Taking the jewel of Basque sheep milk cheeses, Ossau-Iraty, as its template, Murray’s Cheese has arranged to create their own with a cheesemaker in the valleys of the Pyrénées. The superb result, named Mistoa (meaning “mixed” in Basque), is made with some goat milk added to sheep milk, an unusual formula for the region. Hefty unaged wheels of it are sent to Murray’s cheese caves in Queens where they mature for three to four months; they are flipped and rinsed with water all the while. The exterior is a sturdy gray rind, and the interior ivory, smooth and supple, with grassy, nutty aromas and a creamy, herbal flavor. The aftertaste tilts sharp.
Murray’s Cavemaster Reserve Mistoa, $36 a pound, murrayscheese.com.
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