Top 15 Midwestern American Goat Cheeses

Blakesville Creamery is a modern artisanal creamery located in Port Washington, Wisconsin, specializing in the production of handcrafted goat’s milk cheeses. Their farm maintains its own herd of Alpine and Saanen goats, which ensures complete control over milk quality and freshness. This approach gives their cheeses exceptional purity of flavor and rich aroma, while every step of production—from milking to aging—is designed to highlight the natural qualities of the milk. Blakesville Creamery combines sustainable practices and modern techniques with a passion for traditional cheesemaking. Their assortment includes a variety of soft and semi-hard cheeses, often inspired by European styles but with a distinctive American touch. Special attention is dedicated to small-batch production, artisanal craftsmanship, and innovative flavors, making Blakesville Creamery a recognized name among cheese lovers and culinary experts across the United States.Expand

LaClare Creamery is a family-owned goat cheese producer known for its passion for creating high-quality, distinctly flavorful goat cheeses. Located in Malone, Wisconsin, LaClare Creamery is committed to producing premium cheeses from fresh, clean goat milk. The company blends traditional cheesemaking techniques with modern innovation to craft cheeses with rich, complex flavors. Their product range includes a variety of goat cheeses, from creamy chèvres to hard cheeses, all made with the utmost care and attention to detail. LaClare Creamery prides itself on its dedication to flavor perfection, ensuring that each cheese offers a unique and memorable taste experience. In addition to cheesemaking, LaClare Creamery invites visitors to explore their farm, enjoy a meal at their café, and participate in events that highlight the joy of goat cheese. The Creamery is dedicated to sustainability and excellence, and it continues to grow as a leading producer of artisanal goat cheese.Expand

Montchevre Betin is a company specializing in the production of goat cheese. It was established in 1989 and is based in the United States. The company produces a wide variety of goat cheeses including traditional chevre logs, crumbled feta, and specialty flavors. Montchevre sources its milk from a network of independent family farms, ensuring a focus on sustainable and responsible farming practices.Expand

Sartori Cheese is a brand specializing in the production of high-quality cheeses with a particular emphasis on artisanal and hand-crafted products. Founded in a small business in Wisconsin, Sartori quickly became known for its innovative production techniques and unique, rich flavors of cheese. The brand offers a wide range of cheeses, including various types of hard cheeses as well as cheeses with added spices and herbs, enhancing every bite. Sartori is renowned for using the finest milk from local farms in its production process, creating cheeses that not only meet high taste standards but also provide a richness of textures and aromas that develop over time.Expand

Capriole is a cheese producer located in Greenville, Indiana, specializing in artisan goat cheeses. The company was founded by Judy Schad in 1978. Capriole produces a variety of cheese types, focusing on small-batch production and traditional methods. Their product line includes fresh chevres, aged cheeses, and several award-winning selections.Expand

Baetje Farms, located in Bloomsdale, Missouri, specializes in producing artisan goat cheeses. The company has received multiple awards for its cheeses, highlighting its commitment to quality and craftsmanship. Baetje Farms uses traditional French methods to create their products, and their cheeses are known to be made from pure, natural ingredients without artificial preservatives.Expand

Carr Valley Cheese is a family-owned cheese company located in Wisconsin, known for its traditional cheesemaking techniques passed down through generations. It produces a wide variety of cheeses, including artisanal and specialty cheeses, that have won numerous national and international awards. The company operates multiple retail stores across Wisconsin.Expand

Idyll Farms is a family-owned farm that embraces traditional and careful cheesemaking methods, with a special focus on milk quality and authentic flavors. Their cheeses are handcrafted and often feature a rich, creamy texture with mild, natural goat milk aromas. The farm relies exclusively on natural grazing and feeding practices, contributing to the health of the animals and the sustainability of production. Their products are popular among artisan cheese enthusiasts due to their high quality and diverse flavors, and the farm is known for combining environmental awareness with traditional craftsmanship in every piece of cheese. Idyll Farms frequently participates in local fairs and culinary events, promoting their approach to sustainable and attentive cheesemaking.Expand

Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery, located in Champaign, Illinois, is a farmstead creamery that produces artisan goat cheeses and gelato. It emphasizes sustainable agricultural practices and sources its primary ingredients from its herd of goats. The farm hosts events and offers farm-to-table meals showcasing their products and local produce.Expand

Stickney Hill Chevre is an American cheese hailing from Kimball, where it's produced by Stickney Hill Dairy. The cheese is made from pasteurized goat's milk and has a natural rind. Underneath the rind, the texture is semi-soft, spreadable, and crumbly. The aromas are mild, lactic, and goaty, while the flavors range from mild and herbaceous to spicy, garlicky, and tangy. The cheese is made in a few varieties, most of them flavored with different ingredients, such as Tomato Basil Chevre, Garlic and Herb Chevre, Honey Chevre, Pumpkin Spice Chevre, and Cranberry Chevre. It's recommended to serve Stickney Hill Chevre as an appetizer or a dessert.Expand

Sofia is an American cheese produced in Greenville, Indiana by Capriole. It's made from pasteurized goat's milk. The cheese has a wrinkly, mold-ripened rind that hides a close, dense, soft, and creamy paste. The flavors are creamy, tangy, sweet, and citrusy. Sofia is easily recognizable by its elongated brick shape and a layer of ash which runs through the middle. As soon as the cheese forms a rind (less than 2 weeks), it is wrapped and ready for consumption. The paste becomes even denser and creamier from 5-7 weeks after the production. It's recommended to pair a young Sofia with sparkling wines and crisp, light wines, and as it matures, Sofia should be paired with sweet white wines such as Moscato or Sauternes.Expand

Julianna is an American cheese hailing from Greenville, Indiana, where it's produced by Capriole Goat Cheese. The cheese is made from pasteurized goat's milk and the rind is dusted with herbes de Provence, safflower petals, and calendula petals. The cheese is left to age from 4 to 8 months before consumption. Underneath its natural rind, the texture is semi-soft, buttery, and smooth. The aromas are herbal with mushroomy notes, while the flavors are smooth, tangy, buttery, and nutty. The cheese started as an experimental version of Old Kentucky Tomme, and it was developed by a Hungarian intern named Julianna Sedli, hence the name of the cheese. It's recommended to pair the cheese with a glass of rosé, Pinot Noir, Gamay, or Grüner Veltliner, and serve it with olives and cold cuts.Expand

Wabash Cannonball is an American cheese hailing from Greenville, Indiana, where it's produced by Capriole Goat Cheese. The cheese is made from pasteurized goat's milk and it's named after a famous folk song. Underneath its fluffy, bloomy, ash-coated rind, the texture is semi-soft, dense, crumbly, and creamy. The aromas are musty, earthy, and sweet, while the flavors are acidic, sweet, citrusy, and creamy. It's recommended to serve Wabash Cannonball on a cheeseboard and pair it with dry white wines such as Gruner Veltliner or Sauvignon Blanc.Expand

Little Napoleon is an American cheese hailing from Ann Arbor, Michigan, where it's produced by Zingerman's Creamery. The cheese is made from pasteurized goat's milk and it's left to age for a month before consumption. Underneath its natural rind, the texture is semi-hard and firm. The aroma is pungent and goaty, while the flavors are savory and slightly acidic. When fully mature, the texture becomes hard. It's recommended to serve Little Napoleon with crackers, fig jam, and rustic bread.Expand

Mont Saint-Francis is an American semi-hard cheese hailing from Indiana, where it's produced by Capriole Goat Cheese. The cheese is made from raw goat's milk in the style of French and Belgian monastic cheeses. Underneath its pungent stout-washed rind, the texture is firm and brittle, becoming more soft with age. The aromas are pungent and intense, while the flavors are rich, strong, and earthy. Due to its complex aromas and flavors, it's recommended to pair Mont Saint-Francis with fortified wines, bitter beers, and bourbon. The cheese was named after a Franciscan retreat near the production area. It was first made in 1994.Expand

Little Ypsi is an American cheese hailing from Ann Arbor, Michigan, where it's produced by Zingerman's Creamery. The cheese is made from pasteurized goat's milk and it's aged shortly. Underneath its natural rind, the texture is soft and dense when young, becoming firm and buttery as it ages. The aromas and flavors are buttery, as is the color of its rind. It's recommended to pair Little Ypsi with a glass of beer on the side.Expand

The City Goat is an American cheese originating from Ann Arbor, Michigan, where it's produced by Zingerman's Creamery. The cheese is made from pasteurized goat's milk and it's rindless. The texture is light and airy when fresh, and crumbly when aged. The aromas are fresh, while the flavors are bright, clean, mild, sweet, and slightly citrusy. It's recommended to serve the cheese as an appetizer or pair it with honey, toasted almonds, pesto, or roasted red peppers.Expand

Moonglo is an American tomme-style cheese hailing from Illinois. The cheese is made from raw goat's milk and it's left to age for 3 to 4 months before consumption. The rind is washed with tea made from Moonglo pear leaves, and underneath it the texture is firm and dense, dotted with small eyes. The aromas are intense and goaty, while the flavors are sharp, nutty, fruity, tangy, citrusy, and caramel-like. It's recommended to use Moonglo in grilled cheese sandwiches as it has great melting properties. Pair it with sweet and crisp apples.Expand

Piper's Pyramide is an American cheese hailing from Indiana. The cheese is made from goat's milk and it's modeled after the French Valencay cheese. It's left to age in caves for about 3 weeks. Underneath its bloomy rind, the texture is dense, fluffy, and creamy, with a small coating of paprika under the rind. The aromas are musty and milky, while the flavors are milky, sweet, and buttery. It's recommended to pair Piper's Pyramide with light and crisp white wines or sparkling wines. The cheese is named after Capriole founder Judy Schad's granddaughter Piper.Expand