Quick update as we tasted a second cheese last weekend. Will post more pics soon too.
Tried the second of the smallest "basket/hockey puck" cheeses, and it was just kinda OK. Smooth silky mouthfeel and neutral to mildly buttery flavor. A bit of bitterness, but not nearly as much as the other batch. I think this is the all-cow part of the make. The paste is drier, getting into more of a flexible semi-firm cheese kind of mode, and it even cracked and split in one location when bent.
Tasted along with this the remaining piece of the first cheese, which we opened two weeks back. It seemed to have softened up a bit since first cut, and at room temp the edges were even getting a little translucent and bulgy. Still has a long, lasting bitter aftertaste, especially in the rind. Not necessarily unpleasant per se, but with an assertive peppery quality that I did not anticipate in the flavor profile.
In brief, I really don't think the paste is softening in the way that is anticipated. If anything, it is slowly drying out. I am thinking of opening one of the larger ones (2"-3" thick or so) and just enjoying them as is. Liquid runniness does not seem to be on the horizon for these!