The 8 best cheeses you can buy online in 2021, according to an expert

Cowgirl Creamery Mt. Tam, $29 for 1o ounces, available at Zingermans

Let's get this out of the way first: unless something is made in northern France or labeled "brie," it's more accurate to call it "brie-style" rather than "brie." Kind of like how Champagne is a wine from the Champagne region of France and anything else is sparkling wine.

In France, the preferred flavor profile for brie and its siblings is along the lines of broccoli, garlic, and wild mushrooms. If you prefer the flavors of French brie-styles (which cheese folks call bloomy rinds), try Brie Fermier, which for me tastes like the best broccoli cheese soup I've ever had.

But, if like most Americans, you like your brie-styles to be creamy, milky, and mild, you will immediately fall in love with Cowgirl Creamery's Mt. Tam — it is mild and buttery, with an almost fudgy texture. Just be aware that after one bite, you very well may eat the whole round in one fell swoop. It's happened to me more than once.

River's Edge Up in Smoke, $20 for 4 ounces, available at Murray's Cheese

Cheese people tend to be suspicious of flavored cheese, especially the smoked stuff. Why? A not-so-nice industry secret (or maybe just a practical strategy) is that some cheesemakers smoke or flavor the second-tier stuff that couldn't be sold normally because it masks the cheese's flaws. Also, many "smoked cheeses" aren't actually smoked, they just have smoke flavor added.

That said, Up in Smoke is decidedly top-tier, made with an immense amount of love and care. Fresh rounds of goat cheese are smoked over alder and maple wood, wrapped in maple leaves that have also been smoked, then spritzed with bourbon. The final result is something wonderful — the fresh lemony flavors of the goat cheese cut the heaviness that you get from some smoked cheeses. It's balanced, beautiful, and magical with a glass of bourbon or Scotch.

L'amuse Signature Aged Gouda, $18.50 for 8 ounces, available at Zingerman's

As Americans, we're easily dazzled by the idea of aging cheese. The first question I get when someone likes a cheese is, "how old is this?"

As a cheese professional, I should inform you that most great cheeses are not great simply because they sat in a cave. All good cheese starts out with a skilled cheesemaker and happy, well-cared-for animals. That said, this aged gouda selected for Zingerman's by Betty Koster of L'Amuse, Amsterdam's top cheese shop, is a revelation and a reminder of how special aged cheese can be. As cheese ages, it develops crunchy amino acid crystals and its flavors concentrate. The L'Amuse kind of reminds me of the crunchy interior of a Butterfinger, but in fancy cheese form. Pair it with chocolate for a very good time.  

Uplands Cheese Company Pleasant Ridge Reserve, $17.99 for 7.5 ounces, available at iGourmet

Uplands, based in Wisconsin's Uplands region, is helmed by cheesemaker Andy Hatch and herdsman Scott Mericka, who took over from founders Mike Gingrich and Dan Patenaude in the mid-2000s. They make two cheeses, the most well-known of which is Pleasant Ridge Reserve, made only in the summer when the cows can graze on pasture.

The Peasant Ridge Reserve's baseline profile is a balance of brothy and fruity flavors, but the exact flavors vary by the batch — I've had batches that taste of chicken with a drizzle of toasted sesame oil and others that are reminiscent of Froot Loops in the best way. It's hard to overstate how good this cheese is. Oh, and it's the most-awarded cheese in American history. It's great for snacking and cheese boards, but also great for melting, if you'd like to make the best grilled cheese sandwich ever.

Shelburne Farms Shelburne Cheddar, $11.50 for 8 ounces, available at Saxelby Cheesemongers

There are so many cheddars out there, from aged, crumby clothbounds to our grocery store favorites that come out when we're making nachos or a sandwich. Perfectly in the middle lies this beautiful Shelburne cheddar. Made with the milk of pampered grass-fed Brown Swiss cows and aged for two years, this cheddar covers all the bases. It's super savory, with kind of baked potato vibes, but also a sort of fruitiness to keep things balanced. It has a creamy, crumbly texture and is perfectly sharp. Pair with a Vermont IPA for utter bliss.

Comté St. Antoine, $18 for 8 ounces, available at Zingerman's

It surprises a lot of folks to learn that Comté is the most popular cheese in France. It is also one of my top three cheeses.  

Comté, made in France's Jura region, has a very specialized production system. The farmers who take care of and milk the cows sell it to their nearby cheesemaker (called a fruitière), who sells the wheels of cheese to the cheese ager, called the affineur. The affineur, who by far spends the most time with the cheese, is whose name is on the label. Comté St. Antoine has savory brothy notes, as well as notes of brown butter and caramel corn, and it is perfect for snacking or melting in a grilled cheese or over mac and cheese. It's also one of the few cheeses that pairs exquisitely with coffee.

Parmigiano-Reggiano from Valserena, $18 for 8 ounces, available at Zingerman's

Green can powdered parm is about as close to this cheese as an apple jolly rancher is to your Grandmother's apple pie. That is to say not at all.

This Parmigiano-Reggiano is made by Valserena, the oldest dairy in the Parma area. The herd of cows whose milk becomes this cheese are the rare Sola Bruna (brown) breed. Sola Bruna cows were exclusively used for Parmigiano during the Middle Ages but now have been replaced at most dairies by Freisian cows, who produce more milk. The milk of Solo Bruna cows, though, is richer in butterfat and in a milk protein called casein, which gives the final cheese a nuttier flavor and a creamier texture. I should warn you, though, that if you buy this cheese, you won't ever be able to go back to the green can or even domestic Parmesan. It's that good.

Lady & Larder Large Cheese Board, $299.95, available at Williams Sonoma

If you're entertaining or simply want to experience a cheese board done by the pros, consider the Lady & Larder Large Cheese Board at Williams Sonoma. LA-Based Lady & Larder is loved both by cheese professionals for its expert curation of and advocacy for American-made cheese and by actual celebrities, from Kristen Bell to Roxanne Gay, for its stunning arrangements of said American cheese (plus local produce, florals, meat, and more). 

This assortment from Williams Sonoma offers 3.5 pounds of cheese and tasty pairing items, a red oak serving board to arrange it on, and a map for re-creating the Lady & Larder plating magic. And, while the exact selection is based on availability, Mount Tam is usually one of the cheeses included.  

Most of my cheese life has been about tasting and describing cheeses and telling their stories to classrooms of eager cheese lovers. As such, I've spent thousands of hours methodically tasting and re-tasting cheeses from all over the world. I've tasted them from many different batches, paired them with wine, paired them with other foods and beverages, and cooked with them. I drew from my experience for this guide. Here is what I graded cheese on. 

Flavor: While we all have slightly different preferences for our cheeses, I chose cheeses that rarely display "off" flavors such as soapiness or mustiness. I also chose cheeses that are true to their style — most cheddars balance savory and sweetness, for instance, and most aged goudas have a dessert-y vibe to them. 

Texture: Much like the flavor category, this was not about arbitrarily saying that one texture is better than another. Instead, I chose cheeses with fairly consistent textures and those that are true to their style and age profile. 

Reliability: Most food that we get from the grocery store will taste the same as the last time we got it — red delicious apples are pretty much always going to be the same as the last red delicious apple you had. One of the special things about small-batch cheese, I think, is that it reminds us that food is an agricultural product and that it's actually much more abnormal for food to taste the same every time than for it to show seasonal changes. 

That said, when you fall in love with a cheese, it's not always a fun surprise when you go to buy it again and find that it's totally different than the last time. Good change will express seasonality, but skilled cheesemakers ensure that, even though they're not making a clone of the last batch you tasted, that they at least resemble siblings, rather than total strangers. 

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