After filtering through hundreds of comments, these are your top picks.
May marks American Cheese Month—a period meant to uplift makers and businesses. Here at culture, we spend every day swooning over our favorite American producers; however if you’re new to the industry, or simply looking to switch up your usual picks on a cheese board, we’ve got you covered with a fresh list of options. We asked our loyal social media followers (who are equally dairy-obsessed!) to share their go-tos crafted in the United States, and their tasty selections are bound to be a hit the next time you catch a cheese craving.
Northeast
Melinda Mae from Mystic Cheese Company (Connecticut)
Melinda Mae is a vibrant bloomy rind with notes of butter and savory button mushrooms.
Cheddar from Chesapeake Gold Farms (Maryland)
This cheese is aged for at least 18 months, resulting in a classic cheddar that yields notes of milk and browned butter.
Merry Goat Round Spruce Reserve from FireFly Farms (Maryland)
This earthy, bloomy rinded, goat’s milk stunner boasts a bright-ivory, decadent interior that tastes like mushrooms and black pepper.
Frost Gully from Winter Hill Farm (Maine)
Frosty Gully is a rich and creamy Camembert-style cheese that pairs well with a variety of wine and beer, and shines when topped with stone fruit on french bread.
Polar Vortex from Fuzzy Udder Creamery (Maine)
This 60-day-aged, raw milk blue crafted with Jersey cow milk will wow any blue lover. (It also won best in show at the 2023 Maine Cheese Awards!)
Jerk Spice + Flagship Reserve from Beecher’s Handmade Cheese (New York)
As Jamaican culture continues to influence cuisine, it’s only right that this creamery creates a wedge infused with Jerk spice. And of course, Flagship Reserve is a classic cheddar style, ideal for perfecting Beecher’s World Famous Mac ‘n’ Cheese.
Kunik from Nettle Meadow Farm (New York)
If buttery triple crème is your jam, you’ll love this recommendation—it’s also produced in a Truffle flavor, too.
Maple Chèvre from Asgaard Farm and Dairy (New York)
Zesty and sweet notes rise to the surface with this creamy goat’s milk chèvre.
Professor’s Brie Wegmans from Old Chatham Creamery (New York)
This 2019 American Cheese Society (ACS) Second Place Best of Show winner is a collaboration between Old Chatham Creamery and Wegmans cheese caves featuring lush and buttery notes. It’s named after David Galton, a retired Cornell professor and co-owner of Old Chatham Sheepherding Company.
Red Rider + Farmhouse Parmesan + Rosie’s Choice from Muranda Cheese (New York)
Muranda Cheese Company started in 2007, and currently makes 17 styles of cheese. Red Rider is a cheddar style melting cheese flecked with red pepper, while Rosie’s Choice is an Alpine style perfect for fondue night. Rosie’s Choice is an Alpine-style parmesan aged for nearly twelve months and a grate (see what we did there?) choice for topping salads and pastas.
Snapdragon + Foxglove from Tulip Tree Creamery (New York)
Snapdragon is a triple cream cheese infused with habanero peppers, offering a spicy kick for those who enjoy bold flavors. Foxglove is Snapdragon’s double cream, stinky cousin similar to Epoisses.
Black Pepper American from Cooper Cheese (Philadelphia)
This Philadelphia-based creamery produces slices of American cheese infused with black pepper, perfect for melting on cheesesteaks.
Wild Rosemary from Goat Rodeo Cheese (Pennsylvania)
Rosemary and extra virgin olive oil coat this mixed milk cheese, imparting herbal flavors.
Cheese Curds from Cabot Creamery (Vermont)
If you can’t get enough of poutine, try topping your fries with Cabot cheese curds. Their mild flavor pairs deliciously with any gravy.
Winnimere + Whitney + Harbison + Vault No.5 from Jasper Hill Farm (Vermont)
With a diverse variety of bloomy, washed, alpine, hard, and blue cheeses, you can never go wrong with a selection from Jasper Hill Farm.
Savage from Von Trapp Farmstead (Vermont)
Savage evokes flavors of toasty caramelized onion, beef broth, pâté, and grass, making it the perfect savory addition to any board.
Swallow Tail Tomme from Stony Pond Farm (Vermont)
Inspired by the French farmhouse style, this small-batch cheese relies on Jersey cows for its creamy, buttery notes.
West
Humboldt Fog from Cypress Grove (California)
This creamery made history by producing America’s first soft-ripened goat cheese. Humboldt fog is known for its notable line of ash cutting through the center of its paste, and has floral notes of citrus and cream.
Red Hawk from Cowgirl Creamery (California)
Named after the majestic bird that flies over Marin Headlands, this washed-rind triple cream summons notes of cured meats, wild sage, and salty air.
Quinta + TomaRashi from Point Reyes Cheese (California)
TomaRashi packs heat, umami, and nutty flavors, mimicking the taste of “Shichimi Togarashi,” a Japanese spice blend containing chili flakes, nigella, chili powder, orange peel, ginger powder, and nori.
Teleeka from Toluma Farms and Tomales Farmstead Creamery (California)
This Good Food Award (GFA) winner is a soft, bloomy-rind, triple-milk cheese crafted from sheep and goat milk.
Up In Smoke from Rivers Edge Chèvre (Oregon)
Swap classic goat cheese logs for this chèvre, which is smoked over alder and hickory chips, giving it a woodsy aroma.
Smokey Blue from Rogue Creamery (Oregon)
This delicious blue is smoked over Oregon hazelnut shells, creating aromas of barrel-aged vanilla, bread pudding, and candied bacon.
Barely Buzzed from Beehive Cheese (Utah)
Espresso and lavender coat this cheddar for a flavorful and luscious bite.
Reserve from Daniel’s Artisan (Washington)
If you love aged cheeses with a bit of crunch, then you’ll enjoy this extra-aged farmstead cow’s milk cheese with plenty of tasty tyrosine crystals.
Thai Garlic Chèvre from Lost Peacock Creamery (Washington)
This creamery isn’t afraid of spicy flavors like this creamy goat cheese infused with Thai chili peppers and garlic.
Black Pearl + Sonnet from Tieton Farm and Creamery (Washington)
Grape leaf ash covers bloomy-rinded Black Pearl during aging which imparts earthy notes, while Sonnet is slightly tangy with a lemony kick.
Smoky Scamorza from Ferndale Farmstead Cheese (Washington)
This cheese gets hung from ropes—a century-old artisan technique—which produces a unique pear shape. Its similar to mozzarella in flavor, but more bold and buttery.
Sleeping Beauty + Glacier Blue + Sawtooth from Cascadia (Washington)
If you get your hands on a wheel of washed-rind Sawtooth, you’ll sink your teeth into a fudgy, smooth paste with meaty flavors balanced by fruity funk.
Southeast
Tuffet from Green Dirt Farm (Missouri)
Taking inspiration from the soft Italian cheese La Tur, Tuffet is crafted with sheep’s milk and features a wrinkled rind and cheesecake-like texture.
Rocket’s Robiola from Boxcarr Handmade Cheese (North Carolina)
This geo-ripened cheese gets dusted in vegetable ash before developing a doughy, wrinkled rind, and tastes like buttered mushrooms and toasted nuts.
Walden + Ebenezer from Sequat Cheese (Tennessee)
Walden has won six times at the ACS awards and will make a delightful addition to your board thanks to its buttery, umami flavors.
Grayson + Appalachian from Meadow Creek Dairy (Virginia)
Nestled in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, Meadow Creek Dairy excels in Alpine cheesemaking and washed-rind Grayson is no exception. This pudgy cheese is rich and beefy with subtle undertones of earth and grass.
Midwest
The Dude Abides Halloumi from Goat Conspiracy Sanctuary (Indiana)
Toss this cheese on the grill this summer and drizzle it with honey and toasted pine nuts for extra crunch and sweetness.
Wabash Cannonball + Sofia from Capriole Goat Cheese (Indiana)
Thanks to its unique, vegetable-ash coasted, wrinkly appearance, award-winning Wabash Cannonball will turn heads when displayed at your gathering. This stunning goat’s milk sphere is excellent when paired with beets or asparagus. Sophia is an ash-lined beauty with notes of citrus and cream.
Blue from Maytag Dairy Farms (Iowa)
This creamery partners with a microbiologist from Iowa State University to replicate many of the Blues found in Europe. Maytag Blue is slightly tangy with a tart finish.
Flory’s Truckle from Milton Creamery (Iowa)
This crumbly cheddar is a crowd pleaser because of its crystallized crunch and flavors of fresh grass, strawberries, and zesty pepper.
Detroit Street Brick from Zingerman’s Creamery (Michigan)
Awarded multiple times by the ACS, this decadent goat cheese is aged for several weeks and studded with green peppercorns and pepper flecks.
Bent River from Alemar Cheese Company (Minnesota)
This Camembert-style cheese has won two ACS honors and a GFA. Tasting notes include butter, mushrooms, citrus peel, and barnyard.
North Fork Whiskey Washed Munster from Redhead Creamery (Minnesota)
This pungent cheese’s rind encases a gooey interior—perfect for spreading on a grilled cheese.
Shepherd’s Hope from Shepherd’s Way Farm (Minnesota)
The shelf life of this fresh sheep’s milk cheese is eight to ten weeks, making it ideal for those seeking longer-lasting wedges. It’s light and milky with a citrus finish.
Misty River + Street Ched from Urbanstead Cheese (Ohio)
Do yourself a favor and grab Street Ched and Misty River to deck out your board. Street Ched is an English-style clothbound cheddar that’s sweet and tangy with a savory finish, and Misty River is a Camembert-style with mushroom-y undertones.
Pious Eddy from Black Radish Creamery (Ohio)
This cider-washed rind cheese offers notes of fresh, yeasty bread dough and cream.
Imperial Buck from Deer Creek Cheese (Wisconsin)
This two-time winner of the International Cheese Awards for best American cheese has rich and nutty flavors due to its longer aging process.
Foenegreek Gouda from Marieke Gouda (Wisconsin)
Smoky Foenegreek Gouda has sweet and nutty flavors similar to maple syrup, and pairs deliciously with crunchy almonds or dark rum.
Mobay from Carr Valley Cheese (Wisconsin)
Mimicking the famous French Morbier, this version stacks sheep’s milk cheese and goat’s milk cheese, separated by a layer of grape vine ash.
Mount Raclette from Alpinage Cheese (Wisconsin)
The next time you host a raclette party, snag one of these creamy wheels to melt on top of all types of accompaniments from crusty bread to crispy Brussels sprouts.
Paneer from Merchant Manor (Wisconsin)
You can crumble, fry, or grill this versatile cow’s milk variety to add a deliciously cheesy element to any dish.
Rush Creek Reserve from Uplands Cheese Company (Wisconsin)
This ever-popular, seasonal, bloomy rind cheese has a custard-like texture and summons savory and woodsy notes.
Shabby Shoe + Afterglow from Blakesville Creamery (Wisconsin)
Hailing from Port Washington, Wisconsin, Blakesville Creamery has only been operating for a few years, yet continues to receive accolades for their lineup of cheeses. Delicately light Shabby Shoe is bright and mineral-y, while washed-rind Afterglow has a fruit-like aroma thanks to bathing the rind with cherry ale; yielding a clean, slightly salty finish.
Related:
- The Best Cheese Events to Attend this Summer
- The Divergent Paths of Three Cheesemakers
- The Top 20 Cheeses in the World Announced
Ashia Aubourg
Ashia Aubourg is culture's former Assistant Digital Editor. She received her BA in Food Studies and Policy Studies from Syracuse University, where she researched components that make up equitable food systems. She previously held print and digital roles at Food & Wine, Cuisine Noir, America's Test Kitchen, and others, where her writing unearthed underrepresented narratives within food, travel, and culture. Before starting her writing career, she held food policy and social impact roles across various nonprofits and companies.
Mallory Scyphers
Mallory Scyphers is culture's Executive Content Director and has been with the company since 2019. She lives on Mobile Bay with her husband, two young daughters, one old Shetland Sheepdog, one rambunctious golden retriever, and one calico cat. Her favorite cheeses are alpine styles and mineral-y blues.
