Cider Review: Blake’s Hard Cider Co.'s Peach Party

Welcome to 2024! I write this from the liminal week between Christmas and the new year. Some folks get restless during this time, or mind that they forget what day of the week it is. Others return to work and life as usual. Yet others, and I count myself in this last lucky camp, relish the quiet long chance to say goodbye to the year not in a moment or a night but for a solid week. I’m looking back at the good moments, good books, good films, and holding those close. The challenges certainly come, but they don’t need any extra airtime. And I’m happy to be traveling to see my family right now. 

My dad was kind enough to save me two cans of Blake’s Hard Cider’s Peach Party. I shared some with him and also one with my mom, and I so enjoyed getting their reactions as well as my own. Consider this review a Collins family special. 

Here is a list of all previous reviews of Blake’s Hard Ciders on the blog.

Apple Lantern: https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/10/cider-reviews-blakes-hard-ciders-apple.html

El Chavo (habanero and mango): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/11/cider-review-blakes-hard-cider-companys.html

Black Philip(cranberry and blood orange): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/04/cider-review-blakes-hard-cider-black.html

The Tonic (cucumber & ginger): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/03/cider-review-blakes-hard-cider-companys.html

Grizzly Pear(pear, prickly pear cactus, & elderflower):

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/05/very-perry-may-pt-5-e-z-orchards.html

Snapdragon (rum raisins): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/11/cider-review-blakes-hard-ciders.html

Wakefire (cider with sour cherries and orange peel): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/09/cider-review-blakes-hard-cider-companys.html

It’s easy to learn more about Blake’s Hard Cider Company on the website: http://www.blakeshardcider.com/

I’ll include the official description for the Peach Party, so we can see what exactly Blake’s is offering here!

Peach Party Peach and Blackberry Get ready to groove with the goodness of sweet peach, bold blackberry, and mellow apple. It’s all peach and love at this party.

6.5% ABV

Appearance: gentle blush pink, brilliant, few bubbles

I see a lot of gentle blackberry and apple influence  in this color. It’s a delicate blush pink with total brilliance. There are only a few little bubbles in the mix. What a lovely lovely cider. It makes me think of Spring already.

Aromas: Creamy and peachy with a background of apple and blackberry

The Peach Party lives up to it’s name with a fun and enticing aroma. It smells creamy and peachy almost like a Peach Melba. As I bring the glass to my nose there are also elements of citrus and sweetness in its nose.

Sweetness/dryness: Sweet

This cider is unambiguously sweet like peach candy but with a fun citric acid zing!

Flavors and drinking experience: peach, apple, vibrant fruit, high acid

Like with the aroma, I find Blake named this cider aptly. It is indeed a Peach Party! That’s the dominant flavor on the palate. I don’t detect a ton of blackberry flavor, but I’m happy to report that the whole experience is supported on a firm backbone of apple.

The Peach Party brings lots of acid and medium intensity of bubble to the drinking experience. The cider has a clean fermentation with loads of fresh very vibrant fruit flavor. It’s got a big mouthfeel as well. On two different evenings, I shared this one with my folks and both quite liked it. Our collective experience is that it’s a super approachable and friendly cider. Fans of sweetness will find it sessionable to boot. 

One evening of this was paired with a tense film about the end of the world and the other night it was shared with college basketball. Both worked well, but I think its best pairing might be popcorn and comedy or perhaps a bonfire!

Here’s to a wonderful 2024. Cheers!

Cider Review: Virtue Cider's Northern Spy

I’ve just been to Kentucky for a week to visit my family. It was wonderful and oh so summery! Read all the way to the bottom of the post to see a picture of what some of my time was like. Now that I’m back home, I’m looking forward to settling into a summer routine. Garden work, eating outdoors with friends, evening walks and appreciating the flavors of the season are my top priorities! And I’m excited to include cider into some of those plans! To start, here’s my review of the Northern Spy from Virtue Ciders. It was enjoyed as part of a lovely evening meal, enjoyed on a beautiful front porch evening.  

Full disclosure, this cider was shared with me for review by Virtue Cider. Nonetheless, my thoughts on it are mine.

I’ve reviewed no shortage of Virtue Ciders. I’ll include the lineup here. Additional background information about Virtue Cidery appears in these earlier posts. What I’ll say again here, Virtue Cider comes to us from Michigan and includes a wide variety of cider styles and taste profiles! 

Baldwin: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2022/03/cider-review-virtue-ciders-baldwin.html

Spitz: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2021/10/cider-review-virtue-ciders-spitz.html

Pear: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/05/cider-review-virtue-ciders-pear-and.html

Michigan Apple: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/02/cider-review-1911-rose-and-virtue.html

Rose: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/02/cider-review-1911-rose-and-virtue.html

Brut: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/02/cider-review-citizen-ciders-tree-tapper.html

The Mitten Reserve: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/03/cider-review-whitewood-cider-cos-olivia.html

Percheron: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/10/cider-review-virtue-ciders-percheron.html

Ledbury: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/02/cider-review-roundup-virtue-slyboro.htm

The Mitten: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/05/cider-review-virtue-ciders-mitten-and.htm

Red Streak: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/06/trying-virtue-and-olivers-ciders-at.htm

Virtue’s website with tons of information can be found here: https://www.virtuecider.com

Here’s what Virtue Cider says about the Northern Spy 2021.

What happens when you blend a little bit of cider from one apple varietal and a lotta bit of cider from another apple varietal? This cider is more Northern Spy and less Yarlington Mill, but all Michigan greatness.

STYLE: Dry Cider

SIZE: 750mL

SPECIFICATIONS

VINTAGE: 2021

REGION: Michigan

ALCOHOL: 6.4%

VARIETAL: Double Varietal Cider

FRUIT: Apple

Northern Spy 2021 Tasting Notes - Overripe Apple, Floral, Vanilla, Complex

TASTING NOTES: Baked Apple, Citrus, Tropical, Stone Fruit, Honey

AWARDS AND ACCOLADES

2021 GLINTCAP – Great Lakes International Cider & Perry Competition: Silver - Heritage Cider - Dry

I love how thorough this info is! I’ll be curious to compare my thoughts to the tasting notes provided by the cidery.

Appearance: medium intensity peach color, mild haze, no visible bubbles

This cider looks like so many heirloom fruit UK ciders I’ve enjoyed with its warm peachy color, haze and no visible bubbles. 

Aromas: Mild aroma, leather and apricot and oranges

My associations with UK cider continue with the Northern Spy cider’s mild aroma notes of leather, apricot, and oranges.

Dryness/sweetness: Dry

I’m so glad to say that this is a dry cider! Mostly because I love dry cider, but even more because I love accurate descriptions from cideries!

Flavors and drinking experience: high acid, medium tannins, petillant, nectarine

Northern Spy apples appear in many of my favorite ciders, as do Yarlington Mill apples. This cider reminds me of why. It’s just so well balanced. We do veer from a UK profile to a New World heirloom apple cider profile. The Northern Spy cider brings medium tannins but really powers the tasting experience with the cider’s high acidity. It’s a clean fermentation with notes of nectarine and overripe apple.

The cider is petillant more than truly sparkling.  Nothing about it stands out so much as to be a detraction or distraction from the overall experience. It’s tremendously food friendly and sessionable. We served this cider with sauteed cabbage rice and Beefless Bulgogi (from Trader Joe’s). The pairing worked beautifully. 

Happy Summer! 

Cider Review: Tandem Ciders' The Green Man

It’s a gray day here of the sort that makes me doubt Spring. We’re living in a gray-brown world of last year’s dead leaves, frozen mud, and dormant grass. Nonetheless, I’ve planted a few trays of seeds, and I’m watering them faithfully. Hopefully in the coming week or so, I’ll start to see fresh green seedlings. Until then, it's time to cook and nest and escape into movies. Today, I’m sharing my thoughts on Tandem Ciders’ the Green Man. Many thanks to my cider friends who got this to me to assuage my feelings of CiderConFOMO. ; ) You’re the best!

Tandem Ciders come to us from Sutton’s Bay, Michigan. There Dan Young and Nikki Rothwell founded Tandem Ciders in 2010 after their love of England and Cider combined with their love of Michigan orchard life. Find out more in my earlier Tandem reviews.

I’ve reviewed a few Tandem’s Ciders before. Here’s the list.

Crabster: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/07/cider-review-south-city-ciderworks-dry.html

The Bee’s Dream: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/01/cider-review-tandem-ciders-bees-dream.html

The Smackintosh: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/05/cider-review-tandem-ciders-smackintosh.html

I recommend checking out Tandem Ciders on the web to learn about what this Michigan Cider is making and doing: https://www.tandemciders.com/

You can also read the story behind the cidery on the website here. It’s a sweet one: https://www.tandemciders.com/about-us/

Here’s what Tandem Ciders has to say about The Green Man. 

Inspired by the carvings of the Roman Baths in the heart of English cider country -- Bath, England -- this adventurous blend of Rhode Island Greenings creates a subtly sweet cider that'll leave you anything but stone-faced.

Appearance: brilliant, very few visible bubbles, low-intensity cool-toned straw

This cider is too beautiful to be sold in a can! The cool-toned pale gold and brilliance deserve to be seen! The color reminds me of straw in spring; it’s yellow and not green but only just by a hair. 

Aromas: green apple, pineapple, sweet candy dust

The Green Man certainly smells green! I get lots of malic acid green apple notes from the start. Secondarily, pineapple aromas abound; this has some tropical flair for sure! The last hints from this cider are harder to describe; it’s a sweet and dusty smell like a container that has held sugar candy enough to have its residue floating around ambiently. We’ll see how these scents translate to taste!

Sweetness/dryness: Semi-sweet

This cider tastes semi-sweet in a fruity juicy way!

Flavors and drinking experience: Bubbly, fresh apple, full-bodied

The Green Man tastes so juicy, it reminds me of pear nectar. The cider tastes tropical with bright notes of sweet apple, pineapple, and pear. The cider shows off a clean fermentation with no funk, no bitterness or anything to interrupt the fresh and fruity celebration. The cider has plentiful bubbles and a full creamy mouthfeel. The cider has medium acidity: just enough to keep the sweetness in pleasant balance. It’s an easy-drinking cider and would be a lovely introduction to the semi-sweet range of the beverage.

We enjoyed this with a chopped Greek salad. The light medley of cucumbers, peppers, feta, tomatoes, and zingy creamy dressing were a lovely counterpoint to the bursting juicy sweetness of Tandem Ciders’ The Green Man. 

Cider Review: Virtue Cider's Baldwin

 

For once, I’m trying to be prepared and ahead of the game. When this goes live, I’ll hopefully be traveling with The Tall One. We need a bit of respite. But between this moment and that anticipated one there are snow storms and cross-country flights. I write in hope because I prefer it to other available options. Fingers crossed, cider friends!

Today, I’m sharing my thoughts on Virtue Cider’s Baldwin. For those who aren’t familiar with Virtue Cider. The company was founded in Michigan in 2011 by Greg Hall. The cidery offers many different cider styles, many of which are inspired by different cider making traditions from cider regions of the world or local Michigan ingredients. 

This cider came to me as a sample of Virtue’s first Cider Society box. That’s their regular subscription or cider club. You can read more about Cider Society here: https://virtuecider.com/pages/cider-society

Virtue Ciders have appeared many times on this blog in the past. Here’s the full list. You can also find additional background information on Virtue in these earlier posts.

Spitz: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2021/10/cider-review-virtue-ciders-spitz.html

Pear: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/05/cider-review-virtue-ciders-pear-and.html

Michigan Apple: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/02/cider-review-1911-rose-and-virtue.html

Rose: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/02/cider-review-1911-rose-and-virtue.html

Brut: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/02/cider-review-citizen-ciders-tree-tapper.html

The Mitten Reserve: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/03/cider-review-whitewood-cider-cos-olivia.html

Percheron: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/10/cider-review-virtue-ciders-percheron.html

Ledbury: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/02/cider-review-roundup-virtue-slyboro.htm

The Mitten: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/05/cider-review-virtue-ciders-mitten-and.htm

Red Streak: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/06/trying-virtue-and-olivers-ciders-at.htm

You can find out more about any of these ciders  and much more at Virtue’s website: https://www.virtuecider.com

Here’s the official description for the Baldwin, “Part of our Apple Fest Series which features a single apple varietal. The Baldwin apple is a large crimson red and coppery green apple that is crisp, juicy, and aromatic with a spicy sweet-tart flavor.” This cider’s ABV is 7.7%.

Appearance: bubbly, brilliant, medium straw

Virtue Cider’s Baldwin reminds me of many modern American ciders in its appearance. The cider is brilliant with visible bubbles and a medium color intensity. The hue reminds me of ripe straw. 

Aromas: Cooked apples, apple skin, Pixi Stix

The Baldwin reminds me most of cooked apples when I let its aroma notes waft to me. I can get other inklings as well: green apple skins, Pixy Stix, and grapefruit.

Dryness/sweetness: Semi-dry 

This cider is neither dominated by sweetness nor completely reliant on it. There is enough sweetness to keep things easy-going and approachable and not a bit too much. What sweetness I do detect is very appley and natural.

Flavors and drinking experience: tart, minerals, high acid, well-balanced

I appreciate how this tart and minerally cider feels so fresh on the palate. It really does feel so green apple tart to me; it’s somehow high acid without being overly austere or pointed. The Baldwin is a well-balanced crowd pleaser of a cider. I enjoy the strong bubbles and medium full mouthfeel. 

I had this at a lovely quiet dinner of pescatarian okonomiyaki, dumpling soup, and cucumber salad. What a set of pairings! Each dish brought out a different element of the cider, and all were delicious. I would enthusiastically recommend exactly this to anyone who wants to explore such a well-balanced cider in all its vicissitudes. And my eternal gratitude to my dear friends who cook so well and share their gifts. 

Cider Review: Virtue Cider's Spitz

Fall is showing a strange facet this week; it’s warm and rainy. Much of the summer was the same way, so this feels like a look back at the season just passed. But it’s still Fall, the season of apples. That’s the perfect time to review Virtue Cider’s Spitz and introduce Virtue’s Cider Society. 

Virtue Cider comes to us all from Michigan. This cidery was founded in 2011; congrats on turning 10 Virtue! Greg Hall started this cidery after his tenure at Goose Island Brewing. Today, Virtue cider has three cider houses and an array of farm animals, including pigs and chickens. 

I’ve reviewed several Virtue Ciders in the past. Here’s the rundown. 

Pear: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/05/cider-review-virtue-ciders-pear-and.html

Michigan Apple: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/02/cider-review-1911-rose-and-virtue.html

Rose: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/02/cider-review-1911-rose-and-virtue.html

Brut: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/02/cider-review-citizen-ciders-tree-tapper.html

The Mitten Reserve: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/03/cider-review-whitewood-cider-cos-olivia.html

Percheron: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/10/cider-review-virtue-ciders-percheron.html

Ledbury: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/02/cider-review-roundup-virtue-slyboro.html

The Mitten: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/05/cider-review-virtue-ciders-mitten-and.html

Red Streak: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/06/trying-virtue-and-olivers-ciders-at.html

You can find out more about any of these ciders  and much more at Virtue’s website: https://www.virtuecider.com/

Part of what I want to do today is to introduce Virtue’s Cider Society!

This cider club will allow members to taste special small batch Virtue ciders that are not available to the wider public. The club ships four times a year, unlocks special discounts, gains member access to club events, and includes gift certificates in each box.  

Read all about it here: https://virtuecider.com/pages/cider-society.

I was lucky enough to receive a sample of October’s box with four new Virtue ciders: Spitz, Jonathan, Golden Russet, and Baldwin. These ciders highlight special apple varieties, hence being named after these four heirloom apples.  As you can see the package is stunning. I think this is such a treat, and would make an awesome gift for any cider lover in your life. 

I don’t have a lot of individual info about the Spitz, aside from it featuring that apple. It’s ABV is 7.3%, and it won a Silver medal at this past year’s GLINTCAP competition. I wish I knew more.

Appearance: Brilliant, warm straw, no visible bubbles

This is a lovely cider. The color classically resembles what I see most often described as warm straw. It’s brilliant and shining, but I don’t see visible bubbles in the glass.

Aromas: fusel oil, peach, minerals, ripe apple

The Spitz offers up an intensely inviting aroma. It reminds me of tart apples, peaches, minerals and just a bit of fusel oil. It smells tantalizing.

Sweetness/dryness: Semi-sweet

Everyone tasting agreed that this cider is a semi-sweet. It’s fruity but not cloying. 

Flavors and drinking experience: Tannic, high acid, overripe apples, creamy

I appreciate it so much that the Spitz cider manages to taste tannic and pleasingly tart. The cider brings flavors of overripe apples, sweet cream, oranges, and peaches. None of the elements or flavors comes across as sharp or pointed; instead, the cider feels creamy in my mouth. The level of fizz is relatively low; I’d call it petillant rather than truly sparkling.

We paired this cider with two vegetarian pizzas from a beloved local pizza place I can’ t believe I’ve not yet tried. Takeout pizza is always a treat, but having this super-fresh delicious pizza with a wonderfully full-bodied cider was amazing.

I can’t wait to try the rest of the ciders in my October box from Virtue’s Cider Society!

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.

Cider Review: Left Foot Charley's Cinnamon Girl

Good morning Cider friends! I hope you are eating lots of apples and enjoying autumnal pleasures as we head towards Halloween. It’s still time to stay home or mask up, but that doesn’t mean we cannot enjoy the seasonal bounty. I’m imagining this week’s cider as something very seasonal! Left Foot Charley’s Cinnamon Girl seems like a cider playing dress up with cinnamon spice.

Left Foot Charley is a winery and cidery in Traverse City, Michigan. It was established there in 2004; their local focus is on processing fruit and juice from Northern Michigan for their  variety cider and wine lineup.

Here is a list of my earlier reviews of Left Foot Charley’s ciders and a perry. 

Fortis Maelum: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/05/cider-review-left-foot-charleys-fortis.html

Perry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/05/very-perry-may-with-left-foot-charleys.html

Henry’s Pippin (it made my top 10 for 2016): https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/12/cider-review-left-foot-charleys-henrys.html

You can visit the Left Foot Charley  online right here: https://www.leftfootcharley.com/

Now for the Left Foot Charley’s official description of the Cinnamon Girl.

This is a classic combination - apples and cinnamon. The apples are harvested from two farms on the Old Mission Peninsula. Whole cinnamon sticks are then added and steeped in the cider for 4-6 weeks. Gluten Free

Alcohol 5.00%

 Appearance: brilliant, warm straw, very few visible bubbles 

This cider looks like lots of other ciders from Michigan and indeed from many places. It’s brilliant in clarity and the color is often called warm straw. I don’t see many bubbles.

Aromas: cinnamon, brown sugar, ripe apples

Here’s where the hijinks begin! Cinnamon Girl smells of cinnamon, ripe apples, yeast, brown sugar. The whole mixture reminds me of coffee cake. These spice smells comes across vividly. My co-taster thought the whole experience was like an apple crisp.

Sweetness/dryness: Semi- sweet

This is a semi-sweet cider. The sweetness reminds me of brown sugar and baked goods.

Flavors and drinking experience: ripe apples, lush, medium tannins, well balanced

What was very spice oriented in aroma tastes very much of apples. The Cinnamon Girl has a low to medium but present level of  tannins, nice taut acidity, as well as sweetness and body. The whole experience is balanced and quite pleasant. This cider is so bubbly and fun! It went perfectly with good conversation and popcorn!

Cider Review: Farmhaus Cider Co.'s Trocken Dry and Washington Cider Week!

Labor day has come and gone. I’ve been to Black Diamond’s orchard for the first time to walk through with Ian Merwin and pick up my apple and cider CSA. It’s a grand time of year, even in the bizarre pandemic life we’re trying to create. I’ll even give a silver lining, because so many cider week events have had to move online, it’s easier than ever before to take part in a cider week further afield. I never want to travel much during the local apple harvest time here; it’s simply too nice to miss. That means not seeing other harvest places and celebrations, until now!  

This year, I can join Washington Cider Week without having to fly across the country, and I’m grateful for that. 

There are still some things I cannot do, like enjoy a cider and pairing meal of Taiwanese food from BB6: https://www.washingtonciderweek.org/event-calendar/2020/9/10/republic-of-cider-meal-pairing-with-bbg 

Amazingly, there’s so much more I can do, including tour cideries and orchards and taste along with cider makers. The event I’m most excited about is the Washington Fine Cider Virtual Tasting with Dragon’s Head, Libery and Alpenfire. It will be a live tasting of 3 amazing ciders  Alpenfire Cider’s Glow; Dragon’s Head Cider’s Heritage; and Liberty Ciderworks’ Major Hewes with all the cider makers plus Cidercraft’s Erin James will be moderating.

Here’s the link if you want to find out more and join us! https://www.washingtonciderweek.org/event-calendar/2020/9/18/wa-fine-cider-virtual-tasting-with-dragons-head-liberty-and-alpenfire

You can read about all the events and cider makers at the Washington Cider Week website: https://www.washingtonciderweek.org/

Now for my review of Farmhaus Cider Co.'s Trocken Dry! The kind folks at Farmhaus Cider Co. shared a few ciders with me, and this is the last of them. 

I have three earlier reviews of Farmhaus Ciders.

Classic:  http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/06/cider-cans-crush-it-aeppeltreow.html

Crushable: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/09/cider-review-farmhaus-crushable-and.html

Sweater Weather: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/03/cider-review-black-diamonds-geneva.html

Find out all about this Michigan family-farm company on the website: http://farmhauscider.com/

So, what does Farmaus Cider say about the Trocken Dry? Here’s the introduction to it from the website.

Tart. Crisp. Unfiltered.

A delicious hard cider made with all local Michigan ingredients. This cider is fermented completely dry, giving it a crisp, tart taste consistent with a German Apfelwein, or some even say a sour craft beer. This cider pairs well with savory meats, strong cheeses and anything with spice. 6.9% ABV.

Appearance: Brilliant, moonglow, few bubbles

I was surprised to find the Trocken Dry rather brilliant for being unfiltered. Even with it’s clarity, something about this cider just looks thick. The Trocken Dry has a lovely pale moonglow color.

Aromas: sweet, overripe apples, cream, pastry

The Trocken Dry smells sweet like overripe apples. The concentration of apple aroma goes past juicy into nearly syrup territory. There are some notes that remind me of pastry and powdered sugar, but the whole experience is very appley though—that's the immediate smell. But I think my favorite surprise is how the aromas include just a hint of heavy cream. 

Dryness/sweetness: Semi-dry

To me, this cider tastes semi-dry but not actually dry. It’s fruity and natural in its sweetness, but it's not a dry cider.

Flavors and drinking experience: Medium high acidity, green apple, citrus, pleasantly drinkable 

The Trocken Dry offers up medium high acidity; again it’s quite appley: I’ll even go so far as t specifiy a certain tart green apple flavor. This is a relatively straightforward cider with a nice blend of fruit notes that include cherry and citrus as well as apple. The cider tastes pleasant and drinkable. The Trocken doesn’t rely on tannins for structure, that comes from the acidity and the sparkle. There’s much more acid in the flavor than the smell.

Another note in addition to the Granny Smith apple and tart cherries is almost a balsamic note—a good and intriguging one. I read an interesting dialogue between sweet rich smell and tartness.   The Trocken Dry has a thick mouthfeel.The fruit intensity is a bit like an apple syrup. Indeed, the cider drinks like a german apfelwein, a bit reminiscent of Charles Dodge's cider. It’s especially nice in big sips. I appreciate the cider’s clean fermentation.  

Ideally, I’d love to serve this with veggie tacos. The spice of chipotle roasted sweet potato, the warmth and substance of black beans, sweet onion and corn, a sharp cheddar, and some crunchy cabbage slaw would show off the tasteful simplicity of this cider beautifully.

Cider Review: Virtue Cider's Pear and Woodchuck Cider's 802 Collection Lil' Dry

The first heat wave of the season has hit the Finger Lakes, and I’ve gotten am ambitious sunburn. While the calendar still says Spring, it now feel like Summer to me. With Summer, comes a whole new set of foods for cider pairing. My drink preferences change as well. I’m more prone to reach for a hopped cider, lower ABV canned ciders have extra appeal, and I’m still looking for perries when I can. Luckily, I have one for this week and one for next week too! 

This week the folks at Virtue Cider were kind enough to send me some review samples of the new Pear cider. For those who don’t know. Virtue Cider was founded in Michigan in 2011. The company is now owned by AB In-Bev. Reading on Virtue’s website, but the focus remains on Michigan apples. 

Here’s a fun section of the website that I recommend checking out. It’s Virtue’s guide to cider making and cider history: https://www.virtuecider.com/cidermaking-101

Several Virtue ciders have made it onto the blog before. Here’s the list. 

Rose: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/02/cider-review-1911-rose-and-virtue.html

Brut: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/02/cider-review-citizen-ciders-tree-tapper.html

The Mitten Reserve: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/03/cider-review-whitewood-cider-cos-olivia.html

Percheron: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/10/cider-review-virtue-ciders-percheron.html

Ledbury: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/02/cider-review-roundup-virtue-slyboro.html

The Mitten: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/05/cider-review-virtue-ciders-mitten-and.html

Red Streak: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/06/trying-virtue-and-olivers-ciders-at.html

You can find out more about any of these ciders on Virtue’s website: https://www.virtuecider.com/ 

Here’s how Virtue introduces and contextualizes the Pear cider.

Virtue Cider Pear is a blend of hand-pressed heirloom apples and pears. Drinks like a Sauvignon Blanc, appeals to all. 

STYLE: Semi-Sweet Cider with Pears 

INGREDIENTS: Apples, pears, and yeast 

ABV: 5%  

TASTING NOTES: Our pear cider is made with hand picked heirloom Michigan apples that are pressed and fermented on our solar powered farm. That cider is blended with the finest pear juice for a soft, semi-sweet flavor. Notes of mellow apple up front with a soft pear finish. Zero sugar added. 

FOOD PAIRING: Enjoy Virtue Cider Pear alongside a chopped salad, pretzels, or vanilla ice cream.

Appearance: brilliant, pale straw, few bubbles

The Pear looks a cooler tone of straw than most ciders. Its a bit silvery rather than very golden, but I’ll call it pale straw. It’s completely brilliant, and I can see a few bubbles but not many.

Aromas: sweet, tropical fruit, cooked fruit

The Pear smells sweetly tropical like pineapple, mango and starfruit. At the same time, there’s something about the sweetness and concentration of the fruit aromas that comes across as either overripe or cooked fruits. Everything in the aromas comes across as intense and soft.

Sweetness/dryness: Semi-sweet

I’m so glad that this pear cider is exactly as sweet as I expected it to be from both the description and it’s aroma. I knew this would be sweet and fruity, and it is!

Flavors and drinking experience: very apple and pear, full bodied, mildly bubbly

Virtue’s pear cider tastes very much like apple and pear, but it’s also gently nutty. Perhaps because of the sweetness, this feels full bodied and lush. The pear cider is only mildly bubbly.

There’s no funk here; it's a clean fermentation. That’s interesting because Virtue’s lineup runs the gamut in terms of the squeaky clean to fun and funky. I get medium acidity and no tannins.


I had mine with soft tacos and chips. The sweetness goes very well with a kick of spice!

Now, for Woodchuck Cider’s 802 Collection Lil’ Dry!

I received this cider from Woodchuck for review. Woodchuck has been part of my blog coverage since the very beginning. The company was founded in the late 1990s in Vermont. Now, Woodchuck Cider is owned by Vermont Hard Cider LLC which is in turn owned by C&C Group. 

You can visit http://www.woodchuck.com/ to learn about all of Woodchuck's ciders.

Here are some of my previous reviews include the following (there are many more):

Odd Crush (Collab with Farnum Hill): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/07/cider-review-woodchuck-farnum-hills-odd.html

802 Kinda Cloudy: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/01/cider-review-embark-ciderworks-apple.html

Pearsecco: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/05/cider-review-very-perry-may-with.html

Bubbly Rose: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/08/cider-review-farnum-hill-extra-dry-and.html

June and Juice: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/10/cider-review-woodchucks-june-and-juice.html

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

Pear Ginger: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/05/very-perry-may-review-of-woodchucks.html

And I loved visiting them on my Vermont Cider Tour: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-great-vermont-cider-tour-day-3.html

Here’s the official description for Woodchuck Cider’s 802 Collection Lil’ Dry.

SEMI-DRY CIDERA traditional cider made with only fresh pressed Vermont juice from our orchard partners. Enjoy this semi-dry cider with good friends and good company. 5.1% ABV.

Appearance: Brilliant, no visible bubbles, palest white gold

This cider looks even paler and more cool toned than the Virtue pear cider; it reminds me of white gold. It’s brilliant and reveals no bubbles.

Aromas: Baked apples, brown sugar, apple juice and Play Doh

This cider blooms with oodles of aroma. Immediately after cracking the can I could smell baked apples. I poured my cider and got juicy apple notes along with brown sugar and Play Doh.

Sweetness/dryness: Semi-dry

The Lil’ Dry is described as semi-dry in Woodchuck’s introduction to this cider. I think that’s  accurate. It has some sweetness, but that doesn’t dominate the experience of drinking this cider.

Flavors and drinking experience: Medium acidity, overripe apples, golden raisins

Woodchuck’s Lil’ Dry tastes more rounded and friendly than dry to me. This cider has medium acidity and lots of natural apple and fruit notes, but it doesn’t come across as dry. Instead, if there’s a profile difference between this cider and some others in the Woodchuck portfolio, it’s that the Lil’ Dry feels more natural and lush than many Woodchuck ciders.  It’s not dry but it does taste like pear nectar and golden raisins.

The Lil’ Dry has a full body and medium bubble. The flavor notes include soft fruit and some minerals. The whole experience is Less Jolly Rancher and more apple juice. This is a great cider for marinated tofu and broccoli slaw. Those savory and salty flavors really highlight what’s best about this juicy and approachable offering from Woodchuck.