Balderson Double Smoked Cheddar from Costco delivers a bold, rich flavor thanks to being smoked not once, but twice. Its deep smokiness makes it a standout addition to burgers, barbecue chicken pizza, or your favorite sandwich. But is it all deliciousness, or are there a few drawbacks? Read on to find out!
Location in Store
The cheese is located in the refrigerated deli section at Costco, near the Kirkland Signature Manchego and the Kirkland Signature Goat Cheese. The item number is 168035.
Taste
I wanted to try this smoked cheddar for burgers to switch things up a bit and I don’t regret buying it! I want to point out that it’s very smoky! The initial flavor you get is smokiness followed by the cheddar.
The cheddar is flavorful, creamy, tangy and slightly sweet. The smokiness is not artificial tasting. If you know you like smoked cheese, you’ll enjoy this. If you’ve never had smoked cheese before or don’t like a smoky flavor, be aware this tastes pretty smoky!
Cost
I paid $13.49 Canadian for the 500 gram block of smoked cheddar. This isn’t bad considering cheese has become pretty expensive and it’s a large block of cheese.
Convenience
Smoked cheddar is great on sandwiches, burgers, on a baked potato, in a grilled cheese or even or even homemade macaroni and cheese. The cheese needs to be kept refrigerated and the best before date is about ten months from when I purchased it.
Once you open the packaging on the cheese it doesn’t reseal. I recommend storing it in a glass food storage container or Ziplock bag.
Nutrition
Calories
One three-centimeter cube or 30 gram serving of smoked cheddar contains 120 calories, 10 grams of fat, one gram of carbohydrates, zero grams of fibre, zero grams of sugar, seven grams of protein and 180 milligrams of sodium. Cheese is very low in carbs if you’re on a low carb or keto diet.
Ingredients
The ingredients list is simple and sweet with milk and cream being the main ingredients. If you’re vegetarian you might want to be aware that Rennet is made from the enzymes of the stomach lining from animals like lamb or cow. The cheese is gluten-free, nut free and soy free.
Scoring
Taste: 8/10
Cost: 8/10
Convenience: 10/10
Nutrition: 9/10
Overall
Give it a try!
The flavor of smoked cheddar might not be for everyone, it’s pretty smoky! However I enjoyed this and can appreciate that it can add a unique flavor to a lot dishes. For example I’m going to make homemade BBQ chicken pizza with it!
Have you tried these Costco Balderson Double Smoked Cheddar? What did you think of it?
Please note that this review was not paid for or sponsored by any third party. This product was purchased by Costcuisine for the purpose of producing this review. The opinions in this review are strictly those of Costcuisine. Costcuisine is not affiliated with Costco or any of its suppliers. In the event that Costcuisine receives compensation for a post from the manufacturer of a product or some other third party, the arrangement will be clearly disclosed (including where the manufacturer of a product provides Costcuisine with a free sample of the product).
I used to buy this at our Costco for several years ($9.99 reg/$6.99 on sale); but haven’t seen it for over a year now. I guess I should take a look next time I’m in Costco. It’s my favourite cheese! It’s really expensive in a grocery store.
You wrote “walk on by” but I think you are referring to the chicken strips which you mention beneath that statement.
The overall on the cheese was for your chicken strip review.
nice information and good article thank you
Costco Balderson Double Smoked Cheddar Review
Had to chuckle at the last line of the cheese review: “These chicken strips are extremely convenient, packed full of protein and have a simple ingredients list but are too salty and full of gristle.”
Fixed! Sorry for that!