Cider Review: Portland Cider Co.'s Imperial Abbey Apple Cider

Another whirlwind of holiday and birthday fun has come and gone. This past week has been full of movies, food, friends, family, dice rolling, and yes, cider. When a mysterious cider package arrives when your house is filled with family, of course you have to open up it up and show everything off. Portland Cider Co. was kind enough to surprise me with a cider arrival just before Thanksgiving! 

What I know about Portland Cider Co. is that this company is wild for flavor combinations and experimentation. The company uses Northwest apples but a whole slew of additional flavor elements. Over the years, I’ve tasted their take on peach, pineapple, pumpkin, and more.

I’ve reviewed a slew of Portland Cider Co.’s offering in the past decade. Here’s the rundown.

Bloody Hell: https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2021/07/cider-review-portland-cider-cos-bloody.html

Lemon-Lime Ciderade: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2021/06/cider-review-portland-cider-companys.html

Crangerine: https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/12/cider-review-portland-cider-companys.html

Razzberry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/06/cider-review-once-upon-tree-wild-flight.html

Peach Berry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/04/cider-review-portland-cider-companys.html

Kinda Dry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/05/cider-review-portland-cider-company.html

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

Cranberry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/03/cider-review-seed-stone-cidery-heritage.html

Pumpkin Spice: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/10/cider-review-portland-cider-co-pumpkin.html

Pineapple Rose: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/07/cider-reviews-portland-cider-cos.html

Get the full scoop online from Portland Cider Co. directly. Here’s a link to the cidery website: https://www.portlandcider.com/home

My review today is for Portland Cider Co.’s Imperial Abbey Apple. Here’s how the cidery describes this release.

Juicy & bright Belgian-inspired Northwest Apple Cider

Expertly crafted by our cider makers in a unique Belgian-style cider, Abbey Apple showcases Northwest apples fermented with Belgian ale yeast. The result is a smooth, full-bodied cider with a bright, juicy finish. 8.4% ABV

Tasting Notes

Juicy, bright, subtle banana and clove, tropical aromas, unique finish.

Food Pairings

Shepherd’s pie, dark chocolate cake, spicy thai basil chicken, roasted vegetables

Ingredients

NW apples

Belgian ale yeast 

Always Gluten Free

Appearance: shining, mild warm straw, no visible bubbles

This is a lovely cider with a gentle warm straw hue. I don’t see any haze or bubbles. It’s brilliant and almost still in appearance. I do expect that I’ll find bubbles once I taste the cider.

Aromas: yeast, cheddar, bread, candied sugar, apple

The Imperial Abbey Apple Cider smells yeasty a little cheddar funk. This is undoubtedly the Belgian Beer style coming through. The aroma initially reminds me of bread but also of dark candied sugar. It’s fascinating! I do get some apple notes, but the are secondary to the yeast character.

Sweetness/Dryness: Semi-sweet

This cider is semi-sweet, but it’s also got some bitterness that add complexity.

Flavors and drinking experience: Bittersweet, belgian-beer influenced, full bodied, high acid

This is a cider for beer lovers, specifically for Belgian beer lovers! The Imperial Abbey Ale’s taste is notably bittersweet with a fun balance of these two elements. The Belgian ale yeast profile is prominent. The cider comes across petilliant and full bodied with that heavy imperial ABV.

There’s plenty of malic acid and apple present, but neither are as powerful as the yeast flavors. I find it pleasingly complex. This would be a perfect pairing for a hot plate of fish and chips. 

As we head into the darker days and longer nights approaching the northern hemisphere’s Winter Solstice, don’t forget to give yourself quiet cozy time to hibernate! 

Cider Roundup: Berkshire Cider Project

This weekend I traveled to North Adams, Massachusetts to see dear college friends, Kraftwerk, and Mass MoCA. All were amazing. It was a remarkably excellent time. The Berkshires are  beautiful, and I loved seeing these wonderful friends. Kraftwerk put on a heck of a show, plus we saw a black bear! 

And though this is not an art blog at all, I have to say that I loved MASS MoCA. It’s a museum with a sense of scale unlike any other. It's worth a longer trip, just to experience this amazing place. My favorite art experience had to be encountering Marc Swason’s “A Memorial to Ice at the Dead Deer Disco.” I recommend checking it out: https://massmoca.org/event/marc-swanson-a-memorial-to-ice-at-the-dead-deer-disco/

And I had the pleasure of visiting the Berkshire Cider Project as well. 

Here’s what the folks say about themselves online:

Berkshire Cider Project was founded by wife and husband team, Kat Hand  and Matt Brogan. Our cidermaking is inspired by the art, agriculture and community that makes our region so special.

We opened July 2020 located at the beautiful Greylock WORKS facility on State Road – a former textile mill turned event venue, co-working space and food incubator.

Kat manages our business while maintaining a consulting role in corporate sustainability. Matt is our head cidermaker after a career as an architectural consultant for performing arts centers and theatres.

 

I recommend visiting the project’s website (and if you can the tasting room): https://www.berkshire-cider.com/

My tall companion and I tried these several; here were my favorite four!

Bittersweet:

I loved the Bittersweet This cider’s nose was subtly twiggy, with notes of wet forest leaves, vanilla, and lemon. It tasted delicious! I found The Bitterwsweet petillant, nearly still, dry and very tannic. It did have enough acid to balance out the tannins, but it's unambiguously tannin-forward. Something about the cider came across as warm—not in a boozy way but rather in a full-bodied, round way.

Windy Hill: 

This cider is barrel aged for 10 months in neutral oak barrels, and it's a wild ferment! The cider’s aromas were all caramel, cinnamon, and stone. It tasted high acid with heavy minerality plus barrel, with some nice toastiness of breadcrumb and pollen. This cider also brings lots of tannins to the table—mostly from the barrel—they are pleasant and not overpowering. The Windy Hill is a dry cider but still wafts a pleasant caramel illusion of sweetness due to barrel notes.

Hancock Shaker Village 2020:

This cider smelled stronger and more vibrant than some. I loved the notes of cooked fruit with just a little funk. This cider brings the acid! It’s twisty and gnarled like a thin branch of a tree buffeted by wind. I found it massively interesting and rewarding. My companion suggests sipping this one slowly. Again, there’s no sweetness, not too much cottony tannins, but the bitter notes linger. It’s funky in a smoky, baconlike, British profile way. Definitely a winner.

Dry:

This is the first of their cidres I tried because it was an interesting option at a local restaurant The cider immediately comes with farm, funk, mildly reductive lemon scents. Secondarily, I can notice white flowers, green grapes and black pepper on the nose. The wild and farmy notes blow off quickly in a wide-mouth glass. The Dry tastes unsurprisingly tannic and dry.This cider blasts with high acidity that comes across with a citrus flavor. I found the body pleasantly light with some little cottony mouth drying tannins. The flavors slowly blooms to remind me of pears just before a clean finish with a sweet aftertaste. The most surprising flavor was a flash of sunflower seeds. Some funk is present but very controlled. 

This is a strong lineup! Berkshire Cider Project has lots of other fun ciders many of which are more sour and funky than the ones I highlighted. I recommend investigating if you have the chance. I brought a few more ciders home that I wasn’t able to sample in the tasting room, so I’m looking forward to sharing those reviews in the coming months. 

Cider Review: Stormalong's Bittersweet Symphonie

I need something cozy, cider friends! It’s time for veggie chili, warm blankets, scary movies and rich satisfying cider. This shift to dark chilly mornings still feels very new to me, but I know it’s time to settle in for a long season or two of blustery weather. That’s why I knew it was time to break out a can of Stormalong Cider’s Bittersweet Symphonie.

Stormalong Cider was kind enough to share this cider with me as a review sample. As always, review samples are much appreciated but do not sway my opinion of a cider or necessarily guarantee a review. I do try to review as much as I can though. Stormalong is based in Massachusetts, where this company has been making cider since 2014. I’ve reviewed almost as many of Stormalong’s ciders as I’ve tasted. The cidery’s range of styles is impressive as is the consistent quality. I think of Stormalong as a reliable favorite, and I look forward to new releases.

Check out Stormalong Cider online and see new releases and info on all things Stormalong: http://stormalong.com/.

Here’s the rundown of my Stormalong reviews.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I knew to be excited about this cider because it won big at GLINTCAP. Bittersweet Symphonie got 3rd place Best in Class 2021 in Traditional Dry and took a Gold medal. That’s a great category and a high honor, so I’m hoping for something wonderful.  

Here’s Stormalong’s official description for the Bittersweet Symphonie:

This cider is made with a blend of British bittersweet cider apples that are high in tannin and low in acid. This batch is finished in the French style where some cider is left unfermented retaining residual sweetness.

FLAVOR: Rich, Complex Tannins, Finishing with a Hint of Sweet Apple Flavor

APPLES: Ashton Bitter, Ellis Bitter, Dabinett, Yarlington Mill, Chisel Jersey

The website shows the cider clocking in with a sweetness level between dry and medium dry. 

Appearance: bright caramel, brilliant, intense color, few visible bubbles

This cider looks like a brilliant bright caramel. The Bittersweet Symphonie brings intense color but few bubbles to the pour. I recommend pouring it into a glass rather than drinking it from the can. This cider is too pretty to hide!

Aromas: apple sauce, spices, caramel

This smells like mellow homemade applesauce gentle spiced with baking spices. I get notes of caramel, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Sweetness/dryness: semi-dry

The Bittersweet Symphonie  is almost semi-sweet, but I think it comes out semi-dry in the end. 

Flavors and drinking experience: cooked apples,  custard, vanilla, tannic

What a lovely and gentle ride. This cider is mellow yet tannic. It has enough acid to keep from going floppy, but it’s never pointed. I love how the Bittersweet Symphonie is balanced yet dynamic. The experience changes and rolls across my palate, but it’s not jarring.

I can taste so much of what I smelled: applesauce, baking spices and caramel. The extra dimension is very much one of rich and full mouthfeel. I’m completely into this! The finish is long and lovely. The bubbles lift up the layers of flavor, but they don’t ever dominate the experience. 

I paired my cider with the last session of my online legend tripping class. A complex cider like this does go well with thoughtful camaraderie, curiosity, and expanding one’s worldview! It could also go beautifully with a tray of roasted veggies, sharp cheddar, and hearty bread. It’s a winner either way! 

Cider Review: 2 Towns Ciderhouse's Cidre Bouché French Style Keeved Cider

Today, I want to raise my glass to a cidery stretching its own boundaries and doing a lot with its multiple different lines of ciders. To this end, today's review is of 2 Towns Ciderhouse Cidre Bouché from the Traditions line.

2 Towns Ciderhouse is a cidery based in Oregon, started by Lee Larsen and Aaron Sarnoff-Wood . They've been producing ciders since 2010. Their focus is very local and process oriented. I've had the honor of meeting lots of folks from 2 Towns at various cider event over the past five years. When describing their approach to making cider, the website emphasizes that 2 Towns Cider house does not use any artificial flavors, concentrates, or processed sugars. 

To focus in a bit more on the Traditions lineup, I read more about it on the company website, learning that it focuses on heirloom apples, barrel aging, and other historically inspired cider-making techniques. I received this sample of the Cidre Bouché for review and didn't pay for it. But, when i get the chance to buy 2 Towns Ciders, I also do.

Find out more about the Traditions line, as well as their Flagship and Seasonal ciders online:

https://2townsciderhouse.com

My previous reviews for 2 Towns Cider House have included:

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

and the Brightcider was part of my roundup of vacation ciders: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/07/cider-review-roundup-common-cider-co.html

To be prepared for the Cidre Bouché, I read the official description to see exactly what french style means to 2 Towns Ciderhouse. Here it is:

Inspired by the bittersweet ciders of France, Cidre Bouché is made using an old-world process called keeving. Starting with 100% traditional cider varieties like Kingston Black, Michelin, Reine des Pommes, Dabinett and Muscat de Lense, we let the fruit ‘sweat’ and intensify in aroma. The apples are crushed and left to soak on the skins before the juice is fermented slowly over the course of a year, and aged in French oak casks. When finished, this keeved cider is rich, thick, and brimming with overripe bittersweet apple character. 6.9%ABV

Appearance: dark red, hazy, very very bubbly

This photo is totally unfiltered. The cider really is this dark and intensely autumn colored. The shade reminds me of strong tea and falling leaves. I'd call the cider slightly hazy and very very bubbly, which I hope comes through in the picture.

Aromas: overripe apples, leather, hay

I smell those bittersweet apples like whoa. Notes include leather, overripe apples, lemons, hay, and something woody. You could also say applesauce and a cedar aftershave. This is a gentle mellow and rich set of smells. Holy anticipation.

Sweetness/dryness: semi-sweet

This semi-sweet cider still has bitterness, and in the best possible way. I think folks who like semi-sweet ciders will enjoy it, but as a habitual dry drinker, I also find it very satisfying.

Flavors and drinking experience: rich overripe apples, bubbles, full mouthfeel

Wow! Wow wow wow. I know, that's not terribly informative or articulate, but I need to lead with that holistic first impression.This cider offers up high tannins, medium low acidity, and a rich full mouthfeel. The Cidre Bouché is very much like a french cider, but somehow just a bit more balanced with acid and very freshly bubbly.

I paired this cider with a rustic bean and vegetable stew topped with fresh green onions. The stew emphasized acidity and strong salty, earthy flavors. The rich and sweet cider made for the perfect counterpoint. To say I recommend this pairing, or something like it, would be an understatement.

This is without any doubt my favorite cider from 2 Towns Ciderhouse. They consistently make innovative and drinkable ciders, but this one stands head and shoulders above the rest. They really knew just what to do with those bittersweet apples. Yum!

Cider Review: Foggy Ridge Cider's Serious Cider

I love living in cider country. There are many quality cider makers working less than an hour from my porch. They release new cider several times a year. We have a most excellent cider week.There's a lot of be grateful for, but its no excuse for me not to know about serious cidermakers from other places. So, I'm excited to share my review of a cider I tried on a trip to New York City a while ago. 

To set the scene, it was an unseasonably cool and gray day for being a tourist, and I knew someplace that would feel warm and welcoming and gorgeous while having a stellar cider selection. So, I made plans to meet up with a friend at Gramercy Tavern (http://www.gramercytavern.com/) to get to know the cider menu. 

Gramercy Tavern is everything I hoped it would be: comfortable and welcoming yet decadent. There, I was able to try a few cider I'd not seen elsewhere. This is how I got my hands on a Foggy Ridge Cider. The only downside was that the lighting was not very conducive to reasonable pictures. Please accept some my one relevant picture with mercy.

Foggy Ridge Cider makes serious cider, so much so that they've named one of their ciders that. Diane Flynt grows cider apples in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and Foggy Ridge has been her cider company since 1997. For them, its all about apple variety and bringing out what's inside the apple rather than additional flavor notes from any other source. You can read more about Foggy Ridge on the website here:

http://foggyridgecider.com/

I'm including the "Cidermaker Notes" on Serious Cider so we can know how it is being introduced: "Rich apple and citrus aroma with a touch of apricot and jasmine blossoms. Serious Cider is bright and lively with a creamy mid-palate. Full bodied with soft minerality and hints of peach skin and lime zest. Focused acidity combined with textured, dusty tannin create a long and pleasantly dry finish."

Here's a bit more background, including apple varieties:

Foggy Ridge Cider grows many "spitters"—high tannin apples that taste like unripe persimmons but contribute tannin to all our cider blends, especially Serious Cider, our most dry hard cider. Classic English cider apples like Tremlett's Bitter and Dabinett combine with fruity aromatic varieties such as Grimes Golden, Newtown Pippin and Gold Rush to create a cider that drinks like Brut Champagne.

Some cider geeks might experience some mouth watering just at reading those variety names. I am definitely in that group, so my expectations were pretty elevated before a glass even reached my table.

Appearance:  brilliant, no visible bubbles, yellow green

I enjoy this pale shade of greenish yellow. Its the paler version of chartreuse. Or how I imagine undersea treasure to look.

Aromas: savory, peppery, warm applesauce

It is obvious that this cider will have high levels of tannin from the fascinatings smells. Its so savory! Do I smell pepperiness or even something like smoke? All this amid gentle warm applesauce aromas. Even if I hadn't read the apple varieties, these scents say russets and bitters.

Sweetness/dryness: dry

Serious indeed! This cider is dry and just so filled with flavor! This might be a bit much for someone new to cider, but what a delight!

Flavors and drinking experience: high tannin, balanced, just a little funky

Quite high tannins and piquantly strong acid make this cider decadently exciting. The  astringence is pleasant and the finish lasts forever. I'd say its almost assuredly bottle conditioned in that its gently sparkling but very finely so. The finish remains unchanging for a very very long fade of flavor. This just lingers forever. Wow! As Alex said, it makes memories  

In terms of flavors, there's a friendly ghost of apple bitterness peel and core. The Serious Cider remains interesting and well balanced if a slight challenge for someone who doesn't like intensity. The acidity makes it a bit more than tart and maybe even ever so slightly funky but neither farmy nor off kilter.

Yes, this cider is serious. It would be sorted into house Ravenclaw. But so deliciusly appealingly serious. Drink this with a good book or a smart companion. This cider deserves it.

Cider Review: Strongbow Honey Hard Apple Cider and my 33 Book Co. Cider Tasting Mug

About 14 years ago, I tried my first cider. It was a Strongbow, consumed at the Uni Pub at the University of East Anglia. I had a taste of someone else's cider and then chose to have mine adulterated...ahem with black currant squash and cheap lager. Not my proudest moment, but I'm glad to say that my tastes and cider experiences have expanded greatly since 2002. Yet I owe so much to that first taste and therefore to Strongbow. Yet this is my first Strongbow review.

Bulmer's has been sellling Strongbow cider since 1962, but the product I first tasted, the dry can no longer be bought in the United States. They replaced it with a number of sweeter alternatives. Some fans are concerned.

You can visit the Strongbow website at: http://www.strongbow.com/en-us

When visiting the website, I watched and abrupt and strange advertisement that shows an exageratedly American announcer firing Patrick-Freaking-Stewart (<3) because the only thing Strongbow needs is ice. This preceded the slogan "Bestest over ice." My reading between the lines (rudimentary though it is) reveals a connection to the bottled cider poured over ice boom in the UK in the early 2000s and targeting of internet-familiar millennials. 

But let's zoom in to tonight's review; I'm reviewing Strongbow Honey Apple Cider. This is one of the sweeter ciders that first replaced the dry for the United States market.

Here's how Strongbow describes it, "Honey on the nose and sweet on the tongue with a refreshing, fruity finish. 5% ABV. Gluten Free. 100% Kosher. 195 calories per 11.2 fl. oz.

Available in 6-packs and our 12-pack Variety Pack."

But going beyond those basics were a few more interesting descriptors

Underneath a nose icon in the experience heading: "An aromatic array of crisp-tasting apples, which mingle with the scent of other fruits before returning to hints of apple, honey and flowers."

White the text under the mouth icon: "A smooth body and a length on the palate that develop around a wealth of aromas and flavors to reach its peak before gently fading after each taste."

Now the time has come for me to find out for myself.

I poured my Strongbow Honey Apple Hard Cider in a tasting mug by 33 Books Co.  

If you want to check out the mug, please look here: http://www.33books.com/collections/tasting-tools/products/the-original-cider-tasting-mug

Appearance: tea, brilliant, plenty of bubbles creating a ring

Poured into the cider mug, it appears much darker and richer than it looks in the clear glass bottle. Instead of looking a dark straw color it becomes the color of a well steeped black tea. Both was the clarity is brilliant. I can see a pronounced ring of bubbles at the top of my mug.

Aromas: pureed apricot, black cherry, pineapple

Whoa. This cider smells so much like puréed apricots that I can scarcely believe it. Secondarily I smell ripe black cherries and pineapple. All of these juicier showier fruits hide any hint of apple.

Sweetness/dryness: Sweet

The sweetness would be pointless to deny in this cider. It simply is sweet. Its a very fruity kind of sweet rather than caramelly, boozy, or chemical.

Flavors and drinking experience: tropical fruit, peach, medium sparkle, good mouthfeel

The Strongbow cider tastes very much like it smells. My overwhelming impression is one of tropical fruits.  The cider is sweet with a pleasant kick of fruity acid. In a way I'm reminded of fancy peach sodas. It offers a nice level of bubble. The cider rumbles over the palate with a full body because of the sweetness. I paired my glass with a flavor bomb: I chose a Mexican jacketed potato because of the powerful flavors and spicy food, turn the sweetness into pleasant relief.

This doesn't taste like a typical English cider, but also its not quite like a mainstream commercially produced American cider in style either. The Strongbow Honey offers something different and in some ways in between. The mouthfeel is fully and the acidity less biting than american, but the base of tannins usually so key to English ciders is overshadowed by the tropical fruitiness.

The website offers some pairing with snacks including goat or blue cheese, meals including meatballs, or salmon, or a dessert including either honey or pair. I ignored these suggestions going with my own rule of thumb for sweet ciders, pair with highly flavored spicy foods. So I had a big bowl of mexican veggies with queso over a baked potatoe  (so many veggies and so much queso that you cannot see the potato). That works. I'll stick by my rule rather than pairing like with like or even some of the nice suggestions by the Strongbow folks. 

Cider Review: Wandering Aengus Cider's Dry Oaked

So, it's time for a first but also a second for Along Came A Cider. This is the first time I've gone back and reviewed a second bottling of the same cider. In this case, I'm returning to Wandering Aengus' Dry Oaked Cider. This is a pleasure for me because I so enjoyed the 2011 Dry Oaked.

If  you want to compare the two, start with the previous review:  http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/11/cider-review-wandering-aengus-dry-oaked.html 

Or, for even more context, one of my very first cider reviews was of Wandering Aengus' Bloom:
http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/01/cider-review-wander-aengus-bloom.html

This is what the reverse of the Dry Oaked's bottle says about the cider, "Wandering Aengus Ciders are crafted from blends of traditional cider apple varietals renowned for their complexity.Oaked Dry is a blend of bittersweets and sharps that offer rich tannins and spicy aromas with a mild oak finish. This sophisticated dry cider pairs well with rich and aromatic foods: prosciutto, salami, or stinky cheeses. Orchards: Bittersweets: Newberg, Culver & Salem, Oregon Sharps: Hood River and Ashland, Oregon"

This vintage of Wandering Aengus Cider's Dry Oaked was Bottled June 2012 and hasan ABV of 8.0%  A bottling of this cider won a 2015 GLINTCAP gold in english style category. 

Appearance: clear, glowing embers, few visible bubbles

Wow, look at how dark this color is! It is the only cider I've seen that looks to me like glowing embers in winter hearth.

Aromas: Boozy, soft, and appley

This smells like wets apple skin, alcohol, and firewood. Even if I didn't know something of what was coming, these aromas would clue me into the tannins of this cider. It even smells the tiniest bit like iron.

Dryness/sweetness: DRY!

This dry is a true dry.It's more astringent and velvety than most ciders, and that makes me love it.

Flavors and drinking experience: oaky, dry, tannic, rich and complex

This tastes very oaked. I know fire keeps touching the sensory impressions I have of this cider, but somehow the oakiness seems like oaky charcoal in a pleasing and good way. Or at least the wood near the charcoal. It is both highly tannic and moderately acidic. This combination gets some serious salivary gland action.

But this cider isn't just sensation; the flavors build a complex yet unified whole. The initial oakiness graciously gives way to lighter flavors like lemongrass and green tea. In the background I get just a little bit of phenols and turpentine. 

Texturally, the cider gives mild carbonation. Its rich mouthfeel is distinctly not caramel but rather buttered toast. I love what a slow drinking thoughtful cider this is. Have the Wandering Aengus with blue cheese, fig, roasted onion, perhaps altogether on foccacia. 

This cider is perfect for a long discussion of anything enjoyable and just a little decadent. 

Cider Review: Left Field Cider Company's Big Dry

Apologies for the brief absence. Somehow my birthday and Thanksgiving snuck up on me this year, and all of a sudden I was in the mountains of Vermont with internet or phone signal. But, now I'm well fed and back in town with some exciting new ciders to try over the next several months.

But that's not the real story today. Canada is the story for today. Specifically, I am thrilled to have found a cider from British Columbia! I took myself to The Cellar D'Or for my birthday shopping, and I found so many things I'd not seen before. Among them a cider with a moose on its label, which had to be a sign as I'd be spending Thanksgiving at Wandering Moose Ridge. It's by Left Field Cider Co. out of British Columbia.

Left Field Cider was founded in British Columbia in 2011. Their tasting room this time of year is by appointment but hold regular hours in summer.

The website talks about how the cidermakers Kate, Gord, and Theresa all learned to make cider and places them in a specific lineage. This matters because the lineage is such a stellar one: Peter Mitchell's cider making course for all three and then an apprenticeship for Kate in England with Mike Johnson from Ross-On-Wye. These folks are superstars in the cider world, so it is a big deal to have trained with them. Left Field Cider Company is making a smart choice to highlight this, if you ask me. 

My source for this information and for what's below, is the Left Field Cider Company's website: http://www.leftfieldcider.com

The site has great photography and a simple layout that is not overly stylized.


Their section called "Real Cider 101" makes a basic and unvarnished statement on an ongoing discussion in the cider world. Is there such a thing as real or fake cider and if so, what is real cider? Here's what Left Field Cider Company says:

With a young market there is a huge opportunity to educate consumers about ‘real cider’ and what makes it so special. There are many definitions of what makes a ‘real cider’ but for us at Left Field Cider Co. it’s all about the apples.

If it’s made out of fermented apples, it’s "real cider," if it’s made with artificial flavours, fruit juice concentrate and who knows what else, it simply is not "real cider."

Good to know!
 
Today I'm reviewing Left Field Cider Company's driest offering, the Big Dry. This is how Left Field cider describes their Big Dry, "Dry Sparkling Cider 500 ml — 7.2% alc. Our driest cider will attract those looking for a more traditional style cider. The blend is dominated by bittersweet cider apples whose rich tannins are balanced by the fruity aromatics of Okanagan dessert apples."

Appearance: light greenish gold, high clarity, plenty of bubble action

In the glass, this cider looks very light and almost greenish. It reminds me of the first shoots of green plant life in spring with that brightness of white and yellow alongside the green. As the photo shows, lots of bubbles appear to play in the cider.

Aromas: lemon, dust, apple 


This cider shows a medium intensity of aroma. Left Field Cider's Big Dry gives off notes of lemon, apple, dust, and a hint of grainy yeast aroma. The most specific smell reminded me of apple slices rubbed with lemon. 

Flavors and drinking experience: peppery, lemon, very light mouthfeel

The Big Dry brings a lot of lemon flavor, but its not too sour. It tastes pleasantly peppery, with some mineral water flavor. This is strongly sparkling, definitely as a result of forced carbonation. The cider has high acid, but remains surprisingly smooth. The flavors round out nicely in a clean clean finish with a little apple "goodbye."  There is one odd grainy note in the breathe just before the first sip: someplace between smelling and tasting, but it isn't too distracting. Overall, I find this cider pleasantly dry with a very light body but not more than a little bitterness.

My husband and I shared our 500ml bottle while eating our last plate of Thanksgiving leftovers: my own vegetarian dressing, Gardein Beefless Tips, and some green bean casserole (don't judge me) followed by the best pumpkin cake ever created.

These dishes would have been a little on the heavy and salty side, expect that this cider not only complemented it, the cider improved the overall meal substantially! 

Cider Review: Redbyrd Orchard Cider's Wild Pippin

In October, I got an amazing opportunity to take part in a media and trade tour for cider in the Finger Lakes region. Taste NY (http://taste.ny.gov/) and the New York Cider Association (http://www.nycider.com/hardciderwine.htm) put this together. They did just a brilliant job. Even though I've been part of the cider industry of the Finger Lakes since I moved here in 2013, I feel like I learned so many new things about the cider production realities and possibilities unique to the Finger Lakes. Amazing!

This picture is of a row of the relatively young trees at Redbyrd Orchard Cider. These are being trained in the slender spindle style to encourage them to bear fruit early and grow in a relatively stable and secure way. It largely involves training the branches downward because branch position relative to the trunk of the apple tree gives signals to the tree about how much fruit to set. Interesting stuff. This farm is also focusing on biodynamic farming that involves other farm projects all being designed and chosen to mutually support one another, in this case chickens and sheep along with apple trees to create natural fertilizer, control pests, and feed livestock all at the same time.

But tonight's post isn't just to talk about what an educational (and tasty) time I had learning about local ciders. I actually want to talk about one specific cider that I tried from Redbyrd Orchard Cider: the Wild Pippin.  (You can connect with them on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/RedbyrdOrchardCider.)

To zoom out a bit Redbyrd Orchard cider describes themselves as, "Cider made from sustainably managed orchards nestled in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York." The business belongs to a wife and husband team Eric Shatt and Deva Maas. Their website offers more information about their process and descriptions of all of their past and present ciders at http://redbyrdorchardcider.com/.  My own previous review of their Starblossom cider can be found here: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/10/finger-lakes-cider-week-special-review.html.

Of everything I tried by Redbyrd Orchard Ciders, the cider that stood out the most to me by far. In fact, this stood out so much that it became my Thanksgiving cider.  Before I give my own impressions, let's take a look at the writeup by Redbyrd Orchard Ciders.

Wild Pippin is a rare and unique blend of 100% wild gathered apples.  Every year we search the country side around the Finger Lakes for wild apple trees that we feel will add complexity and “wildness” to our ciders.  This year we found plenty, and blended them into most of our ciders and made “Wild Pippin”, a crafted blend of sharp, and bitter sharp wild-grown seedling  apples.  We will likely graft and grow out the best of these varieties to plant in our orchard for future ciders.  Will the grafted clones act and taste the same as their wild parents? After primary fermentation we aged the cider in French oak barrels just long enough to integrate this nice rustic character into the cider.  We finished the cider with an in bottle secondary fermentation to add elegant and creamy carbonation to balance its wild acidity…enjoy!!    pH 3.5,  approx. TA 0.8, RS 0.0%, 8.2% alc/vol    Bottle Conditioned

I'm thrilled to see this much information in a cider description, especially specifics like residual sugar (often abbreviated to RS) and total acidity (TA for short) and pH in addition the alcohol by volume. These numbers indicate to me that I should expect a completely dry cider, with some lively acidity and a relatively high alcohol level. What I don't know is what notes the wild apples will impart or how a short period of time in french oak will affect the cider.

 
Appearance: Robust butternut squash color, bubbles, brilliant

I'm afraid this picture does not do the cider justice, but in all of the hubbub of preparing for Thanksgiving Dinner, I didn't have time for a full photo shoot. You can see tons of very fine bubbles all along the glass and many moving within the cider. No haze to speak of. The cider is a rich yellow orange very reminiscent of uncooked butternut squash.

Aroma: Spicy! Herbal!

Whoa! Both times I've had this cider, I noticed the savory nature of the aromas immediately. It doesn't smell like fruit, it smells like herbs and spices. Very interesting and different.

Dryness/Sweetness: Bone dry yet flavorful

0.0 Residual sugar does not lie. There isn't any sweetness going on here. But, counter to many expectations, lack of sugar does not mean lack of intense flavor. But let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Flavors and drinking experience: Peppercorns, squash, grapefruit and more spice

Complex and unusual doesn't even begin to describe how truly wild this cider tastes. The predominant flavor for me is peppercorns. It is spicy and savory all the way. After that, I can begin to taste grapefruit, squash, lemon, poppyseed, fennel, and just a raw zesty green-ness. The bottle conditioning comes across clearly in how fine and intense the bubbles are. The acidity is strong but not out of control. But I cannot emphasize enough that this cider tastes savory.  

What I find hard to describe is how balanced the Wild Pippin tastes while still being so feral and distinctive. I absolutely adore this cider. It really pushes our perceptions and expectations about cider while at the same time being drinkable and incredibly pleasing.

As for how this paired with Thanksgiving? Excellently and just as I'd hoped. A very bubbly cider cuts through the richness of many traditional Thanksgiving dishes like mashed potatoes, turkey (for meat eaters), and buttery sauteed mushrooms. Acidity further extends the lightening and brightening effect of this cider which pairs well with my cold cranberry relish.

Cider Review: AppelTreow Barnswallow Draft Cider

Winter is a busy time for the cider industry and for us hardcore fans. This sounds weird and the exact opposite of what most folks would expect because cider is a fermented agricultural product and so when things aren't growing we should be less busy. But this isn't the case because cider fits so many acitivites into this "off" season that winter has definitely caught up to spring and summer. People do tremendous amounts of orchard maintenance, planning, fermenting, tasting, competing and selling in the winter. Lately, I've been pleasantly embroiled in a few of these activities myself, and it's pretty neat stuff.

During a brief break, I did get to try cider from a part of the United States whose ciders I know much less well. I found a bottle of AeppelTreow's Barnswallow Draft cider. AeppelTroeow comes from its own winery/cidery/distillery in Wisconsin. You can read a bit about the products and processes on the company's website: http://aeppeltreow.com. The website has some useful information, but it is a bit more perfunctory than inspiring. More thrillingly, they do have a tasting room, so one can go visit AeppelTreow when in Wisconsin.

In looking at how AeppelTreow describes its own identity as a cider producer, here is the bullet list of points they emphasize online.

• Use of locally grown fruits and crops.
• Use of special purpose, heirloom cultivars.
• A minimalist production approach
• A lighter style that lets the subtle flavors come through.

I love how specific this list is. It really gives me a set of expectations for the cider and for their brand. Beyond the list, this is what AppelTreow says about themselves: "We back up this philosophy with great carry-through resulting is very drinkable products. We support it with a lot of education about apple and cider history, fruit growing, even politics and chemistry." A cider maker that focuses on  educating folks about cider! Count me in. I'm really hoping that their cider lives up to the high expectations I've formed based on their promotional materials. These folks just seem like people I'd really like a lot. Hopefully there cider will be a likeable. 

So the cider I'm trying today is AeppelTreow's Barnswallow Draft Cider.

Here's what they say about it: "Crisp and refreshing, Green apple, tart, slightly bubbly." Followed by another of their bullet point lists.

• Body: Smooth
• Sweetness: 2
• Tartness: 5
• Alcohol: 6%
• Apples: Red Delicious, Cortland, Ida Red, Greenings
• Available: 750mL, 5.16 gallon keg

This is the part where I'm definitely now sure what scale they're using or exactly what those numbers mean. But I do know those apples and three out of those four are really ones I adore in cider. Greenings are especially lovely.

Appearance: Brilliant, topaz, beautiful tiny bubbles on the glass

Apologies for the cheesiness of  using my husband's music paper for a cider shot, but I couldn't resist. The cider shows total brilliance, not even a hint of haze. The color is an intense definite topaz. More yellow than many ciders but a shade more leaning into green than orange, still a relatively pale non-green yellow. This seems perfect for a November birthday girl like me. Though the photo doesn't show them perfectly, this cider does have tight little bubbles that cling to the glass.

Aromas: applesauce, overripe apples,  sweet

Smells like one of the apples involved was brought in especially for aroma. I'd guess that to be one of the dessert varieties, either the Red Delicious or the Cortland. Both provide good aroma to cider. Perhaps yeast and baking smells are a distance second. Very approachable.

Sweetness: Semi-dry or Dry with a semi-sweet finish

I agree with AeppelTreow that their ciders tend dry, but so does my palate. The start of this even has some pleasant bitterness. But by the finish, I can taste a lot more fruit and it becomes a bit sweet.

Flavors and drinking experience: bittersweet, medium low acid, mellow

I know I said a variation of this before when talking about sweetness, but it matters here too. A first sip of this cider starts with a bittersweet note that unfolds into mellow fruits. I really enjoy how it develops even in one sip. The fruits are soft and warm yet tart: like a tart apple you've let warm in your jacket pocket while taking a spring walk. Sorry to get a bit imagistic, but that's what it made me think.

The finish and aftertaste are sweet but subtle. It really does balance tartness and sweetness well. The level of carbonation is not as aggressive as even some craft producers which should suit lots of cider fans quite well as well as making the cider more appealing to those who don't usually drink cider.

AeppelTreow's Barnswallow is definitely a cider I'd drink again. I'd also happily bring it to a social gathering, though that might be a touch awkward because I have no idea how to say the cidery's name. Alas. In terms of food pairings this is a really flexible cider. You could have it with a creamy soup like I did. It worked really well that way. Or you could have it with something more casual like a hearty sandwich and good salty chips. I think the tart yet sweet combo means that many different foods would pair tastily with this cider. This makes me even more excited to try their other options.

For right now, I'd suggest drinking this cider with dinner and then bringing a second glass to the couch with a flower or seed catalog. This is the perfect time of year for dreaming of planting and planning a garden, and this cider seems just right for a little day dreaming. Happy March!

Cider Review: Redbyrd 2013 Harvest Cider

So exciting! I'm about to taste my first craft cider bottled from the 2013 harvest. I've had some tasty home brewed ciders, but Redbyrd Orchard Cider introduced their 2013 Harvest Cider more quickly than any other offerings from this year's bumper crop of apples.  

First through a bit about Redbyrd Orchards. They are a very farm and orchard oriented cider company. They are also very small, independent, and locally oriented. All good things in my book. You can read about their ciders, process, and philosophy on their website: http://redbyrdorchardcider.com 

One of the really neat things about Redbyrd is that they have a cider CSA (it stands for Community Supported Agriculture) Their CSA shares are on sale now. What a great concept. They explain how it all works on this page:
http://redbyrdorchardcider.com/2013/12/16/best-holiday-gift-ever-cider-csa-sign-up-begins-today/

Back in the fall, during Cider Week, I did my first review of a Redbyrd Cider, their Starblossom 21012. Feel free to check out that review here: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/10/finger-lakes-cider-week-special-review.html I do a more thorough introduction to Redbyrd in that post. For now though, I'm ready to dive into this exciting new cider.

Luckily for us, Redbyrd Orchard Cider gives extensive and informative notes on all of their releases. I'll let them speak for themselves about the Harvest Cider before going into my own impressions.

2013 Harvest Cider

Tasting Notes:  Harvest Cider 2013 is a blend of our first two pressings of the 2013 harvest season.   It is rich in color with aromas of bittersweet apple, rose hips, and peach skin. In the glass, Harvest Cider is lightly sparkling, or petillant, with a palate that is clean, crisp, and ripe with fresh fruit and minerals. This cider finishes with velvety tannins and racy acidity.

Apples:  20% Browns Apple: early sharp English cider apple, aromatic

                12% Major: early bittersweet English cider apple

                12% Domaines: early bittersweet French cider apple

                8% Dolgo Crab: early Russian crabapple for color and aroma

                48% mixed early heirlooms and early bittersweet drops

Alcohol:  7.7% alc/vol.

Residual Sugar: 0.0%rs.

Production Notes:  Most ciders from the 2013 vintage will not be ready for release until late winter/early spring 2014. After primary fermentation, the cider from the first two pressings naturally clarified much quicker than usual.  Normally we wait for all of our tanks to finish fermentation to find the right blends to create balance and brightness in our ciders. These very first two tanks of cider were surprisingly balanced, aromatic, and bright, and in combination made for an early cider to be released. Racking off the top of the tanks allowed us to take only the clearest cider of each and then blend, force carbonate, and bottle. This cider is unfined and unfiltered.  This is cider in its purest form.

Alrighty, back to Along Came a Cider then. I love that Redbyrd tells us about their specific apple choices in the blend and about the process that allowed this cider to come into its own so early. Fascinating stuff. 

 
Appearance: maple, brilliant, no bubbles

This is a exceptionally dark cider. To me it looks almost like maple syrup in the glass. Perhaps this is because it is both unfined and unfiltered? Or it could have to do with the apple choices. Either way, it is striking to see.

Aromas: wood, tannins, some apple

Not a lot of apple aroma. The scent of this cider is dominated by woodiness. I can detect some minerally almost metallic notes as well. I'm definitely predicting a dry cider based on this aroma.

Sweet to dry: Absolutely bone dry

Dry, and I do mean seriously dry. But with just a tiny hint of more fruitiness in the tasting than I got from smelling the Harvest 2013 cider. If you like sweet ciders, this is not for you.

Flavors and drinking experience: Acidic!

This is just about the most sour cider I've ever tasted. The bright acidity knocks every other element out of the competition to get noticed. Yes I can still taste the woodiness and some citrus and apple fruitiness, but mostly this is an extremely zesty acidic cider. It isn't to my tastes as much as the 2012 Starblossom, honestly. But I can see some cider fans really getting into this style. I like the woodiness, but I wish it were more mellow. I do enjoy the level of carbonation on this.

What I would do though to maximize my enjoyment of this cider is to pair it with the right dish, something that needs some brightness. And believe me, this time of year there are a ton of heavy dishes that could use a pick me up. I think a creamy chowder would complement this cider very well. As for activities, pick this for snowed in night at home with just your nearest and dearest, who are presumably already cider fans. This is an unusual enough cider that you don't want to share it with any new cider converts necessarily. This is more for those who already like the more acidic and dry sides of the beverage.