I’ve not travelled often or far lately, it’s true. I’ve been both busy at home and cautious. My trip to Michigan for GLINTCAP was definitely the biggest trip of 2021 so far, and it’s likely to stay that way. But I do find other kinds of exploration, including an online class through Morbid Anatomy about contemporary folklore and legend tripping. Last week, our teacher encouraged us to bring a tasty beverage to the last half of class, and I was happy to comply. I chose to bust out a can of Brain Waves: Key Lime Pie by Stowe Cider.
Stowe cider comes to us from Stowe, Vermont. The company maintains a small core of cider styles that are always available, but the majority of the offerings are seasonal, limited, or collaborative. Stowe Cider makes adventurous choices, often pushing the boundaries of what has been tried in cider.
Here are all of Stowe Ciders’ previous appearances on the blog.
Gin and Juice: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2021/07/cider-review-stowe-ciders-gin-and-juice.html
Juniper Sessions: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/11/cider-review-stowe-ciders-juniper.html
High and Dry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/08/cider-review-grand-illusion-hard-cider.html
Local Infusion Snow’s Raspberry Hard Cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/03/cider-review-angry-orchard-rose-and.html
My 2016 visit to the tasting room as part of my Great Vermont Cider Tour: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-great-vermont-cider-tour-day-1.html
I recommend visiting Stowe Cider’s website to learn more: https://www.stowecider.com/home
Brain waves is a line of one time experiments by Stowe cider. I was stoked to try the Key lime pie after reading about it. Key Lime Pie is one of my favorite desserts in the world; I am practically obsessed. Stowe Cider did share this sample with me for review, so many thanks! Samples do not however sway my opinion or even guarantee a review. I’m afraid that my review queue is a bit full at the moment!
Here’s the description that caught my eye.
“Cider fermented with Suzie-Uie gluten free graham cracker crumbs, key lime, coconut, & brown sugar. 6% ABV”
Appearance: Cloudy, floating bits, lemon curd
The cider really looks wild. As the picture shows, it’s totally cloudy. Where my hand is on the back of the glass, none of that is visible through the cider. The color reminds me of lemon curd. There are little floaty bits as well; that could be lime flesh, crumbs of graham cracker, or tiny bits of coconut. With this cider, anything is possible!
Aromas: Lime, apple, graham cracker, and coconut
Key Lime Pie smells emphatically like lime! I do get other notes, including some ripe apple, coconut, and graham cracker. The lime is what dominates though.
Sweetness/Dryness: Semi dry
It’s a little hard to tell how sweet this is because this cider’s acidity is off the charts.
Flavors and drinking experience: Lime, graham, apple, but mostly lime
The Brain Waves Key Lime Pie tastes mostly of fresh limes, but like with the aromas, I do get notes of apple and graham as well. The coconut disappears though. The drinking experience goes more purely lime as I keep sipping. It’s a full-bodied cider, which I really like. The acidity is delightfully intense. I did share this cider with a couple of fellow tasters, and I was the most fond of it. I think it will be more popular with devoted fans of lime!
This cider was a fabulous pairing with popcorn and fun spooky learning. I kept the snack simple, so my brain could be free to absorb the cool class!