I tried this cider with family while enjoying a few days with them in the Adirondacks. We made time to relax, grill out, and play just about as many competitive games as will fit into the waking hours of an extended family of twelve. But when it was time for the adults to sit down and relax, I had the joy of sharing some ciders with some curious tasters.
West County Cider is a Massachusetts based cider that’s been going strong since 1984. It was founded by the Maloney family who are still integral to the cider community. I like the description on West County Cider’s website.
West County Cider was started by the Maloney family in 1984 with a commitment to making small-batch ciders with impeccable apples from local orchards. Thirty-five years later our family has grown but the tradition continues. We use fine-winemaking techniques and focus on freshness of flavor and total respect for each individual apple variety. Every harvest year represents a new foray into the possibility of the apple.
Here is a list of all of my previous reviews of West County Ciders. I don’t get access to them very often, so there aren’t as many on this list as I’d like.
Singing Dog Orchard: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/07/cider-review-greenwood-ciders.html
Cider Maker’s Favorite (my #3 of 2014): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/12/cider-review-west-county-cider-cider.html
Reine de Pomme (my #3 of 2013):
http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/03/cider-review-west-county-cider-reine-de.html
Visit West County Cider online to learn more: http://westcountycider.com/
We shared the Quince Redfield-Cortland with a simple meal of black bean and corn salad, green salad, grilled veggie burgers (and beef for the meat eaters).
Here's how West County Cider describes it, "Quince is an ancient highly-perfumed tree fruit. Some say it was the forbidden fruit of Eden.We cofermented this with Redfield and Cortland apples. Taste?: Tropical, beguiling..."
Appearance: warm peach, hazy, no visible bubbles
This is a medium intense color that reminds me of peaches. The cider has just a hint of haze and not much in the way of bubbles.
Aromas: creamy, ripe apples, yogurt, slightly astringent
I’m intrigued by how the Quince Redfield Cortland smells creamy and apple. The notes remind me of ripe apples and fresh yogurt. It’s very inviting. There is on note of complication and complexity running through, something that hints at astringence like a slightly boozy medicinal note.
Sweetness/dryness: semi-sweet
The Quince Redfield-Cortland has plenty going on in addition to sweetness, its a central part of this cider’s scaffolding.
Flavors and drinking experience: pineapple, lemon curd, high acid, applesauce, maple
What a luscious tasting cider! My first impressions are of lemon curd, pineapple, and homemade applesauce. The Quince Redfield Cortland brings strong levels of spark, high acidity, and medium tannins. It’s such a pleasing melange; I love how the tropical pineapple notes melt with the fruity acids of homemade applesauce. There’s nearly a suggestion of maple—very nice how it interacts with the high sparkle.
The cider is semi-sweet—surprisingly so! It immediately introduces itself as rich and mature, but not funky or challenging. The cider feels well put together, sophisticated, just a bit mysterious, and sessionable all at once. What a delight!
