Cider Review: Distillery Lane Ciderworks Witches Brew...Plus FLX Cider Week!

There's no denying that fall has come to Upstate New York. Our leaves are turning and mornings now swath everything in fog. Its a magical time. And for me that magic comes primarily from two things, apples and Halloween season. Yes, there's a whole season in my world dedicated (even more than usual) to all thing batty, spidery, and spooky. So, I couldn't wait to crack open a cider called Witches Brew.

This cider was a review sample shared with me by Distillery Lane Ciderworks. I have reviewed a few ciders by Distillery Lane before, but its been a little while. I don't always see them available, but I pick them up when I can.

I reviewed The Jefferson in 2015: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/01/cider-review-distillery-lane-ciderworks.html

And the single-varietal Kingston Black in 2014: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/05/cider-review-distillery-lane-ciderworks.html

And my favorite thus far the Tradition Dry Sparkling cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/08/cider-review-distillery-lane-ciderworks.html

The last link includes more information on the background of this cidery. It is based out of Maryland and has been selling hard cider since 2010 and growing apple trees since 2001. You can visit them in person to taste the ciders and pick fruit.

Find out more at: http://distillerylaneciderworks.com/

Today's review is the Witches Brew. Part of what intrigues me about this cider is the use of Aronia Berries. I had to do a little research because not only have I not seen a cider that uses these before, I've never knowingly tasted anything that uses Aronia berries before. They are also called Choke Berries and are related (albeit not closely) to apples more than to other berries.

Official Description:

“Double, double, toil and trouble, fermentation made our cauldron bubble with this tart, sparkling brew. A delightful blend of DLC's Celebration cider and aronia juice, made form aronia berries grown at the DLC orchard. Tart, with bubbles and a perfect bitter finish.”

Appearance: transparent, magenta, bubbly

This cider is bottled in clear glass for a reason! People passing a shelf are bound to notice this sumptuous magenta color. The Witches Brew pours with foamy excitement, but the mousse doesn't stick around for long.

Aromas: Deep, dusty, leafy, purple aromas

I got berry aromas from this as soon as the bottle was cracked. I can smell all manner of gardeny and fruity smells like berries and stone fruit but also stems and leaves. These smells make me even more curious to taste it.

Dryness/Sweetness: Semi-dry to dry

There's a lot more going on than sweetness level here, but I'll say that the cider is on the dry side without feeling bone dry. Instead its more fruity and astringent at the same time.

Flavors and drinking experience: high acid, astringent, stemmy, dark fruit

Though its bubbly and perceptibly boozy, the Witches Brew reminds me of tea. The tannins are grippy and astringent. The cider offers up high acid tartness but with an unusual acid profile. This is not so much juicy but more stemmy. Some flavors are downright green-brown and woody.

Secondarily, I taste some buttery and toasty notes. And there's some fruit going on with sour cherry and apple elements. This cider has a nice medium bubbly texture. The finish is leathery and tannic. Overall, the Witches Brew remaings fascinatingly different.

I served this cider with a Quorn Turky Roast, along with mushroom gravy, amish yeast rolls, and oven-roasted beets and baby red skinned potatoes. I wasn't ever a big fan of gravy until I discovered my husband's vegetarian gravy, and now I'm totally hooked. This cider pairs with that salty, rich, umami sauce perfectly. The dryness and woody grippy tannins don't disappear even with an early fall feast.

And just to start whetting your appetite, Finger Lakes Cider Week is coming: September 28^th through October 9th! Expect more coverage in the coming weeks, but for now please check out the website to see the full schedule of events.

http://www.ciderweekflx.com/

I do want to highlight a few that sound especially exciting to me.

Finger Lakes Cider House Grand Cider Buffet on Thursday September 28^th:

This special ticketed event is being hosted at Coltivare and will feature 5 courses of cider oriented dishes and seven ciders by Kite and String Cidery. The pairing combinations will be myriad.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/finger-lakes-cider-house-grand-cider-buffet-tickets-37257429976

Cornell Orchards Apple Spectacular Sunday October 1st

I went on this tour and tasting combination last year, and I loved it. Vistors get to taste fresh pressed juice and create their own juice blends as well as tasting New York State ciders and touring Cornell University's research orchards, learning about the exceptional projects that the Peck Lab is doing on behalf of cider lovers everywhere.

http://www.ciderweekflx.com/event/cornell-orchards-apple-spectacular/

Apple Identification and Documentation Day on Wednesday, October 4^th

Meet orchardists and folklorists alike at the Trumansburg Farmer's Market to have a chance to finally find out what apples your mystery tree is producing. This is part of the Finger Lakes Fruit Heritage Project. They are collecting the history of orchards and other fruit growing in the Finger Lakes.

http://www.ciderweekflx.com/event/apple-identification-and-documentation-day/

Fall Garden Mixer: Celebrate NYS Cider on Wednesday, October 4^th

At the New York State Wine and Culinary Center in Canandaigua, they are honoring New York's cider scene along with nibbles created by the culinary team. The theme is fall, and what better way to celebrate than with cider!

https://www.nywcc.com/events/1492714532/fall-garden-mixer-celebrate-nys-cider

Eve's Cidery Perry Dinner on Friday October 6^th.

This intimate dinner will focus on a vertical perry tasting through the perries made by Eve's Cidery, a Tom Oliver Perry, and other pear surprises amidst local food, music, all at their cider barn in Van Etten. I've never even heard of a perry dinner before, so this made it on to my list immediately!

https://www.evescidery.com/event/eves-perry-dinner/

Cider and Cheese Day at the Grand Opening of Brews and Brats Saturday October 7^th.

Folks from the Finger Lakes Cheese Alliance will be sharing samples of their cheeses paired with ciders from the NY Cider Association at the grand opening of this new spot in Trumansburg, New York. Featured Cideries include The Cider Lab, Lake Drum Brewing and Black Diamond Ciders. And this event is free!

Stay Tuned for more highlights in my next review!

Cider Review: Distillery Lane Ciderworks' The Jefferson

Casual at-home dinners with friends are the mainstay of my social calendar. I prefer them to most other kinds of hanging out year round, but I appreciate them even more when the weather is cold and going out just sounds uninviting. What could be better than a nice meal with wonderful people? With cider. And dessert. And more cider with dessert. Besides, I think cider pairings are much easier to coordinate this way. So, before I get cooking for tonight's dinner, I though I'd post about another cider that I've only experienced as my contribution to a friend's little supper gathering.

This is yet another of my Mid-Atlantic ciders shared with me by Patrick Huff, writer of Cider Nation (http://cidernation.wordpress.com) and Crafty and The Beast (http://craftyandthebeast.com). He also coordinates regular cider chats on Twitter under the hashtag #ciderchat. These happen most Thursday evenings; he often hosts cidermakers or other field experts for good times.

For my preview run-ins with Distillery Lane Ciderworks and an introduction to their cider business and identity you can check out my review of Distillery Lane Ciderwork's Kingston Black:
http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/05/cider-review-distillery-lane-ciderworks.html

And here's a link to my review of their Traditional Dry Sparkling Cider: 
 http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/08/cider-review-distillery-lane-ciderworks.html

I'll let Distillery Lane Ciderworks introduce The Jefferson themselves:

Thomas Jefferson was a renowned cidermaker and orchardist in his time. One of his favorite apples was the Newtown Pippin, an apple first grown in New York. Historically, this apple was exported in large quantities to Great Britain (the Queen liked Newtown Pippins so much that British Parliament lifted the import duty only on this apple variety). It is no surprise that the Queen liked the Newtown Pippins so much: on a trip to Europe, Jefferson once notoriously declared, “they have no apples here to compare with our Newtown Pippin!” For our hard cider, The Jefferson, we press Newtown Pippins, along with other vintage cider apples, to create an off-dry cider. The cider is also aged with American oak to achieve an old-time flavor, reminiscent of the oak barrels that Jefferson would have used when brewing his ciders. The Jefferson is perfect with smoked fish and meat. 2014 GLINTCAP gold medal winner.

One last fact to note before we get started; this cider offers up a hearty ABV of 7.5%.
 

Appearance: brilliant, brassy, mellow

At first I thought the color was copper mixes with grass, but my dinner companions questioned this. More yellow and less orange, they said. We thought some more and agreed on a mellow brass color. It doesn't show any bubbles, which indicates to me that this could be a still cider. Brilliant with zero haze.

Aromas: boozy, butterscotch, oak

None of us smelled very much fruit on the nose of this cider. I smelled butterscotch, which most folks found as well. Someone said it smelled like booze or like a heavily-oaked chardonnay. The aromas aren't particularly strong.

Dryness: off dry/semi-dry

Now that we're all tasting this, a few people are getting more fruit, but the oak and tannins dominated the experience for me and a couple of my fellow tasters. The official description of off dry is arguably accurate, but I feel like it would be just as fair to nudge that up to a semi-dry. There is some sweetness, but not very much.

Flavors and drinking experience: green apple, vinous, butterscotch

Wow! Such an interesting experience! This is 98% still— the petillance is almost like a very weak 9 volt battery on the tongue, just a tingle and no more. The primary flavors different folks observed were minerals, green apple, vinousness, butterscotch, and popcorn. The mouthfeel was a touch light and thin, which I only notice particularly because the oak flavors don't seem to combine naturally with such a light mouthfeel. The booziness does warm the mouth but that's the primary tactile sensation.The Jefferson provides lots of different flavors, light and dark, pleasant and interesting enough, but they don't really interact in a way that offers up totally coherent complexity. It tastes toi me like the tannins could be from oak chips or rods, and not the more mellow oak of barrels. I'm not 100% certain though.

We shared this with a homemade pasta dish with cream sauce, broccoli, and mushrooms. Meat eaters added some roast chicken as well. I do think the seasonality and warmth of everything paired well together. The Jefferson certainly does strike me as a winter cider.

Though I'd love to ramble more about the pleasures of ciders and dinners and good company, it is time for me to get up and go to the kitchen to prepare for tonight's dinner party adventure. Cheers! Here's to a happy and tasty 2015!

Cider Review: Distillery Lane Ciderworks Kingston Black

I received a fabulous array of awesome Mid-Atlantic ciders; many thanks to Patrick Huff of Cider Nation (http://cidernation.wordpress.com) and Crafty and The Beast (http://craftyandthebeast.com). He also does regular cider chats on Twitter. Check out the hashtag #ciderchat most Thursday evenings, and you'll find something useful and interesting. So tonight's cider review comes from that store of deliciousness.

I'm reviewing Distillery Lane Ciderworks' Kingston Black.

Previously, I reviewed their Traditional Dry Sparkling Cider. Here's a link to that review: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/08/cider-review-distillery-lane-ciderworks.html
You'll find a lot more background information on the company there.

I made an interesting discovery when looking up Distillery Lane's website. It is not only available at http://distillerylaneciderworks.com but also now at http://ciderapples.com  Both sites offer identical information on the cidery's history, name, event and availability. What I could not find enough information about was their selection of ciders, althrough their Facebook page has more info there than the main website. https://www.facebook.com/DistilleryLane

 To set this scene, this cider came with me to a dinner party with my husband and a couple of his fellow professors and their families. Lovely lovely people, many of whom already love good cider and wine. So of course, I asked them to help me taste through a bottle of something new over dinner. So these observations are not the products of only my fevered brain, but also those of my companions.

This is what Distillery Lane Ciderworks says about their Kingston Black.

It is rare amongst the hundreds of apple varieties grown today that one apple has proper amounts of sugar, acid, and tannins to make a high-quality, single varietal cider. Kingston Black, an apple first grown in Somerset, England, is one of these rare apples. Highly prized, but scarcly cultivated in America today, Kingston Blacks grow very well in our orchard.  It has a wonderful tartness and lovely finish. Serve chilled with poultry, mild fish or pork. We also bottle limited quantities of Kingston Black sparkling.

Additionally, I'd like to note ABV listed is 7.5%.

Appearance: Rich honey color, brilliant

This poured beautifully. Everyone appreciated the rich golden honey color. No visible bubbles to speak of, but I really didn't expect them in a still cider.

Aromas: oak, hints of apples, brightness


The Kingston Black smells fresh and bright, but with a hints of fresh apples, cherry, honey, and a few  interesting phenols. The oak aromas really jumped out at us after a few seconds.

Sweetness: semi-dry

Like other single varieties of cider I've tasted, issues of sweetness and dryness are almost swept aside because the flavors are about so much other than that. Even so, this has some sweetness and fruitiness, but it is more dry than sweet. Definitely a semi-dry in my book.

Flavors and drinking experience: complex, tannic, buttery

Because of the tannins and oak, this tastes in some ways like a REALLY gentle whiskey, or a bit of warming apple brandy. The individual notes in that experience are butter with a whipped cream aftertaste. Rather like the overall impression made by some bourbon barrel aged ciders, one can get hints of pancakes. Someone in the group astutely tasted notes of white chocolate. I found it a little minerally. The cider has very high tannins and fairly low acid. It tastes relatively little like apple, but we could detect bits of apple core, skin, and wood.  The Kingston Black tastes best when you let it flow over the whole tongue. You warm up to it and the cider itself is warming.

 We enjoyed this cider with grilled salmon and asparagus, wild rice salad with dried cranberries, and chocolate covered strawberries. The meal was delicious and the cider stood up well to all of those varied strong flavors. This is a cider to enjoy with food. I liked it plenty, but overall I still find cider blends to be more approachable than most single varietals. None the less, this one hit plenty of high notes for me. I love tannins, and this cider delivered them in spades.

Thanks again to my dinner companions and cider sharers!

My 10 Favorite Ciders of 2013

 2013 has been a huge year for me. I mean it. Huge! And Along Came A Cider has been a big and wonderful part of that, making 2013 my best cider year ever. Meeting cider makers. Going to Cider Days. Actually having cider makers want my feedback! Most of all, I'm just learning so much about cider from this wonderful friendly community. I'm so thrilled and grateful. So, thank you.

That said, I hope it will be a fun thing just to informally share my top ten ciders of the year. The caveat is that I'm not listing more than one cider from any company, and I'm not limiting myself to ciders that have full reviews on the blog. Sorry, but it is really hard to get good photos and complete notes each and every time I sit down (or stand up) with a new cider. Some of these that don't have full reviews now will get them in the coming months. Let's hope anyway.

Anyhow, this is in no way definitive or complete, just a way for me to revisit my year in cider exploration and highlight a few of the very special ciders that really impressed me. Ordering these was really really difficult and completely subjective. Actually, remind me not to do this next year...

Along Came A Cider's Ten Favorite Ciders of 2013

1. Anthem Hopped

Purists are going to hate this choice; I just know it. Oh well. I really enjoy hopped ciders. Their aromas and complexities just bowl me over again and again. And Anthem (whose parent cidermaker is Wandering Aengus) makes the best of the lot. I definitely wish I had a way to get this in Ithaca. You can read the full review here: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/01/cider-review-anthem-with-hops-plus.html

2. Bellwether King Baldwin

I know. I know! I work for Bellwether, so I must be biased. Eh. Probably. But I love our ciders and I think they are truly top notch. Not reviewing them here and shouting their praises from my tiny blog's rooftops is sometimes crazy hard. This cider is just lovely. It has two antique American apple varieties: the Tompkins King and the Baldwin. Pairs really well with all kinds of food. I love its balance of fruit and crispness. When I got to go to a bonfire party back in the fall and recline outdoors with a warm fire and a cold cider, I went to the King Baldwin, and it was perfect. Since I don't have a review, you can read about it in this Edible Finger Lakes review: http://www.ediblefingerlakes.com/wine-of-the-week-bellwether-hard-ciders-king-baldwin

3. West County Reine De Pomme

I absolutely adored this cider and the elegant and educational way in which is is presented both in the bottle and on West County's website. Try this one in a gorgeous big glass because the color is something special to behold. Gotta love the minerality in this one. My review says far more about the experience:  http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/03/cider-review-west-county-cider-reine-de.html

4. Oliver's Gold Rush

Though I don't have a full entry dedicated to just this cider, I give some pretty thorough notes in this writeup of my first visit to The Queen's Kickshaw. http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/06/trying-virtue-and-olivers-ciders-at.html This cider is for fans of highly tannic very British ciders, and since that is exactly what I love, I was pleased beyond words with this cider.

5. Thatcher's Green Goblin

This is the cider that reminded me of how much I like oaked ciders. I also really enjoyed getting to share this with my mom and really show her a cider with enough complexity to really impress. There are many, so I'm just getting started sharing some good ones. My review says more: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/11/cider-review-thatchers-green-goblin.html

 6. Farnum Hill Kingston Black

I really owe this cider a full review of its own. I love so many of Farnum Hill's ciders, and this one particularly stood out to me when I tried it as part of a cheese and cider pairing workshop back in New York City. Here's my entry all about that whole evening: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/06/pairing-ciders-and-cheeses-inspiring.html Hopefully, I can track down a bottle of this so I can focus on it properly soon.

7. Julian Black and Blue

This was a surprise love for me, and one I'd really like to taste again. I am not always super into fruit additions to cider, but I loved the deep bittersweetness of this. Deliriously good. I keep coming back to Julian Cider with very good impressions. http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/09/cider-review-julian-hard-ciders-black.html

8. Distillery Lane Ciderworks Traditional Dry Sparkling Cider

This is one of the most traditional ciders on my list and Distillery Lane does it so well. I loved their Dry Sparkling Cider. It was the first cider I got to enjoy in my Ithaca apartment very very shortly after moving in, so the good memory also helps it to stand out in my mind. http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/08/cider-review-distillery-lane-ciderworks.html

9. Albemarle Pomme Mary

Despite my usual preference for dry ciders, Albemarle won me over with their entire line and most especially with their Pomme Mary. It is a beautifully balanced and truly lovely sweet cider. I reviewed this one on vacation in the Outer Banks which was also just a wonderful experience. Vacations are the best time to catch up on reviewing. http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/09/cider-review-albemarle-ciderworks-pomme.html

10. Arsenal Cider Fightin' Elleck

I have so much affection and respect for Arsenal Cider. Mind you, they are bringing cider to Pittsburgh, and for that alone they deserve some major credit. But not only that, they are making some really neat creative ciders that taste fantastic. I have reviewed a couple of theirs, but the Fighting Elleck made such a good impression, I have to include it here: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/03/cider-review-arsenal-cider-fightin.html

Thanks again everyone. Thanks especially to photographer friends who lend a hand, friends and family who cider hunt for me 24/7, cider sellers (The Cellar D'Or!), cider makers, my fellow Bellwether crew, cider lovers nearby and faraway, all the cider ambassadors on Twitter, and everyone who has ever stopped by Along Came A Cider. You guys have all been a tremendous highlight to my 2013. Thank you.

Cider Review: Distillery Lane Ciderworks Traditional Dry Sparkling Cider

Distillery Lane Ciderworks makes and sells cider in Jefferson, Maryland near the town of Burkittsville. They are the first licensed cidery in the state. I first heard about them first through a fellow cider blogger who lives much closer, but they have a really interesting story and location. Their website tells it far better than I could here, http://distillerylaneciderworks.com/ Be warned that though the website has great info, it does have a tendency to spit visitors back at the front page unexpectedly.

The Traditional Dry Sparkling Cider is the first cider I've gotten to taste from Distillery Lane Ciderworks. The ABV is measured at 7.5%. Here's what the cider makers have to say about it, "Our Traditional Dry Sparkling Cider is made from a blend of English, French, and American cider apple varieties. The blend of apples gives our ciders the right combination of acid, tannins, and sugar to make fine hard cider.  We take the well-balanced cider blend and allow it to finish the fermentation process in the bottles (similar to bottle-conditioned craft beers).  The result is a fully dry, sparkling beverage that is perfect for a hot summer day or an evening toast. Many people have commented that this hard cider is very similar to champagne."

Appearance: significantly Hazy, mellow lemon curd color

The Traditional Dry Sparkling has a warmer tone than many ciders. After pouring, I noticed a ring of mousse around the glass. The cider looks so hazy it appears that the tiny bubbles have to fight their way to the top.

Aromas: fresh apples, lemon peel, hay

I notice enough fabulous smells that I am positively champing at the bit to actually taste this one.

Sweetness: Dry

Deep bone dry. This is what I've been waiting for. So many ciders that get described as dry don't taste fully dry to me, and this one actually does. This means it is a cider for people who know and love the beverage rather than first time cider tasters.

Flavors: citrus zest, minerality (stones), wood and smoke

The Traditional Dry Sparkling shows its high level of tannins, making it taste smoky, almost meaty. I tasted medium to high acidity, but I'm definitely still getting a handle on how to gauge acidity. It was enough to make the cider citrusy but not enough to trouble me, and I'm not the biggest fan of super high acidity ciders. The cider is so British in style that it makes me long for Norwich, where I first enjoyed cider.

Drinking experience: warming, strongly sparkling, structured

The full mouthfeel and strong body really point to their use of cider apples. I enjoy the level of carbonation because I can drink it very comfortably, but I won't accidentally finish a glass without noticing. The thing about its warmth is that this cider tastes like it has a higher ABV than it actually does.

Drink this in the afternoon while listening to Bowie, The Smiths, Morissey, whatever British music moves you. Don't invite anyone talkative over. This cider deserves your full attention. Fantastic.