Best Northeastern American Waxed Rind Cheese Types
La Luna is an American cheese hailing from Vermont, where it's produced by Blue Ledge Farm. This Gouda-style cheese is made from raw goat's milk and has a waxed rind. The aromas are grassy, and the texture is semi-firm and smooth.
The flavors are creamy, tangy, fresh, and milky. It's recommended to pair it with a glass of beer on the side. The name of the cheese means the moon in Italian, referring to the fact that the creators of the cheese met in Italy and began planning for their cheesemaking there.
Plymouth is an American cheese hailing from Vermont. The cheese is made from raw cow's milk as a cross between cheddar and Colby cheese. Underneath its waxed rind, the texture is flaky, firm, and grainy after intense aging of 10 months in cellars.
The aromas are strong, and rich, while the flavors are sharp, fruity, spicy, tangy, nutty, smoky, and buttery. The producer, Plymouth Artisan Cheese also makes a smoked version of the cheese and a version that's aged or 2 years, called Hunter cheese.
Kefir Blue is an American blue cheese hailing from New York. The cheese is made from raw cow's milk as a combination of creamy and sharp Roquefort and live kefir cultures. Underneath its waxed rind, the texture is crumbly, with blue veining running throughout the paste.
The flavors are nutty, sharp, tangy, and creamy. Kefir Blue is aged in caves. It's recommended to use it in dips and sauces or crumble it over salads.
Kennebec Highlands Caerphilly is an American cheese originating from Sidney, Maine, where it's produced by Kennebec Cheesery. The cheese is made from pasteurized goat's milk and it's usually left to age from 4 to 6 months before consumption.
Underneath its waxed rind, the texture is semi-hard, smooth, and creamy. The aromas are milky and grassy, while the flavors are salty, tangy, and nutty. Kennebec Highlands Caerphilly is often added to pizzas, salads, and pastas, and it's recommended to serve it with bread or crackers.
Shelburne Cheddar is an American cheese hailing from Vermont, where it's produced by Shelburne Farms. This waxed-rind cheese is made from raw cow's milk and it's typically aged for 6 to 9 months, a year, or two full years. Apart from these versions with different maturation periods, there's also a smoked version of the cheese.
The texture is firm and creamy, the aromas rich, and the flavors strong, rich, and milky. When young, the cheese has a subtle fruity note. It's recommended to pair Shelburne Cheddar with a bottle of Grenache, while the aged versions of the cheese go best with strong mustard, sourdough bread, and a bottle of IPA.
Pair with
TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.