Cheese. That’s all somebody has to say to me, and I’m there. Add subscription box to that, and I’m all heck yeah, give me ALL the cheese! I’ve always been a great cheese lover and if there is ever a cheese board on a menu, that’s what I’m having. So when I was offered the chance to try out the Clwb Caws subscription from The Welsh Cheese Company, I grabbed it with both hands (quite literally, when it arrived!).

My thoughts

The cheeses are hand picked every month so it’s always a surprise as to which four cheeses will be included in your box. The cheeses I received were the Teifi Cumin, Cenarth Smoked Caerffili, Ruby Mist, and Caws Aberwen; so a good variety of different flavours. I wanted to try them in a number of different ways, as cheese goes with pretty much anything, doesn’t it? Even jam…ahem.

Teifi Cumin

The Teifi cumin is a hard cheese, described as a different take on Teifi’s Gouda style cheese. I have to admit, although I like cumin in general, I’d never have put it with cheese. There are quite a lot of cumin seeds in the cheese, but surprisingly, it wasn’t too overpowering. I tried this one simply with crackers. An unusual taste, but I liked it!

Cenarth Smoked Caerffilli

It’s not often I have smoked cheese but I do like it. I’d never tried Caerffilli before receiving it in the Clwb Caws box though so I wasn’t sure what to expect. The Caerffilli is smoked on the farm where the cheese is made, and is described as adding an earthy, woody dimension to the cheese’s flavour. I’d have to say I agree; it’s a lovely creamy cheese with a subtle but noticeable smoky flavour. It was a great addition to a bowl of creamy pasta.

Ruby Mist

The Ruby Mist cheese is listed as a gold winner at the British cheese awards, and described as having a rich, warming hint of brandy and Port. Like with the Teifi cumin, I paired this with crackers on a cheese board. I’m not a great fan of brandy (unless it’s in a Christmas cake) but I don’t mind Port, so I wasn’t sure what to expect from this one. The taste of the brandy and Port was a little strong, but neither of the two flavours were overpowering of each other. They complemented the cheese really well, though I couldn’t eat too much of it.

Caws Aberwen

The Aberwen cheese isn’t currently listed on The Welsh Cheese Company website, though the supplier is. It’s noted as working beautifully with crispy bread and a good chutney. I found this cheese to be akin to a hard cheddar, though it tasted creamy with it too. I served this one in a toasted sandwich with chutney on the side, and it worked wonderfully.

Overall, I thought there was a diverse selection of cheese. Though I preferred some more than others, they did all get eaten! I don’t think I would subscribe to Clwb Caws myself, but it could be a great option as a one-off gift for a cheese lover, or a one-off purchase for a special occasion; such as Christmas…

RRP – from £29.50 every 3 months

My rating – 4/5

Disclosure
I was sent this product free of charge to review. All thoughts and opinions are honest & my own.