Good morning cider friends, welcome to December. I can scarcely believe that we’re closing in on the end of this bizarre year. I hope you stayed safe for Thanksgiving and paired a delicious meal with some very good cider. I know I did. But now ‘tis the season for getting cozy and enjoying winter flavors.
In my mind, winter flavors include mulled ciders, barrel aged ciders, sips of pommeau, and my favorite non-apple fruit of all: cranberry. Some cider fans knock ciders with fruit additions, and they aren’t always my favorites. I just can’t resist trying every cranberry cider I can get my hands on. (If you’ve got one you’d like me to review, email me!) When I saw 1911’s Cranberry cider at the grocery store last week, I grabbed it with both hands.
1911 is a Finger Lakes cidery, orchard, distillery and farm attraction that has a passionate local following and increasing availability across the region. 1911 creates a truly varied range of ciders, and I’m always seeing something new from this company. I did purchase this myself; it was not a review sample.
I’ve reviewed a few of 1911’s cider over the years. The earlier ones appear under the orchard name Beak and Skiff that has since been rebranded as 1911.
Rose: https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/02/cider-review-1911-rose-and-virtue.html
New England Style Hopped IPC: https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/09/cider-reviews-1911-hard-cider-new.html
Tropical: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/06/cider-cans-crush-it-1911-tropical-cider.html
Somerset Original Cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/06/cider-review-beak-and-skiffs-1911.html
Founders’s Reserve Hopped: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/09/cider-review-1911s-founders-reserve.html
1911 describes the Cranberry saying, “1911 Cranberry hard cider is a semi-sweet cider that provides the perfect combination of classic American flavors. Our Unique blend of apples and New England cranberries strikes a delicate balance of sweet and tart. 6.9% ABV”
1911 also posts a sweetness scale that puts the Cranberry at a 2 out of a possible 6 for sweetness.
Appearance: Rosewood, brilliant, bubbly
I enjoyed searching for just the right word to describe this shade of pink. It’s got a hint of warm brown, so rosewood suits admirably. The cider has beautiful brilliance and lots of active bubbles.
Aromas: Citric acid, cranberry and other berries, ripe apple, dusty
My first impression when I brought my nose to this cider was citrus and citric acid. It has a fresh orange juice quality that’s a fun element along with a strong cranberry and apple presence. I also get notes of other berries and just a ghost of mineral dust.
Sweetness/dryness: Sweet to semi-sweet
The can describes this cider as semi-sweet, but it feels more like a sweet to my tastebuds. The sweetness I get is very fruity.
Flavors and drinking experience: strong cranberry finish, high acidity, medium body
I am so pleased! The Cranberry Cider by 1911 allows both apple and cranberry to speak distinctly. This cider is deliciously drinkable! I love the super cranberry finish. The Cranberry offers up just exactly the high acid I hope for in a cranberry cider. It also keeps things fun and exciting with the perfect level of bubble and medium body.
The Cranberry tastes fresh and fruity! We had it with the last piece of pumpkin cheesecake and the pairing was a total winner. Next time though, I’m going to bake some brie to go with this seasonal treat!