cheeses. This is Idiazábal Ahumado's fingerprint.
Aroma
Nutrition · per 100g serving
What's in a wedge.
A 100g serving — about a finger-thick wedge. Daily values use the FDA 2020 reference of 2,000 kcal. Expect ±5% variation between wheels.
Estimated values — based on similar cheese family data
Pairings · Caseo curated
What goes with Idiazábal.
26 pairings across 7 categories.
Wine
Beer & Cider
Where to find it
Cheese counters.
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