Rogue Creamery comes home with six of Oregon’s 13 ribbons
Portland, Ore. – August 1, 2016 – Oregon artisan, farmstead, and specialty cheese makers took home top honors in two categories and Rogue Creamery won an impressive six ribbons during the American Cheese Society’s 2016 Annual Cheese Competition.
The awards were announced July 29 at the American Cheese Society’s 33rd Annual Conference held in Des Moines, Iowa. Notable wins were firsts for Ancient Heritage’s Hannah and Ochoa’s Queseria (Don Froylan)’s Queso Oaxaca.
Winning Oregon cheesemakers took honors in 7 categories and 11 subcategories. Included were Ancient Heritage Dairy, Portland; Ochoa Queseria (Don Froylan), Albany; Oregon State University Creamery, Corvallis; Rogue Creamery, Central Point; and Tillamook County Creamery Association, Tillamook.
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. 44 cheese specialists judged the 2016 competition, which included a record 1,843 entries representing 260 processors 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 most of these and other offerings from Oregon creameries at the Guild’s annual festival October 1 in Portland, The Wedge.
2016 American Cheese Competition Awards
Oregon Winners by Category & Subcategory
American Originals Original Recipe / Open Category – mixed or other milks
1st Ancient Heritage Dairy
Hannah
Aged Cheddar – aged 12-24 months – all milks
2nd Tillamook County Creamery Association
White Sharp Cheddar
Mature Cheddar – aged 24-48 months – all milks
3rd Rogue Creamery
2 Year Organic Cheddar
Mature Cheddar – aged over 48 months – all milks
3rd Tillamook County Creamery Association
Vintage White Extra Sharp 4 Year Reserve Cheddar
Rindless Blue-veined – goat’s milk
2nd Rogue Creamery
Echo Mountain Blue Cheese
Blue-veined with a rind or external coating – made from cow’s milk
2nd Rogue Creamery
Flora Nelle Organic
Blue-veined with a rind or external coating – made from cow’s milk
3rd Rogue Creamery
Caveman Blue
Blue-veined with a rind or external coating – made from cow’s milk
3rd Rogue Creamery
Tolman Organic
Hispanic & Portuguese Style Cheeses – melting
1st Ochoa’s Queseria (Don Froylan)
Queso Oaxaca
Monterey Jack with Flavor Added – all milks
2nd Tillamook County Creamery Association
Hot Habanero Jack
Smoked Cheddars – all milks 3rd Oregon State University Creamery
Smoked Cheddar
Smoked Cheeses – Open Category, cow’s milk
3rd Rogue Creamery
Smokey TouVelle
Salted Butter with or without cultures – cow’s milk
3rd Tillamook County Creamery Association
Tillamook Salted Sweet Cream Butter