Cider Review: A Cider Flight at Pivot Brewing

Happy new decade everybody! I raised my glass on New Year’s Eve with friends, but I also toasted all of my cider buddies all over the world. I hope you wrapped 2019 up right, but that 2020 will be an even brighter year for all of us! 

I thought I’d start the year off with a cider flight that I got to enjoy while visiting my folks in Kentucky. There aren’t a ton of local ciders in Kentucky. My dad made a point to take me to Pivot Brewing in Lexington where I could try a whole flight! He didn’ mind too much himself since he’s fond of ciders, especially places that are dog friendly like Pivot.

The cider company describes itself as working toward the goal of solving our shared environmental challenges, prioritizing creativity, fostering community, and making the small changes of direction that can lead to big changes in results down the line. The company does their own apple pressing on site, and always has a full slate of their own ciders and Kentucky beers on tap.  

You can learn about all of the ciders here on the website: https://www.pivotbrewingcompany.com/ 

Here’s the rundown of what we tasted! When I can, I’ll include the official description in quotes.

Vintage Apple
“Crisp apple 6.0% ABV”
This started off my tasting with the smell of rock candy dust and malic acid. It’s a semi-dry cider with high acid, no tannins, a clean fermentation, and small bubbles. It would be very sessionable. 

Swanson
“Dry. Vinous. 7.1% ABV”
The Swanson cider has an unusual frosty white color! I wasn’t sure what to make of that.  Even from the aroma, I could tell that this cider would have high acid. I thought this dry cider tasted a bit barrel aged, even though the description doesn’t mention that. It’s more astringent than the Vintage. I like that this one is tart and citrusy with notes of lemon.. 

Hoopla
“Cranberry 5.6% ABV”
The Hoopla offers aromas that remind me very specifically of drinking cranberry juice during my childhood. I think I’m getting notes of honey as well. This cider is semi-sweet. It doesn’t surprise me that this tastes like cider with cranberry juice. The two flavors sit together, but they do not meld. I enjoy the cranberry tannins. As I sip on this longer, a cherry finish and lingering sweetness become more pronounced. 

Kentucky mule,
“Boubon barrel, ginger, lime 8% ABV”

This is obviously a take on the Moscow Mule, but it reminds me of a dark and stormy as well. The cider smells pleasantly of ginger, but the taste comes across as more lime and less ginger. This one is less bubbly than the others. The cider is semi-dry, and full bodied but it doesn’t taste  too boozy. I fear that 8% ABV could creep up on one quickly. I get a cream soda aftertaste. What’s best about this one is that the high kick of the ginger elides elegantly into the low boot of the barrel. I found the Kentucky Mule really well done. 

Barrel-Aged Fincastle
“Bourbon Caramel  8.6% ABV”
The Barrel-Aged Fincastl has a massive aroma that’s all butterscotch, biscuits, and brown sugar. The smell also reminded us of sugared nuts. This cider is sweet and very full-bodied. I got the caramel that the description let me know to anticipate. This one had medium high acid. It was sweetly boozy and way too easy to drink! This was definitely my dad’s favorite. 

This place is well worth a stop if you are in Lexington! Kentucky's cider scene is growing and getting stronger every year!

My 10 Favourite Ciders of 2019!

We’ve almost made it through 2019. That means I get to look back at my ciders before beginning another fresh and new year. 2019 was a heart breaker, but also I experienced many moments of joy. I hope you did too. I took part in some fantastic cider experiences, and I hope you did too. I reviewed more than 100 ciders this year, so I had the largest field yet of contenders for my favorite. It was tremendously difficult for me to narrow down to just ten favorites, but each of the ciders below is a gem. 

Here are all of my previous year’s top 10s! Please go back and find your favorites!

2018: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/12/my-favourite-10-ciders-of-2018.html

2017: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/12/my-10-favorite-ciders-of-2017.html

2016: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/12/my-10-favorite-ciders-of-2016.html

2015: https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/12/my-10-favorite-ciders-of-2015.html

2014: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/12/my-10-favorite-ciders-of-2014.html

And my first ever cider countdown from 2013: 

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/12/my-10-favorite-ciders-of-2013.html

And I'll quote my own rules again. “As in earlier years, I have two rules: I'm not listing more than one cider from any company, and I am going to limit myself to ciders that have coverage in the blog. Beyond that, my only caveat is that these are my personal favorites that I wrote about in 201[9]. These may or may not be your favorites, but I encourage you to taste them and make up your own mind.”

With no further blathering, let me show you what ciders I loved most this year! Please share your favorites with me in the comments!

10. Woodchuck/Farnum Hill’s Odd Crush 

http://www.woodchuck.com/age-gate/

http://www.povertylaneorchards.com/farnum-hill-ciders/

As soon as I heard about this collaboration between New Hampshire legend Farnum Hill with Vermont’s Woodchuck, I was eager to try it. Both of these companies have been making ciders since the 1990s, and their experience gets to shine in this cider. If you prefer things drier than most Woodchuck and sweeter than most Farnum Hill, this might be the perfect treat you’ve been waiting for. Even if you normally shun canned ciders, I urge you to give this aromatic, well-balanced, delicious canned cider a try. 

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/07/cider-review-woodchuck-farnum-hills-odd.html

9. Potter’s Craft Cider Pippin Cuvee 

https://www.potterscraftcider.com/

I feel so luck to have been included for the promotion of Cider Week Virginia this year. I got to try some excellent ciders that I otherwise would have had access to. The cider smells like a bouquet of fresh garden greener and ripe apples. I loved it’s bubbly enthusiasm, spiky acidity, and gentle wildness. Congratulations to Potter’s on their new tasting room as well! 

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/11/cider-review-potters-craft-cider-pippin.html

8. Aeppeltreow Scarlett Rosey Cider 

http://aeppeltreow.com/

Whether or not you want to call this cider a rosé, this pink semi-sweet cider is delicious. What I love about it comes primarily from crab apples. The acidity is lively and a perfect match for it’s fruity sweetness, plus there’s enough tannin there to enhance the cider’s structure substantially. This cider was completely emblematic of summer sipping while watching the sun cast long evening shadows across my yard. It is lovely. 

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/07/cider-review-aeppeltreow-scarlett-rosey.html

7. Eden Specialty Cider’s  Ezekiel

https://www.edenciders.com/

I knew from the moment I tasted the Ezekiel last January, that it would be a front runner for my year end favorites list. This dry Kingston Black Cider has everything. I chose to drink in January for it’s dryness plus body. Sometimes, I give cider makers a hard time for trying so often to create a truly delicious and balanced single-varietal cider. It often holds them back because so few apple varieties are ready to appear unblended, but the Kingston Black can do it. And the Ezekiel does it’s beautiful fruit full justice. I love the intensity of flavor in this cider!

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

6. Treasury Cider Homestead Semi-Dry Orchard Cider

http://www.treasurycider.com/

I enjoyed Homestead Cider Semi-Dry at a birthday party. I taste it as a mellow, firm drink; it doesn’t taste austere or pointed, yet it’s still very driven by acid. I appreciate the cider’s balance and plethora of bubbles. But my favorite part has to be the pear notes on the finish. I do recommend this one for fans of dry ciders, as I think most folks would find it plenty dry.

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/11/cider-review-treasury-cider-homestead.html

5. Uncle John’s Cider’s Baldwin 

http://www.fruithousewinery.com/

The enticing aromas of this cider let me know I was going to enjoy it: ripe apples, rock candy, salt, leather and mild phenolics. The Baldwin was fruity with notes that remind me of pineapple, melon, tropical notes, and lush green leaves. It still managed to be dry. I really enjoy this complex, super tart cider.

https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/02/cider-review-cider-labs-empire-royale.html

4. Eve’s Cidery Kingston Black 2017 

https://www.evescidery.com

Another single-varietal made the list. I can’t be surprised because the Kingston Black is a great apple, and Eve’s Cidery cares about bringing the best qualities out of each batch of juice fermented. I love the body, structure, and acidity in this dry cider. The Finger Lakes is home to many talented cider makers, and we are lucky to count the crew at Eve's Cidery among them. 

https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/08/cider-review-eves-cidery-kingston-black.html

3. Big Fish Cider Co’s Allegheny Gold 

https://www.bigfishcider.com/

I don’t often get the chance to try anything from Big Fish Cider Co, but everything I’ve tried has been delightful. The aromas on this cider are simply inviting; I can smell ripe apples, oats, carrots, golden raisins and caramel. It also really brought lively bubbles, making this cider a party. It was a mature and tasteful party, but a party nonetheless. I loved it!

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

2. Blue Bee Harrison 

https://www.bluebeecider.com/

The Harrison cider by Blue Bee tastes tannic, acidic and fruity. It’s astringent in a way that reminded me of all manner of old and beautiful things like  maps, paper, antiques, sunlight, and dust. The fruit notes included lychee, lime, and ripe apple. The acidity was overwhelming brightness. It was magical. The Harrison created an overall image both golden and overripe.

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/11/cider-review-de-vergeten-appels-het.html

1. Dragon’s Head Wild Fermented 

http://www.dragonsheadcider.com/

This off-dry cider expanded my expectations for wild ferments as an entire category. Often I find them interesting but not the most hedonistically enjoyable. Dragons Head changed my mind by creating a wild-ferment cider that had appealing aromas like sugar dusted lemon slices and ripe apples. It tasted amazing with notes of citrus and fantastic balance. I was completely bowled over. 

I paired this cider with a fun vacation trip to Seattle, and someday I’d like to pair more Dragons Head with a trip to their orchard on Vashon Island! 

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/04/cider-review-dragons-head-wild.html

And with that, I wish everyone a relaxing and happy end of 2019! 
Thank you so much to all of my cider friends new and old. Thanks very much to folks who invited me to great cider events, kind people who judged cider with me, tireless volunteers I worked with on state and national cider committees, and members of the friendly and generous online communities that make the cider community fun. I appreciate all of you! And I am so grateful for everyone growing apples, making cider, and promoting this fine beverage. May 2020 be filled with good fruit for all of us! 

South Hill Cider's Tasting Room and Flight Plus FLX Cider Week!

Hey cider fans! I’m so excited for Finger Lakes Cider Week! It’s coming right up, so I thought I’d put our one last reminder for a few of the awesome events that I’ll be supporting this year.

Events where you can find me:

9/26, Not Far From the Tree: An Evening Celebrating Apples & Cider- https://www.facebook.com/events/2322642131307274/

Autumn Shosteck of Eve’s Cidery and Steve Selin of South Hill Cider with both be joining me talking about orchards, apples, ciders, and food pairings. This is an evening packed with cider education plus local farm-to-table dishes and ciders at Coltivare. Tickets are $50.

9/28, Jason Wilson & Meredith Collins | The Cider Revival
https://www.facebook.com/events/2365892806779923/

I’m stoked to interview Jason Wilson about his new book at Buffalo Street Books at 4pm this Saturday. Jason will read a few sections from his book: Cider Revival: Dispatches from the Orchard and you can taste samples by Grisamore Ciderworks. This event is totally free! You can always choose to support Grisamore Ciderworks or Jason and Buffalo St. Books, and I encourage you to do so!

10/3, Basics of Cider Tasting at The Watershed:
https://www.facebook.com/events/704691016703741/

Next week at The Watershed (http://www.thewatershedithaca.com/) join me! Everyone is welcome to purchase a glass of cider from the expanded cider week selection. I’ll be in the back discussing the basics of cider tasting and geeking out! No entry fee, just buy some cider!

I want to keep the Finger Lakes celebration going this week by talking about the opening of South Hill Cider’s new tasting room!

I've previously reviewed a few ciders from South Hill Cider:

Prelude #3:http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/12/cider-review-south-hill-ciders-prelude.html

A newer Prelude #7:
http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/07/cider-review-aeppeltreow-scarlett-rosey.html

Bluegrass Russet: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/04/cider-review-sea-ciders-ruby-rose-and.html

Finger Lakes Cider pairing dinner: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/09/finger-lakes-cider-week-and-birthday.html

My top cider of 2016, the Stone Fence Farm: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/08/cider-review-south-hill-ciders-stone.html

2014 Packbasket: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/04/cider-review-south-hill-ciders-2014.html

And my first review for them was the hyper-limited Hypothesis: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/05/cider-review-south-hill-ciders.html

I made my way to South Hill Cider’s new tasting room on the second of two soft-opening afternoons. It was a race to make it up there after hours of my day job downtown, but I did! The setting is rural and lovely with breathtaking views and easy access to one of the area’s best waterfalls: Buttermilk Falls. Steve started the farm in 2014 after ordering a batch of cider-specific apple trees in 2012. And so much has happened in the cider world since that early investment!

The parking lot was full when I pulled in, but most folks were enjoying the outdoor area with glasses of cider and picnic tables. Steve found me and my dear friend Maria (of https://ciderwithmaria.com/) and volunteered to guide us through our tastings himself. She went with the Premium tasting and I chose the Classic South Hill Cider Tasting.

Here’s what I tasted!

We started with the Baldwin; it’s a new release. Here’s how South Hill describes it, “2018. New England single varietal. Fine bubble, mouth watering, long finish. 8.5%”

What I noticed first about it was the applesauce aroma. I am a total sucker for this particular scent, so I got very excited! This cider’s apples come from just two orchards. I loved how super dry, high acid, and super bubbly this cider tasted. It’s crisp and citrusy and may have been my new favorite.

The second cider in the flight was Russet Dabinett. The official description and tasting notes read, “Dry and Still. Complex. Featuring cider apple varieties indigenous to NY State and England. Golden Russet is native to New York and Dabinett from Somerset, England. Tasting Notes: Deep Honey color with a smooth mid-palate and a mineral and textured finish. Very long finish. Flavors of honeycomb, elderflower, lychee, sour plum, white pepper, papaya, ripe plum  skin, subtle vanilla.” 8.1% ABV

This cider’s nose reminded me white wine, almost like a spicy Gewurztraminer. When I taste this cider, it’s more mellow than the aromas imply.  Steve talked about how it is blended for structure with a different grouping of apples each year. The cider is dry but tastes off dry and just a little bit barrely.

We then moved on to Old-Time ‘17. Online descriptions say, “Off-dry. Naturally Sparkling. Predominantly from abandoned and wild homestead trees, reflecting the perfection of their diversity and age. The name Old-Time is a nod to both the cidermakers from past generations who produced ciders from these trees and to the style of music cidermaker Steve plays: American old-time music. Tasting Notes: Light gold. Soft rounded bubbles, notes of strawberry, grapefruit seed, butterscotch, musk.” 7.5% ABV

This cider is all about zesty acid in my book. I got more barrel character than from my previous two ciders. This one is definitely semi-dry with a residual sugar of 1.8% and a titratable acidity of 8.1 grams per litre. This cider is very approachable and easy; I’m sure it will be among the most popular at the tasting room.

Our next cider was the Bluegrass Russet ‘17. This cider is made from the same blend every year and fermented and aged in stainless steel. The description for this cider introduces it as, “Off-dry. This cider showcases the Golden Russet apple, a native apple to New York, historically prized for it's excellent flavor in cider and on the table. Custom fermentation and bottling using the Charmat method. Naturally Sparkling. Tasting Notes: Lively effervescence. Crisp. Peach, raspberry, beeswax.” 8.2% ABV

I got the most intense aromas yet when this cider was poured. Notes of concentrated fruitiness just wafted from the glass, primarily pineapple and pear. This has the same level of residual sugar as the previous cider but lower acidity and higher ABV. Those factors combine to make it taste both fuller and sweeter.

And we ended with one of my favorite things in the entirety of the cider world: pommeau. Steve poured the Pommeau ‘17. As South Hill’s website says, this is a “Port-style cider. An apple apertif/digestif from a blend of barrel-aged Apple Spirits (Eau de Vie) with unfermented and unfiltered apple cider. During months of aging, the pommeau naturally clarifies to an amber liquid of exquisite character. Still and sweet. Tasting Notes: Deep gold. Warming, rich and velvety. Aromas of honey and clove. Nutmeg, amaretto, sun-warmed plum.” ABV of 19%.

Based on Steve’s description of the process, it’s clear that this pommeau will change subtly year to year but slowly home in on a more and more consistent flavor profile. He uses a barrel blending method with many different vintages working to tempering the variance with those blends. The Pommeau smells simply heavenly: rich and buttery. Flavors are just silky smooth and velvety cooked apple, caramel biscuit, and butterscotch. The sweetness smoothes out the ABV and the ABV provides some backbone and fire to a sweet cider. It’s tension and balance working together perfectly!

Very Perry May with Windfall Orchards Perry and Champlain Orchards Cranberry Cider + GLINTCAP Results

How can it feel like summer so soon after cold nights and chilly mornings? We worried about apple blossoms so recently that it scarcely feels real to be mowing, weeding, and grilling already. This is the magic of May. Today marks my last official entry into 2019’s Very Perry May (though I do have a couple more interesting perries up my sleeve that I’ll be reviewing soon).

I was able to get a bottle from a very small run of perry from Windfall Orchards over the winter, so I’ve been waiting on break this open. This past week, I had the perfect opportunity when doing pescatarian hot pot with some dear friends.

Cornwall, Vermont is the home of Windfall Orchards.I’m not finding out a lot about this small cidery online, save that the company has been making cider, perry, and ice cider since 2009. Windfall Orachards grows a large number of apple and other fruit varieties on a small Vermont farm.

Visit the website to learn about the products Windfall Orchards makes: https://windfallorchardvt.com

The run was small, but the labelling makes clear that the perry is 9% ABV. Elsewhere online, I was able to see that the Farm House Perry uses 12 types of pear to create this perry.

Appearance: hazy, bubbly, warm straw

Like many American perries, the Farmhouse Perry has a mild warm straw color and just a hint of haze. I could see lots of bubbles in the glass when it was poured.

Aromas: pear flesh, dust, hay, flowers, salt
 
Windfall Orchards’ Farmhouse perry smells enticing and delicate at once. I get notes of pear flesh, dust, hay, Daffodils, and salt. I cannot quote predict what this perry will taste like based on such a range of aromas, and that’s exciting to me!

Sweetness/dryness: off dry

The Farmhouse Perry tastes off dry but only just. The sweetness that’s there is very directly like pear.

Flavors and drinking experience: burstingly bubbly, green tea, fresh pear, grippy

Oh wow! This is such a delightful perry. It’s bubbles are so plentiful and active that it splashes into your face when you are sniffing it. I love that this perry reminds me of delicate herbal notes like green tea and lemongrass while also tasting like fresh pears and a bit of squash.

This off dry Perry is high acid with medium tannins and a tiny bit of funk. I relish it’s delightful big fruit flavors. It’s most rewarding in large sips that show off it’s good grippy toothsome texture and fruity finish. This is a complete delight! I loved having this with hot pot too!

Champlain Orchards Cranberry  Cider

I want to stay with Vermont beverages this week and share my experience with Champlain Cranberry Semi-Dry. I’ve tasted a few ciders by Champlain Orchard but not nearly as many as I’d like based on how much I’ve enjoyed those I’ve tried. 

I reviewed (and loved) the Heirloom (it made it to my #5 favorite cider that year): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/09/cider-review-champlain-orchards-cidery.html

I included Champlain Orchard’s Single-Varietal Honeycrisp Ice Cider Library Edition in a pairing dinner last year with dessert: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/09/my-dear-friend-el-just-had-birthday.html

My first encounter with Champlain Orchards was when I visited on the 2nd day of my Vermont cider trip: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-great-vermont-cider-tour-day-2.html

I recommend Champlain Cidery’s website to learn  more about all the different ciders Champlain Orchards makes: http://www.champlainorchardscidery.com

Champlain keeps the official description short and sweet, "Delicious and refreshing, our Apple Cranberry Hard Cider balances the sweetness of apples with the tartness of Vermont cranberries. ABV 5.6%"

Appearance: brilliant, true ruby, no visible bubbles

I love the look of many fruit ciders, and the Cranberry Semi-Dry is no exception. It’s too pretty to be sold in a can! I’d call the color true ruby and it appears brilliant.

Aromas: dusty, cranberries, almonds

Oooh! I can smell that dusty, mineral aroma that I find on lots of tannic ciders. This one also smells very directly of cranberries. The last note I get reminds me of granola with almonds.

Sweetness/dryness: Semi-dry
This semi-dry cider needs both the dry and sweet elements to keep it well rounded and balanced. I’ll explain more below. 

Flavors and drinking experience: tart, astringent, good body, balanced

The Cranberry Semi-Dry tastes almost alarmingly tart, but because it’s semi-dry, the overall experience balanced out into pleasant tartness, sweetness, fruit, and astringence.  I apprecaite the heft to this cider’s body, the clean fermentation and the tannins from the cranberry. The whole drinking experience feels admirably balanced and hangs together nicely. 

I had the Cranberry Semi-Dry with black bean burritos and found it delightfully refreshing.  The cider has medium-rich mouthfeel and a good strong sparkle. I appreciate that it has just the right amount of sweetness—not so much that it loses interest.

This lovely cranberry cider also tastes more appealing when poured into a glass.  The cranberry in the can, without being aerated, tastes a bit more like juice. I know canning is totally practical, but when you can pour your cider into a class to access all of it’s delicious aromas!

And for those who have been following GLINTCAP, the full medal results are up! Check them out here: https://glintcap.org/

Capitol Cider with Westcott Bay Cider, WildCraft Cider, and Slake Cider

I love Seattle. Usually, I’m not much a city person, but I adore Seattle. It’s a great city for food adventurers, art lovers, and cider nerds. Since I happen to be all three, having fun on my trip was the easiest thing in the world. My most anticipated cider stop had to be Capital Cider. Check the place out in person if you’re near or online in any case: https://capitolcider.com/. That menu and cider selection are hardcore! It claims the largest cider selection of any independent cider bar in the country. 

I’d been looking forward to exploring this cider list for years. The walk was cool and rainy, so it felt like reaching an oasis once we got there. I loved their decor and atmosphere. The whole place was filled with art copies that looked largely 18th and 19th century inspired. It gave the taproom a classic pub feel but with lots of natural light. Heavenly!

I ordered a flight of ciders that included Slake Cider, Westcott Bay Cider and Wildcraft Cider. This was the flight most oriented to heritage apple varieties and dry ciders, so it was an easy pick for me. For food, I chose a cheese, saucy, brunchy dish with eggs and tortilla chips. I wanted something hearty and filled with umami flavors to pair with what I hoped would be higher tannin dry ciders. Here’s how it went, cider by cider.

Westcott Bay Cider’s Very Dry

Westcott Bay Cider comes from San Juan Island, just off the coast of Washington State. I’ve never had the chance to try one of these ciders before. Based on what I can find out about this company, it’s small, operational since at least 2007, and focuses on a small number of traditional apple-only ciders.

Learn all about Wetscott Bay Cider at the website: https://www.westcottbaycider.com/

Here’s this cider’s official description, “Traditional Very Dry Very Dry is a "bone dry" cider, crisp, with a bit of effervescence, it is an excellent addition to any meal where a dry white wine would be served. Residual sugar less than 1/2 percent. Alc 6.8% by Vol.”

This cider’s aromas start with mushy overripe apples, honey, and pollen. There’s been debate about if any notes in a smell can lead one to correctly anticipate a cider’s level of acidity, but something about this smell leads me to expect a tart, high acid cider.   

The Very Dry tastes delicious; it’s dry with high tannins and high acidity. Though the abv isn’t particularly high, the intensity of flavors leads this cider to feel just a bit warming. It’s a strong combination of old and new world styles. It uses mild oxidation to very positive effect. The flavor is so savory as to veer almlost into salty territory. I love how very savory this cider is with notes of leather, tea, and rosemary.  In terms of texture, the Very Dry is a tiny bit petillant but basically still. 

WildCraft Cider Works’  2016 Willamette Heritage 

WildCraft focuses on using local fruit and botanicals as well as spontaneous fermentations for all of the ciders the company makes. The company has a tasting room in Eugene, Oregon.

Check out this Oregon cidery online: https://wildcraftciderworks.com/

I’ve reviewed one WildCraft Cider before, almost a year ago: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/05/very-perry-may-2-towns-ciderhouses.html

The official description for the 2016 Willamette Heritage follows. 

Though the tradition of cider making is still in the memory of many farmhouses across the nation, the methods once used along the west coast seem to have all but vanished. In times gone by the unique Willamette Valley landscape was covered in orchards planted by reliant settlers. Some of these orchards remain, now untamed but still accessible, and provide a portal to their mysterious past. Fermented with indigenous yeasts from the fruit of the very same orchards, we present to you the reclamation of the bygone Western Farmhouse Cider.

This cider smells funky, like an interesting meeting point between English and Spanish cidermaking styles. There’s just a high of volatile acid in the smell. I expect lots of tannins. The aromas are like dipping well worn bridle leather in pixie sticks. It’s fruity, herbal, and farmy.

The 2016 Willamette Heritage tastes like salted caramel and ripe apples. The funk I noticed in the aroma is present, but thankfully it doesn’t take the cider to a too briney direction. I’d call it off dry. It’s simultaneously bright and dark tasting. 

The mild VA from the aroma translates into some well incorporated acetic acid; perhaps the cider was exposed to oxygen during fermentation. Spontaneous fermentations like these frequently result in wild and farmy flavors like the 2016 Willamette Heritage has in spades. The cider tastes fruity(underripe strawberry.), sour, and leathery. Even with all this, the cider is still filled with apple notes and offers up rich pleasant mouthfeel. This one tastes especially good with salty food. 

Last but not least, I tried Carlton Cyderworks’ (recently renamed Slake Cider) French Lane Cider.

This small cidery has been around since 2008. The company has recently renamed itself to Slake Cider, but earlier fans might know it from Carlton Cyderworks. You can visit the cidery and taproom in McMinnville, Oregon. The company makes several varieties, some of which include fruits or spices in addition to apples. 

Visit the website to learn more about this https://slakecider.com/

Here's the official description (I love how complete this description is.)

French Lane Press 

Wild fermented traditional dry cider, made solely from apples grown at our orchard in Carlton, Oregon.   

Planted in the fertile soils of Oregon’s Willamette Valley, our French Lane Orchard is the ultimate labor of love.  Over 60 varieties of traditional cider apples and perry pears grow at French Lane, and this variety yields a complex and totally unique blend of fruit.  Bittersweet and bittersharp cider apples from England and France lend depth, mouthfeel, and tannic astringency.  Heirloom American apples brighten the cider with tartness and acidity, and their higher sugar content contributes to the final ABV - a solid 7.4%.  The natural yeast which grows on the skins of the apples was allowed to completely ferment the juice, with no additional cultivated yeast strains added.  After primary fermentation the cider was aged and then bottled completely dry, with no added sugar, juice, or other sweeteners.  French Lane Press is truly a traditional farmhouse cider, showcasing what cider apples can be, without gimmicks, tricks, or excuses.

2017 Harvest - 7.4% ABV - Apple Varieties:  20% Porter’s Perfection, 20% Kingston Black, 12% Fillbarrel, 10% Browns, 8% Somerset Redstreak, 7% McIntosh, 7% Ashmead’s Kernel, less than 5% of the following: Spitzenburg, Tom Putt, Tremlett’s Bitter, Roxbury Russet, Ellis Bitter

This cider smells mildly leathery. I get the farmy richness that tells me to expect elements of both English and French cider styles. It’s Just a bit of barn wood and toast. The French Lane Press has inviting aromas that I think make it a great choice to introduce a newer cider drinker to heritage fruit and more wine-inspired cider making.

The French Lane Press is still and the first flavor note that comes across is honey. The cider has a light mouthfeel with medium high acidity and medium high tannins. The cider reminds me of hay and sun warmed grasses. I get notes of freshly washed apple and grapefruit. The ABV is 7.4% but this cider doesn’t taste especially boozy.

This flight was put together intelligently. The ciders all complement one another, and they are presented in the best order to appreciate each of them. The food was similarly attuned to pair with cider. My co-taster and I were very impressed! I know that all of my future trips to Seattle will have to include a stop at Capitol Cider. And I look forward to tracking down more ciders from Westcott Bay Cider, WildCraft Cider, and Slake Cider.

Cider Review Seed + Stone Cidery Heritage Traditional Dry and Portland Cider Co.'s Cranberry

It’s March! The turn to Daylight Savings Time is almost here, and I will start looking for spring shortly after. Living in upstate New York might mean that I’m looking for a long while, but I’m ready to start!  

This week I want to share a cider that I bought back in the summer when visiting Rochester. I happened to be touring the Black Button Distillery and saw an unfamiliar cidery name in the tasting room. I sampled from Seed + Stone Cidery and was happy to purchase something new to save for a winter’s night. The company is Rochester, New York Based and relatively new. This is how the cidery describes itself, “We  are dedicated cidermakers and we create small batch traditional ciders from exceptional apples from local orchards.”

I am starting with the Heritage. Here’s how it is described online.

Learn more about this urban cidery online: https://www.seedandstonecidery.com

Our flagship cider, a traditional dry cider fermented slowly and aged over six months. Bottled without filtering and bottle conditioned for a light effervescence.  A mix of American Heirloom and English Bittersweet apples. This cider promotes clean aromatic characteristics and intensifies mouthfeel and lingering flavors, while encouraging the fresh aromas of tropical fruit, cream, vanilla and spice.

Seed+Stone Cidery: Heritage Traditional Dry

Appearance: brilliant,  popcorn kern, light mousse

What a pleasing deep color. I enjoy it when ciders bring some harvest hues to my glass, and the Heritage does just that. I’d call the color popcorn, but not for the popped variety. It looks like the warm yellow of an unpopped kernel. It’s brilliant bubbly, pouring with a fine mousse that boils up and vanishes. 

Aromas: Stony, citrus, grain, powder 

The Heritage smells stony and powdery and very much like citrus. It reminds me of certain other upstate NY ciders that use heritage apples heavily. I do get apple notes as well, specifically crisp grainy apple flesh. Something about the aroma is crystalline. I smell the barest hint of sweetness, but I don’t expect it to translate into taste. 

Sweetness/dryness: Dry

This is a dry cider! There’s no second guessing that one. 

Flavors and drinking experience: high acid, black walnuts, herbal

Tasting the Heritage cider is intense; there are so many flavors here! I get notes of black walnuts, anise, and savory herbs. There are some vegetal notes, but ultimately this is a dry crisp apple cider with a strongly astringent first note. Yowza! 

This cider brings high acidity and a light body. The Heritage can also boast of high but not overpowering tannins. Again, I get lots and lots of herbal notes. And the cider finishes austerely;  it’s a long stony finish—but then it's stony everywhere.

My next review is a return to a company that often makes approachable fun fruit-blended ciders: Portland Cider Co. I was lucky enough to get a review sample of the Cranberry. This cidery was founded by fans of English cider in 2012. You can see more company background in my earlier reviews. 

Here are my previous reviews of Portland Cider Co.

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

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

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

Visit the website to see what all Portland Cider Company has going right now: https://www.portlandcider.com/

Portland Cider Company Cranberry has a full page of info on the website; I’ll start by sharing  the description, “Our cranberry cider is a blend of fresh NW grown cranberries & apples, Slightly tart & semi-sweet, with a rich apple taste at its core. Tastes like fresh cranberry relish!” 6% ABV

There’s also a complete listing of ingredients, including apple varieties, “Cranberries, Orange zest, Gala apples,  Honeycrisp apples, Pink Lady apples, Golden Delicious apples, Fuji apples”

Appearance: true ruby, brilliant, few bubbles

As the pictures makes obvious, the Cranberry is a GORGEOUS color. I don’t see many visible bubbles in the glas, but the cider is certainly brilliant. 

Aromas: grapes, citric acid, cranberry

The Cranberry cider smells of grapes immediately! What a surprise. I also get some of the lemon and dust notes I associate with citric acid or Pixi Stix. It also smells like fresh cranberry juice. I anticipate a very high acid cider! 

Sweetness/dryness:  Semi-dry

The Cranberry’s tartness is so strong that it's hard to say how sweet or dry it is. 

Flavors and drinking experience: Tart, full bodied, cranberry, tannins

The Cranberry Tastes very much like cranberry! It’s full bodied mouthfeel suggests that the cider has more residual sweetness than one perceives because the tartness is so very substantial! The cider brings much more cranberry flavor forward than apple, but the apple is here. There’s also a very little bit of mapley booze flavor, especially in big sips. The alcohol and any fermentation related notes are relatively downplayed in relation to the fresh fruity notes. 

How I taste apple most is in the mid-palate to the cider’s finish. The Cranberry does relish in it’s very high acid. It’s puckering but pleasantly so! The cranberry also brings Medium-high tannins to the overall experience. I love the nice long dry bitter cranberry finish. Yum, what a fun and approachable cider. 

Cider Review: Albemarle Ciderworks' Goldrush and 2 Towns Cider La Mure

It may seem like everything is in hibernation right now, but I promise you that the cider world is bustling with activity. Just today, I spent several hours with the New York Cider Association at our annual meeting, brainstorming, debating, and learning about ways we can better our own little corner of the cider world. And this weekend is The Gathering of the Farm Cideries in Albany. I'm so excited!

(Check the event page here: https://www.facebook.com/events/384820252086458/)

It has been far too long since I’ve reviewed anything by Albemarle Ciderworks. This company grows a huge variety of heritage and cider specific apples. The tree collection was founded in 1986, long before most of America even dreamed of the cider revolution that’s happening now. Albemarle has a tasting room at the homebase in North Garden, Virginia. I read on the website that you can taste 15 different ciders at the tasting room; that’s certainly an impressive number, particularly when those ciders are all apple blends rather than varied based on adjunct ingredients!

Back in October of 2013, I reviewed Ragged Mountain: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/10/cider-review-albemarle-ragged-mountain.html

And my first Albemarle review covers the Royal Pippin:

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/08/cider-review-albemarle-ciderworks-royal.html

Just a month later, I revisited Albemarle with the Pomme Mary:

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/09/cider-review-albemarle-ciderworks-pomme.html

You can check out the website here: http://www.albemarleciderworks.com.

Today, I’m really excited to be sharing my notes on the GoldRush. Here’s the official description.

 GoldRush is a recent American apple from Purdue University, named for its color and the rush of flavor it offers. That flavor is rich, complex and vinous. Its tart acidity, balanced with a spicy sweetness, makes it highly prized for cider. This fourth single varietal from Albemarle CiderWorks is dry and crisp with citrus overtones hinting of grapefruit. Its tartness on the tongue is smoothed by notes of honey and ginger. This is an elegantly dry cider that pairs wonderfully with a variety of foods-chicken cordon bleu, trout, Gruyere, Manchego- or on its own. 9.5%ABV

Yes, that's a single varietal! Albemarle Ciderworks practically specializes in them.

Appearance: brilliant, bubbly, warm straw

There are so many bubbles in my glass of cider, and the GoldRush is brilliant, that it’s easy to see them. I’d call the color warm straw. 
Aromas: applesauce, raisins, baking spice

The GoldRush makes my mouth water with every little waft of scne. It smells like homemade applesauce. Something about these aromas just makes me think of juicy golden raisins and baking spices. It’s rich and fruity but that’s not all. There are some mineraly notes that remind me of sauvignon blanc-esque fusel oils. I had a question the last time this aroma happened in a reviewed cider. In small quantities, I do not think this is a bad thing *at all*.

Sweetness/dryness: dry

As promised by the official description, the GoldRush is dry.

Flavors and drinking experience: Tropical fruit, high acidity, bubbly, leather

I know I played it cool in my previous section, but I love finding a truly dry cider like the GoldRush that still manages to have tons of fruit notes and richness. This cider is dry, in exactly that high acid and tropical fruits way.

The Goldrush is not just fruity though, it’s also smoky with a gently leathery finish. The fruit notes never fully abandon the cider at any stage, but towards the end, they are no longer alone. It's remarkably balanced even as the flavors shift.

I love the GoldRush’s strong bubbles and firm texture. The acidity makes it slap in the best possible way.

Next up is 2 Towns Ciderhouse’s  La Mûre

I have tried many 2 Towns ciders. They make an huge range of ciders. I’m lucky enough to receive a generous number of review samples from them. 2 Towns Ciderhouse releases many different ciders under a few different product lines, but I tend to adore anything I try from the Traditions line of theirs. We'll see if the trend continues. 

Most recently, I reviewed the Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy, a lemon and raspberry cider:
http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/12/cider-review-eden-ciders-siren-song-and.html

I loved The Cidre Bouche, and it made my top 10 of 2017: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/11/cider-review-2-towns-ciderhouses-cidre.html

For last year’s Very Perry May I tried the Pearadise as part of my series on perries and pear ciders:
http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/05/very-perry-may-2-towns-ciderhouses.html

About a year ago I tried the Pineapple: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/02/cider-review-portland-cider-company.html

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

When travelling out west I reviewed the Bright Cider as part of my travel roundup: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/07/cider-review-roundup-common-cider-co.html

I recommend visiting the  2 Towns Cider Website to learn more about the company: https://2townsciderhouse.com/

The official description reads,

 LAMBIC STYLE CIDER~ Oregon grown Marion blackberries ~ ~ Soured with Lactobacillus ~ ~ Aged in Willamette Valley pinot noir barrels ~ 

Inspired by the historic lambic beers of Belgium, La Mûre embodies the Flemish styles of old. Northwest apples and Oregon grown Marion blackberries are fermented wild with Lactobacillus. Aged in Willamette Valley pinot noir barrels for one year, this unique cider is then removed from these dusty casks and bottle conditioned, revealing complex aromatics and a lactic tang that only time can unfold. 6.9%ABV

Appearance: Glowing mulberry, brilliant to transparent, no visible bubbles

I had to sneak in a preview of  La Mûre in the glass to my Instagram the night I tasted it, because it’s just so pretty. This cider has a glowing mulberry color; it’s a dark enough shade that I can’t quite tell if the cider is transparent or fully brilliant. I didn’t see much in the way of bubbles though 

Aromas: berries, vinous, beery, barrel-y

 La Mûre smells vinous and beery and sour and fruity all at the same time. There’s definitely something sour in the fruit aromas that reminds me of tart little apples.
Based on these smells, I expect  La Mûre to be tannic and barrel-influenced.

Dryness/sweetness: Off Dry

I find La Mûre off dry. This cider doesn’t have the austerity of a dry sour cider, but it’s not sweet enough to move from being tart to tasting sweet to any significant degree.

Flavors and drinking experience: Sour, barrel, berries, apple

 La Mûre fulfills it’s promisely beautifully. This cider is a sour indeed but one balanced by berries and mineral and barrel and apples! There’s a lot going on here. I love that this cider tastes woody and stoney while still being lushly fruity.

As a last observation,  La Mûre’s sourness grows with multiple tastes! What’s nice though, is that it doesn’t get overpowering. This has to be one of my favorites from 2 Towns Ciderhouse!