Cider Cans Crush It: 1911 Tropical Cider and Devil's Bit Mountain

Our weather is thrillingly beautiful these days, which means I want to spend time outside. We’re back to another two reviews of canned ciders which make the ideal beverage companion for outdoor sipping. These are two more shared with friends at an excellent birthday party.

I‘m starting this week with a new regional release: 1911’s Tropical Cider! 1911 operates in Layfayette, New York and supplies many varieties of cider throughout the region and beyond. The fermentations are consistently clean, and the focus is on using local fruit for well-balanced, approachable, sessionable ciders.

Find out more online: http://1911established.com/cider/

The Facebook is updated regularly: https://www.facebook.com/1911Spirits/

I have two previous reviews of 1911 ciders.

Somerset Orginal Cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/06/cider-review-beak-and-skiffs-1911.html

Founders’s Reserve Hopped: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/09/cider-review-1911s-founders-reserve.html

I couldn’t find much of an official description of the 1911 Tropical, but as it says on the can, “Tart Pineapple with Hints of Mango.” 6.5% ABV.

Appearance: pale straw, brilliant, some bubbles

This cider has a subtle pale shade of straw. It’s totally brilliant and shows some bubble.

Aromas: ripe pineapple and mango, very juicy

This cider smells so very richly juice. It’s blowing my mind with the aromatic intensity here! I can smell both pineapple and mango districtly but there’s also a more general tropical punch background.

Sweetness/dryness: sweet

This is a sweet and fruity cider. No question about that.

Flavors and drinkin experience: fruity, full mouthfeel, creamy, tart,

All of the juicy wow factor I sensed in the Tropical’s aroma is present in the drinking experience and then some. This cider has a big creamy mouthfeel and so much juicy, punchy, fruity flavor. I can taste the pineapple and mango but also plums and strawberries. I get some tartness to balance the sweet fruity flavors, but they are undeniably the major force behind this cider. This isn’t a tannic cider, but there’s a lot else going on here.

It has a relatively clean fermentation and powerfully lingering finish. I had mine with cheeses, crackers and a veggie tray, but I don’t doubt that it would stand up well to stronger flavors. I think I’d recommend something spicy and creamy like a coconut milk curry.

Devil’s Bit Mountain Irish Orchard Cider

I know almost nothing about this cider. I found a pack of cans in Ohio on my way home from GLINTCAP. In 2017 this same cider won a gold in it’s glass and was 3rd best in the category overall. That’s high praise.  I know it’s made by Adam’s Cider Company in Tipperary.

Find out more on the website: http://www.devilsbit.ie/

Here’s the official description.

Crafted from Dabinett, Michelin and Ashton Bitter apples from their own family orchards and pressed in their own Cidery in Tipperary, they combine the age-old technique of cider making with the traditional bittersweet cider apple to create this wonderfully refreshing beverage. 

This is an award winning, gluten free medium Irish Cider with a light golden colour and crisp flavour. 6% ABV.

Appearance: brilliant, bronze, few bubbles

Intense color typical of UK and European ciders. I’ll call it bronze. The transparency is totally brilliant, and the cider shows few bubbles.

Aromas: funky, fruity, tart

This cider does have some volatile acidity going on. THe aromas are funky, fruity, and tart. I could smell ripe apples, but the leathery and solvent notes were equally strong.

Sweetness/dryness: semi-sweet

This cider is semi-sweet but with lots of other flavor contributors. In the UK, this would likely be called a medium sweet.

Flavors and drinking experience: high tannins, overripe cider apples, cinnamon

This cider offers up huge tannins. If anyone has never tastes a tannic cider or gets tannins mixed up with either dryness or acidity, this is a great cider to demystify. These are grippy tannins. I get some classic English bittersweet apple phenolics like olive brine, sweat and leather. I love these characteristics.

This one was at the same fabulous cider party, so i had it with raw veggies, hummus, creeses and crackers. But this cider would do well with a huge variety of foods. I have one can left, and my plans for it involve a frittata with blue cheese, caramelized onion, and swiss chard. That sounds delish to me.

Very Perry May Pt.3: Eve's Cidery, Wyder's, Magner's

Part 3 of Very Perry May is arriving a little later in the week than my first two groups of perry exploration. This is because I travelled to New York City this past weekend to celebrate my anniversary of being married to my favorite co-taster, Alex. We chose the weekend not just because it is our anniversary, but because that's when Midnight Oil was playing New York City! What a concert! Wow! Okay, to return the point. It was fascinating to see what ciders are on shelves and taps in the city these days, and what perries.

Which leads me to my first perry review of the week: Eve's Cidery's Perry Pear.

I was able to get a glass of Eve's Cidery's sold out 2015 Perry Pear at Murray's Cheese Bar (http://www.murrayscheesebar.com/). This is especially exciting as the company doesn't get access to enough pears to make a perry every year.
I've reviewed a few ciders by Eve's Cidery over the course of the blog so far. Here's the brief rundown.

Albee Hill: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/12/cider-review-eves-cidery-albee-hill.html
Autumn's Gold: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/06/cider-review-eves-ciderys-autumns-gold.html
Beckhorn Hollow Dry:http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/10/cider-review-eves-ciderys-beckhorn.html

Find out all about this Finger Lakes cidery that specializes in both still ciders and bottle conditioned sparkling ciders on the website: https://www.evescidery.com.

Perry Pear's official description reads, "Super aromatic on the nose, sweet cream, vanilla bean, honey and figs mingle with balsam fir. The palate is layered with fresh ripe pear, venison and bitter dandelion. The finish is soft, round, full and filling with a creamy texture."

What's more, you can read the story of this particular perry from 2015 pears, right on the site: https://www.evescidery.com/our-cider/2015-perry-pear/

Appearance: cinnamon sugar gold, brilliant, no visible bubbles

The color makes me think of mellow golden dusting of cinnamon sugar. It has lots of color compared to most perries. Its brilliant and doesn't show off the bubbles that are within.

Aromas: clean barn, fermented fruit, honey

Nothing could be more autumnal and rural than this smells. The notes encompass a clean wooden barn, fermenting fruit, honey, and just a hint of dry firewood. These smells are really raising my expectations for something complex and dry.

Sweetness/dryness: just barely off dry

Beautiful balance. I love how the perry has just enough residual sweetness to let the flavors speak and not a hint more. The dryness is structured and solid. This perry sweetness isn't confusing as sometimes happens. 

Flavors and drinking experience: funky, warmed fruit, acid, leather

Some of those same barn and firewood notes that were present in the aromas remained in the drinking. More prominent was a wild thread of acid, medium-high tannins, and lots of leather. The impression of fall just continues as the subtle acetic acid and sorbitol remind me of leaves in the air, warm wood, and crisp breezes. 

As the picture reveals, I had this perry with three cheese pairings: ricotta and honey, brie and blackberry preserves, and sliced apple with cheddar and edible flowers. It complemented all three. What a treat.

Wyder's Hard Cider: Dry Pear

This is my first Wyder's review. The Dry Pear was shared with me when I was visiting the Woodchuck facility in Vermont this summer. Link to that day of my Vermont trip: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-great-vermont-cider-tour-day-3.html

You can visit the Wyder's site to learn about their portfolio: http://www.wyders.com/pear-cider/

Wyder's official description reads, "This light, crisp cider presents a tangy aroma while offering a distinct pear taste, and ends with a lively mouth feel that tickles the tongue."

Appearance: brilliant, pale, lots of visible bubbles

This has a bubbly light appearance. There's not a hint of haze.

Aromas: apple pear, candied pineapple, ginger

The Dry Pear smells like apple more than pear, but it does smell floral and gingery. It also smells like crystallized sugar. The floral notes remind me of edible orchids.

Sweetness/dryness: sweet

Not ambiguous. Not dry. Sweet.

Flavors and drinking experience: sweetly ephemeral, perfumed, fruity
This is a relatively easy to understand perry, especially for a cider person like myself. The Dry Pear does have the ephemeral perfumed quality that some perries have. It's initial hit is a bit drier with even a touch of bitterness, but that is quickly replaced by sweetness and fruitiness. It tastes like extremely clean fermentation with a finish that's clean and delightfully aromatic. Like a breath of spring flowers.

This is fundamentally sweet though, I don't see why they call it dry.

Magners Irish Cider's Pear

I have reviewed one Magner's before: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/04/cider-review-magners-irish-cider-plus.html

You can find out more about them online: http://usa.magners.com

Magner's Official Description reads, 

We all need a bit of variety and that’s why we came up with the idea for Magners Pear. Of course, we like to do things properly and don’t mind taking our time, so unlike some Pear ciders, the only fruit that goes into ours is pears. 

Only 100% premium quality pears, which are filtered to get rid of any impurities before being slowly fermented. 

That’s what makes Magners Pear so fresh, fruity and full of flavor. So next time you’re out and wanting a bit of a change, pour a Magners Pear, sit back and enjoy.

Appearance: visible bubbles, light green gold, brilliant

I used my Cider Tasting Mug by 33 Books (https://www.33books.com/products/the-original-cider-tasting-mug) so I could get the most out of this cider. The mug generally enhances both color and aroma, so it being fairly pale green gold in this mug means it would be even more subtle in glass.

Aromas: floral, pear jolly rancher, white grape

I could smell exactly the clear notes in my above list: pears, Jolly Rancher green apple candy, white grape juice, and a floral atmosphere as well.

Sweetness/dryness: very sweet

The Pear is intensely soda-like in its initial burst of sweetness. This is another sweet perry.

Flavors and drinking experience: sweet, thick mouthfeel, lots of pear, hint of maple

The Pear offers up a thick mouthfeel, which I don't think is necessarily characteristic of perry, but it recalls specifically the flesh of a soft pear. I get a bit of granularity to it. The sweetness hits climatically and slowly fades: the experience of drinking it is a journey down that slope, and there are some nice points along the way, but no changes. Sugar and pear juice are both perceivable, with a little mapleness. 

This interacts interestingly with the air: drinking it from the bottle offers a more beer-like note: the alcohol is more upfront and slightly mutes the sweetness. 4.5%ABV and sent to me in a lovely custom 19.2oz bottle.

Cider Review: Craigies Irish Cider Dalliance 2012

The time has come in my cider calendar to seek out the ciders I think will taste darker, richer, and more tannic. Though technically it is still fall, and our weather in Ithaca has been suspiciously mild, once we're past Thanksgiving to my my mind winter is here. So, to the winter ciders I go. For the most part between now and spring I'll go looking for the many ways a cider can suit this darker colder time of year.

That means that tonight I'm sharing my notes on something by Craigies Irish Cider. I found their Dalliance 2012 locally.

I had not heard anything about the company before seeing the bottle, so before opening it, I found their website: http://www.craigiescider.ie/

 

In my reading there, I found out a few things about the company. This seems to be their primary introduction, very focused on place and apples, "7 varieties, 6 growers, 5 counties: 100% Irish. From seed to tree and from soil to season our aim is to express the unique characteristics of Ireland’s magnificent apple orchards. No added water, no added sugar, just pure apple juice, passionately crafted into fine, complex ciders." I have no argument with either their method or their resulting goal of ciders with character and complexity. 

Looking deeper, I was able to find more specifics on Craigies goals and practices.

Craigies only use Irish apples, sourced from dedicated growers in counties Waterford, Tipperary, Cork and Kilkenny. The team at Craigies believe that Irish cider achieves its greatest complexity and expression as a blend and that each apple should reflect its regional origins as well as its specific fruit characteristics. Craigies also strongly believe that their ciders should reflect the year in which the fruit was grown and so only produce vintage ciders. Over the years Craigie have developed close links with the apple growers and select from individually chosen orchards.

I love the notion of cider vintages, and I wish current United States regulations allowed the listing of vintages on ciders. Interestingly, Craigies makes a point to describe their ciders as not only gluten free (which is typical) but also vegan. Hey! Animal free people rejoice! 

 

What charms me most on the website is the individual descriptions of many of the individuals involved in the compny, their relevant backgrounds (frequently in the wine world) and their current role with the company. This kind of detail gives the impression that they appreciate the skills and talents of these folks which makes me more inclined to think well of them as a company. Simple but true.

 

The cider of theirs I'm reviewing is their Dalliance from 2012. On the bottle, it describes a secret three apple blend. Intringuing indeed, but a little digging online revealed that blend to be: 60% Falstaff, 30% Elstar, and 10% Jonagold. I only know Jonagold of the three, so I'm pretty excited to taste apples I don't know. 

 

This same source of detailed information also describes the vintage information: "2012 was a very difficult vintage with a wet spring resulting in a very poor flowering. Summer continued to be cool and wet although conditions improved in the month of September."

 

And the process of production, 

Each variety was harvested separately, brought to the farm and then milled. The pulp was pressed and the resulting juice was allowed to settle for 24 hour before being racked into fermenting tanks. Alcoholic fermentation lasted for three weeks with malolactic fermentation taking place in spring 2013. The ciders were then allowed to rest on their fine lees for 15 months before being blended and bottled in 2014.

Finally, after all of this preparation and context Craigies gives some tasting notes, "Dalliance is pale straw in color with aromas of fresh green and red apples and fennel. It is light bodied and has refreshing acidity. The finish is very long and the overall impression is more like a sparkling white wine than a cider." 

 

Hrm, I love some wine like characteristics in my ciders, but that seems awfully vague. Sparkling white wines can take on as many forms as a cider.

 

Appearance: hazy, the color of home cooked applesauce, no bubbles

 

To look at this cider in the glass is to immediately separate it from most North American ciders. It looks so much more still and hazy than most ciders made near here. I do not see almost any visible bubbles. Instead this appearance is far more about soft richness implied by the haze applesauce color.

 

Aromas: green apples, pear, stone, grapefruit, very bright and sweet

Oh my goodness, I love how this smells! I get apples and pears and peaches all over the place. It also has citrus notes like grapefruit. My one worry based on the bright fruitiness of this smell is that this might taste more sweet than I like. There's an easy way to find that out!

Dryness/sweetness: Semi-dry/semi-sweet

This cider is not as sweet as its aromas implied to me. And I am so pleased! There are a lot of flavors in the cider beyond the fruit notes apparent in the aromas. Yet it isn't dry or bitter or astringent either. I'd call this a fairly sweet semi-dry, or a fairly dry semi-sweet. Very moderate in terms of sweetness.

Flavors and drinking experience: powdery, citrus, leather, mild and balanced

Whoa. The aromas did not adequately prepare me! Complex indeed. It tastes  powdery, leathery and very citrusy. I'd say its not bourbon-y or barrel-y in its leatheryness, but I find it pleasantly and calmly musky. I get sparkles of bright pear and grapefruit that taste like they're floating above the leathery taste. The Dalliance offers gentle bubbles; more petillant than truly sparkling. When I take bigger sips, the ciders gives cocoa notes. 

This tastes really lovely, but subdued despite its high acidity. It is not really like a lot of British isles cider, but a little like Shane's in Penzance. I love how the malo-lactic fermentation brings in a creamy mouthfeel and hints of fresh mozzerella. Craigies rounds out in a gentle lingering finish.

I'd have this with a mushroom tart or fisherman's pie. Bring in richness to  balance the acid with whatever you choose to pair it with and you'll not go wrong. This is a lovely cider; consider me impressed. I look forward to trying the 2013 vintage when I see it. I wonder how different they will be. 

Cider Review: Magner's Irish Cider PLUS the super exciting GLINTCAP results!

Finally, finally, finally, spring has arrived. I've seen the sky and the ground and they both have colors beyond white and gray! Skies can be blue! The ground can be brown (also kinda green, but mostly brown). It's time to celebrate with a different sort of cider! Today I'm reviewing Magner's Irish Cider.
This is actually fairly exciting for be because I'd rather forgotten about Magner's. Years ago, they were one of the handfull of ciders that any given bar/pub might have in bottles (almost no one had cider on tap back then) so I had Magner's fairly regularly. But as my options expanded, I didn't drink Magner's as much. Now, because the Magner's folks were kind enough to send me two bottles, I'm gong to revisit this cider and really get to know it within the current cider scene.

For a bit of background, I have to describe the front page of their website for folks who don't have the time to follow the link (For those who want to look for themselves: http://www.magners.com). The page has a black background relieved by two glowing ciders. They look unearthly, richly colored, radiant, each glass completely covered with condensation. Other than the ice, they look mouthwatering. This is paired with the phrase, "Made in the dark for a better taste". Wha? Weirdest cider tag line ever. Despite the photos, I'm not going to try my sample bottles over ice.

Here's some of what Magner's says about their own cider-making process.

We love making cider, but we reckon there’s only one way to do it properly. That’s why we’re still taking inspiration from the historic methods we used when we started making cider back in 1935. That’s part of the Magners taste.

So in this way we use 17 varieties of apples, waiting until they drop before pressing and filtering them in the traditional way.

We take time to ferment the cider and even more time to let it mature, up to 2 years in fact, tasting it along the way. Sure, there are faster ways of making cider, but then it wouldn’t be Magners. 

I also emailed back and forth with a very helpful gentleman who told me about the apples Magner's grows in their orchards for their ciders. I've wondered about this for some some the larger companies in regions that grow traditional cider varietals for a long time. Here's what Brian had to say, "A number of varieties growing in our 150 acres of orchards include Michelin, Dabinett, Yarlington Mill, Bulmer’s Norman, Tremlett’s Bitter, Breakwell Seedling, Taylor’s, Harry Master’s Jersey, Bramley’s, Grenadier, Brown Thorn, Brown Snout, Vilberies, Improved Dove, Medaille d’Or, Reine des Pommes and Ashton Bitter." Now that's a list most United States cidermakers would freak out for because those include several of the high tannin apple varieties that are nearly impossible to get here. Also, I just need to take a moment to appreciate those names like Improved Dove and Brown Thorn; they are just lovely.

 
Appearance: Brilliant, tea, plenty of visible bubbles

This cider shows lots of color but absolutely no haze or cloudiness. I'd describe the color as either pumpkin flesh or very black tea. This is definitely a color that implies the presence of tannins.

Aromas: tart green apples, yeast, hints of bourbon

Magner's has a medium level of aroma, neither particularly shy and subtle nor tremendously outgoing. I am glad I poured mine into a glass, because I don't think consumed straight from the bottle, I would have gotten anything from it. The most interesting note is something that reminds me of bourbon aged ciders, but since Magner's has nothing to do with bourbon, I'm guess that it is something in the aging or barreling process that I'm smelling.

Sweetness: Semi-sweet

Magner's is not nearly as sweet as most six-pack ciders. Honestly, I'm shocked. I'd forgotten, or perhaps they've changed their recipe. I expected simple and sweet, but this is both more and less than that. Less sweet and more flavor.

Flavors: Citrus, cooked apples, mild tannins

I am pleased to report that as the Magner's appearance and smell led me to expect, this cider has tannins! They isn't out of control and might not even be noticeable if you drink it from the bottle or over ice, but they are there. I can also taste little bits of citrus, definitely lemon notes. In terms of the primary impression, I get applesauce-y apples loud and clear. Whatever was reminding me of bourbon in the smell doesn't really carry over  to the taste. Mixed in, I can also detect a cola note. Interesting and more varied than I expected. There's even a little brush with bitterness, but just a hint.

I definitely like this more than most six-pack ciders, but I do wish the flavor was more intense while still not being sweet. I enjoyed one of these with a fantastic sandwich with hummus and cheddar and oven dried tomatoes, and the other I had entirely on its own. It works well either way and I'm sure would also taste scrumptious with other foods.

Also, I don't want anyone to miss out on reading about the GLINTCAP results! This was the cider and perry competition that I helped to judge this past weekend. It is one of the largest and longest running in the world, and here are the results. I judged three flights in the Commercial Division: one of the New World Modern Ciders, New World Perries, and a flight of Pommeaux. The whole experience was wonderful, and I'm happy to say I have several ciders awarded silvers in my little collection and even a gold.

http://glintcap.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/GLINTCAP_2015_Awards_Slideshow.pdf