Monte Enebro
- Producer
- Rafael Baez
- Country
- Spain
- Region
- Avila
- Size
- 10 ins long, 4 ins diameter
- Weight
- 2.5 lbs
- Website
- Milk
- Goat
- Classification
- Semi Soft
- Rennet
- Animal
- Rind
- Mold Ripened
Made in Avila, Spain, by legendary cheesemaker Rafael Baez and his daughter Paloma, Monte Enebro is a goat's milk cheese made in a large 2lb. log shape from pasteurized milk. Monte Enebro was the first of a wave of new cheeses to be produced in Spain and it has gained a considerable international reputation.
The Baezes produce Monte Enebro using penicilium roqueforti, the same mold used to make Roquefort. However, rather than piercing the cheese, which would allow blue veins to develop throughout, the blue mold develops on the rind of the cheese, adding to Monte Enebro's complex flavors and distinctive appearance.
When young, the interior paste of the cheese is pure white and slightly chalky and brittle in texture. With age, the paste tends to break down and become runny and almost translucent just under the rind.
Flavors in the younger cheeses are mild, bright and tangy, with distinct citrus notes combined with a cellar-like aroma and flavor imparted by the blue rind. As the cheeses mature, the aromas become more pungent and the flavors evolve and strengthen, becoming quite assertive, tasting of barnyard and goat.
Monte Enebro pairs well with Sauternes or a Spanish dessert wine.
