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EXTRA
SPICY
SPICY
MOUNTAIN CHEESE extra special spicy | 16 months | BERGKÄSE extra spezial
from: € 10,75
Our Extra Special Mountain Cheese achieves its spicy aroma through careful hand-ripening and traditional, hand-scooped production.
This lactose-free mountain cheese impresses with its distinctive, intensely spicy flavor. Very aromatic in scent, super spicy in taste.
Base price: € 35.82/kg
MOUNTAIN CHEESE Extra Special, 16 Months | Lactose-Free PREMIUM Hard Cheese from Hay Milk | Cheese with 45% F.i.T. fresh from the wheel, from the cheese cellar, sliced | Wonderfully intense-spicy flavor guaranteed
The 16-month-aged Mountain Cheese by cheesemaker Christof Schneider is not only a cheese specialty but a true rarity – a revelation that will make the hearts of connoisseurs beat faster with its extreme flavor intensity.
This extraordinary mountain cheese is the highlight of the Sennerei Rehmen in Au and impresses with an unmistakable, fiery flavor experience on the tongue.
The basis for this cheese is high-quality hay milk from cows grazing on the lush alpine meadows of the Bregenzerwald or fed with fresh grass and hay. This excellent raw milk is the key to the cheese’s fine yet robust texture, perfectly capturing the purity and authenticity of the Alps.
The aging process over 16 months is a masterpiece of cheesemaking that requires absolute precision and experience. Each wheel undergoes intensive hand care, with the rind being treated with sodium chloride- and iodine-free salt and pure spring water.
This precise care gives the mountain cheese not only its characteristic texture but also its strong, extremely spicy aroma that unfolds in full intensity.
The long aging process results in an intense flavor experience, characterized by a piquant note that tingles on the tongue and leaves a pleasant burn.
The care of this cheese involves high risks: even the slightest errors in aging can lead to the cheese being discarded, further underscoring the exclusivity of this product. Only the best wheels pass the rigorous selection process and bear the dairy’s quality seal.
The production is carried out using traditional methods perfected over generations. The cheese matures for 16 months in our natural cellar, developing an exceptional depth of flavor.
The “Mountain Cheese Extra Special” is a true masterpiece of cheesemaking, meeting the highest standards. This extraordinary product offers a tasting experience that, with every slice, draws you deeply into the world of traditional cheesemaking, guaranteeing an unparalleled enjoyment. A cheese that excites with its rarity and intense flavor.
Each wheel of mountain cheese is carefully tended by hand, with the rind regularly treated with sodium chloride- and iodine-free salt and pure spring water. This meticulous care imparts not only its characteristic texture but also its distinctive intense mountain cheese aroma.
Lactose-free mountain cheese: The natural milk sugar in our hay milk cheese is broken down by lactic acid bacteria. The result: lactic acid and exceptionally complex flavor and aroma profiles.
An added benefit: Our mountain cheese is naturally lactose-free, as the milk sugar is completely broken down during the aging process. This makes it also ideal for people with lactose intolerance, without compromising on flavor.
With every taste, experience the perfect fusion of traditional cheesemaking and intense flavors. Treat yourself to this exquisite delight and feel the passion and dedication poured into each wheel. A cheese that touches not only the palate but also the heart.
- The extra-long aging time of 16 months brings the cheese flavor to its unique brilliance.
- Mountain cheese is a staple in the local gourmet cuisine as a typical Vorarlberg cheese specialty.
Our extra spicy mountain cheese belongs to the family of our spicy cheeses in the shop overview.
Cheesemaker Christof Schneider takes particular pride in creating new flavor experiences.
The distinctive aromas and superb cheese flavor are achieved by Christof through a few essential cheese-making secrets, including:
- Storage on wooden boards or in the natural cellar without artificial climate control
- Traditional hand-ladling with a cheesecloth
- Handcrafted care without chemical additives
- Use of unpumped hay milk
- Natural rennet
- Iodine-free salt
- Spring water from the Ilga source
Historical Background of Vorarlberg Mountain Cheese
Mountain cheese has been produced and aged in Vorarlberg in alpine and valley dairies since the early 20th century. The “fat cheese” production method (in contrast to lean cheese, like Sura Käs in Montafon) originated in Switzerland and quickly spread throughout the Bregenzerwald.
The traditional Vorarlberg hard cheese is made from natural (non-thermized, non-pasteurized or non-centrifugally skimmed) raw milk (hay milk) with at least 45% F.i.T.
The characteristic properties of Bregenzerwald mountain cheese are primarily influenced by the alpine milk used for production, its composition, flavor, and texture, and the flora of the Vorarlberg Alps.
Thanks to the small-scale farms supplying the raw material and the traditional alpine dairies, the artisanal production and traditional care of cheese have been preserved to this day. This results in the unique quality and long shelf life of the spicy Vorarlberg mountain cheese.
For more interesting details about mountain cheese, see Wikipedia.
The Holes in Extra Spicy Mountain Cheese
The very spicy mountain cheese from Sennerei Rehmen has only a few, small holes.
The Extra Spicy Mountain Cheese Rind
The mountain cheese has a brown-yellow rind. The cheese is evenly covered with a brownish rind, inside ivory to cream yellow with individual holes, very aromatic aroma, very spicy flavor.
Storage and Aging of Extra Spicy Mountain Cheese
Through its ongoing, monitored aging in the cheese cellar of Sennerei for 16 months, the wheel achieves its unparalleled, extra spicy aromatic flavor and smoothness.
Specially Spicy Mountain Cheese – Results and Quality Features
- The approximately pea-sized, round, mostly few holes are dull to glossy and evenly distributed.
- Due to the very long aging period of mountain cheese, the cheese texture is less smooth (shorter), rather firm and slightly crumbly.
Our Mountain Cheese Tasting Tip
Try our Special Mountain Cheese on fresh strawberries with coarsely ground black pepper, lemon juice, and white port wine. Pair with a glass of sparkling wine and fresh white bread.
Palate Magic
The unique feature of extra spicy mountain cheese is its especially spicy, non-overpowering flavor with an impressive, lingering finish.
Mountain Cheese Intensity
How spicy is the cheese? We rate it on a scale from 0 (mild) to 10 (spicy).
10/10
Mountain Cheese Texture
How firm is the cheese? We rate it on a scale from 0 (soft) to 10 (firm).
8/10
Mountain Cheese Aging Time
How long has the cheese matured? We define aging time between 1 and 12 months.
16/12
Additional Details about Extra Spicy Mountain Cheese from Hay Milk
Characteristics of Extra Spicy Mountain Cheese
| Milk: | 100% from silage-free hay milk, hand-scooped |
| Type of Cheese: | Lactose-free hard cheese (HK) |
| Type of Aging: | Lactic acid and/or fermentation aging in the natural cellar |
| Cheese Flavor Profile: | Extra spicy – tingles on the tongue |
| Aging Duration: | 16 months |
| F.i.T.: | at least 45-52% |
| Absolute Fat: | approx. 33% |
| Allergens: | Other than milk components, no additional allergenic potential |
| Lactose: | not present |
| Rennet: | natural, animal-based rennet |
| Salt: | iodine-free table salt |
Enjoying Extra Spicy Mountain Cheese
| What makes this cheese unique – The cheese character? | Produced in around 25 dairies and over 100 alpine pastures in Vorarlberg, each cheese has its own character. The influence of the cheesemaker, season, feed, and external temperature all affect this natural product. |
| What does the cheese taste like? |
|
| What’s the texture like? | The extended aging period leads to protein breakdown, making the texture less pliable (shorter), somewhat firm, and slightly crumbly. |
| What’s the cheese’s color? | Inside, ivory to cream yellow, sunny yellow in summer. The cheese has a wiped, dried brown-yellow rind. |
| What’s the aroma like? | A very spicy, aromatic & strong aroma. |
| What does the hole structure look like? | The approximately pea-sized, round, usually few holes are dull to glossy and evenly distributed. |
| How best to enjoy this cheese? |
|
| How to recognize suboptimal aging – lower quality? |
|
Storage of Extra Spicy Mountain Cheese
If you want to store large pieces or a whole wheel of mountain cheese for more than 2-3 weeks, we recommend using a cloth.
Simply take a clean cloth, soak it in salt water (add a bit of salt), wring it out, and wrap the cheese in the damp cloth. Repeat this process ideally every 2-3 days.
If the cheese becomes slightly white or develops spots, it’s generally salt or protein crystallizing due to temperature differences. Simply wipe these areas off.
Using aluminum foil is possible (though not recommended) if it’s perforated with small holes to allow airflow.
No Contact with Bread - Yeast Fungi
Never store or slice cheese on boards, wood, or surfaces where bread has been. Bread yeast residues can cause the cheese to mold quickly.
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Beiersdorf Charly (verified owner) –
Great spicy Bergkäs with a glas wine in the evening. Excellent.
Peter Stepany (verified owner) –
..fine spicy mountain cheese! solo or to with a red wine or with black bread and deer sausage .. (;-)
Alfons Becker (verified owner) –
A great cheese very tasty
olaf.crivitz (verified owner) –
Simply delicious
Hans Thelen (verified owner) –
Very spicy – again and again
Karin (verified owner) –
Although I have not yet tried all the ordered varieties but I’m afraid, in terms of weight gain, unfortunately, all excellent.
Only with the “sig product” I can not make friends. The taste deviates too much from what you get used to. Greetings K. Hajos
Habersack Reinhold (verified owner) –
Now you only notice the difference to the supermarket.
The cheese would have to get an Oscar !!!
Kornelia andres (verified owner) –
Memory of beautiful times on Lake Constance. ..is addicting
Mariann (verified owner) –
As always delicious, this cheese could be addictive
Gerhard (verified owner) –
Excellent for the palate and by the way for the health.
Levin, Peter (verified owner) –
Yes, my expectation of hearty taste was fulfilled
Mariann (verified owner) –
It is really good. Simply heavenly this taste.
Wolfgang –
Heavenly – just heavenly …
Volker (verified owner) –
Super fast delivery!!! A cheese that is second to none. Thank you for the excellent enjoyment
Susanne –
A great cheese-no question … but I have it stronger imagined … But it can be argued … Due to the salt content ideal for a great risotto or Kässpätzle … Or with a pear mustard an optimal supplement on a cheese platter
Konken (verified owner) –
a very aromatic cheese … I am still a bit too strong for the cheese plate but great to refine the cooking
neu werner (verified owner) –
the cheese is too coarse and too salty for me
Stephan –
Hello Werner
Thank you for the rating. That’s how it is with very old mountain cheese. He loses water and matures. It becomes harder, more friable and with age just a kind of “Parmesan”. If you do not like that, it is recommended to resort to younger mountain cheeses. In any case, many thanks for the feedback and many greetings from Vorarlberg.
Dietmar –
Honestly. Can something be more delicious than very mature and therefore very spicy mountain cheese from Vorarlberg? I can really get into this old mountain cheese. Just crazy!