Since the 1950's Rogue Creamery has been making blue cheeses (non-American ones), and eventually in 2005, they finally released their own cheese. This cheese was the first naturally smoked blue cheese in the world, before this no one had found out how to smoke blue cheese as there were many dangers, or ways that the cheeses taste and texture could be undermined by the smoking. They got around this by smoking at low temperatures for long amounts of time, aging the cheese fully before smoking and using hazelnuts instead of normal wood. Immediatly it became a sensation, winning 1st place at the American Cheese Society awards in 2009 and 2015, and winning the Innovation Award at SIAL Paris 2006, which is one of the largest food showcases in the world.
The cheese uses pasteurized cow's milk from Rogue Valley, Oregon, all cheese used is tested and made sure it is kept at a certain standard. Curds are cut into small cubes before being drained, then put into aging wheels for up to a year, sometime during that year or so, holes are pierced into the cheese for molding. Once it is fully aged it is smoked over Oregon hazelnuts.