Cahill’s farmhouse cheese is a third generation, family-owned, small scale cheesemaking business located near Newcastlewest in County Limerick in southern Ireland.
Ths history of the business begins with David Cahill in 1902 when he bought a working dairy farm on the banks of the river Deel. Initially, the dairy farm supplied fresh milk to the nearby Newcastlewest Creamery. However, after a series of setbacks, David changed direction, instead selling milk door to door which proved to be more lucrative. In order to better serve this business, in 1910 he constructed a small dairy.
The dairy passed to David’s nephew, William Cahill in 1920 who, together with his family, continued to grow and develop the business, starting to produce soft cheeses during the 1950’s.
Today, the business focuses more on small-scale, hand-crafted flavored cheeses, including Cahill’s Irish Porter Cheese which the company first started to make in 1991.
Cow’s milk is sourced from local dairy farms and pasteurized for production.
The porter is added to the curd after it has been formed and the whey drained off, which is what gives the cheese its striking appearance.
Wheels are matured for a minimum of nine months and are graded before release. They have a waxed rind which helps to seal in the moisture. The interior paste clearly shows the delinieation between curd and porter and yet has a smooth, dense texture.
Flavors are smooth and rich. The taste of porter is distinct without overwhelming the milky flavors of the cheese.
