This Week's Tasting Plate: Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

Amidst all the recent competitive swimming, the fact that the cheese Olympics were recently held in Raleigh may have gotten lost in all the Lochte-sanity. The American Cheese Society Conference & Competition took place a few weeks ago and our own Lindsey was a judge. She ate hundreds of types of cheese and may have even worn an official visor.

Never one to keep the fun to herself, this week's tasting plate is full of ACS winning cheeses. It's almost overwhelming how many accomplished dairy products we keep in one room. 

First, we will have the Vermont Coupole, a soft-ripened goat cheese with a dense and creamy paste and slightly sweet rind with a mild yeast flavor. The Coupole, in fact, won first place in its category and did not need to bite the gold medal to see if it was real. That move is so played out. 

The Blue Paradise is a mild double cream that placed 2nd in cow's milk blues thanks to its long, balanced finish. Also on the plate are regular Dairymaid favorites Marieke Gouda, Red Hawk and Teahive--all winners. But you already knew that, didn't you?