10 Cheeses To Try During National American Cheese Month

Bay Blue Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company, Point Reyes Station, Calif. Age: 3 months. Milk: Cow, pasteurized. This cheese tastes like butter pecan ice cream, with notes of caramel and wheat. The texture is fudgy and finishes with a milky punch. Make a date with a rich stout, port, or barley wine.

Appalachian. Meadow Creek Dairy, Galax, VA. Age: 3 months. Milk: Cow, raw. This cheese is bright yellow and firm with a buttery, velvety texture. The cheese is aromatic with pops of lemon and foresty anise. Enjoy with French ciders, farmhouse ales and Pinot Noirs.

Dante, Wisconsin Sheep Dairy Cooperative, Plain, Wisc. Age: 6 months. Milk: Sheep, pasteurized. This hard cheese is perfect for grating over pastas. The crumbly texture is supremely nutty with strong notes of buttered toast. Enjoy with English ciders or Merlot.

Harbison, Cellars at Jasper Hill, Greensboro. VT. Aged: 3 – 6 weeks. Milk: Cow, pasteurized. The soft, bloomy rind on this cheese is wrapped up in spruce bark. When ripe, the interior is gooey and spreadable like frosting. The flavor is bright and tastes of bacon with a sweet, herbaceous quality. Try it with farmhouse ales, light pinot noirs, or dry cider.

Hudson Red, Twin Maple Farm, Ghent, NY. Age: 2 – 3 months. Milk: Cow, Raw. This buttery cheese has a rich paste and a funky, crunchy red rind. It tastes of toast with a slight vegetable bitterness. Pair it with pale ales, fruity Moscato or Basque cider.

Humboldt Fog. Cypress Grove, Archata, Calif. Age: 1 month Milk: Goat, pasteurized. A soft-ripened goat cheese coated with vegetable ash with an additional layer of ash in the middle. Clean, fresh and almost lemony with an aromatic gooey layer near the rind. Enjoy with farmhouse ales or Sauvignon Blanc.

Miette, Baetje Farms, Bloomsdale, MO. Aged: 2 weeks Milk: Goat & sheep, pasteurized. These little nuggets have a soft, cloud-like interior that billows onto your tongue. The flavor is mildly sweet with a touch of mushroom on the rind. Get fancy with a Pinot Grigio or sweet sherry.

Pleasant Ridge Reserve, Uplands Dairy, Dodgeville, Wisc. Age: 15 months. Milk: Cows, raw. This award-winning cheese has a creamy, milky interior. The crowd-pleasing flavor boasts grass, caramel and musty mushrooms. Enjoy alongside a glass of Muscato, Riesling, or full-bodied brown ale.

Prairie Breeze, Milton Creamery, Milton, Iowa. Age: 1 – 2 years. Milk: Cow, pasteurized. This sweet American cheddar is brimming with tangy fruit. It’s floral and nutty with a smooth, slightly crystalized texture. Eat with apples and a hoppy amber ale, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon or American cider.

Rogue River Blue, Rogue Creamery, Central Point, OR. Aged: 10 – 12 months. Milk: cow, raw. This creamy blue is wrapped in grape leaves that have been macerated in pear brandy. It’s tart and creamy with woodsy notes of burnt fruit. The texture is silky with rock candy crystals. This baby is only available in the Fall, so keep your eyes open. Try it with a hoppy double IPA or a rich imperial stout.