Last night, the winners of the American Cheese Society Competition were announced in Sacramento, Calif., during the annual three day conference. Referred to by many as the “Oscars of the American cheese world,” the competition grows every year, both in entries and categories available for entry, a sign of the thriving artisan cheesemaking industry in the US. In addition to the top three entries of each category receiving awards, the ACS competition also recognizes the top three cheeses of the entire competition — the Best of Show. The recipients of the 2014 ACS Best of Show awards are as follows:

First Place

Tarentaise Reserve (pictured above)
Spring Brook Farm/Farms for City Kids Foundation
Vermont

Second Place

Point Reyes Bay Blue
Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese
California

Third Place (Tie)

Aged Gouda
Oakdale Cheese & Specialties
California

Eden
Sprout Creek Farm
New York

This year, 325 awards were presented to dedicated cheesemakers across 20 categories. Click here to view the full list. Congrats to all!

Photo Credit: Cheese Chick Productions

Rebecca Haley-Park

Rebecca Haley-Park is culture's former editor and resident stinky cheese cheerleader. A native New Englander, she holds a BFA in creative writing from University of Maine at Farmington.