15 of the best American cheeses

When it comes to trends, the USA tends to lead the way. Generations of youths from the 50s and 60s onwards have looked across the Pond for inspiration in culture, fashion and music.

In the case of food, however, roles are reversed. While Britain has been enjoying a renaissance of local, traditional and artisanal produce for the last 20 to 30 years, America has been lambasted for its reliance on fast food and a heavily processed diet, fed by industrial giants.

Slowly but surely the tide is turning, though. Just as the craft beer scene exploded in the States, so too have foodies started to sit up and take notice of a small but growing clutch of artisans and cheesemakers doing things ‘the right way’, cultivating more sustainably, feeding their animals on grassland, and putting greater emphasis on fine tuning their affinage processes.

While demand increases amongst those in the know, so does production, and we’re beginning to see American cheeses shine centre stage at international awards, piquing the interest of judges, experts, cheesemongers and consumers.

But don’t expect a flurry of American cheese to land on our shores any time soon. The future of export to the UK relies heavily on trade deals being struck, better transport links, and growth in what is currently a rather niche sector.

Certainly, though, if (or when) these products are available, there’s a burgeoning interest and demand for them, say British cheesemongers, as consumers continue to look for new, exciting fromages to adorn their grazing boards.

Jen Grimstone-Jones of The Pangbourne Cheese Shop is one cheesemonger who would welcome such a development, and she’s gone so far as to study for (and pass) the American Cheese Society’s Certified Cheese Professional exam, to enhance her knowledge of Stateside cheeses.

“Americans are passionate about their food and cheese,” Jen says. “We get quite a lot of American customers in the shop, and they are always really focused on ‘farmstead’ cheeses (cheese which has been made on a farm using the farm’s own milk). They are fascinated by the huge range of cheese that we make in the UK.”

A lot of the shop’s American customers, she adds, buy English cheeses to take back to the US with them, including one who ice packs a whole 3kg wheel of Fen Farm Dairy’s Baron Bigod into his suitcase on every trip to the UK.

American cheese, because of a lack of knowledge and education, is often knocked by those who haven’t tried the true, craft made varieties, Jen continues, saying that many Americans themselves don’t realise what’s being made right on their doorstep.

“I proposed to my wife after an amazing American cheeseboard in Washington DC 11 years ago. There are some incredible cheeses being made there. Proper artisan cheeses, crafted by hand on small farms. We just don’t get to see any of it over here. I think a lot of these cheeses would excite our customers, but it’s impossible to import them. I would love to be able to showcase some of them in the shop, and am hoping to be able to bring some over this year.”

How has the American cheese scene changed?

Certified cheese professional and educator Kyra James, a member of the American Cheese Society, says makers in the US are paying a huge amount of attention to what’s happening on the scene overseas, especially the UK.

There has been, she explains, a resurgence in the country of speciality food producers since the 80s with a major factor for lack of exporting (apart from trade issues) being the scale of production, which has tended to be small, feeding into local marketplaces.

“In the last 10 to 15 years that scale has grown through more access and more producers. The larger producers get, the more people can enjoy the cheeses. Smaller producers have grown in size whether themselves, or by forming partnerships and co-operatives with other farmers. That has allowed them to have a national footprint.”

There is a strong and growing network, Kyra says, of customers and consumers who appreciate the value of fresh, local food, and supporting the local economy. It’s a movement she hopes will continue to flourish.

Another massive change, that’s ongoing, is of the overall vision and perception of American cheese amongst natives. “American is a very industrial country. Ninety per cent of our dairy comes from Wisconsin, and a lot of that is industrialised. You have to move to the shorelines and the lush pastures to experience and find these more artisan cheeses.”

The “noise” around American cheese is helping, slowly but surely, to give craft makers a voice. “There are more of us talking about it. I’ve been in the industry for 10 years, but the longevity of a cheese professional used to be one to two years. In the past, the industry hasn’t had the same celebrity and prestige, and selling cheese hasn’t been a livelihood. But as there’s more and more distribution, and this gets bigger, there are more opportunities for people opening up.”

Education is a huge part of this, Kyra adds, saying the American Cheese Society and Academy of Cheese have been instrumental in moving the dial on America’s cheese offering.

As a cheesemaker, Yoav Perry, founder of Perrystead Dairy, says he’s witnessed first-hand the radical evolvement of the sector in America, calling it a “remarkable transformation”, and adding that there’s been, in recent years, a shift towards “creating distinctly American originals”.

The evolution has been driven, he says, by a growing emphasis on regionality, and the unique qualities that American landscapes can impart to cheese.

“Additionally, the rise in consumer appreciation for high-quality, small-batch products has fuelled innovation and experimentation. We’re seeing fewer customers asking for Cheddar or ‘something like Brie’, as people become open to discovering new and unique flavours. They’re requesting speciality cheeses – or even a favourite cheesemaker – by name.”

Retailer Laura Downey, of Fairfield Cheese Company in Connecticut, says the American artisan scene was just taking ground when she first opened, and she’s delighted that 15 years along the line, many of the dairies and farmstead makers she’s been working with have perfected their offering, calling the quality “impressive”. “Quality comes with time and experience, and as the industry matures, the deliciousness increases,” she explains. “That being said, it currently feels like the market is stagnant, and as an industry, we need more Americans to buy artisan cheese. Many cheesemakers produce the same amount of cheese they made five years ago.”

What’s the future of American cheese?

Production needs to increase, without reducing quality, and stronger delivery routes opened up for American cheese to reach its full potential, agree those in the industry. Kyra says affinage, as a process, must be embraced too, to ensure every single cheese, at every single dairy and retailer gets to consumers at its peak.

The process of caring for cheese is still in its infancy, she explains, saying that where some lead, others must follow. Murray’s Cheese in New York, for example, has an ageing programme, and is winning awards for its expressions of a variety of products, while The Farm at Doe Run in Pennsylvania numbers its cheeses and names them by batch. “They’re doing some beautiful work,” Kyra says.

“What’s intersting and inspiring to think about is we are doing a lot of the same things across the country, we just don’t have the ability to share with each other yet. A lot of the same innovation is going on – returning to the land, knowing what the land needs. We need to educate consumers so they know how to purchase and why to purchase. Once more people are buying American cheese, we can make more of it and ship it.”

Why should British retailers be excited about American cheese?

“I think they’d be pleasantly surprised by the quality and the passion of our producers,” says Kyra. “A lot of their stories are super unique, whether from intent, or a happy accident or a family tradition. For their consumers, it can give a new outlook and connection to diversity and understanding different cultures.”

Yoav says Britain has followed the trajectory of American wines, beer and coffee roasting, so it’s easy to see where American speciality cheese could go, especially as there are no rules because it’s such a new industry. “Breaking with tradition has always benefitted food,” he continues. “And America’s lack of a traditional framework – or even its outright disdain for the old – has paved the way for new ways to think about food, cheese included. 

“Without domain protection systems and government subsidies, there’s no obligation to stick with the status quo, which fosters innovation in product development, supply chains, business models and production methods. If you think about it, these circumstances are, in fact, the most traditional way cheese has always been invented – born out of necessity and the resources at hand.”

The industry has truly come into its own, Perry adds, winning awards worldwide for cheeses that offer unique flavours, aromas, textures and visual appeal. “These cheeses are exciting, different, undeniably cheese, and universally of superb quality.”

Perrystead Dairy’s own 16 international medals in the last three years, he adds, are testament to the calibre of cheese being produced in America. 

For Laura, it’s a simple answer. “I think the rest of the world needs to taste it, and they will be believers!”

15 of the best American cheeses

1. Rogue River Blue

Producer: Rogue Creamery, Oregon

This is Jen’s favourite, and a top winner at the World Cheese Awards in 2019. Its flavour is influenced by being finished in grapevine leaves soaked in pear spirit. “It has such a complex profile that it’s almost impossible to pick out the individual flavours.”

2. and 3. Harbison and Whitney

Producer: Jasper Hill Farm, Vermont

“This is a top producer with success grown through the support of and support from their local community. With that growth they’ve been able to sell internationally,” says Kyra. “I think their Alpine cheeses, like Whitney, are really beautiful representations of the terroir in that part of America.”

Regeneratively run Jasper Hill Farm operates in a biodiverse landscape, where the cows are grazed on grass, and on home grown hay, used as sileage in the winter. Their raw milk cheeses are made in the on site creamery, featuring copper vats reclaimed from France’s Jura region.

Whitney is a smooth, velvety cheese with notes of toasted nut, cured meat and sweet cream.

Cheeses like these, says Kyra, are imperative to the continuing American artisan journey. “Americans are so disconnected from farming. Less than 2% live on or near a farm, so understanding the process is a big part of conception and success. Now people know what ‘farmstead’ means, and appreciate those made in the same place as the milk producer, like Jasper Hill. In a way, we’re working backwards to how cheese used to be.”

Jen adores theur cheese. “Their whole set up is amazing, from producing some excellent cheeses, to maturing other makers’ cheeses in their own caves. Harbison is a bit like a Vacherin Mont d’Or. It is encircled by a band of locally produced spruce, but when cut the cheese is so soft and unctuous that it runs off the plate – just perfect with a slice of sourdough.”

4. Pleasant Ridge Reserve

Producer: Uplands Cheese Company, Wisconsin

“This is an Alpine style cheese with an amazing savoury flavour, combined with a rich, fruity finish,” says Jen. 

5. Kunik

Producer: Nettle Meadow Farm, New York

“There’s nothing better to round off a cheeseboard than this goats’ cheese, made from a mixture of goats’ milk and cow’s cream. They combine into the most delicious, bloomy rind, triple cream cheese I’ve ever tasted,” says Jen.

6. and 7. Afterglow and Shabby Shoe

Producer: Blakesville Creamery, Wisconsin

“This is a goat operation, really focused on sustainability and climate change,” says Kyra. “Moving their production from cows to goats helped to lessen their impact on the environment and the cheesemaking process. Every cheese tastes amazing. Shabby Shoe is my favourite. It’s named after the French classic, Chabichou du Poitou.”

Afterglow is another favourite from this maker, which started production during 2020, crafting by hand, and ripening naturally in a state-of-the-art creamery.

It’s one of eight in the overall range, and is a washed-rind, lactic variety inspired by French Langres, finished with a wash in cherry ale, which brings a clean, fruity minerality to the taste.

8. Hooligan

Producer: Cato Corner Farm, Connecticut

Kyra likes this farmstead maker, which produces cheeses by hand from a herd of 45 Jersey cows, raised on a pasture-based diet without additives. Hooligan is their signature washed rind variety, made in a single wheel, bathed in brine once a week, and aged for 60 to 75 days. It has a similar taste to French Munster.

9. and 10. Intergalactic and Treehugger

Producer: Perrystead Dairy, Philadelphia

“This is an urban cheesemaker in the heart of the city,” says Kyra. “People thought the owner was a bit nuts when he came up with the idea, but now he’s getting all sorts of accolades for his innovative thinking – he even has a cheese vending machine! It’s amazing you can now get beautoful, delicious artisan cheese from a vending machine in Philly!”

The dairy makes five varieties, with multiple awards across the range. Intergalactic is their signature, soft lactic cow’s milk cheese, made with Iberian cardoon thistle flowers in place of animal rennet. It’s herbal, creamy and with a hint of olive tang.

Treehug is the maker’s seasonal cheese, available from November to May. It’s made with the enzymes of thistle and lady’s bedstraw flowers and belted with spruce bark, which imparts an earthiness. The texture is fudgy, buttery and spoonable.

11. and 12. Prairie Breeze Cheddar and 4 Alarm Cheddar

Producer: Milton Creamery, Iowa

Prairie Breeze was Kyra’s ‘aha’ moment. “That cheese for me was where I started to begin to understand it was more than just a product. It’s a delicious Cheddar that has a sweetness to it. It’s awesome.”

The dairy’s milk is sourced from farms within a 30-mile radius – all small, and family run, with an emphasis on putting the cows to pasture, where they forage on grasses and legumes. 

They make 11 varieties, including Kyra’s favourite, and 4 Alarm Cheddar – produced using four types of pepper – Ghost, Chili, Chipotle and Jalapeno.

13. and 14. The Gray and Melinda May

Producer: Mystic Cheese, Connecticut

This maker, says Kyra, looks to UK styles and traditions to model his cheeses. “He has a lot of love and passion for cheeses made in England, and natural rind styles.”

Melinda May is a buttery, silky cheese with hints of mushroom, while The Gray is his homage to Cheshire cheese, being crumbly, creamy and savoury, with a touch of acidity.

15. Bay Blue

Producer: Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese, California

Kyra loves this all-female cheesemaking company, which puts sustainablity first. The farm runs off methane-powered renewable energy, water is conserved with a reuse and recycle programme, and a great deal of work goes into ensuring the health of the soil and animals.

The family produces 12 cheeses, and Bay Blue is one of their best known. Rustic, mellow and sweet with a hint of salted caramel and a natural rind, it’s a local cheeseboard favourite.