Tillamook Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese: Nutrition & Labelgrade C (64/100)
C 64 / 100 — Oregon farmer-cooperative cheddar, aged longer than the Sharp — same 4-ingredient panel (cultured milk, salt, enzymes, annatto for orange color). Like Cabot and Tillamook's own Sharp, the C Labelgrade reflects the structural saturated-fat-and-sodium ceiling of any aged cheddar, not the quality of Tillamook's product.
🛒 Buy on Amazon →The short answer
Tillamook Extra Sharp Cheddar packs 7 g of protein and 200 mg of calcium — 15% of a day’s worth — into a single 1 oz (28 g) serving at 110 calories (USDA FDC 2020966). That’s about 25 g of protein per 100 g, putting cheddar among the densest protein sources by mass. The panel is four words long: cultured milk, salt, enzymes, annatto. The Labelgrade is C (64 / 100), and the reason is honest and worth stating up front — saturated fat and sodium are inseparable from making aged cheddar, so the grade reflects the category’s ceiling, not anything Tillamook got wrong.
Why the C
| Dimension | Grade | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein density | A- | 88 / 100 | 25 g per 100 g — tied with every US aged cheddar. By mass, cheese rivals meat for protein |
| Ingredient quality | B+ | 82 / 100 | Four ingredients; annatto is a plant pigment for color only, not a preservative or flavoring |
| Sugar load | A+ | 100 / 100 | 0 g — the cultures eat the milk sugar during fermentation |
| Saturated fat load | F | 19 / 100 | 6 g per ounce (~21 g per 100 g) — you hit the FDA’s 20 g daily ceiling at roughly 100 g of cheese |
| Sodium load | F | 35 / 100 | 170 mg per ounce (~607 mg per 100 g) — salt is structural to curd-forming and aging |
| Fiber | F | 30 / 100 | 0 g — no dairy food has fiber |
The two failing rows aren’t a Tillamook flaw; they’re physics. Concentrating ten-ish pounds of milk into a pound of cheese concentrates the milkfat right along with the protein, and salt isn’t a seasoning here — it draws moisture from the curd, controls which microbes grow, and is what makes months-long aging safe. Read the F’s as “this is aged cheese, portion it like aged cheese,” not “Tillamook cut a corner.” The A- protein and B+ ingredient scores are the part that’s actually under the maker’s control, and both are strong.
”Extra Sharp” is a clock, not a recipe
The single most useful thing to understand about this cheese is that Extra Sharp and Sharp are the same cheese at different ages. Tillamook’s Sharp ages around 6 months; this Extra Sharp runs 9-12 months (the Special Reserve goes 15-18+). Nothing in the make changes — same milk, same four ingredients — so the label macros are identical down to the milligram of sodium. What the extra months buy is flavor chemistry: proteins and fats slowly break down into sharper, more savory compounds, and a little more of the protein crystallizes into the crunchy white flecks (calcium lactate and tyrosine) that signal a well-aged cheddar. If you want bolder bite, pay for the aging; if you want different nutrition, you won’t find it here.
The lactose angle most labels bury
Because aging is a months-long fermentation, the cultures consume the milk sugar as they go — which is why the carbohydrate line on this panel reads 0 g. For anyone lactose-sensitive, that’s the quiet headline: a 9-12 month cheddar has essentially no lactose left to cause trouble, making Extra Sharp one of the safest dairy foods to reach for. The same process that gives this cheese its bite is the one that strips out the sugar that bothers people. It’s a genuine perk of buying aged rather than fresh, and it doesn’t appear anywhere on the front of the package.
How it compares
| Product | Protein / oz | Sat fat / oz | Sodium / oz | Calcium / oz | Ingredients |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tillamook Extra Sharp (this product) | 7 g | 6 g | 170 mg | 200 mg | 4 |
| Tillamook Sharp Cheddar | 7 g | 6 g | 170 mg | 200 mg | 4 |
| Cabot Sharp Cheddar | 7 g | 6 g | 180 mg | 200 mg | 4 (no annatto) |
| Babybel Original | 5 g / wheel | 4 g | 160 mg | 150 mg | 3 |
Against its own Sharp, this is a flavor decision and nothing else — the two are statistically the same cheese. Against Cabot, the gaps are tiny and real: Cabot salts a hair heavier (180 vs 170 mg) and is left uncolored, where Tillamook adds annatto for the classic orange. Both are farmer-owned co-ops with near-identical numbers, so the tiebreaker is taste and price. Babybel is a different animal — a softer, Dutch-style wheel that’s a portion-controlled snack, not a cooking-and-board cheddar.
How to actually use it
A C grade on a cheese isn’t a warning to avoid it; it’s a reminder of what cheese is for. Seven grams of protein and 15% of your calcium ride along with 6 g of saturated fat and 170 mg of sodium, which makes Extra Sharp a flavor-and-nutrition accent rather than a lean-protein base. Its long aging means it carries a dish with a small amount — melt it onto eggs or a burger, build a grilled cheese, grate it over roasted vegetables, or put it on a board where a thin slice does real work. The shopper who should think twice is anyone on a strict low-sodium or low-saturated-fat plan; for everyone else, portion it as the bold accent it is and let the aging earn its keep.
Ingredients
Cultured milk, salt, enzymes, annatto (for natural color). (Verbatim from the USDA Branded Foods entry, FDC 2020966.) The annatto is the only thing on the list that isn’t milk, salt, or the enzymes that set the curd — it’s a seed-derived pigment that gives this cheddar its orange color and does nothing to the flavor. White cheddars simply leave it out.
Where to buy
Affiliate links — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The Labelgrade score is independent of affiliate relationships. More.
🔬 Compare this product side-by-side with any other →
Quick Facts
Per serving · 1 oz (28 g)
See how this fits your day — protein calculator · macro calculator
Full nutrition facts
| Nutrient | Per Serving (1 oz (28 g)) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 110 |
| Protein | 7g |
| Total Fat | 9g |
| Saturated Fat | 6g |
| Trans Fat | 0g |
| Total Carbohydrates | 0g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0g |
| Total Sugars | 0g |
| Sodium | 170mg |
| Cholesterol | 24.9mg |
| Calcium | 200mg |
| Iron | 0.361mg |
Scope: This page applies specifically to Tillamook Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese (10 oz (283 g) block) · UPC 072830001854. Other sizes, flavors, or formulations may differ.
How this fits each diet
Each score is computed from the same USDA nutrition + ingredient data, against the published rules of each diet. They tell you "does this food fit this diet" — not whether the diet is right for you.
contains animal-derived ingredients
contains no listed meat or fish
no wheat, barley, rye, or malt detected in USDA ingredient list
Frequently Asked Questions
How much protein is in Tillamook Extra Sharp Cheddar?
7 g per 1 oz (28 g) serving (USDA FDC 2020966), or about 25 g per 100 g. A two-ounce cheese-board portion gets you 14 g for 220 calories. The extra aging that makes this 'Extra Sharp' concentrates flavor, not macros — it's identical to Tillamook's Sharp on the protein line.
Does aging change the nutrition versus regular Sharp?
No, the macros are the same: 7 g protein, 9 g fat (6 g saturated), 0 g sugar, 170 mg sodium per ounce. The difference is time. Tillamook Sharp ages about 6 months; Extra Sharp runs 9-12 months. Longer aging deepens the bite and crystallizes a little more protein — those crunchy white specks in old cheddar are calcium lactate and tyrosine — but it doesn't move the label numbers.
Is Extra Sharp Cheddar lactose-free?
Effectively, yes. The 0 g total carbohydrate on the panel confirms it: cheese cultures consume milk sugar during fermentation, and 9-12 months of aging finishes the job, leaving essentially no lactose behind. Aged cheddars like this are one of the most reliably tolerated dairy foods for the lactose-sensitive — the cheese never sees enough residual lactose to register.
How much calcium does it have?
200 mg per 1 oz — 15% of the Daily Value in a single ounce, which is genuinely high. Concentrating milk into cheese concentrates its calcium, so this is one of the densest food sources you can get. The same ounce that costs you 6 g of saturated fat also banks a meaningful share of your day's calcium.
Why only a C if the protein and ingredients score so well?
Two dimensions fail, and both are structural to cheddar. Saturated fat scores 19/100 (6 g per ounce, ~21 g per 100 g) and sodium scores 35/100 (170 mg per ounce). Concentrating milk into cheese concentrates the milkfat, and salt is required to form and age the curd. No cheddar — grass-fed, organic, or boutique — escapes this, so the whole aged-cheddar category lands around C.
Tillamook vs Cabot — which should I buy?
Per 100 g they're nearly twins: ~25 g protein, ~21 g saturated fat, 4 ingredients. Cabot runs slightly saltier (180 mg vs 170 mg sodium per ounce) and is left white — no annatto — where Tillamook is colored orange. Both are farmer-owned cooperatives (Tillamook, Oregon, 1909; Cabot, Vermont, 1919). Tillamook tends to read creamier, Cabot a touch sharper. Choose by taste, not by the panel.
Is it keto, and does it count as 'high in protein'?
Solid keto: 0 g carbs, 0 g sugar, 9 g fat, 7 g protein per ounce (roughly 73% fat / 25% protein by calories). On the FDA scale, one ounce is a 'good source' of protein (14% DV) but not 'high in protein' (which needs 20% DV). Eat two ounces and the 14 g clears the 'high' bar at 28% DV.