Day in the Life of a Cider Judge

Instead of a review this week, I wanted to share an insider’s look at the process of cider judging. I get a lot of questions about it, so I thought it might be fun to share. A ton of work goes into a cider competition from a lot of different sources, and I’m not sure all of that is obvious when a cider buyer sees ribbons or medals on a cidery wall or sees an award mentioned in a cider’s description. Hopefully, I can shed just a bit of light on what the whole process looks like, at least from the point of view of a cider judge.

I’ve enjoyed judging at quite a few different competitions. Here are a few of my favorites.

Great Lakes International Cider and Perry Competition (GLINTCAP): https://glintcap.org/

Good Food Awards: https://goodfoodfdn.org/awards/categories/cider/

Great American International Cider Competition: https://cider.raiseaglassfoundation.com/

Pennsylvania Farm Show: https://www.farmshow.pa.gov/pafarmshow/participate-virtually/virtual-exhibits/farm-to-table/Pages/PA-Cider-Guild.aspx

To start, we have to talk about who brings together cider competitions come in the first place. These organizers are usually the folks who invite judges like me. I want to give a shout out to hard-working folks who coordinate it all (I see you, Eric and Vikki). This requires a level of skill that I can barely imagine. We’re talking about everything from wooing cider makers to participate, coordinating a venue, volunteers, judges, and making sure that all of the physical details are read to go when things finally get started. They have to think at the same time about substantial hotel contracts and making sure we have mechanical pencils. 

Once organizers have herded all the cats necessary to make a cider competition, the day-off heroes are the volunteers! These are the folks that take the plans for the competition and turn them into reality. They pour ciders in flights with the right order and labelling and deliver them while they are still cold and bubbly. They wash dishes. So. Many. Dishes. They carry boxes and find cell phone chargers and make sure there are enough score sheets. Competitions would grind to a screeching halt without them, and most of these folks sign up to put in an 8-10 hour day for the camaraderie and free cider. 

I feel like by this point in the entry, I’ve made it sound like a lot of work has been taken to spoil us cider judges. There’s definitely some truth to that, so I never want to take for granted all of the work that happens before I show up. But here’s the part I can describe with more detail: judging.

Each competition is different, but we are asked to taste groups of ciders blind and rate them according to a set of criteria. It’s nothing like social drinking and not even very similar to how I get tasting notes for the blog. Blind in this case means we only see them after they’ve  been  poured into glasses. We do not know who made the cider and do not have access to any promotional material about it. The only info is what the producer submitted along with the cider when entering it into the competition. 

Usually this means waking up our palates and judging cider starting around 8:30 in the morning. A grouping of between 5 and fourteen ciders will be lined up for each judge. Sometimes a cider is only judged by one person, but more often it will be judged by a group of 2-3 people. The order of the flight is usually determined by factors that affect intensity, so that we’ll be able to taste all of our ciders with maximum accuracy. We’ll start with ciders that are dryer and not overly tannic but by the end of a day, we’ll be judging ciders with fruit additions, hops, spices or barrel aging. 

The process of tasting for a cider competition itself is completely different from any serious tasting. We look at the cider carefully, smell it deeply, taste it (even chew it, according to some) and then spit. Yes, every time. It’s far from elegant, but it's the only way to survive and  give your clear-headed best to the job of tasting the ciders carefully. We have water and crackers to reset our taste buds, but all of our focus must remain on the cider. 

Perhaps the most valuable and challenging part is turning what we experience with our senses into a series of scores. We search out fermentation flaws or characteristics that do not fit the cider styles and dock points. Every judge is different in terms of what their body can detect. I’m spectacularly not sensitive to diacetyl acid for example, so I’m always grateful to judge with someone who tastes it more clearly. On the other hand, I can sense mouse very clearly. More pleasantly, we also reward all the things we notice and like about a cider, everything from a particularly vibrant and enticing set of aromas to the perfect ebullient fizz of a sparkling cider.  

Here are a few examples of score sheets.

BJCP Score Sheet: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://legacy.bjcp.org/docs/SCP_CiderScoreSheet.pdf

It gets exhausting both physically and mentally. Luckily, there are a few breaks in the day for socializing and meals. The day is often 5-7  flights with a morning break and a lunch, sometimes an afternoon break if the day is going to run long.  When we aren’t judging, we can relax for just a short time and catch up with our cider friends. I’m so grateful to be able to say that I’ve made some amazing friends judging cider. These wonderful folks don’t just talk amongst ourselves about cider, but over the years we’ve shared the personal stuff and really gotten to know each other. Unsurprisingly, lots of us are totally nerdy about things other than cider, so it’s fun to trade book, food, and travel recommendations with these crowds. And we all hope that the meals are filling but not too powerfully flavored. Coming back into an afternoon of judging with wafts of marinara or chimichurri aromas following us around is not ideal.

Gotta judge more cider after the breaks. Though each competition is different, I wanted to talk about categories, feedback, and building consensus. These are some of the core elements of judging outside of the sensory and scoring elements. Categories give us a standard of expectation for a cider. They vary, but examples include modern cider, fruit cider or heritage perry. These give us a sense of the profile of what materials and processes a cider maker is using and what we should expect from the cider. After all, a traditional English cider should have more tannins and bittersweet character than a modern cider. 

We incorporate these categories when we give feedback on the score sheets. In an ideal world the numbers only tell part of the story, but we add meaningful context with our words. Cider makers receive their score sheets, so our comments reach them directly: sometimes with our names and email addresses included! This is one of the most important things about judging. We aren’t trying to make anyone feel too bad (or too good) about their cider. We are attempting to judge the cider and communicate clearly and fairly about what we perceive. I love what Rex Halfpenny has said many times, “Don’t be nice but don’t be mean.” 

Beyond our individual thoughts, we also work hard to build consensus at the table about each cider. That’s not always easy, because everyone has their own palate and experience. We try as much as possible to leave our personal preferences outside of the judging space, but that can be difficult. Though I do not enjoy cherries, and therefore do not like cherry ciders, I’ve awarded gold medals to truly outstanding fruit ciders with cherries.  

Thanks for the picture, Michelle!

We try to keep in mind that our goal is to be useful and helpful to cider makers. What cider companies get out of their participation in competition varies, but always includes promotion, awards, and feedback. I’m happiest when a competition can create additional selling opportunities for cideries. That’s part of the PA Farm Show structure; participating ciders get the opportunity to sell at a giant agricultural fair that has tens of thousands of visitors. I love that! 

Each competition is different. They have their own flavor, educational opportunities, or tie-ins with outside cider events. Not much can compete with GLINTCAP in terms of having built a wonderful structure of education and public-facing cider events. Before judging begins there, there are days of orchard and cidery tours and extensive mandatory training. I also love the personal touches though, at the Great American International Cider Competition, the volunteers have created an indoor “campground” in the conference center with camp chairs, s’mores, a cell-phone charging station, all surrounding a sweet faux camp-fire. And when we do the Best-in-show round at the PA Farm Show competition, we have to have our special theme music (borrowed from a classic game show). I love what folks have done over the years to make things special for everyone involved. 

I hope this is a helpful window into the world of cider judging and cider competitions. These are big projects that represent a monumental number of volunteer hours from dozens and dozens of skilled people. Hopefully our work can elevate and promote cider!

Cider Judges for Great American International Cider Competition 2023

Cider Review: Ironbound Hard Cider Original Plus Full GLINTCAP results!

I’ve gone from needing sweatshirts in the evening once the sun goes down to hiding from the heat in less than a week. Thankfully, the ninety degree days will be over for a bit by the time this post goes live. I hate to complain about the weather, but I find how I feel about the world outside shapes my days as much as anything else. And the weather certainly helps me choose my ciders. 

Ironbound Hard Cider’s Original called to me for a warm evening this weekend. The cider promised crispness and looked quite sessionable at just over 5% ABV, so I thought it would be perfect for a cool evening rewatching Death Becomes Her for the first time in 20 years with the tall one. 

Here’s what I found on the website that describes Ironbound Hard Cider, the farm, and the priorities of the company.

Ironbound Farm — home of Ironbound Hard Cider and New Ark Farms - was founded on the belief that businesses must take responsibility for the impact they have on the social, economic, and ecological well-being of their communities. To that end, we fully embrace the beauty, abundance, and diversity of the Garden State through our regenerative farming practices and hard cider production. In doing so, we’ve created a unique business model that fosters resiliency and viability for our network of growers, food producers, and customers.

I also want to quote this answer to a question, on the FAQ page just because it's so fascinating! 

You may have noticed from time to time that the Ironbound you are enjoying today doesn’t taste exactly the same as the Ironbound you had last week. That is because our ciders are made from 100% fresh-pressed local apples, which vary in flavor from harvest to harvest and farm to farm— making each batch of our cider unique. So, if your Ironbound tastes slightly drier, a little funkier, or more complex, take this as our freshness guarantee! And, because we use absolutely ZERO preservatives, we recommend enjoying Ironbound cider by the “best before” date on the bottom of each package.

Visit Ironbound Hard Cider online and learn more: https://www.ironboundhardcider.com/

This is what the cidery says about the Original.

IRONBOUND ORIGINAL

5.2% alc/vol

FRESH. BALANCED. CRISP.

A sessional dry cider made from a blend of bittersweet and sweet, local fresh-pressed apples.

Appearance: brilliant, bright dandelion yellow, lots of tiny bubbles clinging to the glass

This cider is lovely to see. It’s got gorgeous clarity. A smattering of the finest bubbles lined the glass. The color reminds me of all the dandelions in my yard.  

Aromas: Grape, powdered sugar, sour green apple 

The Original smells instantly of green grape, powdered sugar, with a bit of sour green apple and a tickle to the nose. I get the slightly funky vibe, but not more than a small suggestion of funk.

Sweetness/dryness: Off-dry

I think the cider comes across just a touch drier than it might be by the numbers because it has multiple registers of acid and tartness activated, but it tastes off-dry.

Flavors and Drinking Experience: strong fizz, low tannins, grape skin, sessionable

My first impression of the Original is one of dessert apples and grapes. There’s something low, bassy, and wet about the cider. It offers strong bubble, medium acidity, and low but present tannins. I do want to mention that the acid doesn’t feel sharp and one dimensional. There’s a whole play of tart, crisp, and acid notes going on here.

I appreciate how the cider tastes off dry; the tannins of the grape skin notes play interestingly with how wet and full the mouthfeel is. The Original finishes cleanly but with a whiff of freshly ground cornmeal. The very mild funk on the nose does not come through in the flavor, which is clean, balanced, and sessionable. The whole cider experience feels refreshing. It was perfect for a warm evening and a campy movie!

And now I want to share links to this year’s GLINTCAP results. I only wish I could have been there to help judge this year. It sounds like a wonderful time was had!

This link will take you to the full results right on the front page: https://glintcap.org/

Cider Review: Snow Capped Cider Harrison Reserve

It was lovely to travel to Harrisburg and judge cider once again, but I will not be revealing any results from that competition for some time. Things must remain under wraps until the PA Farm Show in January. And in the meantime, some very exciting cider arrived for me. 

I was so happy to get some very special releases from Snow Capped Cider. I’ve only ever had the chance to sample sips from GLINTCAP bottles. I did have the pleasure of sitting with Kari Williams during the awards ceremony and learning about the orchards and history of Snow Capped Cider. The cidery has grown out of the Williams Family Orchards for five generations in Colorado. Ty and Kari brought cider to the extensive farm operations in 2014. I love how the cidery is described in relation to its geography on the Snow Capped Cider website. 

Williams Family orchards are located at the bottom of Grand Mesa in the beautiful Surface Creek Valley of Colorado’s Western Slope. At an elevation of 6130 feet, we are one of the highest elevation orchards in the world. The high elevation, warm days, and cool nights capture the crisp taste of Colorado, producing a clean, and balanced cider. 

I am so curious about what the Harrison will be like. There's a lot of cachet in single-varietal ciders and plenty of mystique about this particular storied apple. Plus this cider won the Best-In-Class gold at GLINTCAP in the Heritage Sweet category.

Here’s how Snow Capped Cider describes the Harrison on the bottle. 

America's most famous 18th century cider making apple was nearly lost to extinction and revived in 1976. This apple has earned its bragging rights from modern cider making to our past presidents. The straightforward flavors as a single varietal are presented with smooth juicy apple, slight sweetness, noteworthy orange peel, small hints of earthy spice and lingering touches of lemon ginger Medium body boasts soft tannin with a finish delivered on a light golden hue. We hope you will enjoy our interpretation of historic Harrison as much as we do! Made with 100% Harrison apples with special thanks to Cider View Orchard, WA. 6.5% ABV

Appearance: brilliant, bubbly, pale straw

This cider shines! When first poured, there’s a lively mousse, but it doesn’t stick around. The color is delicate and subtle: just a hint of pale barely golden straw. I love seeing all these bubbles.

Aromas: cherries, overripe apples, peaches, minerals

My anticipation for this cider was high, but when I got a scent from it that anticipation sky-rocketed! This cider was bubbling with notes of  wam overripe apples, cherries, peaches, and minerals. At the same time it smells like toasted bread crumbs. I cannot wait to taste this.

Dryness/Sweetness: Semi-sweet

This is a beautifully semi-sweet cider. The sweetness is fully incorporated into the beverage and comes across as entirely natural.

Flavors and drinking experience: high acid, peaches, intense, clean, fruity 

This semi-sweet cider is brimming over with natural fruity flavor. The Harrison’s high acid works with the cider’s sweetness to keep things tart and lively rather than thick or syrupy. The cider’s flavors are intense and concentrated and beautifully clean. As I sip the cider again, peaches and other stone fruits like apricot grow in the flavor landscape. I love how charming and sophisticated this cider is. 

The cider has a full body, a low but present level gentle tannins, and enticing sparkle. The whole experience is beautifully balanced. I’m so happy to finally get to review a Snow Capped Cider, and the Harrison is certainly a winner. 

Cider Review: Presque Isle Farm's Farmhouse Hard Cider 2020

I’ve not seen a bat in my house for more than a week now! And the summer’s heat has been (at least temporarily) replaced by cool mornings, golden evenings, and the freshest breezes I can remember. I’m so grateful. My weekend celebrations involved orchard time and so much fresh produce. And I love bringing out an exciting new cider to pair with my favorite recipes. That’s how I decided to open my bottle of Presque Isle Farm's Farmhouse Hard Cider 2020.

This is how the folks at Presque Isle Farm describe the project and its goals. 

Presque Isle Farm is a small centennial farm in northern Michigan. Our mission is to grow nourishing food, a healthy community, a vibrant local economy, and an ecologically flourishing environment. As the local and sustainable food movement grows nationally, we are working to bring that momentum to northern Michigan and build a foundation for health in our community and the world.

You can learn more about Presque Isle Farms online here: http://www.presqueislefarm.com/

This cider was shared with me at GLINTCAP by the cidermaker, after learning of its fantastic gold-medal performance in the competition. Many thanks! This is my first review of anything by Presque Isle Farm.

Here’s the cider’s official description.

6.9% ABV

Apples: 46% Kingston Black, 20% Northern Spy, 10% Bulmer’s Norman, 8% Brown Snout, 7% Idared, 6% Wild, 3% Rome

Tasting Notes: earthy, apple skin, over-ripe apple, dried fruit

The Farmhouse cider is our table cider blend. It is an everyday cider to drink with foods ranging from steak to seafood, to salads and greens. It contains about 20% bittersweet varieties of apples and 50% bittersharps which give it complexity, body, mellow tannins, and a small amount of perceived sweetness. The other 30% includes apples that add a balanced acidity bringing a crisp and refreshing finish. It tastes and smells of apple orchards.

And now for my experience with Presque Isle's Farmhouse 2020!

Appearance: transparent, mellow straw hue, few visible bubbles

The color of this cider reminds me of late summer dried grasses; it’s a mellow shade of straw. I’ll call the Farmhouse 2020 transparent. I can see a few stray bubbles in the glass but not many.  

Aromas: overripe apples, dried orange, leather

The Farmhouse 2020 smells absolutely mouthwatering to me. I’m awash in notes of leather, overripe apples, and dried orange. The cider just wafts up to my face and offers me many of my favorite cider aromas and creates a strong salivary reaction.

Sweetness/dryness: Dry

I love a dry cider. This cider brings flavor and dimension while remaining dry in a very satisfying way!

Flavors and drinking experience: overripe apples, fried lemon, caramel, tannic

The Farmhouse Cider 2020 evokes many of the same flavor notes in its flavors that I noticed in its aromas. This cider blooms with overripe apple, dried orange, and leather flavors. Additional dimensions like  candied orange peel and fried lemon arrive just on the palate. The cider bursts with high tannins and high acidity.

Everyone at the table was oohing and ahhing over this dry, perfectly balanced cider. The Farmhouse 2020 arrives with heft, and structure, lifted up by tiny active bubbles. Though it’s dry, somehow subtle flavors remind me of caramel and nuts; I suspect this comes from the partial barrel aging in the blend. 

I love this cider’s creamy full body, luscious fermented flavors, and balanced excitement. It was served with tomato pie, corn on the cob and a pepper cucumber salad. The pairings were seasonal and lovely.

Great Lakes International Cider and Perry Competition!

It's almost time for GLINTCAP! Because I'm off on my cider trip for the summer, I'm not posting a regular review this week. Instead, I'll be documenting my travels on Instagram and Twitter from packing to every state we see on our adventure. 

Learn more about GLINTCAP here: https://glintcap.org/

Follow along here: https://www.instagram.com/alongcameacider/

And here: https://twitter.com/alongcameacider

I'll be looking for cider from NY to MI and all stops in between. What cider adventures can happen in Cleveland, Detroit, and Grand Rapids? 

If you're going to be part of the largest cider competition in the world along with me, come say hi! 

There will be friends, food, and cider galore! And next week, I'll be beck with my regular cider reviews.

Perry Reviews: Haykin Family Cider's Harrow Pear and Le Pere Jules Poiré de Normandie

I know we just completed Very Perry May, but I had the unexpected good fortune to run into two deeply enjoyable perries in the last couple of weeks. I didn’t want to save these notes almost another year until May comes around again. So, I’m indulging myself with a double perry review. Perhaps I’m not the only one who can’t resist a special perry. And I love bringing two new producers into the blog in the same week!

I want to start with a perry I brought home from GLINTCAP. I got to share a meal with Talia and Daniel Haykin and run into them a few times in those busy days. This cidery and tasting room operates in Aurora, Colorado. We found our a few weeks later that Haykin Family Cider’s  Harrow Pear earned a Bronze in the Modern Perry category.

What I didn’t yet know when we met is that the Haykins and I share a love of bubbles! I was chuffed to see a more prominent mention of the importance of sparkle in their beverages. That’s not the only way I like my cider or perry, but I do love the fizzy ones!

Learn about all the fun stuff going on at Haykin Family Cider online: https://www.haykinfamilycider.com

Here’s the official description, “Harrow Pears are a Canadian variety that produce a lot of tannin when grown in Colorado. It ferments into a rich perry, with a lush and juice aroma, like a virtual bite of a ripe and melting pear on a warm day, like pear drop candy, lime and tonic water, offset by clay and minerality. Pears grown at Ela Family Farms.6.7% ABV”

Appearance: bubbly, warm straw color, brilliant 

Pours with a massive head, but the foam doesn’t stick around. Even so, it’s obvious how bubbly this cider is when you take a peek. It’s almost too bubbly to see that it’s brilliant, but I could tell after waiting a bit. The color is a warm straw.

Aromas: citrus, yogurt, stony, spicy

This perry smells exciting and dynamic. I can detect aroma notes including: yogurt, citrus, sharpness, and stones. The whole impression I get from this perry is a fun interplay of spicy, nutty ( particularly macadamia), and fruity.

Sweetness/Dryness: Sweet

This is a lovely sweet cider. The specific style of sweetness is burnt sugar, vanilla, and pear

Flavors and drinking experience: super bubbly, tart yet sweet, vanilla, tannic finish

The Harrow Pear tastes quite sweet with a soft vasilla first note, but that’s followed by plenty of tartness. The perry is just loaded with oodles and oodles of flavor!  I get some neat nutty/yogurty acids at the start and at last fascinating tannins coming only at the finish. As I hoped, the Harrow Pear is extremely bubbly.

After a few sips, I notice bits of burnt sugar blending with the spiciness. Drinking this perry is exceedingly interesting; it’s complex, thoughtful, and highly drinkable. My co-taster noticed that big sips are nice; just a little note of bitterness—this correlates with the dust and stony scents. What a charming perry; I’m so glad I got to try it!

And my other perry of the week is Le Pere Jules Poiré de Normandie Brut.

My introduction to perry included perries from Normandy right away; they have a reputation for reaching the apex of what’s deliciously possible for pears.

Le Pere Jules makes not only perry, but also cider and Calvados (apple brandy) and started doing so in 1919. It is still a family business, founded by Jules Desfrièches, now in its third generation with Thierry Desfrièches.

See the website in French or English here and learn more about Le Pere Jules: http://www.calvados-leperejules.com/

Here’s Poiré de Normandie’s Official description 

Our “Poiré”, or Pear Cider, is produced from three varieties of pears that come from multi centennial orchards.  It is known it’s the fresh and refined taste.  As with the cider, our Poiré is lightly filtered and  bottled to develop its fine natural gas.  It is excellent to drink with any sea food. 4%ABV”

Appearance: hazy, lemon curd, bubbly

This perry reminds me of homemade lemon curd in color. It’s hazy gentle gold just makes me think of citrus and cream. 

Aromas: farmyard, mineral, citrus

This perry’s aromas certainly remind me more of French and English perries than most American ones I’ve tastes. There’s some farmyard, citrus, and stony mineral smells going on (tiny hint of volatile acidity), but I expect it might taste fairly different from how it smells. 

Sweetness/dryness: off dry

This Brut Perry tastes off dry to semi-dry and very natural in its suggestions of sweetness. There’s far more to the whole experience than its level of sweetness.

Flavors and drinking experience: Bubbly, tart, pear skins

I love this perry’s beautiful bubbly texture. I was wowed by it immediately! There’s a high level of sharp and fruity tartness that wakes up the entire mouth. The Poiré de Normandie tastes minerally but somehow stays so fresh, floral, and fruity And I simply adore how the finish is warm pear skins. Perries sometimes do this magical thing where they allow me to taste what seems like the texture of a ripe yet firm pear. This perry allows me exactly that! 

Very Perry May with Vandermill's Ice Ice Perry, Black Diamond's Somerset Jersey & GLINTCAP Best in Class

I write on a nearly quiet evening after a full and busy few days in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I’ve been here to judge at GLINTCAP, take my CCP Level 2 exam, and I ended up volunteering with for the Great Lakes International Cider Festival as a fun bonus. It’s been a whirlwind of training, judging,and  getting to see cider friends from all over the country. But I knew it would be a chance for me to find new treats to continue Very Perry May.

That’s how I was able to sample Vandermill’s Ice Ice Perry at the Great Lakes International Cider Festival.

Vandermill is key to GLINTCAP and the Michigan Cider Alliance. The company started as a cider mill just over 10 years ago in Grand Rapids in 2006. Now, Vandermill Cider sells cider in seven states and operates two taprooms open to the public: Grand Rapids and Spring Lake. And that’s not even scratching the surface of all that this cider has going on!

Visit the website to learn more here: http://vandermill.com/.

I’ve reviewed one Vandermill Cider before, the Totally Roasted: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/07/cider-review-vander-mills-totally.html

The company also features in my CiderCon coverage from 2017: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/02/cider-con-2017-part-1-industry-growing.html

I wasn’t able to find an official description of the Ice Ice Perry online, but I found some notes and I got some info when the perry was poured today. The Ice Ice Perry uses Bartlett pears and gets blended with 9% heritage apple ice cider. At some point some or all of the perry or cider spends time in barrels. 6.33% ABV.

Appearance: butterscotch, hazy, bubbly

The cider’s color reminds me of butterscotch. It’s hazy and when poured from draft, visibly bubbly.

Aromas: acidity, citrus, vanilla, cooked apples

This is a complex set of smells! This perry smells like citrus, vanilla, and cooked apples. But that’s not all that’s going on. I also detect a hint of wild tart tanginess. I can definitely tell that this spent some time in a barrel!

Dryness/sweetness: Semi-dry

This comes out feeling semi-dry, but based on other characteristics, I wonder if it doesn’t have more residual sugar than it tastes like.
Flavors and drinking experience: high acid, low tannins, lots of barrel

While the methods used to reach this effect were anything but traditional, this perry actually reminds me of a few of the English perries I’ve enjoyed over the years. It’s soft, a little sweet, fairly tart, a little tannic, and quite funky.

The barrel aging I could detect in the aromas remains present in the flavors in that it tastes like vanilla and oak. It also has such pleasant soft rounded fruit character at the same time as it’s bright and zesty acidity. There’s a lot going on here!

Black Diamond's Somerset Jersey

You’ll have to read through to the end to see exactly why I’m sharing my notes on the Somerset Jersey by Black Diamond this week, but I’m always happy to review any cider by Black Diamond. This rural orchard-based cidery has been part of my cider landscape since it officially opened in 2014, not long after I moved to the Finger Lakes regions. The cidery and orchard are run by Ian and Jackie Merwin, two long-time contributors to the cider world. For more background information on the cidery, check out some of my earlier reviews of Black Diamond Ciders.

You can also learn more by visiting Black Diamond Cider online: https://www.blackdiamondcider.com

Earlier this spring (when it still felt like winter) I enjoyed the Geneva Tremlett’s: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/03/cider-review-black-diamonds-geneva.html

I reviewed the Slatestone last year:
http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/11/cider-reviews-big-hill-ciderworks.html

I have reviewed a few Black Diamond ciders previously. 

The Solstice cider was my second favorite cider in 2017. It’s still one of the most delightful still ciders I’ve ever encountered:
http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/08/cider-review-black-diamonds-solstice.html

The Hickster was my third favorite cider in 2016:
http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/12/cider-review-black-diamond-ciders.html

Black Diamond’s award-winning Porter’s Pommeau made an appearance at the 2017 Locavore pairing dinner in 2017:
https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/09/finger-lakes-cider-week-and-birthday.html

My first Black Diamond review is the Rabblerouser: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/09/cider-review-black-diamonds.html

Somerset Jersey’s label description is pleasingly complete.

Black Diamond Farm is a family-owned cidery in Seneca County, New York-the heart of the Iroquois People’s ‘Land Between the Lakes.’ Our Ciders are handcrafted from home-grown fruit, using traditional methods that express the fertile soils and unique climate of our lakes region. Somerset Jersey cider is a small-batch varietal blend of heritage apples, dominated by the English bittersweet called Harry Master’s Jersey, a scion of the ‘Somerset Jersey’ clan of apples that originated in southwest England during the late 1800s. This cider is semi-dry, with notes of vanilla and passionfruit, light acidity, and soft tannins that create its long astringent finish. Best when served slightly chilled. ABV 7.7%.

Appearance: hazy, bubbly, apricot

Somerset Jersey looks like the glowing color of dried apricots. The cider is hazy and bubbly. 

Aromas: ripe apples, vanilla buttercream, tropical fruit

This is what keeps me coming back to Black Diamond ciders so eagerly. These folks know how to bring out strong and pleasing aromas in a cider! This one smells like ripe tart apples and vanilla buttercream. I also get plenty of tropical fruit notes. It makes my mouth water. 

Sweetness/dryness: Semi-dry-to-semi-sweet

This feels just a hint dryer than a semi-sweet and almost too sweet to be a semi-dry. It’s a delicate spot with only very natural fruit sweetness coming through. 

Flavors and drinking experience: Citrus, minerality, tropical fruit, and astringence

This is so lovely! The Somerset Jersey tastes astringent and fruity at the same time. It has lots of minerality and citrus, plus a showering of tropical fruit. I often enjoy ciders that are high acid and high tannin; this fits that profile exceptionally well.

I love the Somerset Jersey’s rich mouthfeel and strong bubbles. Everything going on from first sip to lingering finish works together and works beautifully. I love it, and I’m not the only one. Keep reading to see who else does...

And, saving some excitement for the end of this week’s post, I want to share a link to GLINTCAP’s Best in Glass results!


https://glintcap.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/GLINTCAP_2019_Best_in_Class.pdf

Very Perry May: Tieton Cider Works Sparkling Perry, Stem Ciders Perry and GLINTCAP Best in Class

I’m back from GLINTCAP, and I’m still not tired of cider. I guess that means I’m living my best life because I’ve been in cider world hard core for most of last week Now, it’s time for week 3 of Very Perry May and I used my travel and my cellar to have two perries instead of one this week!

I’m starting with Tieton Cider Works Sparkling Perry. I couldn't resist picking this up on my way home from GLINTCAP. I don't see Tieton Cider Works beverages everywhere, but when I do, it's exciting. This company tries so many adventurous styles but also has access to some really good fruit and juice.

Visit Tieton online at https://tietonciderworks.com/

Or keep up with what's happening on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tietonciderworks/

Here are all of my previous Tieton Cider Works reviews.

Yakima Valley Dry Hopped: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/07/cider-review-tieton-ciderworks-yakima.html

Tieton Cider Works Spice Route: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/11/cider-review-tieton-ciderworks-spice.html

Tieton Cider Works Smoked Pumpkin: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/10/cider-review-tieton-ciderworks-smoked.html

The Tieton Cider Works Perry's Official description reads, “Sparkling Perry is a beverage akin to champagne; dry and brilliant. Our Estate Sparkling Perry is made exclusively from traditional Perry pears grown in our Washington orchards. 5.5% ABV.”

What I think is really interesting is that the bottle has a sticker that calls this cider semi-sweet, an the label calls it dry. That might be contributable to the sorbitol that occurs naturally in pears. Because that sugar cannot be fermented, a perry fermented to dryness can still taste more or less sweet.

Appearance: Amber, hazy, few bubbles

First off, I am so sorry I don'thave any pictures of the poured perry! I was distracted by good company. When I poured this perry, I knew it had to include perry pears from the intensity of color. Most perrys are very light straw, to light green, or even translucent. This is decidedly a more rich amber hue with a bit of haze and a few bubbles.

Aromas: Ripe pear, caramel, banana

I can smell the texture and freshness of pear flesh in this cider. Something about the actual granular texture of ripe pears comes across through smell alone. I also get notes of caramel and banana that could hint at some mild, oxidization. All of the aromas present are gentle and in good balance.

Sweetness/dryness: Semi-sweet

Sorbitol or no, this cider perceives to me (and to others I was tasting with) as semi-sweet. The sweetness does feel very fruity, warm, and natural.

Flavors and drinking experience: high acid, medium high tannins, nutty

The high acid keeps this semi-sweet perry from pushing into fully sweet territory. As do the medium high tannins. This perry definitely uses real perry pears. It tastes so nutty. The Sparklingly Perry speaks primarily with bright acid bouncing in contrast with friendly brown sugar notes—but without any sort of a burnt sugar flavor.

I am struck with how clean and fruity the finish is while still evoking minerals somehow. I had this with homemade vegetarian Indian food: Aloo Gobi and Palak Paneer. The sweetness and spiciness were perfect together. Wow!

Next Up: Stem Cider Perry

My second perry for the week comes from out west, from Colorado cider and perry maker Stem Ciders. The company sent me this review sample last year, but it didn’t arrive in time for Very Perry May, so I’ve been sitting on these notes for a little while now. The company was started about five years ago, by Eric Foster and Phil Kao. Stem Ciders is based out of Lafayette, Colorado. The company makes a range of ciders from perennially available styles to limited releases and collaborations.

Read plenty more and see some great pictures at: https://stemciders.com

The page I recommend checking out the most is the Philosophy section: https://stemciders.com/philosophy/

My only previous review of a Stem cider is the Pear Apple Cider as part of the #PickCider series: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/06/pickcider-review-stem-ciders-pear-apple.html

Appearance: pale yellow green, brilliant, no bubble

This perry is strikingly brilliant. Many contain a note of haze, but not this perry. The color is a pale yellow green, and it shows no bubbles.

Aromas: pear flesh, bubble gum, mint

Oh, what fresh smells! I think this perry smells tremendously appealing: sweet and juicy like fresh and ripe pear flesh. Other notes include bubblegum and mint. It’s all so fruity and springy. I can also detect the tiniest hint of metallic and dust that lead me to expect high acidity. I find the combination of aromas mouthwatering and powerful. The ntoes keep coming every time I lift the glass.

Sweetness/dryness: semi-dry

This is a mild and friendly semi-dry.

Flavors and drinking experience: bubbly, twiggy, mild, creamy

This cider pours with bubbles. Nice, I wasn’t sure based on its first appearance. I can taste sugar down the middle of my tongue. The primary notes I’m tasting are twiggy and green but not under-ripe. There’s just a bit of tannins—chalky but kinda nice. I think this perry tastes super approachable and good, but not quite as wowsers as it smells. All of the flavors are mild. There’s

a great aura of cream soda or birch beer. It's herbal but not bitter or very astringent. Definitely a keeper.

I had mine with corn on the cob, veggie nuggets, and a very tomato-y salad. Yum.

This last week, I travelled to Grand Rapids with my illustrious partner and co-taster Alex for GLINTCAP! We tasted through 7 rounds, including 2 Best in Class rounds. It was wonderful inspiring work. We also go to see some awesome cider makers, cellar hands, wine sellers, fellow writers, and cider nerds of all ilks. I love Grand Rapids, and I love GLINTCAP. I feel like I learn things every year from this crazy grueling celebration of cider. Many thanks to Eric West and all the volunteers who make this fantastic event happen.

And I’d like to send all interested parties (that means everyone!) over to the GLINTCAP site to get a peek at the Best in Class Awards. Congratulations to all of those winners!

http://glintcap.org/

I look forward to seeing the full results which should be up before the end of May!

Very Perry May: Review of Woodchuck’s Pear Ginger, Sundstrom Cider's Liminal and Countdown to GLINTCAP

This week, I exist as a ball of anticipation. That’s entirely due to GLINTCAP coming up soon. For anyone who doesn’t know, GLINTCAP is the world’s largest cider and perry competition. And it’s the direct inspiration for my starting Very Perry May so that I could up my knowledge of perries and pear ciders. That tradition continues this week with a ginger pear cider and a heritage cider from the Hudson Valley region of NY state.

Starting with Woodchuck’s Ginger Pear means returning to the company I have reviewed as much as any in the blog’s history. Here are a few favorites.

I want to point everyone to my own personal heartbreak, the discontinued nature of their June and Juice: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/10/cid10. er-review-woodchucks-june-and-juice.html

And the Local Nectar: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/07/cider-review-woodchucks-local-nectar.html

I also liked their pepper blended Hot Cha Cha Cha: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/03/cider-review-woodchucks-hot-cha-cha-cha.html

The start of the Gumption line: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/07/cider-review-woodchucks-gumption.html

In a super adventurous move, the Cellar Series Chocolate: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/06/cider-review-woodchuck-cellar-series.html

An earlier outdoor focused limited release, the Daychaser: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/05/cider-review-woodchucks-day-chaser.html

For fans of smoked ciders, this was a fun one, the Cellar Series Smoked Apple: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/12/cider-review-woodchuck-cellar-series.html

And if you we do have any more unseasonably cold weather, the Barrel Select: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/01/cider-review-woodchucks-private-reserve.html

I visited them back in August 2016: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-great-vermont-cider-tour-day-3.html

As always, you can find out plenty online at the Woodchuck site: http://www.woodchuck.com/

This Launch of a new series in 2018 called the Tank Series, dedicated to innovation in cider making. This seems like an evolution of some of their previous limited-edition lines, but this one is focusing on cans. I’m reviewing a sample sent to me of the Pear Ginger.

Here’s how Woodchuck describes this one, “Pear Ginger is a cider that was released briefly in select markets in 2017 and won Gold at the World Cider Championships. Pear Ginger infuses both pear and ginger for a cider that is light and refreshing. Pear Ginger is the first of three new Tank Series available in 2018” 5% ABV. On their visual representation of dryness to sweetness this falls between semi-dry and semi-sweet. This is a cider base with pear and ginger added.

This cider is only available canned, because Woodchuck wants to aim this one for outdoor consumption. Cans do make that much easier.

This does seem very similar to their Summer Time Pear Ginger Cider from last year, which I reviewed here: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/05/very-perry-may-pt-2-woodchuck.html

Appearance: brilliant, straw, some bubbles

This pear cider has no haze and just a few bubbles. The color is pale straw.

Aroma: intense, mellow ginger, cola

Interesting! I think this smells like a ginger color or a tropical fruit soda. The intensity of aroma is real, but the aroma that appears in bountiful quality is mellow ginger, fruity, and just a hint spicy. Hence the seeming contradiction of intense and mellow.

Sweetness/dryness: semi-sweet

I found it semi-sweet but not nearly as sweet as some Woodchuck options.

Flavors and drinking experience: Tart, super bubbly, fruity, tropical, gingery

What a fun cider! The Ginger Pear works well in a can, but I got even more out of it once I poured mine into a glass. I like aromas and big flavors too much to keep my perries or my ciders contained all the time!

The Pear Ginger tastes tart, astringent, bitter, and stony. It surprised me. But that’s not the whole picture. This pear cider offers up lots of extremely bright fruit that blooms and blooms. I noticed very high acid but not in an unpleasant way. The fruity and tropical flavors include pineapple, coconut, and a really nice floral undertone.

In terms of texture, there are not really any tannins. On the other hand, the Pear Ginger has extremely powerful bubbles. It’s not very pear or apple like but very gingery! It’s a fun one to have with mild cheesy and bready accompaniments. I liked it with a very fresh goat cheese and freshly baked bread.

Sundstrom Cider's Liminal

The second half of this review is my first review of anything by Sundstrom Cider. This Hudson Valley cider dates its first batch to late 2013. That was when I first had an abbreviated email exchange with founder Leif Sundstrom just after I left New York City for Ithaca.

Sundstrom focuses on heritage, crabs, wild, and cider varieties of apple, but most of all on making truly delicious and thoughtful ciders through choosing the right blend of apples for each bottling. Leif has great ambitions for his ciders and for Hudson Valley ciders. I picked up this bottle of Liminal from The Cellar D’Or in Ithaca (http://www.thecellardor.com/) because their staff knows my taste in ciders amazingly. I took one look at the list of apples and I had to try a bottle of the Liminal. 

You can fine out more about them where I did in this great article: http://www.fishandgamequarterly.com/08-cider/

Or watch what they are up to on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sundstromcider/?hl=en

Here’s a description I found online for the Liminal, “Dry New York Cider. A blend of 10 different types of apple, made in the traditional method and using native yeasts. Only 876 bottles made! Liminal 9.8% ABV Hudson Valley” Check the label picture above for the full apple list.  Note also the wild fermentation and high ABV. This is really something out of the ordinary.

I asked Leif about availability, and this is what he had to say, "There are various retailers and restaurants in NYC and Brooklyn that still have the ciders. But I’ve been sold out since December."  He did suggest that Flatiron Wines in Manhattan would be a place to try. 

Appearance: bright gilt, active bubbles, transparent

The Liminal looks lovely in the glass. It’s transparent and deeply hued with gilt. The bubbles are active and fun to watch. It did get less transparent with each glass poured, which is not a surprise for a non-disgorged cider.

Aromas: Dusty, lemon, ginger

I know when I saw ginger in this post, the association will be with actual ginger, but this is more like a suggestion of ginger to the aroma along side many smells I associate with high tannin and high acid ciders: dust, stones, and tart lemon.

Sweetness/dryness: dry

This is a dry, high acid, cider! No doubt, all delicious.

Flavors and drinking experience: tannins, acid, pomme fruit, quince

Holy wow! This is an intense cider, and I really like it. The acids are high and pointed. It’s sharp and zesty. The aroma elements I noticed of dust and stone do translate into tannic presence. But I don’t want to imply that this cider is only austere. It’s also fruity in a dry and exciting way. I got piles of fruit aromatics and flavors including, lemon, quince, persimmon, and again that spicy presence of ginger.

This is a very exciting cider that happens to use some of my favorite apples, including Wickson Crab and Northern Spy. I don’t think this is a coincidence. I enjoyed my cider with picnic meal of strawberries, black berries, hard cheeses, hummus and hearty wheat crackers. It balanced well with these different flavors and textures, all in all, a totally delightful cider!

And now, I'm even closer to GLINTCAP than I was at the start of this post!