Cheese rinds are another important clue as to how a cheese is made, and rind categories are common terms in cheese circles.

Natural Rind

Natural-rind cheeses are those that grow rinds on their own, without any addition to the cheese. On a Chevrot (a young goat cheese), for example, a buff-colored rind grows and takes on a wrinkled appearance over a matter of weeks. This rind is the “oldest” part of the cheese, as aging occurs from the outside in. Underneath the rind is a thin, creamy layer of slightly less aged cheese, followed by a flaky, drier core.

Bloomy Rind

Bloomy-rind cheeses are those that bloom with white, green, floral, or grey mold while they age and are almost exclusively seen on young cheeses. White molds are the type seen on Brie-style cheeses. Green blooms often go along with white molds when a coating of vegetable ash is applied to the outside of a cheese. The ash and accompanying mold adds complexity and a hint of smokiness. Floral blooms literally bloom with bright yellows, light greens, white, and grays. Tomme de Savoie is one of the most well known floral bloomy-rind cheeses.

According to Steven Jenkins, author of Cheese Primer, tomme refers to a “hunk, round, or piece.” But in the cheese-making world, people have been using this term to refer to cheeses made from the milk of several herds. The best way to think of this kind of cheese is to combine the two definitions: “a round of cheese made from the milk of several herds.”

Herbaceous Rind

Herbaceous-rind cheeses are layered or rubbed with leaves, herbs, or grasses before or during aging. Leaves usually add a woody flavor or, in the case of Hoja Santa goat cheese from Texas, the leaves covering the cheese provide a minty sassafras flavor. Herbs may be added to bloomy-rind cheeses or rubbed into the rind of other cheeses as they age.

Washed Rind

Washed-rind cheeses are those that have been immersed in salt brine, then allowed to form pale orange to deep russet–colored rinds. Without fail, this process adds pungency and depth to the cheese.

Wrapped Rind

Wrapped cheeses are banded, for instance with bark, or wrapped with linen to help hold their shape for storage and serving. Cheeses banded or wrapped in bark always take on the subtle flavors of the bark. L'Edel de Cleron is a soft, bloomy-rind cheese ringed in bark. The bark gives it a woody, mushroomy taste. Montgomery's Cheddar and Keen's Cheddar, both made in England, are two of the most well-known bandage-wrapped cheeses. The bandages protect the cheese while it ages and give the rind an aroma of aged linen.

Wax-Coated Rind

Wax-coated cheeses are generally coated in clear or colored paraffin. Wax does not directly affect the flavor of cheese and is used simply as protection. Famous wax-coated cheeses are Goudas, Asiagos, and many pecorinos.

Plastic-Wrapped Rind

Plastic-wrapped cheeses don't really have a rind. Most often they are small pieces cut from larger pieces and then wrapped in plastic. Some cheese makers shrink-wrap cheese in plastic envelopes, thereby protecting the cheese in an almost inert state. There are differing opinions on plastic and shrink-wrapping cheese. Some feel plastics and shrink-wrapping robs a cheese of some complexity, while others value the added shelf life and ease of storage.