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Full Breakdown of the ACS Judging & Competition


The 2015 American Cheese Society Conference came to a close over the weekend, and while much knowledge was acquired, fun had, drinks imbibed, and cheese devoured, the ACS Judging & Competition may have stolen the show for exciting upsets and sheer quantity of cheese. How much cheese? Exactly 1,779 distinct wheels, bricks, curds, pyramids, and more from 267 companies were entered into this year’s games, representing 38 American states and 4 Canadian provinces. The three cheesy powerhouses of the United States—Wisconsin, Vermont, and California—duked it out for regional supremacy, but it was clear one state was not gonna let anything fly: Vermont took home 44 total awards, California 47, and Wisconsin a whopping 99 total awards. Not content with more than double the cheesy recognition as its closest competitors, Wisconsin also won the most first-place ribbons at 22.

But what about the cheeses? As befitting the cow’s milk–dominated American market, 232 ribbons went to cow cheeses, followed by 68 to goat cheeses, 30 to sheep cheeses, 22 to mixed milk cheeses, and 3 for water buffalo cheeses.

The Best in Show went to the Celtic Blue Reserve by Glengarry Fine Cheeses in Ontario, Canada—the first Canadian cheese ever to win the coveted purple ribbon. (Its glorious triple-crème paste with some sexy blue veining is pictured above.)

What about the rest of the winners? The ACS has a handy brochure of this year’s winners (found here), but being the word on cheese, culture couldn’t let that treasure trove of cheesy data just sit there in a PDF. Below you will find all of the winners for the Best in Show and Farmstead Cheese categories and the top winners for every one of the other 19 categories—complete with links to the makers’ websites and culture Cheese Library entries when available.

Scroll through, explore, and try some of these cheeses!

Categories

Best in Show

A. Fresh Unripened Cheeses

B. Soft-Ripened Cheeses

C. American Originals

D. American Made / International Style

E. Cheddars

F. Blue Mold Cheeses

G. Hispanic & Portuguese Style Cheeses

H. Italian Type Cheeses

I. Feta Cheeses

J. Low Fat / Low Salt Cheeses

K. Flavored Cheeses

L. Smoked Cheeses

M. Farmstead Cheeses

N. Goat’s Milk Cheeses

O. Sheep’s Milk Cheeses

P. Marinated Cheeses

Q. Cultured Milk and Cream Products

R. Butters

S. Spreads

T. Washed Rind Cheeses



1st Place: Celtic Blue Reserve

Glengarry Fine Cheese | Ontario, Canada
Cheesemaker: Wilma Klein-Swormink

2nd Place TIED: Standard Market Cave Aged Chandoka

LaClare Farms | Malone, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Katie (Hedrich) Fuhrmann and LaClare Team

2nd Place TIED: Roth’s Private Reserve

Emmi Roth USA | Monroe, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Team Emmi Roth USA

3rd Place: Harbison

Jasper Hill Farm | Greensboro, Vermont
Cheesemaker: Mateo Kehler



Limited to cheeses and fermented milk products made with milk from herds on the farm where the cheeses are produced

Farmstead Cheeses Aged less than 60 Days—All Milks (MA)

1st Place: Petit Marcel

Pugs Leap | Petaluma, California
Cheesemaker: Jennifer Kirkham

2nd Place TIED: Rippleton

Meadowood Farms| Cazenovia, New York
Cheesemaker: Veronica Pedraza

2nd Place TIED: Summer Snow

Woodcock Farm | Weston, Vermont
Cheesemaker: Mark & Gari Fischer

3rd Place: Tide Line

Winter Hill Farm | Freeport, Maine
Cheesemaker: Sarah Wiederkehr

Farmstead Cheeses Aged 60 Days or More—39% or Higher Moisture—Made from Cow’s Milk (MC)

1st Place: Winnimere

Jasper Hill Farm | Greensboro, Vermont
Cheesemaker: Mateo Kehler

2nd Place: Dancing Fern

Sequatchie Cove Creamery | Sequatchie, Tennessee
Cheesemaker: Nathan Arnold

3rd Place: Grayson

Meadow Creek Dairy | Galax, Virginia
Cheesemaker: Helen Feete

Spring Brook Farm Taerentaise

Spring Brook Farm Taerentaise

Farmstead Cheeses Aged 60 days or More—Less than 39% Moisture—Made from Cow’s Milk (ME)

1s Place: Tarentaise

Farms For City Kids Foundation | Reading, Vermont
Cheesemaker: Spring Brook Farm Team

2nd Place: Marieke Gouda Aged (9-12 Month)

Holland’s Family Cheese | Thorp, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Marieke Gouda Cheese Team

3rd Place: Extra-Aged Pleasant Ridge Reserve

Uplands Cheese | Dodgeville, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Uplands Cheese

Farmstead Cheeses Aged 60 days or More—made from Goat’s Milk (MG)

1st Place: Rosa Maria

Shadow Brook Farm’s Dutch Girl Creamery| Lincoln, Nebraska
Cheesemaker: Charuth Van Beuzekom

2nd Place: Samson

Pugs Leap | Petaluma, California
Cheesemaker: Jennifer Kirkham

3rd Place: Manchester

Consider Bardwell Farm | West Pawlet, Vermont
Cheesemaker: Consider Bardwell Farm

Farmstead Cheeses Aged 60 Days or More—Made from Sheep’s | Mixed, or Other Milks (MS)

1st Place: Verano

Vermont Shepherd | Putney, Vermont
Cheesemaker: David Major

2nd Place TIED: Ben Nevis

Bonnieview Farm | Craftsbury, Vermont
Cheesemaker: Neil Urie

2nd Place TIED: Fleur des Monts

Fromagerie La Moutonniere | Québec, Canada
Cheesemaker: Lucille Giroux

3rd Place: Will o’ Wisp

Fairy Tale Farm | Bridport, Vermont
Cheesemaker: Alissa Shethar



Cheese Curds, Mascarpone, Cream Cheese, Ricotta, Impastata, Quark, Fromage Blanc, Cottage Cheeses

Cheese Curds—All Milks (AH)

1st Place: White Cheddar Cheese Curds

Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese | Waterloo, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Crave Cheese Team

Mascarpone and Cream Cheese—Made from Cow’s Milk (AM)

1st Place: Hahn’s Cultured Cream Cheese

Franklin Foods | Enosburg Falls, Vermont
Cheesemaker: Team Franklin Foods

Ricotta—Made from Cow’s Milk (AR)

1st Place: No Winner

2nd Place: Ricotta Salata

Swallowtail Farm And Creamery | Whitefield, Maine
Cheesemaker: Lauren and Sean Pignatello

Nicasio Valley Foggy Morning

Nicasio Valley Foggy Morning

Fromage Blanc, Fromage Frais, and Quark—Made from Cow’s Milk (AQ)

1st Place: Foggy Morning

Nicasio Valley Cheese Company | Nicasio, California
Cheesemaker: Scott Lafranchi

Open Category—Fresh Unripened Cheeses—Made from Cow’s Milk (AC)

1st Place: Crescenza / Stracchino

Narragansett Creamery | Providence, Rhode Island
Cheesemaker: Mark Federico

Open Category—Fresh Unripened Cheeses—Made from Goat’s Milk (AG)

1st Place: Fromage Blanc

Montchevré | Belmont, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Jean Rossard

Open Category—Fresh Unripened Cheeses—Made from Sheep’s, Mixed, or Other Milks (AS)

1st Place: No Winner

2nd Place: Mixed Milk Laychee

Pennyroyal Farm | Boonville, California
Cheesemaker: Erika McKenzie-Chapter



White surface mold ripened cheeses (Brie, Camembert, Coulommiers, etc.)

Brie—Made from Cow’s Milk (BB)

1st Place: Traditional Brie 8 oz.

Marin French Cheese Company | Petaluma, California
Cheesemaker: Team Marin French

Camembert—Made from Cow’s Milk (BC)

1st Place: Green Hill

Sweet Grass Dairy | Thomasville, Georgia
Cheesemaker: Jeremy Little, Sweet Grass Dairy

Triple Crème—Soft Ripened/Cream Added—All Milks (BT)

1st Place: 3 Kg. Triple Cream Brie

Lactalis American Group | Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Lenny Bass

Jasper Hill Harbison

Jasper Hill Harbison

Open Category—Soft-Ripened Cheeses—Made from Cow’s Milk (BA)

1st Place: Harbison

Jasper Hill Farm | Greensboro, Vermont
Cheesemaker: Mateo Kehler

Open Category—Soft-Ripened Cheeses—Made from Goat’s Milk (BG)

1st Place: Ripened Chèvre Roll with Ash

York Hill Farm | New Sharon, Maine
Cheesemaker: Penny Duncan

Open Category—Soft-Ripened Cheeses—Made from Sheep’s, Mixed, or Other Milks (BS)

1st Place: Little Bloom

Tide Mill Creamery | Edmunds, Maine
Cheesemaker: Hannah Bath and Rachel Bell



Cheeses recognized by the ACS as uniquely American in their original forms (Monterey Jack, Dry Jack, Brick Cheese, Brick Muenster, Colby, Teleme) or unique in their recipe and formulation and which do not strictly conform to the guidelines of other acknowledged recipes for cheese types.

Brick Cheese—Made from Cow’s Milk (CB)

1st Place: Wisconsin Brick

Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery, Comstock Division | Ellsworth, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: John Schmid and Anthony Pinnerud

Dry Jack—Made from Cow’s Milk (CD)

1st Place: No Winners

2nd Place: Aquasco Jack

P. A. Bowen Farmstead | Brandywine, Maryland
Cheesemaker: Sally Fallon Morell

Monterey Jack—Made from Cow’s Milk (CJ)

1st Place: Monterrey Jack

Southwest Cheese | Clovis, New Mexico
Cheesemaker: Team SWC

Brick Muenster—Made from Cow’s Milk (CM)

1st Place: No Winner

2nd Place: Muenster

Klondike Cheese Company | Monroe, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Dave Buholzer

Colby—Made from Cow’s Milk (CY)

1st Place: Colby

Guggisberg Cheese | Millersburg, Ohio
Cheesemaker: Ryan Weldy

American Originals Original Recipe / Open Category—Made from Cow’s Milk (CC)

1st Place: Roth’s Private Reserve

Emmi Roth USA | Monroe, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Team Emmi Roth USA

American Originals Original Recipe / Open Category—Made from Goat’s Milk (CG)

1st Place: Humboldt Fog Grande

Cypress Grove Chevre | Arcata, California
Cheesemaker: Cypress Grover Chevre

Bleating Heart Fat Bottom Girl

Bleating Heart Fat Bottom Girl

American Originals Original Recipe / Open Category—Made from Sheep’s Milk (CS)

1st Place: Fat Bottom Girl

Bleating Heart Cheese | Tomales, California
Cheesemaker: Team Bleating Heart

American Originals Original Recipe / Open Category—Made from Mixed or Other Milks (CX)

1st Place: Standard Market Cave Aged Chandoka

LaClare Farms Specialties | LLC | Malone, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Katie (Hedrich) Fuhrmann and LaClare Team



Cheeses modeled after or based on recipes for established European or other international types or styles (Beaufort, Abondance, Gruyère, Juustoleipa, Caerphilly, English Territorials, Butterkäse, Monastery, Port Salut styles, etc.)

Dutch-Style (Gouda, Edam, etc.)—All Milks (DD)

1st Place: Louis Cyr

Fromagerie Bergeron | Québec, Canada
Cheesemaker: Thomas Paquin-Roy

Emmental-Style with Eye Formation (Swiss, Baby Swiss, Blocks, Wheels)—Made from Cow’s Milk (DE)

1st Place: Baby Swiss

Guggisberg Cheese | Millersburg, Ohio
Cheesemaker: Cecylia Szewczyk

Open Category—American Made / International Style—Made from Cow’s Milk (DC)

1st Place: Aged Raclette

Leelanau Cheese | Suttons Bay, Michigan
Cheesemaker: John Hoyt

Open Category—American Made / International Style—Made from Goat’s Milk (DG)

1st Place: Bijou

Vermont Creamery | Websterville, Vermont
Cheesemaker: Vermont Creamery Aged Cheese Team

Open Category—American Made / International Style—Made from Sheep’s, Mixed, or Other Milks (DS)

1st Place: Manchego Reserve

Hidden Springs Creamery | Westby, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Brenda Jensen



All Cheddars—all milks (based on age at time of Judging & Competition)

Aged Cheddar—Aged over 12 and up to 24 Months—All Milks (EA)

1st Place: Face Rock 2 Year Extra Aged Cheddar

Face Rock Creamery | Bandon, Oregon
Cheesemaker: Brad Sinko

Cheddar—Aged up to 12 Months—Made from Cow’s Milk (EC)

1st Place: Tillamook White Medium Cheddar

Tillamook County Creamery Association | Tillamook, Oregon
Cheesemaker: Team Tillamook

Central Coast Creamery Goat Cheddar

Central Coast Creamery Goat Cheddar

Cheddar—Aged up to 12 Months—Made from Goat’s, Sheep’s, Buffalo’s, Mixed, or Other Milk (EG)

1st Place: Goat Cheddar

Central Coast Creamery | Paso Robles, California
Cheesemaker: Reggie Jones

Mature Cheddar—Aged over 24 and up to 48 Months—All Milks (EX)

1st Place: Four Year Flagship

Beecher’s Handmade Cheese | Seattle, Washington
Cheesemaker: Sharif Ball

Mature Cheddar—Aged over 48 Months—All Milks (EE)

1st Place: Cabot Old School Cheddar

Cabot Creamery Cooperative | Cabot, Vermont
Cheesemaker: Tim Deering

Cheddar Wrapped in Cloth, Linen—Aged up to 12 Months—All Milks (EW)

1st Place: Cabot Clothbound Cheddar

Cellars at Jasper Hill | Greensboro, Vermont
Cheesemaker: Marcel Gravel; May Leach; Mateo and Andy Kehler

Cheddar Wrapped in Cloth, Linen—Aged over 12 Months—All Milks (EB)

1st Place: Cabot Clothbound Cheddar Select

Cellars at Jasper Hill | Greensboro, Vermont
Cheesemaker: Marcel Gravel; May Leach; Mateo and Andy Kehler



All cheeses ripened with Penicillium roqueforti or glaucum

Rindless Blue-Veined—Made from Cow’s Milk (FC)

1st Place: Simply Artisan Reserve True Blue

Simply Artisan Reserve by Litehouse | Sandpoint, Idaho
Cheesemaker: Marvin Sharp

Rindless Blue-Veined—Made from Goat’s Milk (FG)

1st Place: Chévre in Blue

Montchevré | Belmont, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Jean Rossard

Rindless Blue-Veined—Made from Sheep’s, Mixed, Other Milks (FS)

1st Place: No Winner

2nd Place: BelGioioso Gorgonzola with Sheep’s Milk

BelGioioso Cheese | Green Bay, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Tony Ellis

Blue-Veined with a Rind or External Coating—Made from Cow’s Milk (FK)

1st Place: Celtic Blue Reserve

Glengarry Fine Cheese | Ontario, Canada
Cheesemaker: Wilma Klein-Swormink

Blue-Veined with a Rind or External Coating—Made from Goat’s Milk (FL)

1st Place: No Winner

2nd Place: Midnight Blue

Avalanche Cheese Company | Basalt, Colorado
Cheesemaker: Avalanche Cheese Company

Blue-Veined with a Rind or External Coating—Made from Sheep’s, Mixed, or Other Milks (FM)

1st Place: No Winner

2nd Place: Two-Faced Blue

Willapa Hills Cheese | Chehalis, Washington
Cheesemaker: Team Willapa Hills

Westfield Farm Bluebonnet

Westfield Farm Bluebonnet

External Blue-Molded Cheeses—All Milks (FE)

1st Place: Bluebonnet

Westfield Farm | Hubbardston, Massachusetts
Cheesemaker: Kim Hayes



Cheeses based on the recipes of the Azorean, Brazilian, Central American, Colombian, Cuban, Guatemalan, Hispanic, Latino, Mexican, and Portuguese communities.

Ripened, Aged over 90 Days—All Milks (GA)

1st Place: Roth GranQueso Reserve

Emmi Roth USA | Monroe, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Team Emmi Roth USA

Fresh, Unripened—All Milks (GC)

1st Place: Sand Hill Artesano Panela

Sand Hill Dairy | Fallon, Nevada
Cheesemaker: Gerardo & Fransisco Duenas

Melting Hispanic—Cheeses Intended to be Consumed Melted (GM)

1st Place: Queso Oaxaca Don Froylan

Ochoa’s Queseria | Albany, Oregon
Cheesemaker: Francisco Ochoa



Excluded: Mascarpone and Ricotta

Pasta Filata Types (Provolone, Caciocavallo)—All Milks (HP)

1st Place: BelGioioso Sharp Provolone Mandarino

BelGioioso Cheese | Green Bay, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Mauro Rozzi

Grating Types (Reggianito, Sardo, Domestic Parmesan)—All Milks; Romano Made Only from Cow’s or Goat’s milk and Not from Sheep’s Milk (HA)

1st Place: Cello Riserva Copper Kettle Parmesan Cheese

Arthur Schuman, Inc | Turtle Lake, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Team Lake Country Dairy

Mozzarella Types (Brick, Scamorza, String Cheese)—All Milks (HM)

1st Place: Farmer’s Rope String Cheese

Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese | Waterloo, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Crave Cheese Team

Fresh Mozzarella—8 oz. or More (Balls or Shapes)—All Milks (HY)

1st Place: Bella Casara Buffalo Mozzarella

Quality Cheese, Atalanta Corporation | Ontario, Canada
Cheesemaker: Team Quality

Fresh Mozzarella—Under 8 oz. (Ovalini, Bocconcini, Ciliegine Sizes)—All Milks (HZ)

1st Place: Fresh Mozzarella—Bocconcini

Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese | Waterloo, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Crave Cheese Team

Burrata—Fresh Mozzarella Encasing a Distinctly Separate, Softer Curd and Cream, or Other Soft Cheese, Core—All Milks (HB)

1st Place: Burrata

Calabro Cheese Corporation | East Haven, Connecticut
Cheesemaker: Calabro Cheese Coproration



Feta—Made from Cow’s Milk (IC)

1st Place: Brinza Feta

Karoun Dairies | San Fernando, California
Cheesemaker: Jaime Graca

Feta—Made from Goat’s Milk (IG)

1st Place: Goat Milk Feta

Briar Rose Creamery | Dundee, Oregon
Cheesemaker: Sarah Marcus

Feta—Made from Sheep’s, Mixed, or Other Milks (IS)

1st Place: Barred Owl Organic Feta

Barred Owl Creamery | Whitefield, Maine
Cheesemaker: Patti Hamilton



Fat Free and Low Fat Cheeses—All Milks (JL)

1st Place: No Winner

2nd Place: E-lite Nature

Agropur Fine Cheeses | Québec, Canada
Cheesemaker: Agropur Dairy Cooperative

Light/Lite and Reduced Fat Cheeses—All Milks (JR)

1st Place: Reduced Fat Swiss Wheel

Guggisberg Cheese | Millersburg, Ohio
Cheesemaker: Cecylia Szewczyk



Cheeses with flavor added

Fresh Unripened Cheese with Flavor Added—All Milks (KA)

1st Place: Nettle Farmers Cheese

Sweet Rowen Farmstead | West Glover, Vermont
Cheesemaker: Blair C. Johnson

Cheese Curds with Flavor Added—All Milks (KL)

1st Place: Jalapeno Cheddar Cheese Curds

Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese | Waterloo, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Crave Cheese Team

Soft-Ripened with Flavor Added—All Milks (KB)

1st Place: Lea’s Great Meadow

Ruggles Hill Creamery | Hardwick, Massachusetts
Cheesemaker: Tricia Smith

International-Style with Flavor Added—all milks (KD)

1st Place: Marieke Gouda Foenegreek

Holland’s Family Cheese | Thorp, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Marieke Gouda Cheese Team

Cheddar with Flavor Added—all milks (KE)

1st Place: Cheddar with Jalapenos

Widmer’s Cheese Cellars | Theresa, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Joseph Widmer

Farmstead Cheese with Flavor Added (Must Conform to All Guidelines in Category M)—All Milks (KF)

1st Place: Smoked Black Pepper and Chive Gouda

Willamette Valley Cheese | Salem, Oregon
Cheesemaker: Rod Volbeda

Hispanic-Style with Flavor Added—All Milks (KG)

1st Place: Don Froylan Queso Botanero Cilantro & Jalapeño

Ochoa’s Queseria | Albany, Oregon
Cheesemaker: Francisco Ochoa

Feta with Flavor Added—All Milks (KI)

1st Place: Odyssey Peppercorn Feta

Klondike Cheese Co. | Monroe, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Steve Buholzer

Reduced Fat Cheese with Flavor Added—All Milks (KJ)

2nd Place: Cabot Jalapeño Light Cheddar

Cabot Creamery Cooperative | Cabot, Vermont
Cheesemaker: Dennis Dwinell

Rubbed-Rind Cheese with Added Flavor Ingredients Rubbed or Applied by Hand Only on the Exterior Surface of the Cheese—All Milks (KK)

Beehive Cheese Co. Barely Buzzed

Beehive Cheese Co. Barely Buzzed

1st Place: Barely Buzzed

Beehive Cheese Co. | Uintah, Utah
Cheesemaker: Tim Welsh

Monterey Jack with Flavor Added—All Milks (KM)

1st Place: Abruzze Jawn

Cherry Grove Farm | Lawrence Township, New Jersey
Cheesemaker: Paul Lawler

Fresh Goat Cheese with Flavor Added—100% Goat’s Milk (KN)

1st Place: PsycheDillic

Cypress Grove Chevre | Arcata, California
Cheesemaker: Cypress Grove Chevre

Sheep Cheese with Flavor Added—100% Sheep’s Milk (KO)

1st Place: Driftless-Honey Lavender

Hidden Springs Creamery | Westby, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Brenda Jensen

Yogurt and Cultured Products with Flavor Added—All Milks (KQ)

1st Place: Yo-Goat, Strawberry

Coach Farm | Pine Plains, New York
Cheesemaker: Mark Newbold

Butter with Flavor Added—All Milks (KR)

1st Place: Cultured Butter Blended with Sea Salt and Maple

Vermont Creamery | Websterville, Vermont
Cheesemaker: Vermont Creamery Butter Team

Cold Pack Cheese and Spreads with Flavor Added—All Milks (KS)

1st Place: Pimento Cheese Spread

Sweet Grass Dairy | Thomasville, Georgia
Cheesemaker: Jeremy Little, Sweet Grass Dairy

Open Category—Cheeses with Flavor Added—All Milks and Mixed Milks (KC)

1st Place: BelGioioso Black Truffle Burrata

BelGioioso Cheese | Green Bay, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Lucas Kallman



Smoked Italian Styles (Mozzarella, Scamorza, Bocconcini, Ovalini, etc.)—All Milks (LM)

1st Place: Smoked Caciocavallo

Saputo | Québec, Canada
Cheesemaker: Saputo Dairy Products Canada G.P.

Smoked Cheddars—All Milks (LD)

1st Place: Smoked Flagship

Beecher’s Handmade Cheese | Seattle, Washington
Cheesemaker: Sharif Ball

Open Category—Smoked Cheeses—Made from Cow’s Milk (LC)

1st Place: Smokey Blue

Rogue Creamery | Central Point, Oregon
Cheesemaker: Rogue Creamery—Blue Team

Open Category—Smoked Cheeses—Made from Goat’s Milk, Sheep’s, Mixed, or Other Milks (LG)

1st Place: Smoked Capri

Westfield Farm | Hubbardston, Massachusetts
Cheesemaker: Debby Stetson



Open to all shapes and styles of goat’s milk cheeses based on age at time of Judging & Competition

Fresh Rindless Goat’s Milk Cheese Aged 0 to 30 days (Black Ash Coating Permitted) (NO)

1st Place: Celebrity International Original Goat Cheese

Mariposa Dairy, Atalanta Corporation | Ontario, Canada
Cheesemaker: Pieter Van Oudenaren

Capriole Sofia

Capriole Sofia

Fresh Goat’s Milk Cheese Aged 0 to 30 days (Hand-Shaped, Formed, or Molded into Pyramid, Disc, Drum, Crottin, Basket or Other Shape) (NS)

1st Place: Sofia

Capriole | Greenville, Indiana
Cheesemaker: Capriole Team

Goat’s Milk Cheese Aged 31 to 60 days (NT)

1st Place: Ellie’s Cloudy Down

Ruggles Hill Creamery | Hardwick, Massachusetts
Cheesemaker: Tricia Smith

Goat’s Milk Cheese Aged Over 60 days (NU)

1st Place: Haystack Mountain Queso De Mano

Haystack Mountain Goat Dairy | Longmont, Colorado
Cheesemaker: Jackie Chang



Open to all shapes and styles of sheep’s milk cheeses based on age at time of Judging & Competition

Fresh Rindless Sheep’s Milk Cheese Aged 0 to 30 days (OO)

1st Place: Brebis

Many Fold Farm | Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia
Cheesemaker: Rebecca Williams

Sheep’s Milk Cheese Aged 31 to 60 days (OT)

1st Place: Garretts Ferry

Many Fold Farm | Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia
Cheesemaker: Rebecca Williams

Sheep’s Milk Cheese Aged Over 60 days (OU)

1st Place: Peekville Tomme

Many Fold Farm | Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia
Cheesemaker: Rebecca Williams



Cheeses marinated in oil, vinegar, wine, spirits and liqueur, etc., including additional ingredients

Cheeses Marinated in Liquids and Ingredients—Made from Cow’s Milk (PC)

1st Place: Sartori Reserve Kentucky Bourbon BellaVitano

Sartori Company | Plymouth, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Mike Matucheski

Cheeses Marinated in Liquids and Ingredients—Made from Goat’s Milk (PG)

1st Place: Chèvre in Olive Oil

Appleton Creamery | Appleton, Maine
Cheesemaker: Caitlin Hunter



Limited to Buttermilk, Yogurt, Sour Cream, Crème Fraiche, Kefir, Labne, etc.

Crème Fraîche and Sour Cream Products—Made from Cow’s Milk (QF)

1st Place: Alouette Crème Fraîche

Alouette | Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Cheesemaker: Alouette Cheese USA LLC

Redwood Hill Goat Milk Kefir

Redwood Hill Goat Milk Kefir

Kefir, Drinkable Yogurt, Buttermilk, and Other Drinkable Cultured Products—All Milks (QK)

1st Place: Redwood Hill Farm Traditional Plain Goat Milk Kefir

Redwood Hill Farm & Creamery | Sebastapol, California
Cheesemaker: Redwood Hill Farm Team

Labneh, Greek Style Yogurt, and Other Strained Cultured Products—All Milks (QL)

1st Place: Odyssey Greek Yogurt

Klondike Cheese Co. | Monroe, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Adam Buholzer

Yogurts—Plain with No Additional Ingredients—Made from Cow’s Milk (QY)

1st Place: Plain Yogurt

Traders Point Creamery | Zionsville, Indiana
Cheesemaker: Kristopher Malling

Yogurts—Plain with No Additional Ingredients—Made from Goat’s Milk (QD)

1st Place: Capretta Low Fat Yogurt

Sierra Nevada Cheese Company | Willows, California
Cheesemaker: Ben Gregersen & John Dundon

Yogurts—Plain with No Additional Ingredients—Made from Sheep’s, Mixed, or other milks (QE)

1st Place: Only Ewe Yogurt

Green Dirt Farm | Weston, Missouri
Cheesemaker: Sarah Hoffmann



Whey Butter, Salted Butter, Sweet Butter, Cultured Butter, etc.

Salted Butter with or without Cultures—Made from Cow’s Milk (RC)

1st Place: Tillamook Salted Sweet Cream Butter

Tillamook County Creamery Association | Tillamook, Oregon
Cheesemaker: Team Tillamook

Unsalted Butter with or without Cultures—Made from Cow’s Milk (RO)

1st Place: Organic Unsalted Butter

Rumiano Cheese Company | Crescent City, California
Cheesemaker: Rumiano Cheese-Making Team

Butter with or without Cultures—Made from Goat’s, Sheep’s, Mixed, or Other Milks (RM)

1st Place: Haverton Hill Sheep Butter

Haverton Hill Creamery | Petaluma, California
Cheesemaker: Joe and Missy Adiego



Spreads produced by grinding and mixing, without the aid of heat and/or emulsifying salts, one or more natural cheeses

Open Category Cold Pack Style—All Milks (SC)

1st Place: No Winner

2nd PLACE Pepper Jack Cold Pack Cheese Spread

Pine River| Newton, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Phil Lindemann



Soft-Ripened Washed Rind—All Milks (TB)

1st Place: Champfleury

Agropur Fine Cheeses | Québec, Canada
Cheesemaker: Agropur Dairy Cooperative

Raclette-Style—Aged over 45 days—All Milks (TR)

1st Place: Reading

Farms For City Kids | Reading, Vermont
Cheesemaker: Spring Brook Farm Team

Parish Hill Creamery Vermont Herdsman

Parish Hill Creamery Vermont Herdsman

Open Category—Washed Rind Cheeses—Cow’s Milk (TC)

1st Place: Vermont Herdsman

Parish Hill Creamery & Crown Finish Caves | Westminster West, Vermont
Cheesemaker: Parish Hill Creamery

Open Category—Washed Rind Cheeses—Goat’s Milk (TG)

1st Place: Red Cloud

Haystack Mountain Goat Dairy | Longmont, Colorado
Cheesemaker: Jackie Chang

Open Category—Washed Rind Cheeses—Sheep’s, Mixed, or Other Milks (TS)

1st Place: Meadow Melody

Hidden Springs Creamery | Westby, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Brenda Jensen

Grant Bradley

Grant Bradley is culture's former web editor and never ceases to thank his nameless human ancestor who figured that leaving some milk around for a while and then eating it was probably a great idea. Raised on California’s Central Coast, educated in the Pacific Northwest, and transplanted to New England, Grant likes to write, edit, and code things.

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