Cider Review: City Roots Cider's Evergreen Farmhouse Cider

Happy Spring, cider friends! I’m filled with hope today, not only because the sun shines outside on all the early spring shoots emerging from the ground, but because I was able to get my first dose of the Moderna vaccine last week! I hope your weeks are similarly filled with happiness and anticipation.

This week I’m reviewing a cider I found at my local grocery store. It's not often that they have something new, but I was happy to see City Roots Evergreen Farmhouse Cider a couple of weeks ago. When I read that the cider is infused with Juniper, I had to try it. I hope you enjoy!

We’ll start with the origins of City Roots Cider. This line of cider is made by the folks who make Harpoon Beer and who used to make Harpoon cider. That means the company is based in Boston. When reading about City Roots, I learned, “1% of revenue from all City Roots sales- whether draft or package- will be donated to nonprofit organizations that focus directly on creating greener, healthier, and more sustainable cities.” Which is a pretty cool ongoing commitment. 

I do want to link back to the one review I have of a Harpoon cider just because I remember it so fondly. 

Harpoon’s Pumpkin Cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/09/cider-review-harpoon-brewerys-pumpkin.htm

You can visit City Roots Cider online to learn more: https://www.cityrootscider.com/

As I mentioned, what made me pick up the Evergreen Farmhouse Cider, is that the label read “conditioned on juniper.” Here’s the full description.

Fermented completely dry using a Nordic farmhouse yeast strain and conditioned on juniper needles, Evergreen is crisp and peppery with notes of citrus zest, winter herbs, and cold forest air. Filtered bright, it has a pleasant warmth and bubbly effervescence while remaining remarkably light and drinkable. 6.0% ABV.

DRY

Ingredients Fermented apple juice (Late Season Blend), Juniper Needles

Appearance: cool straw, brilliant, few bubbles

This is a lovely cider to see. I appreciate the brilliance and cool straw hue. I see a few bubbles, but not many. We’ll have to see how sparkly it is or isn’t.

Aromas: Lychee, pear, basil, juniper and other herbs

The cider effuses with notable and pleasing lychee notes. I also smell pear, basil, white grape, apple, and minerals. Alongside this range juniper, peach, and pineapple appear. The whole impression is both  fruity and herbal.

Dryness/sweetness: Semi-dry

As with most ciders available in smaller bottles and cans, I need to adjust my expectation of the sweetness from what I see on the packaging. It’s called dry, but to me it's semi-dry. 

Flavors and drinking experience: high acid, pineapple, juniper, tropical 

The Evergreen Farmhouse Cider brings medium intensity sparkle and ear curling acidity! Wow! I love how this semi-dry cider tastes piney, green and  underripe fruit. Notes of pineapple, spruce, apple, and mango all play nicely together. The cider reminds of herb and pine in a sappy, sticky way, but the stickiness isn’t from sugar. This cider tastes very good! The juniper notes bring subtle complexity, but speak a bit more with a larger sip.

I paired this with probably one of the last winter harvesty meals we’re going to have this season. We made a Quorn roast, air-fryer brussels sprouts and baked potatoes with cheddar. It was all quite simple, but the Evergreen Farmhouse Cider was a great complement to the experience!

Next time, I want to see how this cider will play alongside salmon burgers and grilled asparagus!

Cider Review Raven's Moon Craft Cider's Hopped Apple Plum Cider and Stormalong Cider's Esopus Spitzenburg

We’ll reach the Autumnal Equinox in a little more than a month. Tiny spider webs appear daily all over the grasses and hedges. As my mom would say, the green on the trees has become darker or more opaque. Apples are ripening, and next year’s cider will start fermenting soon! Time to reach into my cellar for one extra summery cider and one more can that I want to drink while it’s super fresh.

I want to start with Raven's Moon Hopped Apple Plum Cider. 

This canadian cidery/winery was founded in 2004 in British Columbia, and the farm produces wine, cider, and distilled fruit spirits. George and Quinn make 15 different varieties, all with local fruit. I was able to snag my bottle of Hopped Apple Plum Cider after a cider competition last year. This will be my first review of anything they’ve made.

You can read more about the cidery and winery online: https://www.ravensmooncraftcider.ca

Here’s how Raven’s Moon describes the Hopped Apple Plum Cider.

A complete and unique cider created by the mad scientist that is George crafted by a blend of 3 different estate grown Japanese plums and BC cider apples, then dry hopped with a blend of BC grown cascade, centennial, and Chinook hops. George has created a great complex cider with wonderful floral notes and citrus aromas. The subtle hops flavours merge seamlessly with the lush plum profile making this cider completely interesting and a delightful flavour experience. 500ml 8.5% ABV.

Appearance: bubbly, bright goldenrod, brilliant

The Hopped Apple Plum cider foams and bubbles like a magical potion! The color reminds me of Goldenrod. It’s totally brilliant, which just shows off the sparkle even more.  

Aromas: cranberry, hops, apple, plum, and soap

This cider smells like it’s going to have high acidity. The initial impression is one of cranberry, but with a roundness comprising both the hops and the plum. I find the smell very appealing: sweet and luscious. There’s an element in the hops that does remind me a bit of clean soap.

Sweetness/dryness: dry!

I’m shocked! I thought that the Hopped Apple Plum Cider would have some sweetness based on its aroma notes, but it tastes much drier than anticipated.This is a dry cider!

Flavors and drinking experience: high acid, hoppy, super bubbly, grapefruit zest

Whoa acidity! Even before I fully know how this cider tastes, the acid is obvious. The Hopped Apple Plum cider has extremely high acid. The hops, plum, and apple elements are all pronounced and distinct.  I taste the hops as herbal, almost chewy. I love how amazingly bubbly this cider is—it pours with a tall and persistent head.  I get notes of pine needles from the hops as well.  This cider offers up a nice big mouthfeel.  I appreciate the gently lingering bitterness—grapefruit zest, with a suggestion of sweetness—but not the presence of sweetness.  The plum hints are lovely and subtle with a slightly blueberry-ish flavor.

I picked this cider to go with my summer corn chowder because I knew it would be seasonally appropriate, and it was perfect! And thank you again for making this cider such a sparkler! I love strong bubbles.

Next up, Stormalong Cider’s Esopus Spitzenburg.

This is another in the rare apple series and part of the Heirloom variety pack. I’ve been mowing through the selection just because I want to nerd out about special apple varieties. None of these are single varietal ciders, but the blends highlight the named apple. This whole pack was shared with me for review, and I’ve enjoyed the ones I’ve tried thus far.  

You can visit Stormalong online: http://stormalong.com/.

I’ve reviewed a growing number of Stormalong’s ciders. Here’s the list.

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

Here’s the official description from Stormalong: 

ESOPUS SPITZENBURG

FLAVOR: Bright acidity with a smooth tannic finish

APPLES: Made with a blend of Esopus Spitzenburg, Calville Blanc d'hiver, Chisel Jersey, Ribston Pippin, Dabinett, and Golden Russet apple varieties 7.4% ABV

Appearance: brilliant, deep squash blossom yellow, almost no visible bubbles

Aromas: applesauce, golden raisins, hint of tartness

The Esopus Spitzenburg smells delicious! There’s a mellow overripe apple character that reminds me of home-cooked applesauce. The cider is rich and concentrated like golden raisins. I think it might end up being a bit tart based on the aromas as well. 

Dryness/sweetness: Dry

Another fabulous dry cider, thank you Stormalong!

Flavors and drinking experience: tannins, acidity, balanced, rich, overripe apples

I’ve enjoyed each of these ciders, but this has to be my favorite thus far. The Esopus Spitzenburg brings beautiful tannins and exciting acidity to the table.  I love how dry and drinkable this is! This cider cider comes across as richly appley and balanced. Totally clean fermentation. It’s medium sparkling and pleasantly aromatic. This is a cider that’s sophisticated and grown up, but very friendly and approachable. 

I had this cider with a zucchini and yellow squash pesto pasta and fresh mozzarella. The freshness of the summer produce was a wonderful contrast for the ripe and luscious fruit character of this cider. I’d happily have that pairing again and again; it was such a delight!

Cider Review: Prospect Ciderworks Missing Link and Stormalong Mass Appeal

We are so unbelievably close to the end of 2018, cider lovers. Whether you’re ready to see the tail end of 2018 or not, we’ve only got two more weeks of it. And for me, that means I’m readying my top ten ciders of 2018 list. (Consider me excited!) But, that’ll come next week as my holiday gift to cider nerds. Until then, I was able to sneak two little evenings of relaxation in the past few weeks in which I could enjoy a couple of canned ciders; they are the simplest way enjoy a single serving of cider. You get every excuse not to share.

I started with a cider that’s been waiting far long that I picked from cider makers at Prospect Ciderworks when we were all hanging out at Cider Con 2018. Prospect Ciderworks was founded in 2015 and is based in Boston, Massachusetts. What’s interesting about Prospect is how prominently the website highlights the use of Belgian beer yeasts for the cider making. It is featured alongside the orchards (Doe Orchards) and apples (culinary). It’s a strong identity choice, and all the more unusual for a north-eastern cidery. 

You can visit the website and see more info at: http://prospectciderworks.com

I’m starting with a cider called Missing Link.

The official description reads,

Hopped Session CiderMissing Link greets with a bloom of citrus-forward Mosaic hops. We love this cider for its ability to ease the drinker into a hop-forward beverage while retaining the subtleties of our fruit. The semi sweet cider finishes with a soft bitterness, unmistakably different than the dry hopped ciders in its category. 4.8% ABV

I’m curious about a cider that’s this hop oriented while maintaining some apple sweetness and a low abv. I also appreciate that the description includes which types of hops:  Mosaic and Cascade.

Appearance: cloudy, lemon curd, not visibly bubbly

This cider barely looks like a cider, it's so completely cloudy. Instead being a shade of gold or amber this is an opaque yellow like lemon curd. 

Aromas: citrus, pine, apple, herbs 

Oooh The Missing Link smells so hoppy! I love it. That fresh citrus plus pine is just enticing. I know I’m more enthusiastic about hopped ciders than lots of cider aficionados. I like that hoppy ciders can smell herbal, citrusy, fruity, clean and sweaty all at the same time. This one is very much on the fresh air, citrus, pine, and clean laundry, but it makes my mouth water. 

Sweetness/dryness: semi-sweet

This is an interesting one in terms of sweetness. It’s there, but the fruity sweetness is sandwiched between an initial bitter note and a strongly hoppy finish. Many fans of sweeter ciders are likely find that challenging.

Flavors and drinking experience: hoppy, grapefruit, bitter, sweet

This is a beverage of rolling waves. The Missing Link tastes bitter at first, but then it mellows out. The mid-palate is all fruity grapefruit and apple, but soon the wave hits again and we’re on to a bitter and herbal finish.

The whole cider is vivid and zesty, juicy fun. I find the progress through stages extremely pleasant and fresh. There are no tannins to speak of, but the acidity is punchy and active. The Missing Link refreshes by being so green, sticky, juicy, and fruity. It all works together to be a very session-able cider, exactly as designed. 

And now for Stormalong Mass Appeal

I know I started my tasting of Stormalong ciders with the flagship cider, The Legendary Dry. They weren’t kidding; it’s a dry one, but the Mass Appeal almost certainly the first favorite for many fans of the brand. Stormalong cider is based out of Sherborn, Massachusetts in a hot-bed of orchard and cider history

Find out more about Stormalong CIder on Facebook or the Stormalong website, including some very interesting history indeed. 

https://www.facebook.com/stormalongcider/

http://stormalong.com/

I have previously reviewed two of Stormalong’s ciders and give more brand backstory in my earlier reviews. 

I started with the Legendary Dry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/12/cider-review-stormalongs-legendary-dry.html

And earlier this year I enjoyed Light of the Sun: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/08/cider-review-descendant-cider-company.html

Here’s the official description for the Mass Appeal: 

This cider is easy-drinking with just the right amount of tart and sweet.  We blend the pleasantly sharp bite of Macintosh apples with the honeyed, pineapple characteristics of Golden Delicious.  The classic Macintosh flavor is prominent, reminiscent of fresh New England farm stand cider, while Golden Delicious adds a tropical layer to the finish.  A highly drinkable and perfectly balanced cider handcrafted 100% from the finest quality locally sourced apples.  Our ciders are gluten-free with no added sugars, water, or concentrates.  Only the good stuff. 5.8%ABV

The page goes on to list the only apple variety in this cider as Golden Delicious, which strikes me as odd based on the heavy use of MacIntosh in the description.

Appearance: brilliant, warm straw, very few visible bubbles

This cider looks just lovely and elegant in the glass. It’s totally brilliant with just the sort of warm straw color that fits its category as a modern cider. I don’t see many bubbles in the glass, but we’ll find out more about sparkle level later. 

Aromas: apple juice, sweet pastry, cooked apples, 

My oh my! The Mass Appeal smells astonishingly like fresh unfermented apple juice and pastry. It’s like walking past a bakery. 

Sweetness/dryness: Sweet

This is a sweet cider. There are no two ways about it. It has more going on than simply sweetness but it’s very fruit forward and sweet. 

Flavors and drinking experience: fruity, sweet, tropical, cherry, medium acid

This is a super fruit cider that just wants to have fun! The Mass Appeal is named that for a reason. I can see so many folks flocking to it’s fruity party vibes; the cider tastes tropical like pineapple and cherry and apple.

The Mass Appeal brings medium acidity and no tannins, so it’s the sweetness that gives it some body. It shows off a clean fermentation using culinary apples. I knew it would be sweet, so I paired mind with a homemade mixed berry cobbler. Not the most wintery dessert, I know, but sometimes I need berries. It complemented the super fruity dessert really well. There is definitely a place for sweet ciders, because they can help lift the flavors of a rich sticky dessert without themselves turning bitter or flavorless in comparison. The Mass Appeal performed this delicate job beautifully.

And for anybody in the Burlington area, I hope to see you at the Cider Tasting at the Eden Boutique Taproom and Cheese Bar Wednesday evening at 6:30!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tasting-cider-styles-a-guided-tasting-with-meredith-of-along-came-a-cider-tickets-52991321469

Cider Review: Harpoon Brewery's Pumpkin Cider

Pumpkin has become a divisive topic. I can only blame its popularity for the pumpkin backlash. Anything beloved enough to be a craze is going to make some haters. And for cider purists, the idea of a pumpkin cider is blasphemy. But I refuse to participate. I like pumpkin and I love cider, so I try new pumpkin ciders every year. Some formulas work beautifully. Others don't.

Today, I'm sharing my thoughts on Harpoon Pumpkin Cider. This is my first review of a cider by Boston-based Harpoon Brewery. They've made cider since 2007 and beer since opening 1986. They are primarily a brewery, but I can see five different ciders on the website, though I've only seen two available for sale in my travels. (Full disclosure, I did receive this review sample from Harpoon.)

Read about their ciders and beers at the website: https://www.harpoonbrewery.com

Or, take a peek at this compilation of cat pictures that feature Harpoon Beers (and one of this cider!)

https://www.harpoonbrewery.com/blog/16-cats-who-are-loving-beer-and-loving-life-341

Official Description:

• Appearance: Straw/light golden
• Aroma: Freshly pressed Northeastern Apples, traditional pumpkin pie spices and a hint of pumpkin.
• Mouth feel: Light, crisp, tart, cleansing. Sprightly.
• Taste: Apple forward with all the traditional Autumn flavors of pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, clove and nutmeg, and a touch of sweetness for balance.
• Finish: Dry, light, refreshing.

Reading elsewhere on the website, I learned that some selective mixing of their Winter Warmer beer and their signature cider inspired making this spiced cider. It has a very low alcohol content with an ABV of 4.8%. That's really not typical.

Appearance: barely hazy, saffron, a few clinging bubbles

There's no mistaking this cider for beer as its poured! It doesn't form a head and instead just shows off a few clinging bubbles in a gentle barely hazy sea of saffron liquid.

Aromas: beer yeast, apples, spice

The smells of this cider aren't super potent, but what's there is yeasty, spicy, clean, and appley. All of these relatively low intensity aromas are pleasing and subtle. Reading about their ciders, My perception of a beer yeast is borne out. They use a proprietary ale yeast in all of the ciders.

Sweetness/dryness: Semi-dry

This is a straightforward semi-dry, but if folks are not used to to flavors brought by a less fruit beer yeast, this might taste a bit less sweet (even if not exactly drier).

Flavors and drinking experience: Nutmeg, balance, yeast character

The spice blend makes up a significant part of the cider's flavor; it favors nutmeg, but includes enough cinnamon, ginger, and clove to really bring out that mulled cider, pumpkin pie, autumn feeling that any pumpkin item promises. Here's what I love about it though. This cider is really pleasantly balanced. That doesn't sound like a giant high point, but trust me it is. The beer yeast is the absolute perfect way to counter the sharpness of baking spices. We get all the notes, apple, spice, bread, and pumpkin.

This is an exceptional cider both for the format and for style. Its light bodied with medium acid and no tannins. This cider is the classic autumnal flavor experience that so many things promise.

I enjoyed mine with fresh homemade salsa, black bean and corn salad, tortilla chips and the two-part finale of Twin Peaks The Return. The show may not have offered answers(to do so would have betrayed the show entirely), but the cider and snacks certainly did. 

Cider Review: Downeast Craft Cider: Cranberry Blend and Counting Down to CiderCon

Today, I wanted to share my first review of anything by New England's Downeast Craft Cider. I'm starting with their Cranberry Blend. Though they've not appeared on the blog before, I've had a few of their ciders. The company is based out of East Boston, but their cans appear all over the North Eastern United States. They have a tourable cidery and a tap room.

I found a funny thing on the website too good not to share.

One one passes this gatekeeper, you can learn about the company and their ciders online. They were founded by college friends in 2011. The focus, as they describe it, is as much about what they don't do or add to their ciders as what they choose to do. Here's the priority directly in the words from Downeast.

where others have used juice from concentrate, “natural flavorings,” “essences,” artificial sweeteners, and an endless list of excuses, downeast cider house has a firmly established policy of NO SHORTCUTS. no matter the cost to us, we are fully committed to using only fresh-pressed juices and pure, natural ingredients in our cider. when it comes to flavor, there’s no substitute for the best, and that’s what we stand by: simple, honest, authentic.

One other element one the website struck me as particularly interesting is that they have two sections about their cider: fresh cider pre-fermentation and hard cider after production. 

Check out the website for yourself here: http://downeastcider.com/?ao_confirm

And this is how they describe what I'm reviewing this evening: Cranberry Blend

FRESH-PRESSED CRANBERRIES MAKE FOR A TART, CRISP FINISH.after every batch of cranberry blend is finished and ready for the conditioning tank, a cider-maker finds tyler and hands him a small cup. tyler takes a sip – contemplating the flavor, the body, the finish, the metaphysical implications of spinning around a dying star on this piece of rock we call planet earth – before making the declaration as old as time itself: “more cranberry.” and so it goes, a ceremonial dash of cranberry caps the batch and it’s whisked off to a cold, bubbly destiny.

This cider has a relatively low ABV at 5%.  The ingredients listed are: "freshly pressed apple cider, fresh cranberry juice, and ale yeast".  Downeast describes the cider as being lightly carbonated. Knowing all of these things helps me form more specific expectations when approaching the cider, something I always appreciate.

Appearance: watermelon, cloudy, many visible bubbles

The first thing I noticed was how pretty the color looks; it reminds me of  watermelon flesh  or tangerines. Its just gorgeous. I also saw tons of great big bubbles. Significant debris at the bottom of the glass, like the size of fish flakes. All of their ciders are described as unfiltered, so this isn't a huge surprise. 

Aromas: fruity, applesauce, butterscotch, cranberry

This cider smells very fruity, like applesauce but also dusty in that uniquely cidery way. the second thing I notice about the aromas is how very ripe the fruit notes. They almost meld into a butterscotch or jammy sort of smell. There are definitely cranberry notes, like a cranberry butter. 

Sweetness/dryness: sweet

The Cranberry Blend tastes sweet from start to finish, it does not have the controversial zing of cranberry.

Flavors and drinking experience: fruit punch, hint of tart

Interesting! This cider reminds me of fruit punch or summery sangria with notes of cranberry. But the specific cranberry notes taste cooked more like a homemade cranberry sauce. I'd definitely call this cider sweet and straightforward, but not unbalanced. There's  no funk and no bitterness. Several cider lovers out there are cheering as they read that because not everyone like bitter in their cranberry. I do get a little sourness, but not like actual cranberry juice. There are low but present levels of tannins.

This cider tastes best in big sips. Its very sessionable and easy drinking. The other thing that immediately strikes me is how good  this would be for a cocktail component. This won't be the cider for everyone, and I do miss the aggressive bite that I associate with fresh cranberry, but for other folks this will be just perfect. 

And...I'll  be headed to CiderCon 2017 in Chicago in 8 days! If you are joining us (and I hope you are) come say hi! And if you can't make it, follow along by seeing what's happening on social media. I know a few of us will be sharing with @cidercon or #cidercon on Twitter and Instagram.