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

Very Perry May with Left Foot Charley's Perry and Stoic Cider's The First Batch

Welcome back to Very Perry May, Cider Lovers! It’s a fabulously cider and perry filled week for me. I’m travelling today to the Great Lakes International Cider and Perry Competition (https://glintcap.org/), my Pommelier exam (https://ciderassociation.org/certification/), and Grand Rapids Cider week(https://www.experiencegr.com/cider-week/). If you’ll be at any of these great events, please come say hi! 

Starting with the Perry from Left Foot Charley today. This Traverse City Winery and Cidery  was founded in 2004. Now it’s an urban winery and cidery that purchases fruit and juice from a number of Northern Michigan fruit growers. 

I previously reviewed Henry’s Pippin (and it was 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 website to learn more about the wines and ciders: http://www.leftfootcharley.com

Here’s the description from the bottle for this perry, “Perry is hard cider made exclusively from fermented pear juice. We harvested Bartlett pears from Northern Michigan and fermented the juice in small steel barrels for 10 months. After this rest, we bottled the perry with a slight bubble. It’s fresh pear aromas and aged yeast tones add complexity to this dry perry. Only 800 botttles were produced.” ABV 6%

Appearance: brilliant, no visible bubble, pale green glow

This perry has a nearly green pale glow in it’s still brilliance. It looks more like a white wine than many of the ciders and perries 

Aromas: tropical fruit, citrus, ginger, flowers

I smell concentrated fruitness from this perry like something tropical, I also get ginger and citrus. It includes floral and wild notes but it’s also just a little bit creamy.

Sweetness/dryness: off dry

The off-dry sweetness level doesn’t really communicate even the tip of the iceberg for this perry.

Flavors and drinking experience: intense acid, phenols,

There are some aggressive phenols in the flavor that weren’t hinted at in the aroma. This perry has twisty funky dance moves to show off. I scarcely know what to say because I was so surprised at the jolt from this perry’s aromas to it’s flavors. I enjoy the rich mouthfeel. It has a little bit of tannin and spice that grows on me as I sip it more. I like the notes of tea and lemongrass. I had this after dinner while sitting down to be cozy with cats, and that was very pleasant indeed.

Stoic Cider The First Batch

And I’m thrilled to finally share my thoughts on the first Stoic cider I’ve tried. This company makes cider in Prescott, Arizona. Over the last few years, I’ve gotten to know the cidery owners at cider events around the country, and I’ve watched their progress with great curiousity. And now I’m so glad to finally review The First Batch. 

Visit the company online: http://stoiccider.com/

Here’s the official description, “The first release of Stoic Cider! Artfully crafted from a blend of heritage apples in a small batch. A slow cold fermentation preserves the fruit-forward character. The cider matures to develop balance and complexity, yielding a delicate and rustic charisma. Shockingly drinkable. Created and bottled by hand, this rich golden cider is nearly dry and perfectly light and crisp. Pairs well with good friends and good food. Enjoy!” ABV of 6.5%

Appearance: butternut squash, transparent, few visible bubbles

This looks like a very tannic cider based on its deep squash color, but we’ll see how it tastes. It’s transparent with a small number of visible bubbles

Aromas:hay, lots of apple, oak, pollen 

Ooh this cider smells like so many things! I enjoy how the First Batch brings lots of apple, hay, oak and pollen to the forefront. It really melds some funky farmy notes with fruity ones. There are other scents in the background like caramel and dust.

Sweetness/dryness: semi-dry

This cider falls on the dry side of semi-dry for sure. 

Flavors and drinking experience: high acid, tropical fruit notes, banana

Wowzas! This cider is almost off the charts with it’s high acid. The First Batch offers up all sorts of nice tropical fruit and some fun zingy mouthfeel. It’s light and just a little bubbly. I get some banana notes as well. I had this cider with a porch picnic and it was an excellent accompaniment to sweet potato hummus, sharp cheddar, bell peppers, cashews, grapes and strawberries.

Cider Review Very Perry May with Woodchuck Bubbly Pearsecco & Sandford Orchards Straw & Oak

Happy May, Cider Lovers! It has become something of a tradition for me to share my perry reviews in a series called Very Perry May every year. I don’t find as many perries or pear ciders as I’d like, so finding a new one is always a treat. 

For any who don’t know, Perry is the beverage made from fermented pear juice. Here are a few of the most delicious or unusual from my last two years of Very Perry May.

Tieton Ciderworks Tieton Cider Works Sparkling Perry, Stem Ciders Perry
http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/05/very-perry-may-tieton-cider-works.html

Two Towns Pearadise: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/05/very-perry-may-2-towns-ciderhouses.html

And an international perry roundup with Argus, Viuda De Angelon, Cidrerie Daufresne:
http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/05/very-perry-may-pt-4-argus-viuda-de.html

And I cannot mention perry without thinking about Oriole Perry by AeppelTreow’s Orchard Oriole Perry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/05/very-perry-may-aeppeltreows-orchard.html

This year I’m starting with a Woodchuck Cider’s Bubbly Pearsecco. This is a pear and apple blend rather than a perry. I want to distinguish between them, but include both this month. There’s a fair bit of crossover with the two terms, but the label on this cider does make the inclusion of apples clear. 

Woodchuck’s Bubbly Pearsecco variety is a dry, bubbly pear cider with a crisp clean finish, taking inspiration from sparkling wine, which is also experiencing exceptional growth. Both Bubbly Rosé and Bubbly Pearsecco have an ABV of 6.1%.

“So often when you speak to people unfamiliar with the cider category there is a lot of confusion about how cider is made and what it tastes like.” said Bridget Blacklock, Vice President of Marketing. “We believe by introducing ciders that have similar profiles to wine and deliver drier taste characteristics we can expand the consumer cider experience and showcase hard ciders’ ability to offer varieties to fit every drinkers palette.”

Learn more about all of Woodchuck’s ciders here: http://www.woodchuck.com/

Appearance: pale straw, brilliant, bubbly

This pear cider looks like spring honey or pale straw. It’s a gentle hue that shows off the ciders brilliant clarity and plentiful bubbles

Aromas: Vanilla yogurt, white flowers, mild cheese, pear

Though the aromas aren’t particularly strong, they are all springy and pleasant. I get notes of creaminess like a vanilla yogurt, mild white cheese, and pear. 

Sweetness/dryness: Semi-sweet

I didn’t expect it to taste dry. Pears have sorbitol: a non-fermentable sugar. But Woodchuck as a producer tends to stick to the sweeter cider, even in the ciders listed or described as being closer to dry. 

Flavors and drinking experience: Lots of sparkle, bright acidity, light pear and apple flavors

This pear cider is  strongly bubbly; that’s something I like about it a lot! The Pearsecco offers up light fresh pear and apple flavors. It’s  semi sweet and relatively well balanced with it’s medium-high acidity but no tannins. The overall impression is bright and pleasant. The light mouthfeel is zippy and fresh. 

And for my cider review of the week, I’m excited to finally crack open my bottle of Sandford Orchards’ Straw & Oak. This United Kingdom cidery is based in Devon. This is my first review of anything by Sandford Orchards. 

Visit the cider company online: https://www.sandfordorchards.co.uk/

Here’s how the cider is described online: “An amazing insight into how Devon cider would have tasted in bygone centuries. Straw pressed on a traditional single screw press and fermented to dryness, resulting in crisp cider with great structure and pure apple and citrus flavours.” Other facts are given like a Specific Gravity of 1.000, 6.7% ABV, and apple varieties including Northwood, Brown’s Apple, Kirton Fair, and Ellis Bitter.

Appearance: transparent, rusty, scant bubble

This is a totally transparent cider with just a few bubbles hanging around. I’m so tempted by what I see in it’s color. The rusty shade is almost reddish. I often associate strongly colorful ciders with more tannic presence, so I’m hopeful.

Aromas: hay, overripe apples, tin and tea,  

Oh yum. This cider smells so characteristic of English cider making traditions. There’s a hint of slight sourness (smells lactic, not acetic), but more than that I smell hay and ridiculously soft apples mushing into sauce. The gentle tones hum in the background of tin and tea. It just smells so good, like sun on dried grass. 

Dryness/sweetness: Dry

This is a dry cider with lots of tannins, whoa!

Flavors and drinking experience: tannic, medium acidity, twiggy, medium bubbles

I know what want to say first about how the Straw and Oak tastes: tannins ahoy! This cider is decidedly dry and tannic, with medium acidity. The first notes are overripe apples and red grape skins. The cider is almost brutally refreshing—partly due to a pleasant and complex finish that comes a full second after each swallow.  I also taste tropical fruit, torched pineapple. The astringence has persimmon-like effects.  

I do taste both elements in the name: oak and straw. The oak comes across like twigs and tea; it’s lightly oaked but still woody. The straw is because the juice was pressed through wheat and barley—and you can smell the wheat in the cider’s aroma, and taste the barley.  The cider has a medium level of sparkle and hearty body. I loved it.

And one last link before the end of this week’s reviews. I’d like to point folks to the best thing I’ve read in the wider cider world lately. Malus Zine is a thoughtful and critical zine dedicated to cider. In the most recent issue, Olivia Maki challenges all of us to think about how cider deals with the past. It’s called “Whose Heritage?”: https://www.maluszine.com/essays/whose-heritage

Very Perry May: 2 Towns Ciderhouse's Pearadise and Wildcraft Cider Works Hard Cider

Welcome to the last week of this year’s Very Perry May. I hope this continued exploration of perry, pear cider, and pear blends has been as fun to read as it has been to taste. I have one last pear blend and a cider to share this week, both of which come from Oregon. Also, I want to point folks once again to the GLINTCAP page to learn the full medal results of this year’s competition. 

Let’s start with the Pearadise by 2 Towns Ciderhouse out of Oregon.

I’ve written about a fair number of 2 Towns ciders and shared some background in these prior entries. Just to give a quick bit of background. 2 Towns Ciderhouse is based in Corvallis Oregon since 2010. Now they have a tap room and two production facilities. It is Oregon’s largest craft cider outfit. They make several differnt lines of ciders including seasonals, limited releases, collaborations, their flagship ciders and a line called traditions.

Some of my previous 2 Towns Ciderhouse reviews include the following:

Most recently the Pineapple: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/02/cider-review-portland-cider-company.html

The Hop and Stalk: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/12/cider-review-2-towns-ciderhouse-hop-and.html

The Cidre Bouche: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/11/cider-review-2-towns-ciderhouses-cidre.html

Bright Cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/07/cider-review-roundup-common-cider-co.html

Find out more online: https://2townsciderhouse.com/

Here’s the Pearadise’s Official description: 

Imperial Getaway. Fruity and complex, Pearadise is found in this distinctly Northwest libation. Fresh-pressed pears are fermented together with local apples, then finished by blending in a touch of white wine, resulting in a sophisticated imperial style with plenty of panache. 8.6% ABV, which explains the Imperial tagline.

On the same page it say, “Made with D’Anjou pears and Muscat grapes.”

Thank you for the fruit detail. That’s always something I appreciate. Also, this cider is a revamp of a 2012 limited edition cider, tweaked up the aromas and structure. This bottle was shared with me as a review sample.

Appearance: brilliant, deep straw, some bubble

This cider looks very appealing. I appreciate its brilliance and deep color. The color would most often be called straw but its deep and a hint warmer than some ciders that receive the term.

Aromas: ripe apples, pears, grapes, all dusted in sugar

Oh la la! These aromas are striking and different. I can smell sugar-dusted fruits, primarily ripe red apples, but also pears and grapes. I also get the impression of tropical fruits. There’s also a creamy note going on in the Pearadise. I get some salivary response for certain to all this excitement.

Sweetness/dryness: sweet

This is one sweet and fruity cider.

Flavors and drinking experience: fruity, sweet, boozy

This is definitely influence by the pear juice in flavor, but it feels much more tropical than that. I can taste pineapple and citrus as well. The fruity notes play together nicely in concert. The initial hit of flavor is distinctly sweet but it shows some maturation as the flavor builds and develops. There’s even the briefest glimpse of astringency in the mid-palate, but it vanishes quickly. 

What I do notice is that the booziness impacts the mouthfeel and the finish. It feels a little hot. I enjoy this cider’s tartness, even as sweetness eventually dominates. This is a complex beverage with a lot going on. I had mine with a very summery plate of corn, baked beans, and new potatoes. It worked well with those simple foods because this beverage has enough flare on its own!

Wildcraft Cider Works Hard Cider

Now for a cider from Oregon: Wildcraft Ciderworks Hard Cider. This is my first writing about anything by Wildcraft Ciderworks. They are based in Eugene, Oregon and have this to say about themselves, 

At WildCraft Cider Works, we pride ourselves on developing innovative, artisanal dry ciders inspired by traditional and wild methodology. We insist on whole fruit and botanicals grown in Oregon to create pure ciders without artificial flavorings, sulfites or added sweeteners. WildCraft cider is uniquely dry cider unpasteurized & bottle conditioned. We consider ourselves stewards of the outdoors and always act consciously to ensure that our ingredients are regional.

These concepts of local fruit, wild fermentation, minimal additives is a distinct style of low-intervention cidermaking. Looking at the website makes me very curious to try the other styles the cidery makes, including several dry fruit-blended ciders. I got this bottle entirely by chance in the Portland, Oregon airport on my last trip there.  

I’m starting with the flagship hard cider. Here’s its official description

Hard Cider6.9%  ABV  |  500mlOur flagship Dry Cider, made entirely from Oregon apples is locally sourced and pressed. This is a classic dry session cider with enough complexity to enjoy year round, all the time. Unpasteurized & bottle conditioned.

Appearance: Hazy, lemon curd, bubbly

This cider looks hazy and very bubbly in the glass. The color reminds me of lemon curd.

Aromas: yeasty, lemon, hay, phenolic

The cider smells like good clean bakery yeast in a good way. I surmised that it might have been fermented with a nonstandard yeast based on the aroma before reading about the cider. Other aroma notes include lemon and hay. Something about it also smells phenolic and a bit cottony.

Dryness/sweetness: Dry

Whoa. Yeah. This is a dry cider

Flavors and drinking experience: lemon, tannic, grapefruit, high acid

Lots of what came through in the aromas of this cider remain present in its flavors also. This dry cider tastes very lemony and somewhat phenolic. There’s a tiny sweet note that appaers and then disappears almost instantly. The tannins, astringency, and bubbles all conspire to rise fast and cancel out the sweetness.They then flourish brightly before a relatively clean finish.

What a fascinating cider! I found it super refreshing. This cider tastes best in big sips. I love that nice grapefruit-peel flavor that causes such salivary action. Some of the wild fermentation comes across in grainy notes flavor notes. Overall this cider is fun and super tart and dry. I had mine with a version of Cobb Salad (radishes and veggie bacon, yay!) and homemade multi-grain bread. That was utterly fantastic. 

The last thing I’d like to share today is the full GLINTCAP results. There are so many ciders here I’ve never tried! And so much sounds delicious. This would be a great list to shop from, just find your favorite style and start tracking down the golds (and silvers and bronzes)!

http://glintcap.org/

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

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

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

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

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

Here are all of my previous Tieton Cider Works reviews.

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

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

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

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

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

Appearance: Amber, hazy, few bubbles

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

Aromas: Ripe pear, caramel, banana

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

Sweetness/dryness: Semi-sweet

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

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

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

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

Next Up: Stem Cider Perry

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

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

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

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

Appearance: pale yellow green, brilliant, no bubble

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

Aromas: pear flesh, bubble gum, mint

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

Sweetness/dryness: semi-dry

This is a mild and friendly semi-dry.

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

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

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

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

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

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

http://glintcap.org/

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Appearance: brilliant, straw, some bubbles

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

Aroma: intense, mellow ginger, cola

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

Sweetness/dryness: semi-sweet

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

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

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

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

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

Sundstrom Cider's Liminal

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

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

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

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

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

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

Appearance: bright gilt, active bubbles, transparent

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

Aromas: Dusty, lemon, ginger

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

Sweetness/dryness: dry

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

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

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

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

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