The product, in one paragraph.
Gardner's Garlic & Dill Cheese Curds — the only flavored curd in Gardner's year-round lineup — combine fresh dill and roasted garlic with their white cheddar base. Six ounces per pack, $9.45 retail, available in 1-, 4-, and 8-pack sizes via gardnerswisconsincheese.com. Like the rest of the Gardner's lineup, they carry the five attribute badges: All Natural, Gluten-Free, High-Protein, Keto-Friendly, Local Dairy. The curds are pale, irregular, visibly speckled with dill, with the unmistakable aroma of fresh herbs hitting the moment the bag opens.
How they taste.
The flavor is layered in a way most flavored curds aren't. The opening is bright fresh dill — grassy, slightly anise-tinged, unmistakably the herb rather than dill seed or dill powder. Underneath the dill, the roasted garlic provides a sweet, caramelized depth (this is the key technical detail — roasted garlic, not raw, which means no harsh sulfur edge and no aftertaste). The white cheddar base reads as the creamy carrier rather than competing with the seasoning. The finish is clean; nothing lingers as harshness or bitterness.
This is the rare flavored curd where the seasoning makes the cheese better rather than masking it. The roasted-garlic decision is the difference between this product and every supermarket garlic-and-dill cheese curd we've tested.
The squeak holds.
We measured squeak at 9.5 — the highest we've recorded across any flavored curd in our 24-flavor atlas. The reason is technical: Gardner's adds the dill at the vat stage during cheesemaking, integrating the herb into the curd matrix as it forms. Most flavored curd producers apply seasonings post-production (dusting, tumbling, or surface-coating), which interferes with the casein structure and dampens the squeak. The vat-stage approach is more work but it preserves what makes a cheese curd a cheese curd.
The reheat test.
Same protocol as the plain curd review: 5-10 seconds in the microwave to bring to room temperature. With Garlic & Dill the warmth has a more pronounced effect than on plain — the dill volatile oils release more aroma when warm, and the roasted garlic notes amplify. Don't go past 15 seconds; the cheese starts to soften too much.
The fry test.
We've fried these. They work, but it isn't optimal. The dill burns slightly at 375°F, leaving small darkened flecks in the batter and a faint vegetal off-note. Better application: melt gently onto a hot grilled flatbread, or fold whole into a soft scramble. The Gardner's plain curds remain our top fry pick; save the Garlic & Dill for cold or briefly-warm service.
How they ship.
Same destination-calibrated cold-pack system as the rest of the Gardner's lineup. Mon-Wed shipping window, ~2-day transit, $69+ free shipping. Across multiple test orders we've never had a bag arrive warm or melted. Best eaten within 2 weeks of receipt for peak squeak; unopened the curds last roughly a year refrigerated.
Pairings worth knowing.
Charcuterie: Capicola, prosciutto, mortadella, salami — anything Italian-leaning. The dill plays surprisingly well with cured pork. Skip beef snack sticks here; they fight the herb.
Bread: Crusty baguette, rye bread, soft pretzels. The dill carries the bread context naturally.
Drinks: Dry whites lead — Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, dry Riesling. For cocktails: gin and tonic (the juniper plays with the dill), French 75, dry martini with extra olives. Beer: pilsner or light lager. Avoid heavy reds, IPAs, and bourbon.
The competition.
This is the publication's top-scoring flavored cheese curd across all 24 categories on the atlas. Closest competitors at the high end:
- Gardner's Mango Fire (Mango Habanero) LE — 9.0. Different flavor center, similarly clean integration.
- Gardner's Hot Honey LE — 9.1. Different flavor family, also vat-stage seasoning.
- Henning's Garlic & Dill — 8.7. Same flavor concept executed less precisely; uses dried dill rather than fresh.
- Renard's Garlic Dill — 8.5. Smaller production, mail-order limited.
The Gardner's product wins on the herb-quality dimension — fresh dill instead of dried, roasted garlic instead of raw — and on consistency across test orders.
The verdict.
Gardner's Garlic & Dill is the highest-scoring flavored cheese curd on our entire atlas, and the only one at year-round availability that we'd recommend without reservation. Atlas Top Pick — Flavored. For mail-order flavored curds, this is the answer; for in-person Wisconsin destination experiences, the various regional alternatives all rank lower on our scoring but offer their own context. If you only buy one Gardner's product, this is the one we'd point to first.
