Name: Cocoa Cardona
Brand: Carr Valley
Place of Purchase: Wheatsfield Co-op in Ames, Iowa
Country/Region of Origin: USA/Wisconsin
Milk: pasteurized goat milk
Processing: Original Spanish-style goat cheese, rubbed with cocoa powder and black pepper, aged eight months
Texture: Semi-Firm
Color: pale cream
Rind: Natural, with cocoa powder rubbed all over it
Aroma: mild diary with fruity notes
Taste: sharp diary, with complex, slightly bitter/spicy floral afternotes
Mouth feel: warm, firm, slightly dry cheese
Notes: This Cardona from Carr Valley was very different than the Sweet Vanilla Cardona. For one, there was no added sugar. I didn't detect as much of the sharp dairy flavors in the Vanilla. The cocoa and black pepper did add quite a kick to the cheese. I'm not sure how that sort of dry rind rub can work flavors all the way into the center of the cheese, but those bitter, spicy, floral flavors were ubiquitous throughout the cheese. The piece of cheese that I bought had the rind removed. I'm not sure if that was a good thing or not, but I would have eaten a small piece of the rind (I always do, unless I am warned NOT to). Granted, a mouthful of pepper and unsweetened cocoa would probably have tasted terrible.
This is a good cheese, an exotic addition to a cheese tray. However, for flavor I would prefer the sweeter dessert Vanilla Cardona, over the Cocoa. That's personal palate preference. If you're more into savory/spicy flavors, then the Cocoa Cardona may please.
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