Point Reyes Bay Blue is a farmstead, pasteurized cow’s milk blue cheese from the Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company in Marin County, California. Made from their own Holstein herd, it’s aged 90 days with traditional animal rennet, developing a natural rind. The cheese is semifirm, fudgy, and slightly crumbly with a flavor profile of salted caramel, malt, earth, and mild blue pungency. It is sustainably produced, rBST-free, and won Best of Class at the 2024 World Championship Cheese Contest. Pairings include vintage port, Cabernet Sauvignon, imperial stout, and foods like steak and mushroom risotto. Locally pronounced "Point Rays."

Bayley Hazen Blue, from Greensboro, Vermont, is a raw cow's milk, natural rind blue cheese aged 3-5 months. Made with raw Ayrshire milk, it features small fat globules that enhance texture and flavor. The cheese uses traditional Sax Rennet, fostering rich umami and a fudgy, dense texture with blue-green veining. Its terroir-driven milk contributes grassy and anise notes. The low moisture (42-46%) cheese ripens in controlled cellars, developing a balanced, complex flavor profile of anise, toasted nuts, and roast beef. It pairs well with Port, stout beers, and foods like steak and dark chocolate. It won "World's Best Unpasteurized Cheese" in 2014.

Blue Shropshire Cheese, produced by Long Clawson Dairy in Leicestershire, UK, is a semi-hard, blue-veined, annatto-colored cheese made from pasteurized cow’s milk and vegetarian rennet. Though originally created in Scotland in the 1970s, it is now made in the Stilton region, but lacks PDO status. Its creamy yet sharp, mineral-rich profile, vibrant orange paste, and blue veining distinguish it. Long Clawson's cooperative model ensures milk quality and authenticity. The cheese’s production involves meticulous microbiology, strict maturation, and specific storage requirements, making it a respected, award-winning product in the premium cheese market.

Buttermilk Blue, produced by Roth Cheese in Monroe, Wisconsin, is an American artisanal blue cheese made primarily from pasteurized Jersey and Holstein cow's milk. It is creamy and semi-soft with a high butterfat content, aged at least two months for the standard version and six months for the raw milk “Affinée” reserve. Its flavor is tangy, mellow, and buttermilk-like, appealing to novices and connoisseurs alike. The cheese uses microbial rennet, is rindless, and foil-wrapped. It pairs well with Riesling, Rosé, stouts, and sweet accompaniments like honey and fruits.

Cambozola Black Label is a German triple-cream soft-ripened blue cheese from Bavaria's Allgäu region, made by Käserei Champignon in Lauben since 1908. Crafted from pasteurized cow’s milk of traditional Alpine breeds, enriched with cream to 70% fat in dry matter, it combines *Penicillium camemberti* (gray rind) and *P. roqueforti* (blue veins) molds. Aged 4.5 weeks under "Cold Ripening," it achieves a creamy, spreadable texture and balanced flavor—rich, sweet-cream with mild, nutty blue notes and earthy rind. It uses microbial rennet, is lactose-free, and pairs well with sweet fortified wines, stouts, and honey. The Black Label is a premium “Reserve” product distinct from Classic Cambozola.

Caveman Blue by Rogue Creamery is an organic, pasteurized cow’s milk artisanal blue cheese from Oregon’s Rogue River Valley. It features a natural rind and is aged 2 to 6+ months in caves, yielding a dense, fudgy texture with calcium lactate crystals. Made from Brown Swiss and Holstein milk, it uses microbial rennet, making it vegetarian-friendly. The complex flavor includes shiitake mushroom, golden beet, brown butter, and moderate blue piquancy. It’s certified organic, cave-aged, and recognized for quality with awards. Pairings include bold red wines, stouts, honey, and nuts. Signs of spoilage and authentic sensory traits are well-defined.

Murray’s Dansk Blue is a Danish blue-veined cheese (Danablu PGI) produced by St. Clemens Food Products on Bornholm island, using pasteurized, homogenized Danish cow's milk and microbial rennet. Homogenization yields a white paste, creamy texture, and sharp flavor driven by *Penicillium roqueforti* lipolysis. The cheese is semi-soft, salty, piquant with umami notes, aged 8–12 weeks, and vegetarian-friendly. Bornholm’s unique geology and microclimate influence milk quality. It pairs well with sweet wines, bold reds, stout, and aquavit, and is suited for culinary uses like dips. Proper storage preserves its quality, avoiding pink discoloration defects.

Treasure Cave Gorgonzola, established in 1936 by Felix Frederiksen in Minnesota’s sandstone caves, is America's original cave-aged blue cheese now produced by Saputo Cheese USA in Wisconsin. It undergoes a strict 90-day aging process, using microbial rennet and *Penicillium roqueforti* for its distinctive "sweet finish" flavor, balancing pungency with creaminess. The cheese complies with federal standards, offers gluten-free and keto-friendly nutrition, and is positioned as an accessible gourmet product. Proper storage is critical to avoid spoilage by organisms like *Serratia marcescens*. While the brand's heritage roots in Faribault caves continue in marketing, actual aging in caves ceased decades ago.

Gorgonzola Dolce "Marca Oro" by Formaggi Ciresa is a Protected Designation of Origin Italian blue-veined cheese, produced in specified provinces of Piedmont and Lombardy, primarily around Valsassina. Made from pasteurized whole cow’s milk, it uses calf rennet and a selected starter culture including *Penicillium glaucum* for mild blue veining. The cheese is cut gently, stewed, dry salted, and aged 60-90 days for a creamy, spreadable texture with restrained blue mold flavor. Aging occurs in controlled humidity and temperature, with piercing to enable mold growth. It requires careful handling due to spoilage risks like "pinking" defects and ammonia off-flavors.

Gorgonzola Mountain by Formaggi Ciresa is a traditional Italian blue cheese from Lombardy's Valsassina valley, aged 8–12 weeks to develop its spicy Piccante profile. Made from pasteurized cow's milk (Italian Friesian and Brown Swiss), it uses traditional calf rennet and is matured in alpine caves with controlled microclimate and specialized Penicillium roqueforti strains. Produced in 6kg wheels, it has about 40% moisture and a dense, fudgy yet crumbly texture. Its complex flavor includes spicy, cherry, chocolate, and peppercorn notes. The cheese is PDO-certified, sourced from a family dairy in a nature preserve, and pairs well with sweet wines, bold reds, and rich beers.

Maytag Blue Cheese, originating from Newton, Iowa, is an American artisanal blue cheese made exclusively from homogenized Holstein cow's milk. Developed at Iowa State University in the 1940s, it uses a patented process including microbial rennet and pasteurization, matured in limestone caves for six months. The homogenization enhances flavor by increasing lipolysis, enabling intense, peppery notes mimicking sheep's milk blue cheese. It has a creamy yet crumbly texture, with emerald blue veins, and a warm, ivory color. Maytag Blue is trademark-protected, typically uses local milk sources, pairs well with sweet wines and beers, and can be frozen without quality loss.

Point Reyes Original Blue is a raw milk, farmstead blue cheese made by the Giacomini family in Marin County, California. Produced from a closed herd of Holstein cows, it features a creamy, semi-soft texture without a rind and a sweet milk flavor balanced by medium-to-strong peppery blue mold notes. Aged for 3.5 to 4 months using microbial rennet, it preserves native enzymes through raw milk and homogenization. The cheese pairs well with bold red wines, malt-centric beers, and both sweet and savory foods. It is gluten-free, vegetarian, and notable for sustainability efforts and being a Women-Owned business.

Rogue River Blue by Rogue Creamery in Oregon is the first American cheese to win World Champion at the 2019/20 World Cheese Awards. This artisan, seasonal blue cheese is made from certified organic pasteurized milk from Brown Swiss and Jersey cows, aged 9-11 months. It’s wrapped in Syrah grape leaves soaked in pear spirits, enhancing moisture and flavor. It has a fudgy, creamy texture with tyrosine crystals and a complex flavor profile featuring pear brandy, vanilla, truffle, and fermented fruit. Produced only in autumn, it’s cave-aged and pairs well with robust wines and dark malt beers.

Gabriel Coulet Roquefort, from France's Aveyron region, is a protected raw sheep's milk blue cheese matured in limestone caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon. Made exclusively with milk from Lacaune sheep grazing local pastures, it uses traditional animal rennet and indigenous Penicillium roqueforti mold. Aging ranges from 3 months (standard) to 14-18+ months (Castelviel), developing complex flavors from lipolysis and proteolysis. The cheese is creamy, porcelain-white with blue veins, balancing spicy and savory notes. Its production strictly adheres to terroir-based AOP/PDO rules, preserving authenticity, texture, flavor, and a unique natural microclimate critical for ripening.

Saint Agur is a French double-cream blue cheese from the Auvergne region, created in 1988 by Savencia Fromage & Dairy. Made from pasteurized cow's milk, primarily Montbéliarde breed, it features a unique octagonal shape and undergoes 60 days of ripening with *Penicillium roqueforti*. Its texture is soft, velvety, and spreadable, with a sweet, milky flavor balanced by mild blue mold spiciness. The cheese uses animal rennet for large wheels, with vegetarian rennet for retail packs. Moisture content is ~45%. It pairs well with sweet wines, robust beers, fruits, and nuts, offering a stable, approachable alternative to traditional stronger blues.

Stilton is a PDO-protected blue cheese made exclusively in Derbyshire, Leicestershire, or Nottinghamshire, England, from pasteurized cow's milk. It features a creamy, fudgy texture with complex savory, spicy, and mineral flavors from *Penicillium roqueforti*. Murray’s offers two Stilton types: a pre-packaged vegetarian rennet variety and a premium Colston Bassett version with traditional animal rennet. Aged 9-15+ weeks, it has a moisture content of 39-42%. Spoilage signs include pink mold or sliminess; true blue veins are normal. Pairings include Port, Sauternes, malty beers, fruits, nuts, and dark chocolate.