Cider Review: Woodchuck / Farnum Hill's Odd Crush and the Cider Lab's Empire Blanc

Now that I’ve moved to upstate NY, I wait for summer every year, thinking about it, looking forward to it, worrying it will somehow never arrive. And yet, that doesn’t mean I’m prepared once it comes. This year that means I didn’t manage to keep deer out of my raised vegetable beds, and I’ve already gotten sunburned twice. I have no good excuse, but I do bring a glass of water and a glass or can of cider with me into the shade while I wait for long summer evenings to walk and wander. 

Just this past Friday, I got a very exciting delivery to my workplace. I’d heard about a collaboration between Woodchuck and Farnum Hill. I know both of these companies; I like both;  both were pivotal to my early cider days (back in 2002) when there were very few ciders available. And the timing of this delivery was perfect. The cans arrived just in time to get stowed in my weekend bag and taken up to the Thousand Islands region for a summer weekend getaway. 

The Woodchuck / Farnum Hill collaboration is called Odd Crush, and the can features both New Hampshire and Vermont on the cans. 

Previous coverage of Farnum Hill includes:

Cider Con 2017: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/02/cider-con-part-2-panels-workshops-and.html

Visiting Farnum Hill in New Hampshire: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-great-vermont-cider-tour-day-1.html

Extra Dry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/08/cider-review-farnum-hill-extra-dry-and.html (this was my #1 cider of 2015)

Farmhouse Cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/08/cider-review-farnum-hill-farmhouse-cider.html

Summer Cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/09/cider-review-farnum-hill-summer-cider.html

And here are a smattering of my previous reviews of Woodchuck ciders. (There are many more if you look)

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

I am still waiting for Woodchuck to bring back the 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

I reviewed the Pear Ginger as part of 2018’s Very Perry May: 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 information about  the Odd Crush from it’s press release:

 The name "Odd Crush” points to our drastically different styles, which originally sparked the diverse new era in American hard ciders. In VT, Woodchuck paved the way for popular six-pack ciders, sold across the country. In NH, Farnum Hill opened a future for regional orchard ciders in wine-style bottles.With Odd Crush we combine both styles of cider making. The cider has a bright, golden hue that is clear and brilliant. The aroma has fruity notes of peach, raspberry and citrus that lead to a clean finish, excellent with food.

This cider’s ABV is 5.4%.

Appearance: old gold, brilliant, bubbly

This cider looks bubbly and mellow with the rich hue I remember being called old gold. It’s more intense and warm than simply yellow, straw, or amber. 

Aromas: ripe apples, cinnamon, caramel

The Odd Crush smells like ripe apples, cinnamon, and something darkly sweet. The aromas are as intense as fresh pressed juice with a hint of caramel.

Sweetness/dryness: off dry

This is definitely a meeting of the minds, it’s more dry than any other Woodhuck cider and sweeter than anything I’ve previously had from Farnum Hill. 

Flavors and drinking experience: tart, rich, brightly fruit forward, well balanced

The Odd Crush tastes darn good. I am impressed. It’s tart without being pointed. The flavors include caramel notes without too much sweetness. This cider’s acid hits early and disappears before the finish. In terms of texture, I note strong bubbles, medium body and some tannins.

I appreciate this cider’s delightful parade of bright dry fruit flavors. Initially, I taste citrus for sure, but also pear and kiwi. The Odd Crush tastes clean throughout, and offers up a warm bright finish.  The relative dryness makes it special and carries the other flavors with structure and restraint. It’s really quite lovely.

Next up it’s The Cider Lab’s Empire Blanc.

“Science. Art. Premium Craft Cider,” These are the words that introduce Cider Lab on it’s website. This Geneva, New York project focuses on not only their own ciders but working on developing the process that made delicious ciders. For more background check out my earlier reviews of the brand and project.

Empire Royale: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/02/cider-review-cider-labs-empire-royale.html

Empire Golden: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/04/cider-review-eastmans-forgotten-ciders.html

Visit The Cider Lab online and learn about all of the ciders: https://theciderlab.com/our-cider/

Here’s how the introduces the Empire Blanc:

An award-winning, dry, hard cider made from fresh-pressed New York Empire apples grown on the golden shores of Lake Ontario. Like fine wine in its balance of tannins and acidity, The Cider Lab’s Empire Blanc is crisp, bright and complex. The effervescence of this brilliant straw-colored cider floats a bouquet of orange blossom and melon awakening the senses with carefully blended fermentations. A refreshing cider experience that pairs well with food or stands out on its own. Enjoy responsibly and share Empire Blanc with friends.
This cider has an ABV of 7.1%.

Appearance: pale pollen, brilliant, no bubbles

This cider almost glows. The color looks like pale spring pollen and it’s totally brilliant. I can’t see bubbles, but that doesn’t mean the cider will be still.

Aromas: Perfume pollen floral

Again, I am reminded of pollen. This is not a theme that comes up in many ciders, but that’s how this one looks and smells to me. It’s very floral and perfumed like honeysuckle.

Dryness/sweetness: off dry

The sweetness is hard to detect because of the extremely high acid.

Flavors and drinking experience: grassy, tart, peach, bright

This cider is so bright and tart, it’s almost shocking! The Empire Blanc tastes like green tea, sun-baked hay or dried summer grasses. It’s not funky but it is herbal and grassy. The cider tastes very tart but not astringent. I how how fruity- specifically how filled to the brim with peach notes this cider is.

Acidity is the defining characteristic of the Empire Blanc from it’s initial sizzling taste to it’s lingering brightness. The Empire Blanc doesn’t bring many tannins to the experience, but it has enough mouthfeel from the acid to feel complete. The cider uses a medium intensity of sparkle.  I had this cider with banana pudding and good company. It was a delicious pairing.

Cider Review: Eastman’s Forgotten Cider's The Red Queen and The Cider Lab's Empire Golden

This week’s post is late! I apologize, but I have been sick for days and getting healthy takes time. Someday, I hope to be the sort of responsible blogger who is always more than one post ahead,  but I don’t see that happening before July at the earliest. Alas. But I’m glad I managed to taste some exciting and flavorful ciders before this cold claimed me. (I won’t have enough of a sense of smell to take new tasting notes for several more days!) 

Eastman’s Forgotten Cider has a slogan, “From Tree to Tap.” The company is very focused on apples. The company comes from an orchard (Eastman’s Apples) with hundreds of different apple varieties (some folks say 1000 plus). It’s based in Wheeler, Michigan where the company also has a tasting room. Eastman’s Forgotten Ciders has been releasing ciders commercially since 2007. I was given a sampling of the cider at GLINTCAP last year, and I’ve enjoyed working my way through them slowly. 

This week, I’m tasting The Red Queen. I know the Red Queen uses red-fleshed apples for the cider, giving all of the color, aromas, and flavor that we’ll find. 

You can find out more about this cider on the Eastman’s Forgotten Ciders Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/EastmansForgottenCiders/ 

I’ve previously reviewed a couple of cider by Eastman’s Forgotten Ciders:

The Mad Russian (a rose cider from red-fleshed apples): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/07/cider-review-eastmans-forgotten-ciders.html

More recently I reviewed the Cinnister: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/02/cider-review-citizen-cellars-sur-lies.html

The info I got for the Red Queen comes from entries on beer rating sites; the label doesn’t give much background (just that lovely chess inspired picture). “Blend of red fleshed and crab apples providing a dry finish with just a hint of sweetness.”

Appearance: salmon, brilliant, bubbly 

Though the Mad Russian is Red, the Red Queen is more peachy pinky salmon in hue. It’s a tremendously appealing color, especially in spring. When poured I could see some bubbles and beautiful brilliance.

Aromas: powdered sugar, ripe apples, cherry pie

Yummy, this cider smell so much like fresh baked goods! These aroma notes remind me of  cherry Pie, bread, ripe apples and powdered sugar. I got a few more tropical fruit aromas, and some mineral zinginess that leads me to expect a high acid cider. 

Dryness/sweetness: Dry

Though this cider smell sweet, it tastes dry!

Flavors and drinking experience: Tart, plums, tannins, acidity

My first impression of this cider is how tart it tastes. The Red Queen is sot as sweet as it’s aromas. That doesn’t mean it’s all austere; the cider has plenty of fruit flavors. I taste plums for miles. The ripe apples and powdered sugar aroma notes did not translate directly into flavors, and I think the cider is better off this way.  

As for texture, the Red Queen offers medium bubble, some tannins, and massive acidity. It’s a fun a cider. I opened on a quiet TV night with the question of what snacks would complement it. Our options were Girl Scout Cookies, popcorn, or cheese, and we had no trouble choosing a creamy brie and wheat crackers to accompany this cider. It was delicious! 

The Cider Lab's Empire Golden

My next cider for this week is a New York cider from Geneva, New York. The company is The Cider Lab. It’s a relatively new venture with a portfolio of four ciders. For more background on the company, check out my first review of one of the ciders.

 Read about the company and the ciders here: https://theciderlab.com/our-cider/

I have reviewed one of them before, the Empire Royale: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/02/cider-review-cider-labs-empire-royale.html

Here’s the official description, “Empire Golden An award-winning, rich, hard cider made from fresh-pressed New York Empire apples grown on the golden shores of Lake Ontario. The sweetness of The Cider Lab’s Empire Golden is perfectly balanced with the tart acidity of the fruit. A luxurious nose seduces the senses while hints of apples and honey comfort like a warm day. A smooth cider experience that pairs well with foods that have a spicy finish or simply as a luxury to be enjoyed on its own. Enjoy responsibly and share Empire Golden with friends.” 7%ABV 

Appearance: super bubbly, canary yellow, brilliant

This is an exciting cider to see! I love how bubbly it is. The color is vibrantly canary yellow with excellence brillance. 

Aromas: yeast, cinnamon, rip apples, lemon

The Empire Golden smells both fruity and yeasty. Specific notes all center around ripe apples but also include cinnamon and lemon. I got little bits of funkiness when I first poured a glass, but they were fleeting.

Sweetness/dryness: Sweet

This is a sweet cider with lots of fruit flavor. It isn’t sweet like sugar but sweet like cooked apples. 

Flavors and drinking experience: high acidity, great mouthfeel, juicy

This cider’s sweetness is kept in balance with high acidity and just a fun amount of funk. What I enjoyed most about the cider is also related indirectly to it’s sweetness: the mouthfeel. While I love a light and lithe dry cider as much as anyone I know, I also enjoy ciders that have some heft and gravitas. The Empire Golden has a fun big mouthfeel buoyed by lots of bubbles. It’s a juicy and substantial cider, and that’s what’s best about it. 

The Empire Golden is so fruity and apple, tropical, pineapple, that it’s almost sticky. It reminded me of certain Tiki drinks while still being 100% apple focused. I shared this cider at birthday party with my first ever experience with an MST3K movie, Manos the Hands of Fate. Thankfully, the cider made much mores sense than the film did, with or without robot commentary. Nonetheless it was a lovely addition to a tremendous party. 

Cider Review: The Cider Lab's Empire Royale and Uncle John's Cider's Baldwin

Good morning Cider Fans! I’m guess many many many of you are in Chicago this morning for Cider Con or gearing up to get there. If you love cider and don’t know about Cider Con, it’s the industry education, networking, business, and social center of the American cider world brought to us by the United States Association of Cider Makers. And it’s sold out!

Learn more at: https://ciderassociation.org/cidercon2019/

I’m sad to say that I won’t be there this year; I need to rotate my big cider events so I can see different people and taste different ciders, while seeing folks at my day job often enough that they don’t forget I work there. Have fun without me, cider friends. I miss you!

I want to start with my first ever review of cider by The Cider Lab. This is way overdue, and it’s only the first review of a few that are coming. I’ll let the brand/enterprise introduce itself,

"The Empire Cider Company LLC (“ECC”) was founded in New York State in 2013 by Jacob Israelow and James Chuck with the mission of integrating family-owned orchards into the hard cider market for the benefit of New York State apple growers and hard cider consumers." And it’s not just one brand; this is a Geneva, New York project that aims to connect fruit growers and cider makers as well as create its own cider; that followed in 2016.

This is such and interesting project, I want to link to both homepages for The Cider Lab and for Empire Cider. 

https://theciderlab.com/

https://empireciderco.com/

The official description for the Empire Royale reads:

EMPIRE ROYALE ABV: 6.3%. Robust, juicy FLX and Hudson Valley blackcurrants set this cider on fire. The Cider Lab’s Empire Royale is reminiscent of the iconic French cocktail Kir Royale: beautifully balanced, elegant and refreshing. With a luscious deep purple hue and a fruit-forward nose that tempts the senses, Royale is a regal cider experience, pure pleasure from start to finish. Available from September – March in bottle

Appearance: brilliant, deep cherry color, few bubbles

I know I’m a sucker for richly colorful ciders. Whether it’s the umbre, ochre, orange of a West Country style cider or a delicate salmon shade of pink, I like lots of color. This cider delivers that in spades. This is a terrifically pretty cider with brilliance and not a lot of visible bubbles. I love the deep cherry hue.

Aromas: Bing cherries, ripe apples minerality

On the nose, I get darkly sweet Bing cherries, minerals, ripe apples, and a hint of black currant.

Sweetness/dryness: Semi-sweet

This a semi-sweet cider whose sweetness is all fruit and in great balance with its acidity. The Empire Royale sparkles with lots of black currant flavor. I can tastes all sorts of red fruit fruit notes: raspberry, cherry, currant, strawberry. There are ripe apples notes as well, though the apples are behind the other flavors in intensity.

This cider offers a pleasingly hefty body and some tannic presence. The high acidity is just enough to balance both the sweetness and the tannins. Lower acidity could have left the cider feeling flabby or sticky; this is neither! I love the long subtle finish. It’s just so pleasant all around.

I had this at a birthday party for my friend, Jill. We enjoyed it with lasagna, herbed crackers, and the most intense dark chocolate lavender birthday cake. Remarkably, especially with the cake.

Uncle John's Cider's Baldwin

To give a really short brand introduction, if you love cider, please find a way to try something by Uncle John’s Cider and take a moment to raise your glass to a person and a company who had done more for the American cider world than almost anyone else: Mike Beck. He’s worked for decades to help the cider world at every stage from orcharding to cider legislation.

Here are my previous reviews of Uncle John's Cider.

I quite enjoyed Uncle John’s Draught Apple Cider in a can: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/06/cider-review-uncle-johns-cider-draught.html

I tried the Rosé back in 2015, years before the trend took off: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/01/cider-review-uncle-johns-cider-rose.html

Here's a link to my review of Uncle John’s American 150: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/04/uncle-johns-cider-american-150.html

To read more about this Michigan cidery, winery, and distillery at the website: http://www.fruithousewinery.com/

Uncle John's Baldwin is introduced on it’s bottle with the following,

Baldwin is made from 100% Baldwin apples grown near the Lake Michigan shore. Baldwin is a favorite apple of cider makers both past and present. It’s crisp and fruity flavor makes a very fresh and enjoyable cider. First introduced in our tasting room in 2009, Baldwin has become a consumer favorite. This cider is limited be sure to try it now. 6.8%ABV

I'm always curious about a single varietal cider, especially a heritage apple like Baldwin.

Appearance: warm straw, almost no visible bubbles, brilliant

This cider looks nearly still in the glass, but not seeing bubbles doesn’t prove their absence. I’d describe the color as warm straw and the transparency as brilliant. This is a classic cider in appearance.

Aromas: ripe apples, rock candy, leather, salt

What an enticing array of smells: ripe apples, rock candy, salt, a little phenolic funk, and leather. The apples and rock candy are far more forward than the savory and funky notes, but it’s enough to give me high expectations for a complex cider.

Sweetness/dryness: Dry

Hooray for a dry cider! Yes, I love ciders at most points in the dryness to sweetness spectrum, but I never get enough dry, bubbly, high acid ciders.

Flavors and drinking experience: tropical, strongly sparkling, high acid

The Baldwin tastes very fruity with notes that remind me of pineapple, melon, tropical notes, and lush green leaves. Like many single-varietals, this cider has complexity! There’s even a gentle hint of fresh carrots. I really enjoy this dry super tart cider. The cider has a pleasing mineral finish. Though the cider is on the whole far more clean tasting than funky, I can sense a little phenolic funk in big sips.

In terms of mouthfeel, this cider is highly carbonated. I adore that strong sparkle. The high acidity and bubble add to an overall feeling of lightness. I had this cider at home with a chipotle cheddar grilled cheese and some red bell pepper strips. The meal was simple; all the better to show off this gorgeous cider.