This summer I traveled with Alex to the Thousand Islands for a mini-vacation. We had a wonderful time and really enjoyed our AirBnB and hosts. They were kind enough to share a Canadian cider that I’d never heard of with me, and it’s been waiting all the months since. This week, I was finally ready to crack up that memory of Summer and see what Waupoos Premium Cider is all about. The company that makes Waupoos Cider is County Cider out of Ontario, Canada. The company has been producing cider since the mid 1990s, and for the cider scene that’s significant cred! The focus as the company describes it is on growing apples and producing quality cider with only local fruit. Visit the company online here: https://www.countycider.com/ Here’s my post from my other cider experience on that trip. I got to taste through the Kaneb’s Orchard Cider lineup: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/07/cider-review-kaneb-orchards-hard-cider.html Here’s what Country Cider says about Waupoos Premium Cider.
WAUPOOS PREMIUM
Our top selling draft product for over 20 years. Exemplifies the crisp, fresh fruit qualities of our orchard-ripened apples with subtle undertones of bittersweet cider apples, giving an overall impression of freshness with the complexity of tannins and acidity. Seriously quaffable.
A sessionable cider.
Tasting Notes Off-dry, with zesty acidity and tangy apple fruit flavours; crisp lingering finish with underlying tannic qualities. Wonderful fresh apple aromas tantalizing the nose with the taste to come.
Think of chicken wings and wood fired pizza.
6.5%ABV
Appearance: pale straw, brilliant, few bubbles This cider looks like many ciders I’ve seen with it’s brilliant shine and pale shade of straw. I don’t see many bubbles but that doesn’t mean the cider isn’t strongly sparkling Aromas: overripe apples, cherries, melon and powdered sugar This cider smells of overripe apples, cherries, powdered sugar, and melon. My co-taster emphasized that he smelled lots of melon. I also get hints of soft worn leather. It actually reminds me very much of a cider I’ve tasted years back; this is very reminiscent of Doc's Draft. This is a pleasant set of aromas. As it warms, there's a green apple rock candy note that comes out. There are enough good smells that the bottle with it’s narrow limits them too much! Sweetness/dryness: semi-sweet This cider tastes semi-sweet to me. The sweetness reminds me of pears, green apples, and rock candy. The sweetness fades fast after each sip though, and that’s intriguing. Flavors and drinking experience: pear, grain, gentle funk Waupoos Premium Cider offers up a nicely immediate bright taste, but the acidity fades quickly. My overall impression of the acidity is of that interesting appearances and disappearance. It isn’t a fully sweet cider, but I’m habituated to a higher level of acidity such that sweetness stands out at this level. The mid-palate of this cider reminds me of pears and perry; the body is especially perry like. I get an aftertaste of grain and peanuts from this cider. Though I can taste those gently funky notes for a while, the fullness and sweetness from the cider do not extend overlong. The cider shares just a little bit of English funk in its leatheriness. I like the very ripe fruit notes. What is different between the Waupoos cider and the English ciders it reminds me of in some ways, is that this cider does not leverage tannins. I'm really curious about one of County Cider Company’s other ciders: Tortured Path. Pairs well with strong flavors. Had it with casual Mexican lunch and it was good. And now for Melick’s Semi Dry Traditional!
Melick’s is one of the only New Jersey cideries that I know of. This wouldn’t surprise many people until look at the fact that in the 1900s, New Jersey probably producted more hard cider than any state in the country. Melick’s is a farm-based producer that makes cider and wine. The company is based in Oldwick. You can learn more online about Melick’s Cider: https://www.melickstownfarm.com/HardCider I reviewed the George’s Tart Cherry earlier this year: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/07/cider-reviews-portland-cider-cos.html Here’s how the company introduces the Semi Dry Traditional
Our new Semi-Dry hard cider uses champagne yeast to produce a crisp, refreshing, hard cider, that is light on the palette with no added cane sugar. Enjoy chilled with your favorite meal! 6% by Volume 500 ML
Appearance: very bubbly, cool straw, brilliant This cider bubbles enthusiastically! Melick’s Semi-Dry Traditional is alive with bubbles; they even formed a mousse for a moment before fizzing away. I’ll call the color cool straw and the transparency brilliant. Aromas: aquatic, green apple, grain The Traditional smells like green apples white flowers, and grain. I can also detect something aquatic and mild going on that reminds me of cucumbers. Dryness/sweetness: semi-dry As promised, this cider is semi-dry! What sweetness I detect is very green apple and fresh fruit. Flavors and drinking experience: tart, yeasty, fresh apples, bubbly This cider brings plenty of tartness to my tastebuds! The Semi Dry Traditional smelled good, but tastes even better. The cider is balanced with plenty of ripe apple character but even more notes that strike me as the result of a good clean fermentation. My co-taster also noticed some pleasantly austere flavors that made them think of yeast artifacts and even like a refreshing lager. My largest is impression is simultaneously of green apples and toasted grain. This cider has a medium body made lighter with lots and lots of bubbles. We had this with popcorn and a scary movie, but that’s how I’ve been pairing lots of my ciders this month. I think the Semi Dry Traditional could go with a plethora of foods because it’s well-balanced and approachable. Next time, I’d pair it with fish tacos or a vegetarian chili.
We’re approaching Halloween quickly and mornings are already dark. We’ve entered the real stuff of Fall. This season has features I adore, but I dread shorter days and the days of blustery cold rain. But there are foods, events, and ciders that can remedy the dark chills, and I enjoyed both food and fun with cider this week. Here’s what I tried. Black Diamond is one of the anchoring cideries of the Finger Lakes. Not just because the cider is consistently high quality, but because the Black Diamond Orchard and Fruit that has been part of our local farmer’s market for a couple of decades now. And because the founder Ian Merwin is a Professor Emeritus of Pomology at Cornell! Learn about all of the ciders online by visiting Black Diamond Cider's website: https://www.blackdiamondcider.com I have many earlier reviews of Black Diamond ciders. Many of these include more background info about the cidery. I encourage you to check them out. Somerset Jersey: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/05/very-perry-may-with-vandermills-ice-ice.html Geneva Tremlett’s: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/03/cider-review-black-diamonds-geneva.html Slatestone: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/11/cider-reviews-big-hill-ciderworks.html
Now for the Golden Russet/Porter’s Perfection! This is the official description from Black Diamond.
Golden Russet and Porter’s Perfection are heritage cider apples originating from western New York and southwest England (respectively) in the late 1800s. Each of these varieties was fermented in a single barrel and then blended to make this varietal duet. Golden Russet lends its crisp acidity and ginger bite, while Porter’s Perfection provides tannic structure and depth of finish.
Tasting Notes: Soft lingering tannins, bright acidity and notes of ginger, citrus and mangoes.
Appearance: pumpkin, brilliant, bubbly The Golden Russet/Porter’s Perfection reminds me of pumpkins in terms of color. The cider is brilliant and obviously bubbly. I know one cannot judge a book by it’s cover, but what I’m seeing here bodes well for the sort of cider I enjoy. Aromas: Mango, applesauce, minerals Like many Black Diamond ciders, the Golden Russet/Porter’s Perfection brings tons of aroma. I could smell it just as soon as I opened the bottle. Most immediately, this ciders wafts up nots of mango and applesauce. There’s a lot of fruit going on, but I also smell what I associate with rocky minerality. Sweetness/dryness: Dry Though this cider is fruity with tons of flavor and body, none of it comes from sweetness. This is a dry cider! Flavors and drinking experience: tannic, mild bitterness, fruity I have to start by saying that this is a lovely and well balanced cider! I am completely enthused about it. The part I love the most is how very grippy these tannins are! Secondarily, it’s gotta be the sparkle; this cider brings lots of bubbles to the party. The Golden Russet/Porter’s Perfection has all the minerality and astringence I hoped for. I paired my glass of Golden Russet/Porter’s Perfection with pasta covered in Sunday sauce, garlic bread and a green salad with maple vinaigrette. Try this at home! Though I cannot make it out, I’m very excited for folks who will get to participate in Virginia’s Cider Week this year! Read about all of the events here: https://ciderweekva.com/events/ I’m reviewing cider by a cidery that’s hosting one of the most inventive cider week activities I’ve ever seen. I admit it; I’m a little jealous. The event is Comedy and Cider at Coyote Hole Ciderworks. It’s happening Friday November 15th at 8pm. There’s a comedy tour hitting brewery’s all over the country, but for Virginia Cider week, they are performing at a cidery, and that’s wonderful. My soft spot for comedy runs to sketch and improv (thank you forever Pittsburgh FNI), but I think the combination of fun approachable ciders and lots of laughs just sounds like a great time.
Visit online and find out more: http://www.coyotehole.com. My next review is Coyote Hole Ciderworks’ Sangria. Full disclosure, this cider was shared with me for review. This is my first contact with Coyote Hole Ciderworks; the company is based in Mineral, Virginia. The cidery focuses on using Virginia apples and making very inventive ciders that aim to please, including seasonal and limited releases. The official description of the Coyote Hole Ciderworks’ Sangria reads,
SANGRIA. FLAGSHIP CIDER
Green apple cider sangria.
Coyote Hole Sangria is a unique cider based sangria with a base of our Oma Smith's green apple hard cider. It is blended with rosé wine and cran-mango juice making it a wonderful year-round cider for any occasion.
Sweetness: Five apples
ABV: 5.6%
Appearance: coral, brilliant, no visible bubbles I expected this cider to look more reddish based on the ingredients, name, and packaging, but what I see is lovely. The color looks like a soft coral; it’s totally brilliant. I didn’t see any bubbles but that doesn’t mean it won’t be sparkling! Aromas: fruity, kiwi, peach, mango, apricot The Sangria smells like kiwi, peach, mango, and apricot. It’s so intensely fruity. My co-tasters recognized notes of guava and a ton of tropical fruit flavor. Besides fruit we could smell some perfumed floral notes as well. Sweetness/dryness: Sweet This is a sweet cider! Now I know what listing five apples of sweetness means on the website. Flavors and drinking experience: green apple, peach schnapps, full mouthfeel This cider does remind me of sangria. It has a very full, thick mouthfeel and plenty of sweet fruitiness. Some of the flavors remind me of peach schnapps green apple. It has plenty of acidity, but it still feels heavy in body. That’s almost certainly due to sweetness. This cider is very bubbly, which helps lighten the mouthfeel and cut the sweetness. We shared this with an over the top Vincent Price movie (Theater of Blood!) and salty popcorn! I’m sure this cider does very well in the Coyote Hole tasting room, and salty snacks are a great combo for it!
Here’s the official description for the Hollow Jack’d.
IMPERIAL PUMPKINExtra mischievous, Hollow Jack'D takes our fall classic of fresh-pressed apples, caramelized pumpkins and sweet potatoes that are finished with local honey and spices to a whole new level. 8.4% ABV
Appearance: bubbly, hazy, butterscotch candy The color reminded us of butterscotch candies. Hollow Jack’d is hazy and bubbly in the glass. It looks like a juicy big cider. Aromas: Peach, pear, raspberry, minerals I don’t smell pumpkin, but I get lots of appealing aromas from the Hollow Jack’d. The cider smells very much like peach, pear, and raspberry. I also get some zingy minerality in the aromas. Dryness/sweetness: Sweet This cider tastes decidedly sweet. It feels honeyed and thick in the mouth. Flavors and drinking experiences: nectarine, apricol, sparkling, mulling spice This sparkling sweet seasonal reminds me of nectar, with a honeyed jasmine character. The Hollow Jack’d brings notes of nectarine and apricot, raspberry and spice. I don’t taste much pumpkin but I do get hints of the caramelization and sweet potato that were used in the process. The cider has a pronounced mulling spice finish. I enjoyed this with plenty of popcorn and my first ever viewing of Candyman! I highly recommend this combo.
Now for Blue Bee Cider Hewe’s Crab. Blue Bee Cider was kind enough to share this cider with me for review. This company describes itself as Virginia's first urban cidery. The way the folks at Blue Bee talk about the cider making process emphasizes concepts like seasons, small batches, and the special characteristics of different apple varieties. I don’t have as many previous Blue Bee Cider reviews as I’d like just because I don’t often see the cider for sale. Here’s what I’ve managed. Hopsap Shandy: https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/12/cider-review-blue-bees-hopsap-shandy.html Charred Ordinary (my #4 cider of2017): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/03/cider-review-blue-bee-cider-charred.html Here’s how Blue Bee cider introduces the single-varietal Hewes Crab.
A rare breed, the HEWE’S CRAB apple makes a comeback from near-extinction in this distinct, fruit forward cider. Bright, floral, notes of cumin and honey. RS 0.3%, ABV 8.5%.
Appearance: Active bubbles, brilliant medium straw This cider has so many tiny super fast bubbles! I love to just watch the Hewe’s Crab go! The color is a pleasant medium straw. Aromas: Green apple, honey, white flowers, minerality Something about the Hewe’s Crab cider’s aromas feels very pointed to me. I think it’s somehow the acidity coming through without it being at all volatile. It reminds me of minerals and green apples. I also smell white flowers and honey. Everything about this is consonant with other crabapple ciders I’ve tried before. Sweetness/dryness: off-dry to dry, but not bone dry The Hewe’s Crab dances across the palate with lots of flavors and almost no sweetness. What’s there is fruity and more than balanced by everything else happening. Flavors and drinking experience: tangerine, orange blossom, tropical fruit The Hewe’s Crab reminds me of Orange blossoms and tangerine. This cider is off dry and pleasingly puckeringly acidic. It’s definitely filled with my favorite characteristics of crabapples. The cider brings just a bit of tropical sweetness, specifically pineapple and citrus. Of course, I love that this cider overflows with the tiniest champagne-like bubbles. The fermentation is gloriously clean and the cider is headily aromatic. As we all enjoyed it with dutch herbed cheese and apples, it warmed up slightly and the aromas kept unfolding. The minerality of Hewe’s Crab aromas come through in taste. I get a little spice and fair amount of white pepper. This cider leaves a tannic residue on the lips. One of my co-tasters noticed a very wet mouthfeel, but I am not quite sure what to make of that. We all agreed that the cider tastes complex but unified And consistently interesting. This is an outstanding cider! Coming up November 15th through 24th, Cider Week VA will be celebrating cider all over the beautiful state of Virginia. I talk a big game about New York ciders, but Virginia is another state that has amazing apple varieties and some of the most talented cider makers and orchardists active today. I loved this week’s Blue Bee cider, and the company is far from alone in making thoughtful delectable ciders. Let me encourage you to check out the website which has event listings and introduces all of the cideries participating: https://ciderweekva.com/ I can see bonfires, pairing dinners, comedy shows, cider making workshops and more on the list of events. These are some fun, creative events! This is the perfect time to spend some time doing fabulous cider things before the holiday rush eats your calendar for the next six weeks!
Today, I want to share a fun and unusual set of cider notes. This past Thursday, as part of Finger Lakes Cider Week, I had a casual event at The Watershed (http://www.thewatershedithaca.com/) to take people through the basics of tasting cider. The bar had a number of New York State and Finger Lakes options, and it was an absolute pleasure to meet with new people, taste with old friends, and deepen some cider connections. Many thanks to everyone who came out! And much affection and appreciation to Ashley and Dave at the Watershed and Woody who helped put together and promote the event. This week’s reviews both come out of that event and the tasting notes are a collaboration of everyone who tried these two particular ciders. We used a cider flavor wheel and Cider Tasting Journals to help capture what we saw, smelled and tasted. If you don’t know these excellent tasting guides, I recommend checking them out online (https://www.33books.com/products/33-mugs-of-cider-golden-russet-special-edition). Thanks again, everyone! The first cider I’d like to share about today is Kite and String’s Rosé '17.
This delightful apple-grape wine blends high-acid cider apples with vinifera grapes. Strong aromatics of strawberry and lilac, combine with luscious berry notes on the palate, followed by a round creamy finish. 8.2%ABV
What’s fascinating is that all of Kite and String’s cider’s have a tech sheet with additional details as well. The apples included in this cider are Newtown Pippin, Baldwin, Liberty, and McIntosh. Here’s the cider maker’s note about this one.
A Finger Lakes collaboration, our Rosé is a mix of sharp, high-acid, lateseason apples blended with 18% fresh Riesling juice grown by Hosmervineyards (Ovid, NY), and 10% Marechal Foch (French hybrid varietal)red grape wine produced at Swedish Hill Vineyards (Romulus, NY). Thesecondary fermentation takes place in a closed pressurized tank that isthen bottled at four volumes of carbonation pressure.
Appearance: brilliant, gentle coral, no visible bubbles This is a very appealing shade of coral pink. It’s warm but gentle and reminds me of the blush on many apple skins. The cider is brilliant with no visible bubbles. Aromas: Raisins, limestone, peach This cider smells wonderful when first poured, but it only improves as it warms up after a few moments. The aromas of peach, raisins, and limestone all intensify. Sweetness/dryness: semi-sweet I think Kite and String is entirely correct to call this cider a semi-sweet. The flavors are definitely impacted by it’s sweetness. The cider’s acidity does not alter or disguise that, but the sweetness is a profoundly fruity and pleasant sweetness. Because of that, I’d not choose to cellar this cider, but rather drink it now. Flavors and drinking experience: earthy, cherry, tart, stone fruit. For everyone who tried the Rosé, it was a favorite. Dry and sweet drinkers alike could agree on it. There’s a reason this cider appears frequently on the Watershed’s menu of ciders by the glass. The acidity and fruitiness work together beautifully. The sweetness adds heft and body that many ciders don’t have to offer. The fruits that comes across most strongly on the palate are cherry and peach, but there are other notes of apple and tropical fruit as well. It’s finish is rolling and pleasant. I’ll go ahead and nominate this one for future family get togethers.
Our Dry Apple + Oak cider is our constant companion. A loyal friend and ally. It pairs exceedingly well with meals, with evening galas, and with laid-back afternoons. Made from a seasonal blend of 100% fresh-pressed New York Apples, we very lightly oak this cider for a hint of toastiness and astringency. The first sip is smooth and dry then subtle flavors build and blend, growing the enjoyment sip after sip.
Appearance: brilliant, apricot, saffron, few visible bubbles What a warm hue of yellow-orange. This was a great cider to dissect in terms of color because we have certain associations with a deeper color for cider. It’s often associated either with cider specific apples or barrel aging. Since this cider mentions oak, that’s in line with our expectations. Aromas: baking spice, woodiness, sarsaparilla, cooked apples This cider smells more like baked and spiced apples than I expected. The smells also reminded several folks of root beer with a sarsaparilla note. I do smell some woodiness and tropical notes like pineapple as well. Sweetness/dryness: Sweet This is not a dry cider. This is a sweet cider. One person said of the sweetness that it tasted cooked like the sugar in a baked dish. Flavors and drinking experience: high acid, herbal, mulled, sweet The Dry Apple + Oak has lots of acidity to offer. That’s what most tasters noticed first, one person going so far as to say that the acidity washing over their tongue with each sip was the predominant experience drinking the cider. Another taster noticed not only acidity but that it reminded them of seasonal fall ciders which often use mulling spices. I agree that the cider’s brown sugar, clove, and cinnamon notes go beyond any associations with barrels and into the realm of baking spices. The Dry Apple + Oak also brings a lot of body to the glass. It’s a rich, ripe, heavy cider. The mouthfeel is far more like cream than like water. My favorite thing about this cider was it’s finish. It wasn’t a long finish, but it reminded my of oatmeal with a clean, warm, graininess that’s only slightly sweet. All in all, it was a great night to learn more about cider and to enjoy tasting together.
The Wild Pippin (my #1 cider of 2014, the Wild Pippin): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/12/cider-review-redbyrd-orchard-ciders.html You can also visit Redbyrd Orchard Cider online, here: https://redbyrdorchardcider.com/ I want to keep the Finger Lakes Cider Week excitement going by starting with Redbyrd Orchard Cider's Celeste Sur Lie 2015. Here’s the official description, “An elegant cider for celebration, made in the traditional style and disgorged after aging on bottle lees for over 24 months, giving you a beautiful helix of endless soft bubbles in your glass and a creamy buttery mouthfeel. 0.0% residual sugar, 10.5% alcohol/volume. Release date- May 2018 ongoing (disgorged in groups of 10 cases), 44 cases produced”
Appearance: medium straw, brilliant, a ring of bubbles around the edge of the glass When poured, it’s totally obvious that this cider underwent a secondary fermentation in the bottle. The fizz is active, but the bubbles are tremendously fine and small. I’ll call the color medium straw and the clarity brilliant. Aromas: bready, buttery, lots of aroma This smells so much like toasted bread crumbs! I also get clean fermented apple notes and some champagne-like minerality. Sweetness/Dryness: Dry! This is a bracingly dry cider. The Celeste Sur Lie maintains lots of excitement and fruitiness even so. Flavors and drinking experience: yeasty, high acid, lingering finish This cider is so filled to the brim with zesty acid! I love how bright the Celeste Sur Lie tastes. I get fruit notes like overripe apples, seville orange, and pineapple. I’ll think of the acidity as bracing and very true to the regional style. It gets a ton of flavor and structure from both of its fermentations because it’s clean but yeasty. The finish is luxurious and lengthy. I’ve tasted this cider a few times. I had it at Cider Con as part of the Heritage cider track, and I’ve tasted it at my own table and others around town. My favorite pairing with this cider has to be a very local caprese salad. The cutting acidity works beautifully with umami rich seasonal tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and olive oil. Yummy beyond belief. Next up I’ll tackle Ciders of Spain’s Wild Fermented Pretty Dry Perry.
Viuda de Angelón is the first Spanish producer to make traditional Asturian home-style perry widely available. Cider Maker Fran Ordoñez finishes his wild yeast (spontaneously fermented by native ambient yeasts) pear juice with a second fermentation for a natural sparkle and balances pear tannins with the sweetness of modest residual sugar and naturally occurring sorbitol. His perry starts sweet and finishes nicely acidic.
So this is actually made by the same producer that made my first ever spanish perry from a few years ago!
Appearance: hazy, no visible bubbles, flaxen yellow This is a lovely perry with a nice ripened flax yellow color, just a hint of haze, and no visible bubbles. Lots and lots of perries are nearly colorless, so please consider this tone intense by perry standards. Aromas: not much aroma, tart, peaches, fresh apples The Pretty Dry Perry smells mildly. It’s aromas aren’t strong, but there’s still a gentle drift of volatile acidity, not a ton though. It also smells like fresh apples and peaches. These aromas seem mostly from fermentation. Dryness/sweetness: semi-sweet I would not call this pretty dry. This is a semi-sweet perry. I know that sorbitol is a type of sugar that does not ferment out, thus even a fully fermented perry could taste a little sweet. This isn’t that though. Flavors and drinking experience: pears, apples, petillant, mild phenols Though this cider smells extremely tart and just a bit bleachy, it comes across entirely differently on the palate. I can detect what I smelled as peaches and tart stone fruit, but it tastes more like fresh pear and apple sweetness. I would not have called it perry if I'd not known it was made from pears rather than apples. The taste just keeps surprising me with how much sweeter and less acidic it is than I’d expected based on its aromas. The level of sparkle is petillant, but only gently so. It would be safe to call this a nearly-still semi-sweet perry. This is really quite a surprise from the aroma (which is more like a spanish cider). I get some phenolic olive brine aftertaste. The perry is a little tannic and leathery. I enjoy the orange, apple, and pear flavors. This perry is back sweetened with unfermented pear juice, and that element comes across the most clearly.
