The Best American Artisan Cheeses, According to Experts

Samira Bouaou for American Essence

Since the 1980s, artisan cheesemaking has exploded in America. Today, there are more than 600 varieties of cheeses being made by more than 1,000 producers, and quality is world-class: In 2019, Rogue Creamery’s Rogue River Blue became the first U.S. cheese named Best in the World at the World Cheese Awards. At the 2022 event, the United States had a total of 133 winners: four Super Gold, 15 Gold, 40 Silver, and 74 Bronze awards. Time to visit your local cheesemonger.

But what to try first? Experts share a few places to start.

The Experts

John Jaeggi, U.S. Cheese Championship judge and coordinator at the Center for Dairy Research at the University of Wisconsin

Benoit Breal, co-owner of Saxelby Cheesemongers, N.Y.

Lauren Toth, director of curriculum and training for Murray’s Cheese, N.Y.

The Recommendations

Clockwise from top: Vermont Shepherd Verano, Sartori SarVecchio Parmesan, Jasper Hill Farm Bayley Hazen, Sequatchie Cove Walden, Roelli Red Rock. Samira Bouaou for American Essence

Red Rock from Roelli Cheese in Shullsburg, Wis.

“Really good!” Jaeggi proclaims. “It’s like a cave-aged cheddar similar to English Stilton.” Mild flavored with a creamy texture, this rind cheese with pasteurized cow’s milk is aged at least 60 days and shows some blue veins. In 2023, it placed in the Top 20 cheeses at the World Cheese Championship Contest.

SarVecchio Parmesan from Sartori in Plymouth, Wis.

This Italian-style parmesan is “probably my go-to,” says Jaeggi. Similar to the legendary Parmigiano Reggiano, the cheese is aged at least 20 months and washed with olive oil, giving it a slightly creamier and less salty flavor.

Verano from Vermont Shepherd in Westminster, Vt.

The oldest sheep dairy in the United States, the 250-acre family farm produces this award-winning semi-hard raw-milk cheese named for summer. Breal calls it “an absolutely delicious farmstead sheep’s milk cheese. The flavor is balanced and elegant, with an unparalleled richness of grassy, sheepy notes.”

Walden from Sequatchie Cove in Sequatchie, Tenn.

This French-style, soft-ripened cow’s milk cheese has a silky texture and tender rind. “Flavor-wise, it goes hard on the fresh-churned butter notes, balanced out by a natural woodsiness and hint of cooked mushrooms,” says Breal. “I have personally witnessed this cheese convert even the staunchest soft cheese hater into a fan!”

Bayley Hazen from Jasper Hill Farm, Greensboro, Vt.

This raw cow’s milk blue cheese with a natural rind is “perfectly fudgy, with just the right amount of resistance when you bite into it,” says Toth. Spreadable on a baguette, it “balances deep savory notes with more delicate flavors of grass and anise.”

DIY Cheese Boards

Tips from Lauren Toth of Murray’s Cheese:

Choose Your Cheeses

“I’ll typically go with three or five cheeses on a board for visual appeal,” Toth says. She varies milk types (cow, goat, sheep, etc.) as well as styles and textures. “Generally I’ll go for a mix of soft/gooey, semi-firm, firm, and truly hard or crumbly.” Choose an “anchor” that “makes people gasp and say, ‘Tell me about that one!’ and a couple of “crowd-pleasers.”

Build the Board

Cheeses go first, pre-cut for convenience and to prevent what Toth calls cheese abuse: “Who scooped the middle out of the brie and left a pile of rind?!” Pro tip: “Anything in a wedge shape is super easy to cut into individual slices.”

Then add any charcuterie or crackers, with olives, dried fruits, and nuts to fill in. Don’t overlook sweet pairings: “Chocolates, cookies, caramels, and candied nuts make delightful accoutrements.”

Last come the chutneys, honeys, and grainy mustard. They’re fun and “an excuse to own adorable miniature serving implements.”

This article was originally published in American Essence magazine.