This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Utah cheese makers brought home seven awards — included two first place honors — from 2012 American Cheese Society (ACS) competition held last week in Raleigh, NC.
More than 1,700 cheese were entered in the annual competition that honors the country's best cheeses.
First place went to the smoked cheddar made by Gold Creek Farms in Kamas and, TeaHive, made by Beehive Cheese Co. in Uintah. (TeaHive is Beehive's newest cheese, rubbed with black tea and bergamot oil).
The smoked Parmesan made by Gold Creek placed second in the smoked Italian category; and the company's truffle butter earned third in flavored butters.
Beehive's Barely Buzzed Cheddar, rubbed with espresso and lavender — a first place winner in four previous ACS competitions — earned a third place in one flavored cheddar category. It's Big John's Cajun, rubbed with cayenne pepper and other spices, won third in a different flavored cheddar division.
Finally, the Wasatch Back Jack, made by Heber Valley Artisan Cheese, in Midway, earned third in the flavor-added Monterey jack category.