Cáis Na Tíre

The cheese is made in round slightly bulging small cylindrical wheels a little in the style of a pecorino. During the cheesemaking, the curd is left unwashed which resulted in a slightly flakier, more open texture. It is usually ready for eating from around 3 months but continues to improve up to around 12 months of age.
Cais Na Tire is made on the farm, 2-4 times a week and requires 7 litres of sheep's milk to produce just 1kg of cheese. Sheep's milk cheeses generally contain higher fat and protein as opposed to cows/goats milk cheeses which require a higher volume of milk to produce the same amount of cheese. To make Cáis Na Tíre, the milk is pasteurised then mixed with active cultures and rennet within the vat. Once the milk coagulates it is cut to separate the curds from the whey. The curds are then placed in the cheese moulds and then steeped in brine. After the brine bath, the cheese are dried and coated to then be ripened for 6-9 months depending on flavour. Cais na Tire makes a versatile wine pairing accompaniment, great with a steely white such as a Chablis, but also lovely with a ripe easy going red such as a valpolicella or a tempranillo. Also a good match with a medium dry craft cider.