The Best Of Show in the 2012 American Cheese Society competition is Flagsheep by Beecher’s Handmade Cheese. Photo by Uriah Carpenter.

Flagsheep from Beecher’s Handmade Cheese was named the Best of Show in the 2012 competition of the American Cheese Society. The cheesemaker has locations in Seattle and New York City.

Valley Shepherd Creamery, Long Valley, N.J., received second place overall for its Crema de Blue. Emmi Roth USA, Monroe, Wis., received third place overall for its Roth Grand Cru Surchoix.

This year’s competition received 1,711 entries. Categories were: Fresh Unripened Cheese, Soft Ripened Cheese, American Originals, American Made/International Style, Cheddars, Blue Mold Cheeses, Hispanic and Portuguese Style Cheeses, Italian Type Cheeses, Feta Cheeses, Low Fat/Low Salt Cheeses, Flavored Cheeses, Smoked Cheeses, Farmstead Cheeses, Fresh Goat’s Milk Cheeses, Fresh Sheep’s Milk Cheeses, Marinated Cheeses, Cultured Milk Products, Butters,  Cheese Spreads, Aged Sheep’s Milk Cheeses, Aged Goat’s Milk Cheeses and Washed Rind Cheeses.

The winners were announced at the ACS conference in Raleigh, N.C., on Aug. 3. The 30th annual ACS conference and competition will take place July 31 to Aug. 3, 2013 in Madison, Wis.