Perry Review: Independent Perry Company's Original Dry

As I write tonight, I’m in my new favorite place. After almost three years, we have a screened in porch again. Not a lot could make me happier on long summer evenings like these. I can sit with a cat, book, cider or meal and enjoy the scents and sounds of my neighborhood without bugs! My very large and independent cat Braeburn can enjoy the outdoors without having to wear a cat harness! What could be more blissful?

I’m sharing my notes on Independent Perry Company’s Original Dry. This is my first ever cider by this perry-maker. The company is based out of Washington and entirely focused on fermenting pears into perry. Here’s some background information quote from the perry company’s website that contextualizes the perry sourcing and processing.

Sourced from orchards in the foothills of the Wenatchee Mountains, Independent crafts modern perries from fresh pressed D’Anjou Pears fermented cold and minimally processed. Using ingredients from local farms and retailers, our aim is to create unique and expressive libations to complement any special occasion.

I purchased and consumed this cider a while ago. I got it as part of my Northwest Cider Club. It's a wonderfully varied cider subscription. More information is available here: https://nwciderclub.com/

 Because this is no longer a current release by the Independent Perry Co. I wasn’t able to find a lot of information about this perry, but it is described as, “Crisp, clean & citrusy” with a 5.8% ABV. I think the closest of the current lineup would be the Sno Gem Dry, but I haven’t had the pleasure of trying the newer perries.

Here’s how to find out more about the Independent Perry Company; visit the website: https://www.independentperry.com/

Appearance: hazy, pearly, light pink, loads of bubbles

I was so surprised and delighted by this cider’s color; it’s gently hazy with a pearly pink hue. It’s also very bubbly!

Aromas: pears, minerals, powdered sugar, green apples and bananas

This perry smells like pears, minerals, powdered sugar, green apples and bananas. It’s all a primarily fruity and summery blend of vibrant fresh aromas.

Sweetness/dryness: semi-sweet

The perry tastes semi-sweet, but that can always be deceiving. This is dryer than many modern perries, but I do still perceive some sweetness.  

Flavors and drinking experience: astringent, floral, pear, tart, mildly sharp

Fun! I wasn’t quite sure what to expect based on the super saturated fruity aromas, but this has some tasty and surprising facets. I was most surprised to experience some astringence in this perry. They didn’t come without lots of accompaniment though. The perry tastes  floral, like fresh ripe pear, and still plenty tart. The perry finishes mildly sharp, and the whole experience is just lofted high with many many bubbles. 

And now back to porch relaxing. I do look forward to trying more things by the Independent Perry Company!

Perry Review: Snow Capped Cider's Winter Pear

The weather is beautiful outside such that staying indoors to write isn’t the easiest thing this morning. My garden is growing, though I certainly lost some tomato plants to the recent overnight freeze. I did have the good luck to open up Snow Capped Cider’s Winter Pear over the weekend, so I’m reviewing a perry. 

Snow Capped Cider comes to us from a high elevation family orchard in Colorado. I’ve reviewed a few ciders from Snow Capped Ciders. I’ll link all of my reviews below; in them there’s more background on this fascinating cidery.

Dabinett: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2023/02/cider-review-snow-capped-ciders-dabinett.html

Jala-pear-no Cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2022/11/ciderperry-review-snow-capped-ciders.html

Ashmead’s Kernel: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2022/09/cider-review-snow-capped-cider-ashmeads.html

Blanc Mollet: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2022/06/cider-review-snow-capped-ciders-single.html

Gold Rush: https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2022/04/cider-review-snow-capped-ciders-gold.html

Harrison Reserve (My #5 favorite cider of 2021): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2021/12/cider-review-snow-capped-cider-harrison.html

Snow Capped Cider’s website has plenty of info on the latest releases and awards for the cidery: https://snowcappedcider.com/

Here’s what the folks at Snow Capped Cider have to say about the Winter Pear.

Fruit growers are patient and we know how to handle late season fruit. This special cider begins by handpicking our 70-year-old Colorado pear trees. Winter pears require 3-5 weeks of cold storage to adequately ripen. After ripending, juicing and fermentation the blend is returned to cold storage for aging. The journey ends with  bold carbonation to complement woodsy notes of vanilla and winter spice flowing on delicate pear sweetness to a crisp, sparkling finish. ABV: 6.3% 

The pears used are: European D’anjou, Bosc, Comice, and Winter Pears.

Appearance: mild peach, brilliant, fine visible bubbles

This perry has such a delicate mild peach color; it reminds me of the petals on a Peace rose. My grandma had one in her backyard and treasured each sunrise bloom. The Winter Pear is completely brilliant with a miniature parade of fine bubbles rising in the glass. Beautiful.

Aromas: vanilla, yeast, ripe pear and apple, dessert

The Winter Pear smells like vanilla, clean yeasty bread, ripe apples and pears. The yeast, stone fruit, and honey notes combine to give an aura of dessert. Everything about these smells just makes me think of sunshine and happy surprises.

Sweetness/dryness: Sweet!

This perry is sweet! Perries made with culinary pears are often sweet because of pears’ Sorbitol: an unfermentable natural sugar. This tastes very naturally sweet with loads of fruitiness, but I might suspect an arrested fermentation rather than just residual Sorbitol.

Flavors and drinking experience: thick mouthfeel, homemade applesauce, fine bubbles ripe pear

The Winter Pear is simultaneously playful and sophisticated with its fresh juicy sweetness and crisp light bubbles. The flavors remind me of super ripe pears eaten over a sink to deal with extreme juiciness, but also homemade applesauce. 

I also get the notes of vanilla and custard that were hinted in the perry’s aroma. One of my co-tasters noted a little fire on the palate. Over and over again, we were all struck by this perry’s fine bubbles and perfumed finish. Each sip invites the next. We enjoyed our perry with a casual al fresco dinner on our porch: roast carrot pasta salad, grilled shrimp, and asparagus. It is the time to make the most of Spring after all.

Cider Review: Stormalong Cider's Berry Perry

I certainly cannot say that I’m settling into any sort of routine. May is a whirlwind,  but it’s wonderful. I go from judging cider to celebrating to covering all the tender bedding plants with sheets to protect from the last few frosts of the year. If a single plan changes (and some always do), then I must play Tetris with the week to fit it all in. Surely, I’m not the only one. What’s fun though is bringing cider to many of my plans and sharing it with friends and family. Recently, I got to share Stormalong Cider’s Berry Perry with a co-taster who is occasionally a bit reluctant to try perries. 

It was Stormalong’s excellent reputation that encouraged this big of adventurousness! This Massachusetts Cider often does really fun and tasty things. Stormalong ciders often make their way to me, and I’m always glad to review them. Here’s the full list. You can find lots more background info on Stormalong in the ealier entries!

IPC Collaboration with Exhibit A Brewing: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2023/02/cider-review-stormalong-ciders.html

Pearman Quince(my #10 cider of last year): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2022/08/cider-review-stormalong-ciders-pearmain.html

Unfiltered: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2022/04/cider-review-stormalong-ciders.html

White Mountain Magic: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2022/02/cider-review-stormalong-ciders-white.html

Bittersweet Symphonie: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2021/10/cider-review-stormalongs-bittersweet.html

Wicked Little Wickson: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2021/08/cider-review-stormalongs-wicked-little.html

Winesap: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2021/04/cider-review-stormalong-ciders-winesap.html

Happy Holidays: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/11/cider-review-stormalong-ciders-happy.html

Esopus Spitzenburg: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/08/cider-review-ravens-moon-craft-ciders.html

Ashmead’s Kernel: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/07/cider-review-brannland-just-cider-and.html

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

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

Kingston Black: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/08/cider-reviews-ninepin-light-cider.html

Light of the Sun: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/08/cider-review-descendant-cider-company.html

Mass Appeal: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/12/cider-review-prospect-ciderworks.html

Boston Heirloom: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/01/cider-review-stormalong-ciders-boston.html

Here's how Stormalong describes it, "Berry Perry is a fruit bursting collaboration of Bosc Pears, Raspberries, Blueberries and a hint of Hibiscus. It is slightly sweet, slightly tart and 100% refreshing taste bud tantalizing experience. Alcohol 6.80%"

Online you can find out about Stormalong’s current releases and full lineup: http://stormalong.com/.

Appearance: tawny, ochre, brilliant

I don’t see a lot of bubbles in the glass, but the Berry Perry is a wonderfully intense shade of ochre. The perry is also beautifully brilliant.

Aromas: blueberries, pears, and peanuts

What a surprising snack! The perry smells like blueberries, pears, and peanuts, so in the end I’m reminded of a peanut butter and blueberry jelly sandwich. Not a lot of hibiscus.

Sweetness/dryness: Semi-dry

I appreciate the balance of sweet ripe fruit and just enough mellow acid to keep things lively and in check. It comes across as semi-dry to semi-sweet, perhaps just a nudge on the semi-sweet end. 

Flavors and drinking experience: pronounced blueberry and blackberry, ripe pear, rounded, full bodied

I love what a surprise this cider was for me. I expected something with both more intense sweetness and acidity, but instead this feels so much more natural, floral, and true to perry. The perry’s medium acidity is helpful but never pointed or too zingy. Instead it just keeps the full-bodied perry rounded and juicy without being limp. This feels tremendously true to blue berries and pears as neither of them is the racy tart fruit that will pucker your mouth, but rather something gentle and subtly perfumed and fruity.

In terms of flavor, it’s tremendously fruit forward: very pear and very blueberry. I don’t get as much fermentation character as with some perries, but what’s here is totally delicious. I found this perry utterly magical with soft cheese. I recommend pairing this perry with gentle mellow flavors so that its nuances won’t be lost. Even my co-taster was won over!

Cider/Perry Review: Snow Capped Cider's Jala-pear-no Cider

We’re headed into Thanksgiving week here in the United States. There’s so much cultural emphasis on tradition for this particular holiday. There’s a parade every year, there’s a football lineup, there’s a traditional menu and for lots of folks a very set-in-stone way to do the whole day. It’s an uncomfortable holiday for many for some very real reasons, like the fictitious history we’re taught in school.

 It’s also the closest thing we have to a nationally recognized harvest celebration. It’s a feast of seasonal food with a strong suggestion of gathering with loved ones and expressing the gratitude out loud that we usually hold silent in our hearts. That’s how I like to celebrate Thanksgiving. Well, harvest and *my birthday* since my birthday is always near to the holiday and this year it's on the day itself. 

Does that mean my birthday meal is turkey and pumpkin pie? No! I value a bit of innovation rather than unchanging adherence to tradition. My birthday meal will be Celebration Roast, Brussels sprouts, dressing, cranberry relish, rolls and who knows what else will show up at the table. All this to be followed by a caramel crumb apple pie. And there will be cider. 

Speaking of innovation, that’s the theme with which I chose this week’s perry for review. I wanted something fun and different, and Snow Capped Cider’s Jala-pear-no seems ideal for my purpose.

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

Ashmead’s Kernel: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2022/09/cider-review-snow-capped-cider-ashmeads.html

Blanc Mollet: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2022/06/cider-review-snow-capped-ciders-single.html

Gold Rush: https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2022/04/cider-review-snow-capped-ciders-gold.html

Harrison Reserve (My #5 favorite cider of 2021): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2021/12/cider-review-snow-capped-cider-harrison.html

Check out Snow Capped Cider’s website and find out about all of the ciders: https://snowcappedcider.com/

JalaPEARño

Organic Colorado Bartlett’s 

Golden hue, with a fresh fruit nose, balanced by a notable Jalapeño infusion and pear sweetness. soft smooth finish.

( Perry )  100% fermented pears

Low heat/ high flavor/fresh jalapeños

ABV 6.9%

This spicy perry is available year round!

Appearance: hazy, few visible bubbles, pale straw

The color is the gentlest shade of pale straw. I don’t see many bubbles, but the perry has a slight haze throughout.

Aromas: bell peppers, fresh pear flesh, fermentation, sweetness

The Jala-pear-no smells sweet and very obviously pepper-like. There’s just the tiniest burn when you take a big whiff. The aromas are stony and fermented, and include fresh pear flesh.

Sweetness/dryness: Sweet

It’s sweet, but there’s a lot more going on than just sweetness!

Flavors and drinking experience: spicy, full bodied, vegetal, medium acid

I found the Jala-pear-no sweet and very spicy but The Tall One disagrees. He may be more trustworthy on topics like level of spice. He says it's only mildly spicy. We both found the perry 

Full-bodied and plenty bubbly! The bubbles make the spice sharper than they would feel in a more gently petillant or even a still perry.

With repeated sips, the spice keeps coming! It mellows out to a low vegetal prickling amidst the fruity notes of fresh pear.  It’s a genuinely interesting and innovative perry. 

I enjoyed mine with a movie and some good company, but I think it could go with all sorts of things. I’d like to try it again with fish tacos and pineapple salsa!

Cider Week New York: Moosewood Restaurant's Black Diamond Cider Pairing Dinner

We’re now a few days into Cider Week New York! Cider activities are highlighting what’s awesome about my favorite beverage in every region of the state. Check them out and hopefully you can find one near you!

https://ciderweeknewyork.com/events-2/

And in particular, I’d like to highlight a free event I’m supporting on Tuesday October 4th: Tasting and Tomes at Mann Library! Visit us on Cornell’s campus to taste apples and fresh cider, explore our collection of cider related books new and old and learn about all things cider happening at Cornell! We’ll be around 11am-2pm.

Here’s how I started my cider week. I want to share my experience at Moosewood’s pairing dinner with Black Diamond Cider. Our guides for the evening were Ian Merwin, founder of Black Diamond Cider and Pomologist Emeritus at Cornell University, and Aron Kelly, Moosewood’s General Manager. The format was a 4-course vegetarian dinner prepared by Moosewood Chef Tim Mooney: each course paired with something special from Black Diamond Cider.I was particularly excited to find something vegetarian not as a substitution but by design and I’m a big fan of Black Diamond Ciders.

And if you're not familiar with Moosewood Restaurant, I recommend learning more: https://www.moosewoodrestaurant.com/

My previous reviews of Black Diamond Ciders are plentiful, and they include:

My #1 cider of 2021 Black is Gold (a collaboration with Redbyrd Orchard Cider): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2021/11/cider-review-black-diamond-farm-and.html

Black Diamond Cider's 2018 Rosé: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/09/cider-review-eden-ciders-peak-bloom-and.html

Shin Hollow: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/08/cider-review-mountain-west-ciders-sweet.html

Jaywalker: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/03/cider-review-alpenfires-dungeness-and.html

Geneva Tremlett’s: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/03/cider-review-black-diamonds-geneva.html

Somerset Jersey: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/05/very-perry-may-with-vandermills-ice-ice.html

Slatestone: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/11/cider-reviews-big-hill-ciderworks.html

Hickster: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/12/cider-review-black-diamond-ciders.html

Porter’s Pommeau: https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/09/finger-lakes-cider-week-and-birthday.html

Solstice: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/08/cider-review-black-diamonds-solstice.html

Rabblerouser: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/09/cider-review-black-diamonds.html

I recommend visiting Black Diamond Cidery online here to learn more about all of the ciders: https://www.blackdiamondcider.com/

We started with a Curried Pumpkin Soup with toasted pepitas and pickled mustard seeds. This was paired with Black Diamond’s 2008 Perry. Though it’s called a Perry, it is a pear-apple blend, making it a pear cider. Though I loved all of the ciders of the evening, the first one was my favorite! A good perry is something to write home about, and this pear cider captures so much of what can be great about the beverage. I loved the lively bubbles, grapefruit citrus notes, softness and high acid.  

 I had some trepidation because of the pickled mustard seeds. Yes, they sound intriguing, but here’s a confession, I am usually passionately unfond of pickled things. It’s the rare exception that works for me. Miraculously, these were perfect. The soup was heavy, creamy, and only gently spiced. It needed the pepitas and the salty acid bite of the pickled mustard seeds. Yum!

I knew we’d have a salad as part of our meal just because Moosewood makes such wonderfully deluxe salads. This was a particularly seasonal offering: a Dinosaur Kale salad with slow roasted plums, toasted walnuts, roasted Delicata squash, crumbled blue cheese, and a buttermilk vinaigrette. It was paired with the 2019 Rosé. If you read my review of the 2018 Rose, I have to note that this one is created entirely differently. It uses plums as one of the elements to give the cider its signature hue. I love the idea of plums as a point of continuity for this pairing since they are in the cider and the salad. It's a lightful easy cider, utterly delightful and acid driven. The Rosé is semi-dry but so fruity. 

Butternut Squash Lasagna made our entree. I expected a cream sauce based lasagna as many autumnal lasagnas swap out a tomato sauce for a Roux-based sauce, but I was delighted by my rich and hearty red sauce vegetarian lasagna. It had caramelized fennel, Remembrance Farm baby kale, smoked mozzarella, butternut squash ricotta, asiago, garlic, Cabernet tomato, basil, and Parigiano Reggiano. I will remember the umami and satisfaction of that lasagna for years. It paired with Ian’s favorite of his ciders (at least as he described it that evening) the 2020 Golden Russet/Porter’s Perfection Varietal cider. 

The Golden Russet/Porter’s Perfection upped the body and alcohol with an ABV of 10%. I appreciate that this cider has acidity, tannins, structure, and body. It's dry by the numbers but it still gives off an essence of nectar or floral sweetness. Ian says that comes from the Golden Russet apples. It’s a very special cider that just tastes golden, mature, and mellow to me. I loved it with the exceptionally concentrated tomato sauce of the lasagna. Cider and tomatoes can be so fantastic together!

At this point, even after having half of my lasagna packed for later, I was stuffed! And yet I wanted to taste the final pairing.

It was an individual apple bundt cake with lemon ricotta and drizzled with cider caramel. I knew it would be paired with Black Diamond’s Pommeau. The cake appeared in a decadent moat of sauces. It makes my mouth water to think back on it. Pommeau was a delightfully appropriate pairing because of its intensity, sweetness, and higher ABV. Most cider would not be able to be tasted alongside such a rich and sweet dessert, but pommeau is a mixture of cider spirits, fresh cider, and wonderful structure from oak barrel aging. All of these factors made it something extra special with this creamy fabulous apple cake. 

The whole meal was extraordinary thanks to the wonderful food preparation and outstanding pairings from Black Diamond. What a great way to start my Cider Week New York! 

Redbyrd Orchard Cider's Celeste Sur Lie 2015 and Ciders of Spain Wild fermented Pretty Dry Perry

I write from a cool gray evening in my living room, even though I should be out looking to see what FLX Cider Week has on offer. There’s fun to be had, but writing calls. I don’t intend to spend every evening this way though. We are still in the early days Finger Lakes Cider Week, so please check out what events are yet to come here:

https://ciderweekflx.com/flx/events/

Obviously, there’s fantastic variety, but I will say with moderate bias, come to The Watershed in downtown Ithaca this Thursday.  The event is Basics of Cider Tasting with Meredith Collins (that’s me). It’s totally free and requires no reservations or tickets!

Check out all of the details here: https://www.facebook.com/events/704691016703741/

Redbyrd Orchard Cider is based in Trumansburg, New York on a small farm run by Eric Shatt and Deva Mass.

Redbyrd Orchard Cider has been part of the blog since I moved to the Finger Lakes in 2013. My previous reviews of Redbyrd Orchard Ciders include:

The Andromeda Crab: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/01/cider-review-redbyrd-orchard-ciders.html

Their presence at an all FLX pairing dinner: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/09/finger-lakes-cider-week-and-birthday.html

The North Star: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/01/cider-review-redbyrd-orchard-ciders.html

The Starblossom: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/10/finger-lakes-cider-week-special-review.html

The Dry Harvest Cider 2013: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/12/cider-review-reddbyrd-2013-harvest-cider.html

The Wild Pippin (my #1 cider of 2014, the Wild Pippin): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/12/cider-review-redbyrd-orchard-ciders.html

You can also visit Redbyrd Orchard Cider online, here: https://redbyrdorchardcider.com/

I want to keep the Finger Lakes Cider Week excitement going by starting with Redbyrd Orchard Cider's Celeste Sur Lie 2015.

Here’s the official description, “An elegant cider for celebration, made in the traditional style and disgorged after aging on bottle lees for over 24 months, giving you a beautiful helix of endless soft bubbles in your glass and a creamy buttery mouthfeel. 0.0% residual sugar, 10.5% alcohol/volume. Release date- May 2018 ongoing (disgorged in groups of 10 cases),  44 cases produced” 

Appearance: medium straw, brilliant, a ring of bubbles around the edge of the glass

When poured, it’s totally obvious that this cider underwent a secondary fermentation in the bottle. The fizz is active, but the bubbles are tremendously fine and small. I’ll call the color medium straw and the clarity brilliant. 

Aromas: bready, buttery, lots of aroma

This smells so much like toasted bread crumbs! I also get clean fermented apple notes and some champagne-like minerality. 

Sweetness/Dryness: Dry!

This is a bracingly dry cider. The Celeste Sur Lie maintains lots of excitement and fruitiness even so.

Flavors and drinking experience: yeasty, high acid, lingering finish

This cider is so filled to the brim with zesty acid! I love how bright the Celeste Sur Lie tastes. I get fruit notes like overripe apples, seville orange, and pineapple. I’ll think of the acidity as bracing and very true to the regional style. It gets a ton of flavor and structure from both of its fermentations because it’s clean but yeasty. The finish is luxurious and lengthy. 

I’ve tasted this cider a few times. I had it at Cider Con as part of the Heritage cider track, and I’ve tasted it at my own table and others around town. My favorite pairing with this cider has to be a very local caprese salad. The cutting acidity works beautifully with umami rich seasonal tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and olive oil. Yummy beyond belief.

Next up I’ll tackle Ciders of Spain’s Wild Fermented Pretty Dry Perry.

This is my first perry by Ciders of Spain, but not the first imported by them. They are the company that brought me my first spanish perry.

Viuda De Angelon Pera: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/05/very-perry-may-pt-4-argus-viuda-de.html

Visit the website to learn more about Ciders of Spain: http://cidersofspain.com/

Here’s what Ciders of Spain says about the Pretty Dry Perry:

PRODUCER: VIUDA DE ANGELON, Nava, Astúrias

CIDER MAKER: Francisco Ordoñez

alc./vol. 5.5%, 12 oz. 

Viuda de Angelón is the first Spanish producer to make traditional Asturian home-style perry widely available. Cider Maker Fran Ordoñez finishes his wild yeast (spontaneously fermented by native ambient yeasts) pear juice with a second fermentation for a natural sparkle and balances pear tannins with the sweetness of modest residual sugar and naturally occurring sorbitol. His perry starts sweet and finishes nicely acidic.

So this is actually made by the same producer that made my first ever spanish perry from a few years ago! 

Appearance: hazy, no visible bubbles, flaxen yellow

This is a lovely perry with a nice ripened flax yellow color, just a hint of haze, and no visible bubbles. Lots and lots of perries are nearly colorless, so please consider this tone intense by perry standards.

Aromas: not much aroma, tart, peaches, fresh apples

The Pretty Dry Perry smells mildly. It’s aromas aren’t strong, but there’s still a gentle drift of volatile acidity, not a ton though. It also smells like fresh apples and peaches. These aromas seem mostly from fermentation.

Dryness/sweetness: semi-sweet

I would not call this pretty dry. This is a semi-sweet perry.  I know that sorbitol is a type of sugar that does not ferment out, thus even a fully fermented perry could taste a little sweet. This isn’t that though. 

Flavors and drinking experience: pears, apples, petillant, mild phenols 

Though this cider smells extremely tart and  just a bit bleachy, it comes across entirely differently on the palate. I can detect what I smelled as peaches and tart stone fruit, but it tastes more like fresh pear and apple sweetness. I would not have called it perry if I'd not known it was made from pears rather than apples.  

The taste just keeps surprising me with how much sweeter and less acidic it is than I’d expected based on its aromas. The level of sparkle is petillant, but only gently so. It would be safe to call this a nearly-still semi-sweet perry. This is really quite a surprise from the aroma (which is more like a spanish cider).  I get some phenolic olive brine aftertaste. The perry is a little tannic and leathery.  I enjoy the orange, apple, and pear flavors. This perry is back sweetened with unfermented pear juice, and that element comes across the most clearly. 

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 Windfall Orchards Perry and Champlain Orchards Cranberry Cider + GLINTCAP Results

How can it feel like summer so soon after cold nights and chilly mornings? We worried about apple blossoms so recently that it scarcely feels real to be mowing, weeding, and grilling already. This is the magic of May. Today marks my last official entry into 2019’s Very Perry May (though I do have a couple more interesting perries up my sleeve that I’ll be reviewing soon).

I was able to get a bottle from a very small run of perry from Windfall Orchards over the winter, so I’ve been waiting on break this open. This past week, I had the perfect opportunity when doing pescatarian hot pot with some dear friends.

Cornwall, Vermont is the home of Windfall Orchards.I’m not finding out a lot about this small cidery online, save that the company has been making cider, perry, and ice cider since 2009. Windfall Orachards grows a large number of apple and other fruit varieties on a small Vermont farm.

Visit the website to learn about the products Windfall Orchards makes: https://windfallorchardvt.com

The run was small, but the labelling makes clear that the perry is 9% ABV. Elsewhere online, I was able to see that the Farm House Perry uses 12 types of pear to create this perry.

Appearance: hazy, bubbly, warm straw

Like many American perries, the Farmhouse Perry has a mild warm straw color and just a hint of haze. I could see lots of bubbles in the glass when it was poured.

Aromas: pear flesh, dust, hay, flowers, salt
 
Windfall Orchards’ Farmhouse perry smells enticing and delicate at once. I get notes of pear flesh, dust, hay, Daffodils, and salt. I cannot quote predict what this perry will taste like based on such a range of aromas, and that’s exciting to me!

Sweetness/dryness: off dry

The Farmhouse Perry tastes off dry but only just. The sweetness that’s there is very directly like pear.

Flavors and drinking experience: burstingly bubbly, green tea, fresh pear, grippy

Oh wow! This is such a delightful perry. It’s bubbles are so plentiful and active that it splashes into your face when you are sniffing it. I love that this perry reminds me of delicate herbal notes like green tea and lemongrass while also tasting like fresh pears and a bit of squash.

This off dry Perry is high acid with medium tannins and a tiny bit of funk. I relish it’s delightful big fruit flavors. It’s most rewarding in large sips that show off it’s good grippy toothsome texture and fruity finish. This is a complete delight! I loved having this with hot pot too!

Champlain Orchards Cranberry  Cider

I want to stay with Vermont beverages this week and share my experience with Champlain Cranberry Semi-Dry. I’ve tasted a few ciders by Champlain Orchard but not nearly as many as I’d like based on how much I’ve enjoyed those I’ve tried. 

I reviewed (and loved) the Heirloom (it made it to my #5 favorite cider that year): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/09/cider-review-champlain-orchards-cidery.html

I included Champlain Orchard’s Single-Varietal Honeycrisp Ice Cider Library Edition in a pairing dinner last year with dessert: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/09/my-dear-friend-el-just-had-birthday.html

My first encounter with Champlain Orchards was when I visited on the 2nd day of my Vermont cider trip: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-great-vermont-cider-tour-day-2.html

I recommend Champlain Cidery’s website to learn  more about all the different ciders Champlain Orchards makes: http://www.champlainorchardscidery.com

Champlain keeps the official description short and sweet, "Delicious and refreshing, our Apple Cranberry Hard Cider balances the sweetness of apples with the tartness of Vermont cranberries. ABV 5.6%"

Appearance: brilliant, true ruby, no visible bubbles

I love the look of many fruit ciders, and the Cranberry Semi-Dry is no exception. It’s too pretty to be sold in a can! I’d call the color true ruby and it appears brilliant.

Aromas: dusty, cranberries, almonds

Oooh! I can smell that dusty, mineral aroma that I find on lots of tannic ciders. This one also smells very directly of cranberries. The last note I get reminds me of granola with almonds.

Sweetness/dryness: Semi-dry
This semi-dry cider needs both the dry and sweet elements to keep it well rounded and balanced. I’ll explain more below. 

Flavors and drinking experience: tart, astringent, good body, balanced

The Cranberry Semi-Dry tastes almost alarmingly tart, but because it’s semi-dry, the overall experience balanced out into pleasant tartness, sweetness, fruit, and astringence.  I apprecaite the heft to this cider’s body, the clean fermentation and the tannins from the cranberry. The whole drinking experience feels admirably balanced and hangs together nicely. 

I had the Cranberry Semi-Dry with black bean burritos and found it delightfully refreshing.  The cider has medium-rich mouthfeel and a good strong sparkle. I appreciate that it has just the right amount of sweetness—not so much that it loses interest.

This lovely cranberry cider also tastes more appealing when poured into a glass.  The cranberry in the can, without being aerated, tastes a bit more like juice. I know canning is totally practical, but when you can pour your cider into a class to access all of it’s delicious aromas!

And for those who have been following GLINTCAP, the full medal results are up! Check them out here: https://glintcap.org/

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