Cider Review: Stowe Cider's Gin and Juice

I don’t even remember how long it’s been raining. This feels like the summer when everything is going to start growing moss, mold, or algae. I’m still grateful though because I remember drought summers here and elsewhere. I’ll take a damp 2 months over a real drought or even a dry hot Summer. But I do need to choose my ciders strategically in order to enjoy these gray drippy days. That’s where Stowe Cider’s Gin and Juice comes in. 

Stowe Cider is named after it’s home base, Stowe, Vermont. The cidery has a tasting room there that I’ve visited and enjoyed!

My 2016 visit to the tasting room: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-great-vermont-cider-tour-day-1.html

I’ve reviewed a few Stowe Ciders’ previously; here’s the list. You can find lots of background on the cidery in these earlier reviews. 

Juniper Sessions: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/11/cider-review-stowe-ciders-juniper.html

High and Dry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/08/cider-review-grand-illusion-hard-cider.html

Local Infusion Snow’s Raspberry Hard Cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/03/cider-review-angry-orchard-rose-and.html

Check out Stow Cider’s website and find out about the ciders, tastingroom, and other projects: https://www.stowecider.com/home

Here’s what I could find out about the Gin and Juice

Innovation. Collaboration. Delicious Libations.

Inside the can is an act of friendship. We paired this cider with post distillation gin botanicals from Barr Hill and sweetened the deal with a touch of Suddabee’s Honey. We like them, they like us, and everyone likes what happens when we work together. 

Enjoy this cider in the spirit of Vermont - cold, and in good company. 6.9% ABV

Appearance: medium intensity, hazy, pineapple yellow, no visible bubbles

This cider just looks refreshing straight out of the can. I know cans are convenient but I love getting to know a cider’s look and aroma more intimately with a good glass. The Gin and Juice is hazy with a medium intensity of color. The shade reminds me of fresh ripe pineapple. I didn’t see any bubbles in my glass. 

Aromas: white flowers, clover honey, green grapes, and fresh apples

The Gin and Juice smells simply mouthwatering to me. I love herbal and floral notes, and this cider opens up with a waft of white flowers. I also smell clover honey which makes sense considering the use of honey. I also get notes of fresh apples and green grapes. None of the smells are overwhelming. 

Sweetness/dryness: Semi-dry

Though the cider is described as dry on Stowe’s website, the graphic representing its sweetness on the can itself indicates something in the off-dry to drier side of semi-dry. I think the cider comes across as a semi-dry. There’s some sweetness in the flavor but not enough to take over the cider. 

Flavors and drinking experience: juicy, high acid, pineapple, herbs, grapefruit, bubbly

I’m so glad that I reached for this cider. It was warm and still night. I needed something zesty and exciting to cut through the humidity. The Gin and Juicy does in fact come across as super juicy with some very exciting high acid. The acidity feels like it’s building pleasantly, even as it becomes ear curling on the finish.

The Gin and Juice tastes like herby green plants, pineapple, grapefruit and pear. It’s wet and playful: herbal and clean. The mouthfeel is almost thick with strong bubbles.

This cider goes beautifully with spicy popcorn. It didn’t need anything more elaborate.

Cider Review: Stowe Cider's Juniper Sessions

Hi cider friends. Ordinarily I would be writing to you about cider pairings for Thanksgiving, but things are just so different this year. I’m following the advice and not travelling and not seeing family. It’s hard, but I want to keep them (and my household) safe. It’s what I can do. So, I’m not going to pretend that tradition is what’s in the cards this year. Besides, Thanksgiving is certainly a holiday that needs some reflection and change anyway. 

Instead, I want to enjoy innovation. I’m sharing my notes on Stowe Cider’s Juniper Sessions. I’ve had this cider a few times, and I tend to enjoy gin botanical infused ciders. What I just learned is that there are many different Juniper Sessions, and the one I’m reviewing today is Volume 10 Smuggler’s Notch. Now I want to track them all down and try the rest!

Stowe Cider is a small Vermont Cidery based in a ski town. I don’t get access to many Stowe ciders, but I pick them up when I visit my in-laws in Vermont and whenever I see them in our local bottle shop, I pick some up. And sometimes they send me review samples, but this is a cider I picked up for myself a while ago.

Here are Stowe Ciders’ previous appearances in this blog.

High and Dry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/08/cider-review-grand-illusion-hard-cider.html

My 2016 visit to the tasting room: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-great-vermont-cider-tour-day-1.html

Local Infusion Snow’s Raspberry Hard Cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/03/cider-review-angry-orchard-rose-and.html

Visit Stow Cider online to learn about all the ciders and other projects: https://www.stowecider.com/home

Here’s how the cidery describes this cider.

Juniper Sessions #10 Smuggler’s Notch

VOLUME 10

Smugglers’ Notch Distillery

Tasting Notes: Juniper, Citrus, Anise, Citrus Peel & Hops

And for the curious here’s a link to the collaborator Smuggler’s Notch Distillery: https://www.smugglersnotchdistillery.com/

Appearance: pale moonglow, bubbly, brilliant

This is a lovely and delicate cider to the eye. The color reminds me of luna moths or whilte flowers viewed in early morning light. It’s a little bit gold but also a little bit green and glowy. I can see lots of bubbles with great clarity.

 Aromas: Pine, vegetal, nutty, ripe apple and funky

The Juniper Sessions smells piney and nutty to me. There are lots of vegetal and herbal notes in the mix. There’s also some ripe apples and hints of funk. These are some complex aromas!  I also get more mysterious elements like pine nuts or even corn nuts.

Dryness/Sweetness: semi-dry

This is a semi-dry cider but it’s on the sweeter side of that spot. There’s plenty going on besides sweetness though.

Flavors and drinking experience: Herbs, apple, warming, piney, spicy finish 

The Juniper Sesssions tastes herbal, with some almost rosemary or soapy notes, but I also get plenty of apple. I can taste apple even more than I could smell it. I love that this cider has a spicy finish; there’s even a note that reminds me of green pepper. It’s all so fresh tasting!

The cider has nice acidity and body. Juniper sessions has a medium strong bubble. The drinking experience is slightly warming and piney. 

You could have this cider with a lot of different dishes, but I recommend something heavy on cheese but otherwise simple. It would be great with a baked homemade macaroni and cheese and some broccoli. Let the many notes of the Juniper Sessions sing for themselves, loud and clear!

Cider Reviews: Whitewood Cider Co.'s Newtown Pippin Gin-Barrel Aged Cider and Eden Speciality Cider's Brut Nature

The world is a scary place right now. I’m not equipped to say much about COVID-19, but I know it’s affecting all of us. I’m working from home, minimizing social contact, and thinking of people affected far more seriously than me. 

Those groups include so much of the beverage world, everyone from bartenders to cider makers. Some businesses are making very hard choices right now so that they can continue to support their employees while also doing their part to keep wider communities safe. Buy from them if you can!

I’m starting with Whitewood Cider Co.'s Newtown Pippin Gin-Barrel Aged Cider. This is a Washington State micro-cidery that I adore. I only wish I could get Dave’s ciders more often here in New York. If you ever see these on a list or a shelf, try them! 

Here’s Whitewood Cider Co’s website, along with the promise of pickup and cider delivery starting soon: http://whitewoodcider.com/

I’ve reviewed a few of their ciders before. Here’s the list.

McIntosh: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/01/cider-review-whitewood-cider-company.html

Northland Traditional Blend: https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/01/cider-review-whitewood-cider-company.html

Olivia: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/03/cider-review-whitewood-cider-cos-olivia.html

Kingston Black and Wickson Apple: 
http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/09/my-dear-friend-el-just-had-birthday.html
This one even landed in the #4 slot of my 2018 top ten cider list.

Here’s the description of the Newtown Pippin Gin Barrel Aged Cider from Whitewood Cider Co: “5 months in former Westland Distillery whiskey barrel, turned Big Gin gin barrel and Newtown Pippin's lime and tropical characteristics fused every so nicely with the wood and leftover gin and botanicals. Reminiscent of a real dry, woody gin and tonic.” 7% ABV.

Appearance: brilliant, jeweler’s brass, visible bubbles

This bright cider reminds me of jeweler’s brass (also known as Merlin’s Gold) in color. It’s brilliantly clear with no haze at all. I see some visible bubbles. 

Aromas: fresh apple, sage, basil, butterscotch and barrel

I love the herbal notes that explode into the air as soon as I crack this bottle open. The Newtown Pippin gets so many notes from that gin barrel aging but the fresh apple still come through. At the same time, I can smell sage, basil, butterscotch, and barrel.

All of the herbs create a whole impression that’s savory, peppery, and green. The butterscotch and woodiness come from the barrel character for certain. 

Sweetness/dryness: semi-dry

This lovely cider is a well balanced semi-dry.

Flavors and drinking experience: herbaceous, spicy, high acid, barrely

The Newtown Pippin brings much of what I could smell into the taste beautifully. There are oodles of herbs and apples, and somehow I also get menthol, spicy, and barrely notes. This cider brings medium tannins, high acid, and a pronounced woody finish.

 This feels like a journey from scent to tastes to finish. I experience apples, gin herbs, and barrel complexity each in turn. This is wonderful! This cider has a medium light mouthfeel and lots of sparkle. The Newtown Pippin has small yet plentiful bubbles. 

I paired this quite spontaneously with chocolate cookies, good companionship and worry about the state of the world. I think you can probably do better, but this cider was fantastic even so. 

Next up, it’s Eden Speciality Cider's Brut Nature.

I love Eden Specialty Ciders. That’s no secret. I’m a member of the cider club, and I review the ciders often. Plus I have such respect and affection for founder Eleanor Leger. This is a small cidery in northern Vermont that started with ice cider, then added aperitifs, and in the past few years has released a number of outstanding still and sparkling ciders made with heirloom apples. 

The Brut Nature got a mini-review before it’s release at Cider Con 2018. I’ll link to that here.

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/02/cider-con-2018-pt-1-eden-specialty.html

Other previous Eden reviews include: 

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

Siren Song: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/12/cider-review-eden-ciders-siren-song-and.html

Ezekiel: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/01/cider-review-eden-specialty-ciders.html

Imperial 11 Degree Rose: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/03/the-january-2017-cidrbox-and-edens.html (This is my fave cider of 2017.)

Heritage canned cider: 
https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/06/cider-cans-crush-it-eden-heritage-and.html

Sparkling Dry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/06/cider-review-eden-sparkling-dry-cider.html (also a top ten cider.)

When you’re stuck inside, take some time to learn about all of Eden ciders on the website: https://www.edenciders.com/

Appearance: brilliant, warm straw, tiny dancing bubbles

This hand-disgorged cider shows off all that hard labor by looking totally brilliant. It’s enticing to see. The color reminds me of warm afternoon sunlight, and I can see tiny bubbles dancing their way to the surface. 

Aromas: nectar, overripe apples, fall flowers, and falling leaves 

This cider is extremely aromatic. I remember noticing that at CiderCon as well. It’s just a lovely floral and overripe fruit melange expanding in all directions. Something about this aroma just reminds me of fall and harvest, somehow the aromas are fall flowers and falling leaves. 

Sweetness/dryness: Dry (with a caveat)

This cider tastes dry. It isn’t bone dry or drying, but the cider doesn’t really lean on the bare hint of sweetness that is hiding in its layers. 

Flavors and drinking experience: fruity, dry, high acid, high level of sparkle. 

The Brut Nature is a spicy, fruity, dry cider with plenty of acidity and tannins to power a bounteous experience with sip. I love ciders that go all in on all of my favorite characteristics, and this certainly does that. The fruit notes are tropical fruit and pomme fruit, but there’s plenty of floral and spicy notes too. The cider is super bubbly; the natural secondary fermentation keeps them small and vigorous. 

I enjoyed this cider alongside roasted veggies with mushroom gravy, sharp cheddar and good wheat-y bread. It was a lovely meal meant to give sustenance and warmth in difficult nights, and the cider helped elevate it from just supper to a fortifying and delicious experience. 

Good luck this week and beyond. When I raise my glass, I’ll think of you, my faraway cider friends. 

Cider Review: Woodchuck's June and Juice Juniper Hard Cider

I keep tabs on Woodchuck's Out on a Limb series and they make it really easy for me by sharing many of these new limited-release ciders with me. Today's review is one of these: the June and Juice a gin botanical inspired cider. 

This cider builds more anticipation for me than lots of flavored ciders because I love many gin botanicals, and gin is my favorite spirit because of its limitless range and herby flavors. Fellow gin lovers, comment with your favorites! I'm definitely game to try a couple of new ones.

I've reviewed a lot of ciders by Woodchuck; they have been around a long time, and they make a wide variety of beverages. Much of what they release is sweeter than I like to drink most of the time, but sometimes they make something pretty exciting. I'm hoping this is going to be one of those times, but first, here are a few links to previous reviews.

Most recently, I toured the Woodchuck facility as part of my cider vacation this summer: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-great-vermont-cider-tour-day-3.html

My very first cider review was Woodchuck's Winter back at the start of 2013: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/01/cider-review-woodchuck-winter.html

A cider that I've tried with a wide variety of foods is their Barrel Select: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/01/cider-review-woodchucks-private-reserve.html

To find everything I've tagged with Woodchuck, follow this link: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/search/label/Woodchuck

And my most recent actual Woodchuck review is of their Local Nectar:
http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/07/cider-review-woodchucks-local-nectar.html

You can read the June and Juice's introduction, "Like a classic gin, we steeped fresh juniper berries into our small batch hard cider for this new concoction. The Cider Makers filled our custom extraction tank with juniper berries, rose petals, and orange peels, yielding a fresh botanical aroma. June & Juice has a refreshing semi-sweet apple taste with notes of juniper and citrus, a perfect alternative to your Friday night G&T!"

And here's a link to the main Woodchuck website with even more information: http://www.woodchuck.com/

Appearance: brilliant, marcona almonds, some visible bubbles

There's a cool tone to the color that it hard to describe because most shades of yellow, amber, and gold are warm colors. This however seems like the color of Marcona Almonds, yes it is a pale shade of creamy yellow, but the color is a cool one. Its easy to see that the cider is completely brilliant, showing of a nice number of active bubbles. 

Aromas: freshly cut apple, juniper, lavender, citrus, rose, 

These aromas are more complex than most Woodchuck ciders; I smell the fresh juicness of a freshly cut apple, meyer lemon, juniper, and the sweetly clean smell of lavender. I do smell notes of rose but they are subtle. 

Sweetness/dryness: sweet

This is a sweet to seme-sweet cider. Woodchuck calls it a semi-dry, but I found it sweeter. Compared to other ciders by the brand I'd move it to semi-sweet. The sweetness is a fruity one.

Flavors and drinking experience: apple, citrus, herbs, loads of fun

This cider tastes a lot like it smells. Yes, there are notes of rose and lavender but the juniper and citrus stand out more. Everything is well blended with lots of fresh apple flavor. No tannins. Medium bubble. I like the acidity; it balances the sweetness but doesn't dominate the experience. 

I paired this cider with cat cuddling and eating rosemary olive oil bread topped with slivers of Goblin cheese by a local creamery (http://www.crosswindsfarmcreamery.com/store/p18/*NEW*_Goblin_.html). Crosswinds Farm and Creamery makes this amazing alpine style cheese with tons of nutty richness and those simply flavors brought out all of the fresh herbal deliciousness in the June and Juice. All in all, I was more than satisfied by the experience. 

Cider Review: Seattle Cider Company's Gin Botanical Hard Cider

Usually, I'm not a spirits person. Not meaning that I don't enjoy haunted houses, but that I rarely go to the cocktail list when I'm out. My own liquor cabinet doesn't get much love either, sadly. But for gin, I occasionally make an exception. There's something about its zest and bite and heady aromas. Thus, when I learned that Seattle Cider Company makes a Gin Botantical Cider, I knew I had to try it. Trouble is, Seattle is far away from Upstate NY.

I could not buy it locally, so when I got a box in the mail with not one but three Seattle Cider Company offerings, it made my day! (You can look forward to the Basil Mint and Three Pepper reviews in the spring.) I knew I had to try the Gin Botanical, preferably with my favorite gin fan, Phil Sandifer (He writes strange and significant things here: http://www.eruditorumpress.com/blog/author/phil/). So when he put together a vegetarian cider pairing feast, we chose Seattle Cider Company for one the early courses.

Seattle Cider Company has a great website. I love the process pictures to illustrate the processes of cider making and the clean layout. Great work. Check it out:
http://www.seattlecidercompany.com

When I look at the presentation of cider companies, I want to learn about their priorities. Its inherently intesting, and it sometimes clues us in to what we can expect about the cider. Here are a few tidbits that Seattle Cider Company on their website. 

Their Mission: "Produce, package, sell, and promote the finest quality craft cider by cultivating a work environment of innovation and exploration."

Their Vision: "Be a national leader in the transformation of the cider industry, admired for our dedication to real ingredients and original products."

While those statements are their most clear and identifiable statements of identity, I don't see as much content in them as I do in other parts of the website, "Seattle Cider Company is Seattle’s first cidery since Prohibition, bringing true craft cider back to Seattle and across the country. Bridging the gap between wine and beer with flavorful, small-batch cider, Seattle Cider’s initial offerings – Dry and Semi-Sweet – break the mold of overly sweet cider, bringing the natural flavors of Washington apples to the forefront" and "Naturally gluten free and made from a custom blend of fresh pressed, locally grown Washington apples, Seattle Cider’s products are handcrafted with real ingredients, successfully distinguishing themselves from the mass market cider found in stores today."

From these descriptions I infer that Seattle Cider Company's will use culinary fruit because they focus on the locality of their apple source. I also see a nod to wine which doesn't come up as often as it should in cider promotion, if you ask me. A nod to wine could mean a still cider, a drier cider, or a more understated presence of yeast compared to other profiles of cidermaking. Or it could not. We'll have to taste to know.

First a few facts about the Gin Botanical Hard Cider from Seattle Cider Company

ABV: 6.5% 

BRIX: 1.8 

APPLES: Granny Smith, Fuji, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Gala 

TASTING NOTES: Fermented with spent gin botanicals from Batch 206 Distillery, our Gin Botanical is a semi-dry cider showcasing lemon, orange rind, juniper, cucumber and verbena. Like the spirit that inspired it, this cider is complex, clean, aromatic and refreshing. 

FOOD PAIRINGS: Herbed Chicken,Fresh Melon, pickled ginger

Appearance: palest white gold, like morning sunlight in winter

The color of this cider does not give away its secrets; it pale and subtle rather than blazing or warm. I can see a few visible bubbles but not a notable number.

Aromas: men's aftershave, mint gum, apples

Whoooaaaaa, I smell a blue cold mint herbal blast followed by apples. These combine to give the impression apples on a ski slope surrounded by pine trees. There's also some lychee in the array of smells.

Sweetness/dryness: semi-dry

I noticed that Seattle Cider Company lists the brix in this cider. That's very unusual. Most places rely on more perceptual descriptors or even a graphic scale that shows a dry to sweet continuum. Almost universally these skew towards describing or depicting dry and offering a little sweeter. I'm pleased to say that this is a semi-dry that was described as a semi-dry.

Flavors and drinking experience: herby, high acid, funky

Those gin botanicals taste immediately arresting! I get mint, basil, hops, citrus, and a hint of clean sweat. The cider activates my salivary glands intensely. Texturally, I notice big bubbles that show the cider is force carbonated: not really a surprise. The carbonation amplifies the herbal gin infused flavor in a brute force way. The Gin Botanical offers high levels of acidity but no tannin. I do get some pleasing minerality.

The cider rolls through immediate bitterness into more fruitiness. The herbal notes remain present throughout the experience. It tastes like you'd hope gin and cider would taste together—as much a funky gin cocktail as a cider. They use spent gin botanicals for it: juniper, orange peel, coriander.

If memory serves, we paired this cider with the sun-dried tomato flatbread course. I could see pairing this cider in a number of ways though. right now I'd like to pair it with herb and lemon coated baked salmon. I think keeping something juicy but not overpowering is key. This cider has a lot to say, and I wouldn't want it to get lost in something too sweet or spicy. For activities, drink this cider while playing a board game with friends, perhaps Dixit or something equally dreamy.

This is a fun and delicious cider that pairs its creativity with successful execution and balance. I'm hoping to taste it again when I'm nearer the west coast for Cider Con!