When I last reviewed a Stormalong cider, I was celebrating the tiny victory of being able to enjoy a lunch break outside. Now, I’m hoping we’ll not see any more days above 90 degrees Fahrenheit for the rest of the year. For so long, I was unsure that Spring and Summer would actually arrive. The warm season did come through; now I’m surrounded by corn, tomatoes, and panting dogs (and people). And I’m happy to have the chance to try Stormalong Cider’s Pearmain Quince on a recent steamy evening.
Stormalong Cider comes from Sherborn, Massachusetts. Shannon Edgar founded the company in 2014. You can find more background on this cidery in earlier posts about Stormalong Ciders. Many thanks for this review sample.
Here’s a thorough rundown of my previous Stormalong reviews.
Unfiltered: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2022/04/cider-review-stormalong-ciders.html
White Mountain Magic: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2022/02/cider-review-stormalong-ciders-white.html
Bittersweet Symphonie: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2021/10/cider-review-stormalongs-bittersweet.html
Wicked Little Wickson: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2021/08/cider-review-stormalongs-wicked-little.html
Winesap: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2021/04/cider-review-stormalong-ciders-winesap.html
Happy Holidays: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/11/cider-review-stormalong-ciders-happy.html
Esopus Spitzenburg: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/08/cider-review-ravens-moon-craft-ciders.html
Ashmead’s Kernel: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/07/cider-review-brannland-just-cider-and.html
Peariful: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/05/cider-review-left-foot-charleys-fortis.html
Legendary Dry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/12/cider-review-stormalongs-legendary-dry.html
Kingston Black: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/08/cider-reviews-ninepin-light-cider.html
Light of the Sun: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/08/cider-review-descendant-cider-company.html
Mass Appeal: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/12/cider-review-prospect-ciderworks.html
Boston Heirloom: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/01/cider-review-stormalong-ciders-boston.html
Visit Stormalong Cider online to see current releases and learn more about this Massachusetts cidery: http://stormalong.com/.
The Pearmain Quince is a new cider that’s part of the Rare Apple Series.Here’s how Stormalong describes the project.
This 2nd edition Heirloom Variety Pack includes a mix of four distinct, dry ciders made with heirloom apples grown in New England. These apples are grown on small orchards and then carefully fermented, aged and blended into the small batches created for this sampler.
To us apples are to cider as grapes are to wine. As part of our Rare Apple Series, each of the four blends showcase the unique flavors that true cider apples can bring to the table. Enjoy like a fine wine or champagne.
And about the Pairmain Quince particularly.
PEARMAIN QUINCE
FLAVOR: Crisp, rich and full-bodied with notes of honeysuckle, pear and pineapple.
APPLES: Made with Quince and a blend of Blue Pearmain, Hudson’s Golden Gem, Esopus Spitzenburg, Calville Blanc, and Franklin cider apples.
FOOD PAIRING: Pairs well with richer meats like barbecue pulled pork, pork belly, and roast chicken.
Appearance: Unknown. But bubbly.
Confession time: I drank this straight from the can. In my defense, it was more than 92 degrees outside.
Aromas: overripe apple, melon, yeast,
Enticing! The Pearmain Quince smells Instantly fruity but not too sweet. Specifically I get lots of overipe apple and melon notes. I’m betting this will be a cider with zesty fruity acids. There was also some mellowness and yeast in the aromas that I associate with certain heritage apple varieties; it's certainly enough to pique my curiosity even higher!
Sweetness/dryness: Semi-dry
This is a semi-dry cider with some awesome honeyed fruit sweetness.
Flavors and drinking experience: Savory, Dark, Bitter, Apricot, Acid
The Pearmain Quince taste bitter, dark, and honeyed without being very sweet. The flavor profile strikes me as mature, mellow, and savory. Two of the most notable flavore are melon and tomato. I’m drinking this cider a little warmer than I usually enjoy ciders, but it still tastes utterly fantastic like this. I love it’s tiny element of mushroom funk in the overall fruity palette. It strikes me as a cider that connotes all things ripe, growing, and vibrant. It’s almost sweaty, but cleanly so. My co-taster described it as pleasantly dangerous.
The cider is petillant with medium levels of tannins and fruity acidity. These things are opened up with low but not absent levels of sweetness. After a few more sips, I get an apricot mid-palate and an aftertaste of lemon and salt. The mouthfeel is very juicy and aquatic. What a fun cider!
The Rare Apple series has never disappointed me and this new iteration is no exception!
