Cheese: Ivernia

Ivernia is a hard cheese made out of cow's milk by Kerrygold in Ireland, 

aged for three years, and similar to the Italian hard cheeses. It is made in seven pound wheels. 

The Iverni were people living in Ireland around 500 B.C. Ivernia has a little of a barnyard smell and a very dry feel and taste. 

As far as I can find, Kerrygold does not say much about how its cheese is produced and most sites talking about it, like this one, just rehash what little bit Kerrygold has said about it.  

It is not nearly as hard as dry Jack or even Parmigiano Reggiano Stravecchio. It is closer in taste to the Stravecchio but not nearly as strong. Judy felt the taste was soapy and was not fond of it (perhaps because it almost looks like a bar of soap). 

Comments from others in our taste testing group were that the taste builds, leaving an aura in the mouth and it was very dry and very strong. In our taste testing group we had four hard cheeses: Dry Monterrey Jack, Pecorino Romano, Parmigiano Reggiano Stravecchio and Ivernia. 

Of the six that participated in the dry cheeses, three preferred the Pecorino Romano, two the Straveccho, one the Dry Jack and the Ivernia was not generally well-liked. I would probably not buy it again.