Boot life continues whenever I leave the house, but this weekend I was able to take some practice time in the house to get used to moving around without it. On flat surfaces, I felt pretty good! Stairs will take a bit more time. The thrill was so real that I had to try a new recipe for my sourdough starter discard. And of course a dessert necessitates a fun cidery pairing! Nerdy domesticity rules my weekends with great joy.
Here’s what I tried: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/sourdough-chocolate-chip-cookies-recipe
They turned out beautifully with just one notable adjustment; my dark chocolate was a dark chocolate with almonds. Yum! And with that delicious dessert, I was very happy to enjoy Nine Pin Ciderworks’ Apple Pie-secco. Wordplay on apple pie plus Prosecco (the sparkling wine) gives the cider an immediate association with warm cooked apples and baking spices plus the delight of a sparkling beverage.
Nine Pin Ciderworks is based out of Albany, New York but now distributed and shipped to at least 35 states. Here’s a quick list of all of my previous reviews of Nine Pin Ciders! More background information can be found in these earlier reviews.
Pink Lemonade: https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2023/08/cider-revew-nine-pin-ciderworks-pink.html
House of Dabinett: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/04/cider-review-portland-cider-companys.html
Cucumber Lime Light Cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/08/cider-reviews-ninepin-light-cider.html
Gathering of the Farm Cideries (including the Cascara cider): https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/02/gathering-of-new-york-farm-cideries.html
Peach Tea: https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/06/pickcider-review-nine-pin-ciderworks.html
Blueberry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/08/cider-review-nine-pin-cider-blueberry.html
Ginger: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/10/cider-review-nine-pin-cider-works-ginger.html
Signature cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/04/cider-review-nine-pin-cider-works-nine.html
Nine Pin Ciderworks’ website is the best place to learn about all of this New York Cidery’s releases and taproom events: http://www.ninepincider.com
My faithful co-taster Woody picked this up locally. So many different cideries create their own version of fall-spiced ciders, so I’m always curious to see how everyone’s tastes!
Here’s the official description from the folks at Nine Pin: Crafted from apples from Samascott Orchards in Kinderhook, New York, Apple Pie-Secco symbolizes life’s simple joys, autumnal aromas filling our homes, explosions of taste; pure comfort. 6.5% ABV.
Appearance: Brilliant, brassy blonde, few visible bubbles
I love how brassy blonde this color looks in the glass. It's too pretty for a can, but I say that a lot. The cider poured brilliant with few visible bubbles.
Aromas: sweet and gentled cooked apple, cinnamon, ginger,
The Apple Pie-secco offers up a medium intense aroma of ginger, apple and cinnamon. The apple smells mellow and cooked. This definitely gets the autumnal associations flowing. One note, in order to really access these great smells, you must use a glass.
Sweetness/Dryness: Semi-sweet
This cider is on the sweeter side, but it’s notably not fully sweet. This really gives an additional level of complexity to the cider’s other qualities like acids, body, bubble, and Nine Pin’s use of cinnamon.
Flavors and drinking experience: high acid, strong cinnamon, vanilla finish
Nine Pin’s Apple Pie-secco starts off with a beautiful burst of high acid that I associate with New York and eastern United States ciders more generally. Next, that acid coalesces into flavors I recognize as ripe peach and cooked apple. This cider’s midpalate expands to include spices, mostly cinnamon; it tastes holiday-ish and feels a little rough and sandpapery, The cider’s finish is oodles of vanilla.
One of the most interesting characteristics of this cider was how the bubbles felt prickly and spiky and zesty.
I appreciate that Nine Pin’s Apple Pie-secco doesn’t just go for the same profile as the classic seasonal sipper. The vanilla is a nice touch, as is backing off on the sweetness just a touch. It was a beautiful accompaniment to my chocolate chip cookies, but I imagine it would be even better with shortbread and caramel.
