Kerrygold's New Cream Cheese Line, Ranked Worst To Best

Kerrygold's butter is legendary. It's an elite choice for baking and more. Spread it on a bagel, throw it in a pan to add richness to your recipe, or make the butter board dreams are made of using a block of it. What I'm saying is that Kerrygold Irish butter has a great reputation. So, when they launched a line of cream cheese, I could not get to the store fast enough to try every single one.

The four flavors of cream cheese include: Original, Strawberry, Onion & Chive, and Honey. All of the Kerrygold cream cheeses are made with grass-fed cream, and it shows. The variety of flavors also lends themselves to providing a cream cheese to match almost any vibe. You can't ever go wrong with a plain cream cheese. There's a lot of love for ones infused with chive flavors. Then for those who prefer a sweeter bite, there's the honey and strawberry options. From bagels and beyond, Kerrygold brings its expertise for high quality to its new cream cheese line and it's exciting for those of us who love a good schmear. I tasted all four new items and am ready to rank them for you.

Since cream cheese in general is essentially made for bagels, that was my vehicle of choice to taste each one. I used a fresh plain bagel so that there were no distractions to the flavor of the cream cheese. Each bagel chunk was graced with a generous schmear of one flavor. I tasted each one, taking a bite or two, to judge the product. My rankings are based on flavor, consistency, and texture.

Kerrygold's Honey cream cheese spread is complicated. When I envision honey in anything, I automatically assume there is going to be a smooth sweetness that comes with it. This one however, hits differently. It's a very strong tang that comes first, and it's intense. The honey notes are almost drowned by it but do come through at the end. I

f you are looking for a little sweetness to add to your bagel, just know that Kerrygold's Honey cream cheese is a little more alpha in terms of flavor. It is buttery and silky, but the honey part is way too subtle, in my opinion. It's not the worst cream cheese to exist, but it gets last place in this ranking. The overall consistency is almost cheesecake-adjacent because it's so thick. I did not enjoy it on a bagel, but perhaps in an actual cheesecake recipe it could shine.

I was least excited to taste Kerrygold's Strawberry Cream Cheese Spread because I am a staunch believer that fruit does not belong in cream cheese, in general. However, I am also a professional and had a job to complete. I can't believe I am saying this, but it wasn't bad. I expected to be slammed in the face with an overly sweet, strawberry flavor, but, to my surprise, that was not the case. 

The strawberry notes are super subtle and give you the slight and delicate flavor of strawberry without tasting like an syrupy spread. It has a nice tang and the same intense creaminess present in Kerrygold's entire cream cheese line. That being said, it's a very specific flavor and I don't think it's enjoyable in larger quantities. There's zero chance I could finish an entire bagel with the strawberry flavor. It's not my favorite of the four, but it's also not at the bottom of my list.

Off the bat, I should tell you that while everyone has their preferred type of cream cheese, I am a whipped cream cheese girly. I prefer the light fluffiness of a cream cheese. However, I totally respect the regular style of cream cheese and understand why people love the richer texture it provides. 

The plain cream cheese is exactly what you'd imagine. It has the typical cream cheese flavor. The texture is smooth, creamy, and delicious. It's perfect for a bagel but I would not hesitate to use it in recipes. It does have the luscious consistency Kerrygold is known for and would no doubt produce an exemplary cheesecake. It has the very subtle tang of a good cream cheese contender as well as a delicate savoriness. The original flavor is a solid player in the new cream cheese line, but not my preferred variety. 

Guys, this one is a winner. If you like anything sour cream and onion flavored, run and grab the Kerrygold Onion & Chive cream cheese immediately. It's perfectly savory and has that intense bite of oniony flavor that hits just right. It's downright excellent on a bagel of your choice, but I have so many other plans for this one. 

I can easily see the Kerrygold Onion & Chive working for delicious dips, spreads, and more. I'd even suggest using it for a simple cream cheese sandwich. It's basically begging to be mixed into scrambled eggs. Trust me on this. I love how the onions and chives are chopped up super small as well instead of the typical bagel shop cream cheese with giant chunks of chives. It's herbaceous, tangy, and creamy in all the right ways and it lands on top of this ranking. 

Overall, Kerrygold's new line of cream cheese is a success. Some are certainly better than others and I think there is a lot of potential to incorporate any of the varieties into any number of cream cheese-based recipes in addition to sitting atop a bagel. I would definitely purchase the original and onion & chive flavors to keep in the house as staples. 

The honey and strawberry were not as good on a bagel. However, if you ever wanted to host a brunch and blow the minds of your guests, you could buy all four and make one heck of a cream cheese board. The little nuances in color (especially the pink hue of the strawberry) would make a deliciously beautiful visual.

The new line of Kerrygold cream cheeses are currently available at a variety of retailers. I purchased all four Kerrygold cream cheeses at my local Walmart. Each of the four flavors come in 7 oz tubs. My Walmart sells them for $4.99 a tub but prices may vary at your local grocers. Check specific pricing and availability in your area.