ReZoom

Here at ReZoom, we prepared a short list of the nation's best cheeses and their farms of origin. Then we brought in the taste testers.

Since we searched America for its finest chocolatiers, it only seemed right for cheese-makers to be next. After consulting my cousin, a cheese-lover, food writer and co-founder of cookthink.com, as well as Cheese: A Connoisseur's Guide to the World's Best by Max McCalman and David Gibbons, here at ReZoom, we prepared a short list of the nation's best cheeses and their farms of origin. Then we brought in the taste testers and ranked all of the offering on a scale from one to five, with one as the worst and five as the best.

Uplands Cheese Company
Dodgeville, Wisconsin
The primary product of this Wisconsin farm is its namesake cheese, Uplands Pleasant Ridge, a cow's milk offering that sells for $26.75/pound. As many cheese experts will tell you (including Artisanal Premium Cheese, who shipped us our tasty order), the Uplands dairy is "a wonderful rival to France's noble mountain cheeses." The comparison to France's noble cheeses seems pretty accurate as the taste, odor and look of this cheese are pretty traditional. Fans referred to Uplands Pleasant Ridge as "tangy" and "reminiscent of a Swiss," while detractors were not impressed. One taster remarked, "A good pungent cheese has to have something other than 'smelly' going for it. This is not that cheese."


Westfield Farm
Hubbardston, Massachusetts
Westfield Farm, which specializes in premium goat cheeses, has been run by a husband and wife team in Western Massachusetts since 1971. In addition to offering cheeses with unique flavors from wasabi to chocolate, Westfield Farm also makes many tried and true staples like their classic blue log. With a price tag of $7.25 for four ounces, the classic blue log is a traditional goat cheese with just the slightest hint of bleu cheese. The results of our taste test showed that while no one hated the classic blue, no one loved it either. The strongest compliment was "pretty good" and the harshest criticism was "I'm not a fan."


Cowgirl Creamery
San Francisco, California and Washington, D.C.
Should you ever need to scare away an invading army, burglars or your in-laws, Red Hawk cheese might be the best weapon of choice. With an odor even the kindest heart would call "pungent," you'll smell Red Hawk coming from miles away. The well-known cheese from Cowgirl Creamery is a cow's milk product touted as "triple cream" that sells for $30.00 per 12 ounces via the Internet. However, for such a strong smell, the cheese is surprisingly mild. One taster complained about the "abhorrent stench" just before praising Red Hawk's "fabulous texture." Another added, "It tastes expensive, but in a good way – like I'm in France or something."

4. Cypress Grove Chevre
McKinleyville, California
Humboldt Fog, a popular offering from Cypress Grove Chevre, is a goat cheese that doesn't look like your typical goat cheese. In addition to a glossier outer coating, Humboldt Fog has a line of black ash running down its middle. Selling for $20.00/pound, Humboldt Fog is most often found at specialty stores, and made a big impression on our tasters. In addition to being one's "choice for a party," the cheese was also referred to as "tart, yet sophisticated and complex."


Mozzarella Company
Dallas, Texas
Paula Lambert, the mastermind and master chef behind the Texas-based Mozzarella Company, is often praised for her Hoja Santa goat cheese ($11.50 for five ounces). The cheese arrives covered in very thin, almost watery leaves that we learned from our pals at Artisanal Premium Cheese are "from the local Hoja Santa plant" and "impart subtle tones of sassafras to this soft, young chevre." Fancy phrases aside, this cheese was a big hit with us. ReZoom tasters loved this "very good cheese" for its "smoky" taste and "fabulously tangy and refreshing" flavors.


Jasper Hill Farm
Greensboro, Vermont
With a name like Constant Bliss, we should have known that this cheese would not disappoint. A cow's milk cheese, best and oft described as "creamy," Constant Bliss costs $10.50 for eight ounces of dairy goodness. Maybe it's the "fresh, uncooled evening milk of Jasper Hill Farm" that makes it so special. An out and out favorite, mouths were so full, the only words that could clearly be made out were "wonderful" and "delicious." Even the negative comments seemed to reflect more on having too much of a good thing, as detractors thought that Constant Bliss was "too creamy."


Vermont Shepherd
Putney, Vermont
Vermont Shepherd cheese stands out on this list primarily due to its origin. Neither cow's milk nor goat milk cheese, Vermont Shepherd is the "oldest and most well known of the country's sheep milk cheeses" according to the farm's own website. For $22.00/pound, anyone can have the classic cheese shipped right to his or her own front door. As another fairly traditional offering, the Vermont Shepherd earned much higher marks than the Uplands Pleasant Ridge cheese. As one tester commented, "This is a very nice cheese. A little safe, but what's wrong with doing a good thing well?"