We are tremendously excited to share with you the list of raw milk cheeses awarded top honors during the American Cheese Societys annual competition.
Our biggest congratulations go to Roelli Cheese Company in Wisconsin for winning Best in Show with Little Mountain. The man behind Little Mountain, Chris Roelli, is a fourth-generation cheesemaker and was recently recognized as a Master Cheesemaker in Cheddar. Little Mountain is a washed rind, alpine-style cheese inspired by Appenzeller. Made using raw milk and aged for 6 months, it has a smooth and nutty flavor.
We also congratulate Bleating Heart Cheese from California for taking second place in the overall competition with But Blue. This is a unique raw milk cheese with subtle notes of water buffalo milk and an even marbling from the blue mold.
There were many more award-winning raw milk cheeses made in the US and recognized this year at the ACS Competition. Have a look at our list, sorted by state.
California
Baserri by Barinaga Ranch
Fat Bottom Girl, Funky Bleats, and Shepherdista by Bleating Heart Cheese
Bandage Wrap Cheddar aged for 12 months by Fiscalini Cheese Co.
Caprae Raw Milk Goat Cheddar by Sierra Nevada Cheese Company
Colorado
Midnight Blue by Avalanche Cheese Company
Queso De Mano and Sunlight by Haystack Mountain Goat Dairy
Georgia
Peekville Tomme by Many Fold Farm
Idaho
Brie, Clearwater Select, Mountain Maple Brie, and Orchard Blue by Brush Creek Creamery
Indiana
Briana with Trues by Jacobs and Brichford Farmstead Cheese
Maine
Tempest by Fuzzy Udder Creamery
Massachusetts
Great Hill Blue Cheese by Great Hill Dairy, Inc.
Missouri
Florys Truckle by Homestead Creamery
New York
Rawstruck by Coach Farm
Alpage by Chaseholm Farm Creamery
Oregon
Hannah by Ancient Heritage Dairy
Vintage White Extra Sharp 4 Year Reserve Cheddar and White Sharp Cheddar by Tillamook County Creamery Association
Tennessee
Dancing Fern and Shakerag Blue by Sequatchie Cove Creamery
Vermont
Winnimere by Cellars at Jasper Hill
Danby, Manchester, and Rupert by Consider Bardwell Farm
Tomte by Fairy Tale Farm
Reading and Tarentaise by Farms For City Kids Foundation/Spring Brook Farm
Kashar by Parish Hill Creamery
Farmhouse 2 Year Extra Sharp Cheddar and Farmhouse Smoked Cheddar by Shelburne Farms
Mad River Blue by von Trapp Farmstead
Wisconsin
Marieke Gouda Honey Clover, Jalapeno, and Truggle by Marieke Gouda
Sterling Reserve by Mt. Sterling Cheese Co-op
The competition was an excellent opportunity to highlight all traditional cheesemaking and ageing practices. Many of the cheeses made by our supporters won awards in their respective categories. You can and more about them on the Oldways Cheese Coalition website, and make sure to sign up for our Cheesematters Quarterly Newsletter here.
Carlos Yescas, Oldways Cheese Coalition program director
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