This morning I woke to the first premonition of Fall. The color of the light leaned grayer and the drizzle felt relaxed and autumnal. After the brief rain, we didn’t get the tropical steam bath feeling that has followed many recent rainstorms. It’s a bittersweet moment, but today it feels like relief as much as anything. Summer’s not done with us yet; it may even be back in full force by afternoon. The variety gives shape to the days and weeks, so I’m grateful. This weekend, it felt like the perfect time to pull out Stormalong’s Massive Appeal.
The kind folks at Stormalong sent this from Massachusetts along with the Berry Perry to me for review in May. I have no shortage of previous reviews of Stormalong’s ciders. Here’s the full list. I give a lot more background on the cidery.
Berry Perry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2023/05/cider-review-stormalong-ciders-berry.html
IPC Collaboration with Exhibit A Brewing: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2023/02/cider-review-stormalong-ciders.html
Pearman Quince(my #10 cider of last year): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2022/08/cider-review-stormalong-ciders-pearmain.html
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’s website to learn about the current lineup and what else this Massachusetts cidery has going: https://www.stormalong.com/
Here’s the official description for the Massive Appeal.
An imperial cider that has a similar taste profile as Mass Appeal, but with a higher ABV at 8.2%. It's juicy, crisp and apple forward.
FLAVOR Juicy, Crisp & Apple Forward
APPLES Golden Delicious and McIntosh
Appearance: brilliant, warm straw, fine bubbles
Shiny! The Massive Appeal sure does look fabulous. This cider is truly brilliant with lots of lovely bubbles and a ripe hay color.
Aromas: ripe apples, fresh sweet cream, baking spices
Mouthwateringly, this cider smells like fresh ripe apples and a bit like custard cream. This is just so friendly and yummy in aroma!
Sweetness/dryness: Sweet
The Massive Appeal is a sweet cider with lots of fun flavors.
Flavors and drinking experience: apple, cinnamon, petillant, bittersweet finish
I wasn’t sure quite what to expect from an imperial cider like this. Ciders vary tremendously in ABV and some releases highlight that like an imperial release while others do not. I was curious to see if the booziness would make a prominent impression.
What I found is a cider that tastes sweetly like cinnamon and apple. The Massive Appeal is petillant more than strongly sparkling. It doesn’t taste hot or even particularly boozy.
The cider is well balanced with a delicious bittersweet edge on the finish. It’s got nice mellow maturity- the cider reminds me of fallen leaves and wood.
Overall the Massive Appeal comes across as roasty toasty and darkly sweet. Sip after sip, this cider remains intensely appley. Rather than boozy, it’s friendly and almost too drinkable for an 8.2% ABV!
We enjoyed this summer with a grilled meal of corn on the cob, zucchini and yellow squash, and BBQ chicken or tofu. I like pairing barbeque entrees with sweeter ciders as the sweet and spicy combination is usually particularly harmonious. This was no exception!
