Cider Review: Angry Orchard's The Extension

For most of the day my phone was missing! My long-suffering backpack gave up one of its side pockets this morning. Thankfully, a kind person found it, the Tall One called it, and they got together while I was at work to return the phone. My cider notes from this weekend were already safely stored redundantly! Here’s a sign from the universe; save your work in multiple places. Thanks again, random kind stranger!

This week’s review is one I’ve been saving for a rainy night. I’m opening up my bottle of Angry Orchard’s The Extension. This is a small batch Walden Cider House project made using all Cornell Orchard apples wild fermented. It has an AVB of 7.4%. 

Angry Orchard is a large-scale cider producer with distribution far and wide. The Walden, New York Innovation Ciderhouse is the smaller operation in the Hudson Valley of New York that tries new cider and orchard experiments on a smaller scale. This cider was shared with me on my last trip to the cider house because I was so curious about what came of the Cornell Orchard fruit! More information about Angry Orchard and the Walden location appears in my earlier reviews.

Here are some, but not all, of my previous Angry Orchard Walden cider reviews. 

Margil: https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2023/04/cider-review-angry-orchards-margil.html

Buddy King: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2022/11/cider-review-angry-orchards-buddy-king.html

Supernatural: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/03/cider-review-angry-orchard-super.html

Newtown Pippin: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2022/08/cider-review-angry-orchards-newtown.html

Baldwin: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2022/05/cider-review-angry-orchards-baldwin.html

Understood in Motion 2: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/02/cider-review-critz-farms-double-vision.html

Understood in Motion 3: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/08/cider-review-angry-orchard-ciders.html

Wooden Sleeper: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/12/cider-review-angry-orchards-wooden.html

The Old Fashioned: https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/08/cider-review-angry-orchards-old.html

Walden Hollow: https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/09/cider-review-angry-orchards-walden.html

Knotty Pear: https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/06/cider-review-angry-orchards-knotty-pear.html

Strawman, The Muse, and Traditional Dry: https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/05/roundup-of-angry-orchard-reviews.html

Here's what I read on the back of the bottle. 

The Extension is a recognition of the Cornell University College of Agricultural and Life Sciences' mission to extend research to farmers.

This dry and wild apple wine is crafted from apples grown at Cornell University's research orchards, where scientists experiment with cider apple varieties, production, and fermentation.

A portion of the profits from the sale of Angry Orchard's "The Extension" will be donated to support the scientists, teachers, and students at Cornell University.

For more information about Cornell University's Hard Cider Program, visit hardcider.cals.cornell.edu

$20 per bottle; maximum donation $15,000. 

Offer valid at Angry Orchard Cidery, Walden, New York.

 

Appearance: Brilliant, fine bubbles, shining warm straw

What a lovely cider. It has brilliant clarity with active fine bubbles. The Extension just shines

From my glass with a subtle warm straw color. 

Aromas: green wood, yeast, funk

Whoa! These are not the aromas that I usually associate with an Angry Orchard cider. Instead the Extension leads with stone, green wood, and a little oxidation. The whole comes across as farmy but not in any obviously wrong way. Fans of wild yeast/natural fermentation ciders are going to absolutely love this!

Sweetness/dryness: Bone dry

Yep, I said. This cider is completely dry.

Flavors and drinking experience: buttery, austere, tannic, barnyard

The Extension is such an understated adult cider. It tastes very dry, fully fermented, buttery, and mildly tannic. I love its strong bubble, medium acidity, and lots of low woody, sappy, springy notes. The cider somehow reminds me that Spring will come again. 

This cider comes across as more austere than fruity. Instead, it’s nutty. I think this would be quite appealing for fans of Chardonnay. I’d pair it with walnuts, blue cheese, dried fruits, or dark chocolate mousse. I think its strong wild character and zesty bubbles would make it great for an intense food flavor with some heft.

Cider Review: Angry Orchard's Margil

It’s sunny enough and and getting warmer each day, that I’m worrying about keeping my seedlings and house plants from getting scorched in the sunroom. I am amazed yet again by how quickly the seasonal shift can come. 

One day, I’m still reaching for thick fluffy socks and hiding from the blustery winds and not long after I’m wearing shades and shedding layers. The surprises are energizing! And this week, I wanted to relish a memory from last summer’s trip to Angry Orchard’s R&D facility in Walden, New York. That means finally opening up my Angry Orchard's Margil.

Over the ten years of this blog, I’ve reviewed many offerings from Angry Orchard, including several from the Walden location. Here is an incomplete list.

Buddy King: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2022/11/cider-review-angry-orchards-buddy-king.html

Supernatural: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/03/cider-review-angry-orchard-super.html

Newtown Pippin: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2022/08/cider-review-angry-orchards-newtown.html

Baldwin: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2022/05/cider-review-angry-orchards-baldwin.html

Understood in Motion 2: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/02/cider-review-critz-farms-double-vision.html

Understood in Motion 3: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/08/cider-review-angry-orchard-ciders.html

Wooden Sleeper: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/12/cider-review-angry-orchards-wooden.html

Spiced Apple: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/03/cider-review-angry-orchards-spiced-apple.html

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

Rosé: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/03/cider-review-angry-orchard-rose-and.html

Walden: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/09/cider-review-angry-orchards-walden.html

And if you want more, just click on the Angry Orchard Tag on any of these posts, and you can find the rest. 

I recommend visiting the Angry Orchard site to see the ciders and check out what’s happening at The Treehouse in Walden, New York: https://www.angryorchard.com/.

Here’s how the Margil is described on the Angry Orchard website.

This single varietal cider features only the Margil apple. With no added sugar, it is a bright off-dry offering with notes of pear and apple skin aromatics. 6.4% ABV.

And from the label itself, “An apple with mysterious origins dating back to 18th century England (or maybe France), the Margil has biome a favorite of ours in Walden for its texture and aroma. With no added sugar, this off-dry cider is bright, fresh, and gives lively pear and apple skin aromatics.” 

And now for my tasting notes on Angry Orchard’s Margil Cider.

Appearance: brilliant, medium intense color, pale straw

This cider has gorgeous shining brilliant and a pale straw color. I can see a few bubbles at the ring of the glass. 

Aromas: Stone, cotton, apple skin, vanilla

The Margil smells first of stone and cotton. Secondarily I get notes of cleanly-fermented fruit. It’s so different from most Angry Orchard ciders. It doesn’t smell like unfermented sweet fruits. I do get the impression of tart apple skin. 

Sweetness/dryness: Off-dry

It’s interesting to isolate the sweetness in this cider. It doesn’t taste particularly sweet, but it must have some sweetness to round out the other elements that it has in such plentiful quantities without becoming severe. Read on to find out more. 

Flavors and tasting experience: Very high tannins, medium-high acids, bright fruit notes, tiny bubbles

The Margil tastes sophisticated yet playful. The cider is lightly sparkling with fine bubbles and very high tannins, but they give way to bright fruitiness. The acidity feels medium-high with lots of citrus notes. The tannins keep coming back to make their presence known with every sip. Gosh, I like this! 

There are hints of sweetness, but the cider is decidedly not sugary. What’s there feels like a neat deep sweetness from the apple’s essence itself and not the residual sugars. The Margil is wonderfully textural and evocative. This delightful cider makes me think of ripe oranges, vanilla, and pears with tropical fruit notes on the finish.

We had our bottle of Margil with a five-cheese pesto pizza and kale salad. The combination was wonderful because the cider helped me remain awake to the delightful contrasting textures of a soft pillowy crust, sharp curly kale leaves, and the melty cheeses. This has to be one of the tastiest ciders I've ever had from the crew at Angry Orchard. Delicious!

Cider Review: Angry Orchard's Buddy King

I should be thinking about Thanksgiving, about food, pairing, and gathering. Here’s the thing; I just don’t feel ready today. Tonight, I was ready to come home from work and enjoy vegetarian sausage, bell peppers, broccoli and some goat cheese and sun-dried tomato ravioli. It's a nice for living in the moment and enjoying the peace of not yet guesting, hosting, planning, or prepping. The big days will come soon enough.

Tonight I’m so happy to remember my trip to Angry Orchard’s Walden Orchard facility this past Summer and review the Buddy King cider that I picked up there. If you’re not familiar with the Walden Research and Development facility, it’s magical. Let go of all of your expectations of Angry Orchard or stereotypes about national brands. This cidery is doing its own thing and the ciders are very different from the super approachable and often sweet choices that Angry Orchard supplies to grocery store shelves. 

Here are a few of my earlier Angry Orchard reviews which include a mix of national and more limited offerings.

Supernatural: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/03/cider-review-angry-orchard-super.html

Newtown Pippin: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2022/08/cider-review-angry-orchards-newtown.html

Baldwin: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2022/05/cider-review-angry-orchards-baldwin.html

Understood in Motion 2: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/02/cider-review-critz-farms-double-vision.html

Understood in Motion 3: this collaboration with Tom Oliver of Oliver’s Cider (this was my #6 cider of 2018): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/08/cider-review-angry-orchard-ciders.html

Wooden Sleeper: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/12/cider-review-angry-orchards-wooden.html

Spiced Apple: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/03/cider-review-angry-orchards-spiced-apple.html

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

Rosé: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/03/cider-review-angry-orchard-rose-and.html

Walden: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/09/cider-review-angry-orchards-walden.html

Visit Angry Orchard online here to learn about the ciders and what’s happening at Walden: https://www.angryorchard.com/

Here’s how Angry Orchard describes the Buddy King, “A wild fermented cider that we aged on Missouri-grown blackberries and blueberries from our friends at Side Project Brewing. 7.2% ABV.”

Here’s a link to the collaborator Side Project Brewing: https://www.sideprojectbrewing.com/

Appearance: apricot, bubbly, brilliant

This brilliant cider shows off some lovely active bubbles. The bubbles are easy to see because the cider is so very transparent in its welcoming shade of apricot.

Aromas: wild, acetic acid, twiggy

Buddy King smells very obviously like a wild fermented cider. It’s zingy with notes of tropical fruit and acetic acid. What I like about the aroma is that it’s anchored with some twiggy wood notes. I definitely know to expect a tart or even sour cider from these aromas.

Sweetness/dryness: Dry

This is a completely dry cider. It’s unusual to have a wild fermentation that retains sweetness because of the difference in controlling a pitched fermentation and a wild one.

Flavors and drinking experience: sour, high acid, pineapple, peppers, tannic 

My estimation based on the Buddy King’s aromas was proved right; its super sour! This high acid cider tastes like malic and acetic acids. My first impression is how very basque-inspired or Sidra like it tastes. It’s far from one dimensional though. The cider also proffers red bell pepper and tropical fruit notes while it remains bone dry.

The Buddy King is very angular with all that acid and some tannins. The hints of tomato and berry seem like they’d be in conflict, but they work harmoniously together. I appreciate that it’s petillant rather than more strongly sparkling. The acid provides enough excitement on its own without needing the needling of aggressive bubbles. 

I need to emphaize just how much tart acid the cider has. The Buddy King can cut through any food! Be sure to use this superpower and pair it with food. You could choose something hearty like Shepherds Pie or something with plenty of cheese like my ravioli meal. The fun thing about pairing the Buddy King is how much the cider changes. The cider’s funk is revealed even as the acid is tamed. What a complex and wild offering from Angry Orchard’s Walden Cider House!

Cider Review: Angry Orchard's Newtown Pippin Traditional Method

Last week I was able to take a few days for a cider trip down to the Hudson Valley. It was finally time for my sensory retake of the Certified Pommelier Exam. The timing worked out amazingly so I could also visit Treasury Cider (http://www.treasurycider.com/) for a meet up with New York Cider Association members and tour Angry Orchard’s Walden Orchard and research cidery (https://www.angryorchard.com/tours/plan-your-visit). What made it sweetest of all is that my darling partner (He’s called The Tall One here) passed his Cider Certified Professional Level One exam shortly before, so he got to take the Pommelier test as well.  

Here’s a link to learn more about the American Cider Association’s Certified Pommelier program: https://ciderassociation.org/certification/.

That’s why I chose to review one of my special Walden Cidery offerings from Angry Orchard to review this week. I’m so happy to share my thoughts on Angry Orchard’s Newtown Pippin! Full disclosure, this cider was shared with me by some cider friends who work for Angry Orchard.

Here are a few of my earlier Angry Orchard reviews:

Baldwin: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2022/05/cider-review-angry-orchards-baldwin.html

Understood in Motion 2: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/02/cider-review-critz-farms-double-vision.html

Understood in Motion 3: this collaboration with Tom Oliver of Oliver’s Cider (this was my #6 cider of 2018): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/08/cider-review-angry-orchard-ciders.html

Wooden Sleeper: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/12/cider-review-angry-orchards-wooden.html

Spiced Apple: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/03/cider-review-angry-orchards-spiced-apple.html

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

Rosé: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/03/cider-review-angry-orchard-rose-and.html

Walden: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/09/cider-review-angry-orchards-walden.html

Supernatural: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/03/cider-review-angry-orchard-super.html

You can learn more about what Angry Orchard is up to, including a new series of cider-based cocktails inspired by tall tales: https://www.angryorchard.com/

This cider is the Single Varietal Newtown Pippin Traditional Method. Here’s what Angry Orchard has to say about this particular cider.

Newtown Pippin 

Using only the Newtown Pippin apple this cider is tart and dry with notes of apple skins and wild honey. 6.8% ABV. 750 mL bottle.

Appearance: bubbly, ripe straw, transparent

This looks glowy and inviting with a color reminiscent of ripe straw. The Newtown Pippin pours with an aromatic mousse of bubbles.  

Aromas: Intense, breadcrumbs, champagne

I love how strong the Newtown Pippin’s aromas are. I could smell this cider as soon as I popped the cork. It’s bread crumbly, yeasty, and has a very champagne-like aroma. It reminds me of ripe grapefruit and white grapes.

Sweetness/dryness: Dry

This is a lovely dry cider. If you think Angry Orchard cannot make a dry cider, please try some of the special offerings from the Walden facility. This team can do it!

Flavors and drinking experience: intense sparkle, clean, pear, grapefruit, medium high acid

Nice! The Newtown Pippin is blowing me away. I’m such a fan of this. The first impression is how super bubbly it is. This cider brings a awesome intensity of sparkle from that second fermentation. The Newtown Pippin doesn’t really go for tannins but it offers medium high acidity and a beautiful fresh and clean fermentation. 

The flavors I notice early are pear, grapefruit and buttery breadcrumbs. The citrus that I noticed in the cider’s aroma remains. It’s all very golden, crisp, and polished. The body strikes me a lithe  but subtly rounded! The cider is so very pleasing.

I had this with a sweet corn ravioli in a blush tomato sauce with sauteed yellow squash, stripey tomatoes, and a red pepper. The pairing was delightful. The Newtown Pippin’s bubbles had a zesty cleaning effect between creamy pasta bites. 

The Pommelier test was challenging, and I won’t know how we did for a few weeks yet, so I’ll just share a few tour pictures in the meantime. 

Cider Review: Angry Orchard Super Natural and Eden Cider's Extra Sec

Lots of exciting cider events are approaching in the next few months (GLINTCAP, NY Cider Competition), but they aren’t here yet. I don’t know about you, but patience isn’t my most developed quality. I like the fun thing to be happening today or if not today then very soon. I needed some extra fabulous ciders to help me wait out the next several weeks until I can count down till the fun starts.  

I’m starting with the Angry Orchard Supernatural: something I picked up when I visited the Innovation Center for Angry Orchard in Walden, New York. 

Here’s what I wrote about that visit for Cider Culture: https://www.ciderculture.com/angry-orchard-innovation-cider-house/

You can also visit Angry Orchard online: https://www.angryorchard.com/

Here's a quick list of some of my previous Angry Orchard reviews (this is not all of them!)

Wooden Sleeper: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/12/cider-review-angry-orchards-wooden.html

Understood in Motion 3: this collaboration with Tom Oliver of Oliver’s Cider (this was my #6 cider of 2018): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/08/cider-review-angry-orchard-ciders.html

Spiced Apple from March of 2017: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/03/cider-review-angry-orchards-spiced-apple.html

I reviewed the new Pear as a part of Very Perry May: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/05/very-perry-may-review-of-greenwood.html

I reviewed the Rosé last March: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/03/cider-review-angry-orchard-rose-and.html

I did get to try an early release from the Innovation Cider House: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/09/cider-review-angry-orchards-walden.html

Angry Orchard's official description reads, “This cider is pet-nat and also unfiltered so sediment is natural. It will absolutely slay at your dinner table. Enjoy.” What it doesn’t mention is that pet-nat stands for Petillant Natural, also known as Method Ancestrale. What it means is that the bubbles in the bottle come from the primary fermentation finishing up in the bottle so that the Carbon Dioxide produced by fermentation stays trapped in the bottle. This method has been used for both cider and wine for a couple hundred years at least.

The label also lists the apples included, “40% Dabinette, 34% Gold Rush, 11% Marie Menard, 11% Muscadet de Lense, and 4% Northern Spy.”  I love love love that this label includes the apple varieties! This one even introduced me to an apple I’d not heard of before: the Marie Menard. This is a french bittersweet variety.

Appearance: dandelion yellow, lightly hazy, bubbly

This does look like pet nat. Because the sediment created by fermentation (the lees) is never filtered out or disgorged, the cider cannot be fully brilliant. It does however have lots of bubble and a cheerful bright yellow shade. 

Aromas: sour apple, volatile acidity, sour, grain, ripe apples

I can smell lot of dynamic and exciting fruity, sour, and grainy notes in the Supernatural. There’s definitely some funk to these aromas! The fact that this is a wild fermentation is not at all surprising.

Dryness/sweetness: Semi-dry

This cider is semi dry but it might come across as completely dry, depending on the drinker’s habituation to high acidity. 

Flavors and drinking experience: finy bubbly, juicy, fresh sour

Ooh! I like Angry Orchard’s Supernatural, even though I am often not the biggest fan of Sidra style ciders. It’s more than tart, but only has a little acetic acid and volatile acidity. The cider is semi-dry with very fine bubbles. I find that Pet Nat textures can be so very exciting and fresh; this is no exception! 

The supernatural manages to be juicy and fresh without being sweet or tame. The whole drinking experience is very raw and sour- it’s vivid and exciting. My co-taster called it a cider with bite, and I think they’re right.

Eden Cider is a small specialty cidery operating in Northern Vermont. Eleanor Leger runs this inventive cider house that not only produces heritage orchard-based ciders but also fine ice ciders and infused cider blends for cocktails. You can find out more background on Eden Specialty Ciders in early reviews.

I tasted the Ezekiel most recently: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/01/cider-review-eden-specialty-ciders.html

Over the summer, I was able to sample the Eden Heritage Cider in a can: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/06/cider-cans-crush-it-eden-heritage-and.html

My number one favorite cider of 2017 was the Imperial 11 Degree Rose: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/03/the-january-2017-cidrbox-and-edens.html

I relished trying Eden’s Sparkling Dry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/06/cider-review-eden-sparkling-dry-cider.html

And I included it as part of my Thanksgiving and Birthday celebrations in 2016: 
http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/11/pick-cider-for-thanksgiving-and-my.html
http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/11/happy-to-pickcider-for-thanksgiving.html

Visit Eden Speciality Cider website to find out more, including new releases: https://www.edenciders.com/

Eden offers so much more than just an official description for all of the ciders. I’ll give what info I can, but do recommend checking out the webpage: https://www.edenciders.com/store/detail/?item=2016sparklingextrasec750ml

The description reads.

Champagne-method cider made from heirloom and bittersweet apple varieties grown in Vermont and at Poverty Lane Orchards in New Hampshire. It is naturally sparkling and clean - we hand-disgorge the yeast from every bottle! Beautifully balanced between fruit, acid, and tannin. The barely perceptible dosage serves to bring forth the fruit character of the cider. Perfect with roast pork, turkey and vegetable gratin dishes.

Appearance: honeybee gold, fine bubbles, brilliant

This brilliant cider has the deep gold I see on honey bees for color. The Extra Sec shows off a beautifully fine bubble. It’s easy to wax ecstatic about this how lovely this cider is to see.  


Aromas: Overripe apples, honeydew, peach, pine

There are more fruity aromas than savory ones in the Extra Sec, but this cider does include both. I can smell overripe apples, peaches, honeydew melon, and a waft of pine. 

Dryness/sweetness: Off dry to sem-dry

This is an interesting one. This cider is described and even named for a being a bit sweeter than many of Eden’s Heritage style ciders, but the residual sugar is still at .9% which would be called dry by some other cider makers. For me the result tastes not quite dry but certainly not semi-sweet; it’s more of that gentle slope from off dry to semi-dry.

Flavors and drinking experience: rich mouthfeel, tea, leather, bright, steely

I love how rich the Extra Sec tastes; the cider offers up a viscous mouthfeel from the ice cider backsweetening. That doesn’t take away from the little bit of steel I can taste on the front. Melon sweetness in the middle palate balanced by tannic tea notes and leather on the finish. This cider surely is bright and bubbly, but the acid makes it feel bubblier than it looks (and indeed may be).  

I love how the Extra Sec’s finish rolls in waves of strong aromas, a little astringence, sweetness and bitterness alternating. Factually speaking, the cider leverages medium high tannins, high but not extreme acid, while remaining off dry. This beautifully balanced cider is refreshing for every moment of the experience, but it’s also thoughtful. 

The Extra Sec paired well with homemade pesto pizza and wonderful company. I couldn’t have asked for a better cider to share with the best of friends. 

Cider Review: Angry Orchard's Wooden Sleeper and Weston Cider's Mortimer's Orchard Original

Snow happens here as often as it doesn’t snow these days. Winter may not be official for a couple more weeks, but the season has started. For this week, it means cozying in during the long dark evenings to write and cuddle with my cats and people. It also means choosing and reviewing ciders that I think match the new season, things with some tannin and a little bit of sweetness. At least that’s what I’m going for.

At the end of November, I had to chance to travel down to the Hudson Valley for a couple of days. I knew I’ve wanted to visit the Angry Orchard Innovation Cider House in Walden for years, so I took the opportunity. I was able to meet Ryan for a tour and taste through of several of the special ciders only available from Walden. I’ll be sharing my travel experience in the coming weeks.

For now, visit Angry Orchard online: https://www.angryorchard.com/

Today, I want to start out with Angry Orchard's Wooden Sleeper. I’ve reviewed many Angry Orchard ciders: too many to post all the links here, so I’ll share some the more recent ones.

Most recently, I enjoyed the third of the Understood in Motion collaborations, this one between Ryan Burke of Angry Orchard and Tom Oliver of Oliver’s Cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/08/cider-review-angry-orchard-ciders.html

I tasted the Angry Orchard Spiced Apple this past winter: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/03/cider-review-angry-orchards-spiced-apple.html

This past May, I reviewed the new Pear as a part of Very Perry May: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/05/very-perry-may-review-of-greenwood.html

Earlier, in March, My review of the category-exploding Rosé came out: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/03/cider-review-angry-orchard-rose-and.html

A bit longer ago, I reviewed the Walden Hollow which was an early release from the Innovation Cider House in Walden: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/09/cider-review-angry-orchards-walden.html

Here's the official description, "Wooden Sleeper is a part of the Orchard Collection which is available in bottles and on-draft at Angry Orchard in Walden, NY. Using both culinary and bittersweet apples, the cider is aged in bourbon barrels, which makes for a delicious, warming cider." ABV of  9.5%-10.5%.

Appearance: pumpkin, transparent, ring of bubbles

The cider nearly glows with a deep pumpkin color. I don’t see any bubbles within the cider but there are a ring of fine ones where the cider meets the glass. It’s transparent but that doesn’t fully come through in the pictures because of condensation.

Aromas: ginger, bourbon, caramel, cookie

Holy heavenly coziness, the Wooden Sleeper smells like ginger, baked apples, and bourbon barrel. Secondarily I get lots of other notes I associate with barrels like caramel and cookies, but there’s something more, perhaps a hint of orange?

Dryness/sweetness: semi-dry

I expected a sweeter cider based on an earlier incarnation I’ve tasted of the Wooden Sleeper, but this batch tastes semi-dry. What it might be in terms of actual residual sugar, I cannot say.

Flavors and drinking experience: hearty, warm, petillant, tannic

What a hearty cider! I knew it would be based on the ABV, barrel aging, and the sweetness of previous batches. I chose it because of winter weather and a very wintery meal. The cider started with a gently bitter first note, but that was followed quickly by mellowing body and warmth from the ABV.

The Wooden Sleeper is tannic, medium acidity, and petillant, meaning it is only mildly bubbly. The flavors swirled and expanded generously. I could taste caramel, cooked apples, but other more savory notes like wood, wild rice, and mushrooms. It came back around to harvest richness that reminded me of pumpkin and brown sugar.

We paired this with a very traditional Sunday roast type meal with roasted Brussels sprouts, mashed purple potatoes, a green salad and a beef roast for the meat eaters. What a wonderfully appropriate choice. For a meal that most folks would use a red wine to pair, the Wooden Sleeper held up admirably and deliciously. It was fit for a winter feast.

Next, I want to travel back to my summer trip because I think I had a very winter friendly cider while I was in Glasgow. I had a Mortimer’s Orchard Original by Westons Cider.

I don’t know much about Mortimer’s Orchard, but you can visit the website here: http://www.mortimersorchard.co.uk/

The official description reads, “A fresh medium-dry cider with a light sparkling finish. Made from 100% fresh English apple juice.” 5% ABV. 

I had this by the half pint which is a very civilized tradition that I wish could be imported more widely to the states. A half-pint is an eight ounce pour, just perfect for many ciders.

Appearance: brilliant, warm straw, pours with a mousse

This cider has a quickly disappearing bubbly mousse, but it remains very active in terms of visible sparkle. It’s transparent and a warm straw hue.

Aromas: lemon, sesame, fresh apple

The aromas from the Mortimer’s Orchard Original were not too intense. I could smell fresh apple, lemon, and sesame.  

Sweetness/dryness: semi-sweet to sweet

This has a very classic cane sugar, crystalized white sugar sweetness. It perceives as sweet to me, but I could also be responding to a lower level of acid than I’m used to from American ciders. 

Flavors and drinking experience: medium-low acid, cooked fruit, tannins, sparkly

I had this cider after dinner and a long day of walking over and through Glasgow. The flavor reminds me very much of cooked apples. It’s mellow and sweet, offering up medium-low acid. I was surprised to find medium high level of sparkle.


I enjoyed the warm fruit flavor, also the notes of grain and the nice tannic mouthfeel. These elements balance one another reasonably well. It was relaxing and refreshing on its own. I think this cider could pair well with a number of spicy foods because sweetness can be the perfect antidote to spice. I enjoyed it in summer, but I think this sort of profile would taste even better on a cold winter’s night. 

Cider Review: Angry Orchard's Walden Hollow and approaching Cider Week!

Apple harvest has finally come! Perhaps the busy orchardists weren't waiting so impatiently, but I feel like I've been counting the weeks until I can start eating my favorite fresh apples. And at the same time, cider makers near me are getting ready for Cider Week in a number of locations. 

Cider Week FLX will be October 1-9: http://www.ciderweekflx.com/

Actually, I did a guest blog post rounding up some tastings happening during cider week, all of which feature more than one local Finger Lakes Region Cidermaker: http://www.ciderweekflx.com/a-round-up-of-finger-lakes-cider-week-round-ups/

I'll be guest pouring at Embark Ciderworks' Cider Fest on September 30th in Williamson, New York: https://www.facebook.com/events/1076952362353422/

Cider Week NYC will be October 21st-30th: http://ciderweeknyc.com/

But I know that Cider Guide keeps much closer tabs on cider festivals than I do, so please check out his listings here to find out the nearest cider celebrations to your neck of the woods: https://ciderguide.com/cider-festivals/

Angry Orchard

http://www.angryorchard.com/

I have more previous reviews than I'm going to share

Stone Dry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/10/cider-review-angry-orchard-stone-dry.html

Knotty Pear: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/06/cider-review-angry-orchards-knotty-pear.html

Elderflower: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/06/cider-review-angry-orchards-elderflower.html

Today, I'm sharing my review of Angry Orchard's Walden Hollow.

"A mildly tannic, off dry cider that showcases the diversity, complexity, and depth of character of New York State apples." 8% ABV

And Angry Orchard kindly lists the apples used for this cider, "New York Apple Varieties: Rome, Jonathan, Macintosh, Newton Pippin, Golden Russet, Rhode Island Greening."

Going into a little more detail I found this.

 Walden Hollow is an annual vintage cider made with our cider maker’s choice of heirloom New York state apples varieties, including apples from the Angry Orchard in Walden, NY. The 2016 edition is a mildly tannic, off dry cider with intense apple aroma and notes of butterscotch and almond. The cider makers wanted to capture the essence of wild fermentation, but without the funkiness or sour qualities sometimes associated with the process. 

Appearance: hazy, grassy yellow, some visible bubbles

Color is grass—pale yellow with a distinctly green note. Interestingly, this isn't a purely shining brilliant cider; its just a touch hazy.

Aromas: Bread dough, apples, yeast

I like how bready, yeasty,  and appley this cider smells. What makes it striking isn't the individual notes but how each of those things distinctly. I don't know if I have ever smelled  cider that reminds me of fresh bread dough. There's just a little sourness in the array of smells. Overall these aromas are excellent.

Sweetness/dryness: semi dry

This can be accurately described as a semi-dry cider, and I appreciate the accuracy of the official descriptions thus far.

Flavors and drinking experience: high acid, medium tannins, clean fermentation, short finish

Like lots of ciders with New York state fruit, this cider tastes very tart because of its high acid. First, I get an initial malic sweetness, then a quick wave of tannins, with a gentle slightly caramelly finish. It stimulates lots of salivary action. Quite good, but a little curiously light bodied. There's not a lot of heft for so bready a cider. 

Interestingly, I can taste something that reads as cooling in the taste (it reminds me of some  Vandermill ciders in this feature). The Walden Hollow hits notes that feel "low" in the mouth. The cider is very clean. I had expected a warmer, funkier, longer-lasting effect based on the aromas, but this is a sleek and clean beverage. What lingers longest is actually the bright acid. 

I find this cider enjoyable; I'm grateful that it brings some complexities,The label points out its 8% ABV but the cider doesn't come across as boozy. I'd have guessed a lower ABV myself. It offers some bubble action with low to medium intensity of small bubbles. They meld in sensation with the high acidity. Big sips have nice plum and plumskin notes.

This was lovely on my porch with my last tomato galette of the season and corn on the cob, but I could also see pairing it with richer foods to give the acid something weighty to counterbalance. All in all, a very nice beverage. I look forward to the next Cider House Series offering.