Cabrales Cheese vs Queso Los Beyos

Cabrales Cheese is a crumbly, open paste cow-milk cheese from Spain, while Queso Los Beyos is hard to semi-hard, closed, friable, crumbly, minimal elasticity and made from cow, goat, or sheep milk.

What Is Cabrales Cheese?

Cabrales is a strong, pungent blue cheese from the Asturias region in northern Spain. It is traditionally made from a mixture of raw cow's, goat’s, and sheep's milk that is aged in natural limestone caves, facilitating the development of its intense flavor and blue veining. Cabrales is known for its deep, spicy earthiness and can be quite sharp, making it a favorite among blue cheese aficionados.

What Is Queso Los Beyos?

Queso Los Beyos is a traditional cheese from northern Spain, produced in the municipalities of Oseja de Sajambre (Castile-Leon) and Ponga and Amieva (Asturias). It is made from raw or pasteurized cow’s, sheep’s, or goat’s milk, but the milk types are never mixed. The cheese has a cylindrical shape with a height of 3–9 cm and a diameter of 7–11 cm, weighing between 250 and 500 grams. It has a thin, coarse rind that varies in color from creamy yellow to pale yellow or light brown, depending on the milk source. The paste is hard to semi-hard, closed, friable, and crumbly, with no fermentation holes. Its flavor is mild in cow’s milk cheese but more intense in sheep’s and goat’s milk versions, with a slightly salty and lightly acidic taste. Queso Los Beyos is matured for at least 15 days, or 60 days if made from raw milk, and is a well-known cheese in the region, historically linked to the Los Beyos gorge.

What's the Difference Between Cabrales Cheese and Queso Los Beyos?

• Milk type: Cabrales Cheese (cow's milk), Queso Los Beyos (Cow’s, sheep’s, or goat’s milk (never mixed))
• Milk treatment: Cabrales Cheese (unpasteurized), Queso Los Beyos (Raw or pasteurized)
• Texture: Cabrales Cheese (Crumbly, open paste), Queso Los Beyos (Hard to semi-hard, closed, friable, crumbly, minimal elasticity)
• Rind: Cabrales Cheese (Natural), Queso Los Beyos (Thin, coarse, creamy yellow to light brown)
• Aging: Cabrales Cheese (2 to 3 months), Queso Los Beyos (Minimum 15 days, or 60 days if made from raw milk)
• Taste: Cabrales Cheese (Intense, piquant), Queso Los Beyos (Mild (cow’s milk), more intense (sheep’s and goat’s milk))

Side-by-Side Comparison

Taste Comparison: Does Cabrales Cheese Taste Like Queso Los Beyos?

Cabrales Cheese reads as intense, piquant, while Queso Los Beyos brings mild (cow’s milk), more intense (sheep’s and goat’s milk) character. On the nose, Cabrales Cheese offers strong, contrasted with Queso Los Beyos's mild in cow’s milk cheese, stronger in sheep’s and goat’s cheese. More specifically, Cabrales Cheese shows hints of hazelnuts, dark cocoa, sharp, metallic finish; intensely acid curd, while Queso Los Beyos leans toward slightly salty, lightly acidic, fresh milky aftertaste (cow’s), stronger and longer-lasting in sheep’s and goat’s versions. Aging plays into this as well. Cabrales Cheese at 2 to 3 months develops a different profile than Queso Los Beyos at minimum 15 days, or 60 days if made from raw milk.

Can You Substitute Cabrales Cheese for Queso Los Beyos?

Cabrales Cheese can stand in for Queso Los Beyos in many dishes, but the switch will shift the overall character of the recipe. Expect crumbly, open paste bite and body where the recipe calls for hard to semi-hard, closed, friable, crumbly, minimal elasticity. Flavor-wise, Cabrales Cheese reads as intense, piquant while Queso Los Beyos brings mild (cow’s milk), more intense (sheep’s and goat’s milk) notes.

Which Is Better, Cabrales Cheese or Queso Los Beyos?

There's no single winner. It depends on your recipe and the profile you want. If you want a crumbly, open paste cheese, go with Cabrales Cheese. For a hard to semi-hard, closed, friable, crumbly, minimal elasticity profile, Queso Los Beyos is the better fit. Flavor-wise, Cabrales Cheese suits recipes that want intense, piquant notes, while Queso Los Beyos fits dishes calling for mild (cow’s milk), more intense (sheep’s and goat’s milk).

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Cabrales Cheese the same as Queso Los Beyos?

No, they're distinct cheeses. Cabrales Cheese is made from cow milk; Queso Los Beyos uses cow, goat, or sheep. Aging also differs: Cabrales Cheese is typically aged 2 to 3 months, Queso Los Beyos minimum 15 days, or 60 days if made from raw milk.

Is Cabrales Cheese similar to Queso Los Beyos?

Not closely. They use different milk bases and have distinct profiles.

Can I substitute Cabrales Cheese for Queso Los Beyos?

You can, but expect a shift in richness and milk character.

Does Cabrales Cheese taste like Queso Los Beyos?

Cabrales Cheese reads as intense, piquant, while Queso Los Beyos is mild (cow’s milk), more intense (sheep’s and goat’s milk). Aromas also diverge. Cabrales Cheese leans strong, and Queso Los Beyos is closer to mild in cow’s milk cheese, stronger in sheep’s and goat’s cheese.

What is Cabrales Cheese made of?

Cabrales Cheese is made from cow milk (unpasteurized), using kid rennet. It's typically aged 2 to 3 months. It originates in Spain.

What is Queso Los Beyos made of?

Queso Los Beyos is made from cow, goat, or sheep milk (raw or pasteurized), using animal rennet. It's typically aged minimum 15 days, or 60 days if made from raw milk.

Which should I choose, Cabrales Cheese or Queso Los Beyos?

It depends on the dish. The texture difference is the biggest practical tell. Cabrales Cheese is crumbly, open paste, while Queso Los Beyos is hard to semi-hard, closed, friable, crumbly, minimal elasticity.