Face Rock Creamery comes home with five of Oregon’s 15 medals

Portland, Ore. – July 30, 2018 – Oregon artisan, farmstead, and specialty cheese makers took home blue ribbons in two categories and Face Rock Creamery (Bandon) won an impressive five awards during the American Cheese Society’s 2018 Annual Cheese Competition.

The awards were announced July 27 at the American Cheese Society’s 35th Annual Conference held in Pittsburgh, PA.  Face Rock’s Clothbound Cheddar took home first place in the coveted cloth wrapped category that boasts some of the world’s most iconic cheeses.  Tillamook County Creamery Association (Tillamook) scored a first in the crowded aged cheddar category with their 3 Year Vintage Extra Sharp White Cheddar.  Tillamook landed four medals overall and Rogue Creamery (Central Point) three.  Other winners were Ochoa’s Queseria (Albany) and Briar Rose (Dundee).

The judging is the nation’s largest cheese competition and recognizes only the highest quality cheeses based on both aesthetics (flavor, aroma, and texture) and technical accomplishments.  43 cheese specialists judged the 2018 competition, which included 1,954 entries representing 259 creameries from North and South America.  Additional information about the American Cheese Society and its competition can be found here and a full list of Oregon winners below.

Consumers will have the opportunity to taste winning cheeses from Oregon creameries at fine groceries during Oregon Cheese Month in September, at the Guild’s annual festival October 6 in Portland, The Wedge, and at creameries around the state on the Oregon Cheese & Food Trail.

2018 American Cheese Competition Awards
Oregon Winners by Category & Subcategory

Flavored – fresh unripened
3rd Face Rock Creamery, Apricot Honey Fromage Blanc

Fresh Unripened Cheeses – curds
2nd Face Rock Creamery, Cheddar Cheese Curds

Cheddars – wrapped in cloth, aged through 12 months
1st Face Rock Creamery, Clothbound Cheddar

Flavored Cheeses – Hispanic style
3rd Ochoa’s Queseria (Don Froylan), Queso Botanero Cilantro y Jalapeno

Hispanic & Portuguese Style Cheeses – fresh, unripened
2nd Ochoa’s Queseria (Don Froylan), Queso Panela

Rindless Blue-veined – mixed milk
3rd Rogue Creamery, Echo Mountain Blue

Feta – goat’s milk
3rd Briar Rose Creamery, Goat Milk Feta

Flavored – curds
3rd Face Rock Creamery, In Your Face Spicy 3 Pepper Curds

Blue-veined with a rind or external coating – cow’s milk
2nd Rogue Creamery, Organic Caveman Blue

Smoked Cheeses – cow’s milk
3rd Rogue Creamery, Organic Smokey Blue Cheese

Smoked Cheeses – cheddars
2nd Face Rock Creamery, Smokey Cheddar

Cheddars – aged 24-47 months
1st Tillamook County Creamery Association, 3 Year Vintage Extra Sharp White Cheddar

Cheddars – aged 13-23 months
2nd Tillamook Country Creamery Association, Cape Meares Cheddar

Cheddars – aged 13-23 months
3rd Tillamook Country Creamery Association, Sharp Cheddar

American Originals – Monterey Jack, cow’s milk
2nd Tillamook County Creamery Association, Monterey Jack

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Founded in 2006, the Oregon Cheese Guild is dedicated to the art and craft of making cheese. The Guild is a collaborative effort to increase awareness of Oregon’s artisanal cheeses, create educational opportunities, and provide a platform for cooperation and shared resources among Oregon cheesemakers.

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Media Contact: 
Katie Bray, Executive Director   |   katiembray@gmail.com   |   503.764.9927