Name: Pyrenees Caprinelle
Brand: none listed
Place of Purchase: Wheatsfield Organic Co-op in Ames, Iowa
Country/Region of Origin: France
Price in Iowa: $21.67/pound
Milk: pasteurized Caprinelle goat's milk
Processing: mountain-cooked cheese made with a single milking from spring or autumn milk
Texture: semi-soft
Color: Bone white
Rind: Natural (basket-weave, woody, brown)
Aroma: medium dairy
Taste: cream, nutty, mild goat
Mouth feel: a yielding, rich, but a contiguous paste
Notes: This particular Pyrenees Caprinelle was listed as "young and semi-soft," so I knew that it was not going to be the standard for the variety. These artisan, mountain cheeses are made from spring or autumn goat milkings and aged for 3 to 6 months. The spring milk cheeses are supposed to have more grassy and floral notes. This cheese, while quite creamy and buttery, was very mild; especially for a goat cheese. When I left the cheese on my palate for a bit, I did detect some caramel and stronger nutty/umami flavors, but these were far in the background. This mild cheese would be delightful when paired with grapes, tart apples or white wine.