We may be half way through #DryCiderJanuary, but we finally have proper snow in the Finger Lakes. I feel like I’ve waited longer for this snow than any since my childhood. It’s not for the possibility of a snow day (though those are nice!), but Winter here doesn’t feel real without snow. It's always a time of cold, slowing down, and darkness, but snow is the recharging, transformation, and beauty of the season. I don’t like to drive in it, but I love to watch it, photograph it, walk through it, and bask in its reflective brightness.
As part of my Dry Cider January, I sat down with Emily of Cider Culture and had a chat about a few of my favorite dry ciders these days. I opened up Aeppeltreow’s Americana for that chat, and here’s the review of this delightfully dry pick.
You can find reviews of Aeppeltreow Ciders in many previous blog posts along with plenty of background of this winery, cidery, distillery in Burlington, Wisconsin. I like how they describe themselves.
At ÆppelTreow:
We Are ‘Apple True’
Old English For Apple Tree or Apple Truth
We Are Cidermakers
Apples and Pears are the Core of Our Products
We Are Orchardists
Honest Flavors come from the Trees and Land
We Are Historians
History and Tradition are Our Inspiration
We Are Local
Local Ingredients and Local Customers
We Are Family
Three Generations on hand from Branch to Bottle.
You can learn about all of Aeppeltreow’s offerings both fermented and distilled online: https://aeppeltreow.com/.
Here’s the rundown of all my previous reviews of AeppelTreow Ciders.
Siskin Scrumpy: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/05/cider-review-big-fish-cider-cos-wild.html
Scarlett Rosey Cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/07/cider-review-aeppeltreow-scarlett-rosey.html
Sparrow Spiced Cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/01/cider-review-aeppeltreow-sparrow-spiced.html
Blackbird Berried Cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/06/cider-cans-crush-it-aeppeltreow.html
Orchard Oriole Perry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/05/very-perry-may-aeppeltreows-orchard.html
Appley Brut: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/09/cider-review-appeltreow-winerys-appley.html
Sparkling Perry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/05/very-perry-may-pt-1-aeppeltreow.html
Kinglet Bitter: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/09/cider-review-appletreow-kinglet-bitter.html
Barnswallow Draft Cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/03/cider-review-appeltreow-barnswallow.html
Here’s how the label describes Aeppeltreow’s Americana.
“Aepptreow Winey’s Americana cider is the culmination of a decade of Aeppeltreow-style innovation. For this cider we went back to our roots. We grafted surviving colonial American apples. Raised them tenderly. And now we raise a glass of them. To them. To us all. Hewes, Albemarle Pippin, Winesap, Harrison, Taliaferro.” 7.5% ABV
Appearance: intense harvest yellow, ring of bubbles at rim, brilliant
The Americana uses clear glass for the bottle, so I could appreciate the color before it was poured. It’s an intense harvest yellow that reminds me of polenta, aged gouda, or the moon on certain nights of the year. It's lovely, ripe and satisfying. The cider is brilliant with just a ring of bubbles at the edge of the liquid.
Aromas: peach, plum, overripe apples
I love the amazing bountiful aromas that leap from my glass. The cider is redolent with peach, plum and overripe apple notes. Aroma both pleasant and plentiful are one of the surest ways to this cider lover’s heart.
Sweetness/dryness: dry yet fruit
This cider is dry yet tastes fruity. It’s a wonderful combination.
Flavors and drinking experience: peaches, blackberries, tart, nearly petillant
I noticed that this cider tastes tart and acidic such that it’s almost perceivable as petillant, though it’s described as a still cider. I had a chat with Charles the cidermaker and he let me know that low levels of CO2 were used to bottle, and I could be noticing that as well. Either way, it’s not a bubble but almost a gentle tickle of texture.
The Americana brings so much very fruity acid to the party. The fruit notes remind me of blackberries and peaches in the best possible way. I’m seeing winter but tasting Summer. The cider has a medium full body and mellow fermented flavors but everything about the fermentation comes across as very clean.
Sip after sip, peach is emerging as a dominant flavor for me. It’s luscious and mellow and soft. What a treat. I had mine with a soft homemade pretzel, but I could also see enjoying this cider with a corn chowder or a creamy pasta bake. It has enough tartness that it doesn’t need bubbles to lift food flavors up.
