It’s gone from dry and smoky to nearly flooded here in the finger lakes in the past few weeks. I love seeing how green everything is. At the same time, I do miss the sun. I won’t complain much though, I’d rather too much rain than too little! I did take an evening recently to open up a bottle of cider that I was most excited about and enjoy it with good cheese, good company, and the sound of rain falling outside. It was great.
I wanted to share this review to start of #DryCiderJuly! There are so many wonderful dry ciders out there, and the American Cider Association is taking the month of July to celebrate them. I'm happy to join in and share all of the myriad of flavors I can find in a dry cider. Here's a link to a Dry Cider Finder: https://ciderassociation.org/dryciderfinder/,
The kind folks at Albemarle Cider shared a bottle of the Wickson cider with me along with a few other bottles that are also tremendously tempting. More reviews will appear along and along. Check out my earlier reviews of this Virginia cidery to learn more background about the company and its cider making!
Brut D’Albemarle Harrison: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2023/03/cider-review-albemarle-ciderworks-brut.html
Goldrush: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/02/cider-review-albemarle-ciderworks.html
Ragged Mountain: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/10/cider-review-albemarle-ragged-mountain.html
Royal Pippin: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/08/cider-review-albemarle-ciderworks-royal.html
Pomme Mary: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/09/cider-review-albemarle-iderworks-pomme.html
Albemarle can be found online here: http://www.albemarleciderworks.com.
I was so eager to open up Albemarle Ciderworks’ Wickson, because I frequently love ciders made with Wickson apples. Here’s a link to a bit of information about this delicious crab: https://www.orangepippin.com/varieties/crab-apples/wickson-crab.
Here’s how Albemarle describes this cider on its label, “ Dry single varietal of the Wickson Crab apple. Bright and tart. Fruity and floral aromas lead to pineapple and passionfruit on the palette. Alcohol 9.40%”
Appearance: brilliant, intense, buttercup yellow, bubbly
This is a beautiful cider. The color reminds me of so many summer yellow flowers; it’s an intense sunny yellow. The Wickson is alive in the glass with active bubbles.
Aromas: ripe apple, strawberry, orange, and lemon, so fruity!
The Wickson smells impressively fresh and fruity. I get so many distinct fruit notes like ripe apple, peach, orange, lemon, and strawberry. It’s all tart zest and freshness. Love it!
Dryness/Sweetness: Dry and yet totally fruity
This is a dry cider but it could certainly fool you if you’re just looking at whether or not the Wickson is
fruity. It’s redolent with vivid fruit and yet dry. It’s possible, and it's delicious.
Taste: zingy, subtly bitter, creamy, fruity and mouthwatering
Astonishing. This cider is a keeper. I find it powerfully and yet invitingly tart with a bitter and
mouthwatering edge. The Wickson is delightfully bubble and yet creamy. The flavors that keep
bouncing across my palate are citrus and tart cream- like the most luxurious whole milk lemon yogurt
imaginable or lemon curd. Secondarily, I notice loads of minerals. Repeated sips keep delighting me
with how juicy and vivid they taste.
I paired mine with cheese, conversation and the sound of rain. What a treat.
