Beecher's Flagship Cheddar Cheese

Beecher's Flagship is a semi-hard cow's milk cheese aged 15 months by Beecher's Handmade Cheese in Seattle's Pike Place Market, built on hints of browned butter and caramel with a robust nutty finish. The first batch was handcrafted in November 2003, the month the creamery opened its glass-walled cheesemaking kitchen in the market, and it has been the company's signature cheese ever since.

Fifteen months of aging give Flagship a dense, creamy body carrying the ever-so-slight crumble that develops past the one-year mark. Where a young block cheddar tends to read sharp and one-note, Flagship leans sweeter — browned butter and caramel — with enough backbone to hold its own next to salami, pickles, or a strong beer. Let it sit out for 30 minutes before serving; cold cheese mutes most of what the aging built.

Best For

Cheese boards that need one American cheese capable of standing next to the imports. Cooking, especially macaroni and cheese — Flagship melts smooth rather than breaking into grease, which is why Beecher's builds its own mac and cheese around it. And anyone who thinks they already know what cheddar tastes like, since this is the one most likely to change their mind.

Pairing Suggestions

Pouilly-Fuissé · Syrah · India pale ale · Lager · Crisp apple · Sharp mustard · Salami · Plain water cracker

Storage & Freshness

Keep Flagship refrigerated. Wrap the cut face in wax or cheese paper, then loosely in foil — plastic wrap presses moisture against the surface and dulls the flavor within days. Wrapped properly, a cut piece keeps well for several weeks, and any surface dryness can simply be trimmed away.

Ships in insulated packaging with cold packs to arrive fresh at your door.

Key Features

• Aged 15 months
• Made in Seattle, Washington, at Pike Place Market
• Browned butter and caramel with a robust nutty finish
• 2nd Place, Aged Cheddars, American Cheese Society — 2022, 2019 and 2009
• Bronze, Mature Block Cheddar, World Cheese Awards 2025
• Beecher's signature cheese since November 2003

Perfect For

Cheese boards · Macaroni and cheese · Grilled cheese · Wine and beer pairings · Everyday snacking · Gift boxes

Explore our full selection of American cheeses.

About Beecher's Handmade Cheese

Beecher's Handmade Cheese opened in Seattle's Pike Place Market in November 2003, making cheese behind a glass wall where anyone walking past can stop and watch a batch come together. The creamery is part of Sugar Mountain, a Seattle food group that also includes The Butcher's Table and Mishima Reserve. Flagship was the first cheese out of that kitchen and is still the one everything else gets measured against.

Beecher's has been placing in American Cheese Society competitions for two decades. Flagship alone has taken second in the aged cheddar category in 2009, 2019 and 2022.

Is Beecher's Flagship a cheddar?

Beecher's calls it Flagship rather than cheddar, but it competes and places in cheddar categories — second in Aged Cheddars at the American Cheese Society in 2022, 2019 and 2009, and Bronze in Mature Block Cheddar at the 2025 World Cheese Awards.

Is Beecher's Flagship pasteurized?

Yes. Flagship is made from pasteurized cow's milk and aged 15 months.

What does Beecher's Flagship taste like?

Browned butter and caramel up front with a robust nutty finish, carried on a dense, creamy body that breaks with an ever-so-slight crumble from 15 months of aging.

Can I melt Beecher's Flagship?

Yes. It melts smooth without separating into grease, which is why Beecher's uses Flagship as the base of its own macaroni and cheese.

How should I store Flagship after opening?

Refrigerated, with the cut face wrapped in wax or cheese paper and then loosely in foil. Skip plastic wrap — it traps moisture against the cheese and flattens the flavor within a few days.