BES T CHEESES 2024 culturecheesemag.com 47
Clothbound
Cheddar
Face Rock Creamery
Bandon, Oregon
Hailing from Bandon, a city on
the southern coast of Oregon,
this hard cow's milk cheddar
won First in its category at the
2023 ACS. After fresh curds are
molded, they're wrapped in
cloth bandages and coated in
sweet butter, then left to age in
Face Rock Creamery's cheese
caves for at least 13 months.
e resulting texture is flaky,
while the paste is complex and
reminiscent of a traditional
extra-aged cheddar.
Black Truffle Vintage
Organic Cheddar
Godminster
Somerset, England
e good folks at Godminster in
Somerset, England took home Super
Gold at the 2022 WCA for this wheel,
and it's no wonder why. Clad in an
alluring layer of black wax, this hard
cheddar is crafted using pasteurized
cow's milk and European black truffles
procured the old-fashioned way—that
is, with a truffle hunter and hound. e
resulting cheese is rich, earthy, creamy
in texture, and decidedly luxurious
because, truffles.
Sharpsburg Cheddar
Pennland Pure
Hancock, Maryland
Situated in the Susquehanna
Valley, you'll find the farmer-owned
collaborative known as Pennland
Pure. eir Sharpsburg Cheddar,
named for the historic town of
Sharpsburg, Maryland, won First in
its category at the 2023 ACS, which
includes cheddars aged from 13 to
23 months. As far as aged cheddars
go, this one is well-balanced with a
fruity finish.
SHARPSBURG
CHEDDAR
