Cider Review: Black Diamond Farm and Redbyrd Orchard Cider's Black is Gold

It has been far too long since I’ve gotten to share anything by Redbyrd Orchard Cider, and even Black Diamond Cider hasn’t graced the blog recently enough. I was thrilled to learn of their first annual collaboration: Black is Gold. 

Black Diamond Farm and Redbyrd Orchard Cider both anchor the Finger Lakes cider scene; they are each based nearest to Trumansburg, New York. You can find plenty of introductory info on both orchards and cideries in earlier entries. I encourage you to go back and check them out. Both of these ciders are special endeavors that produce delicious ciders. 

Here’s my list of Redbyrd Orchard Cider reviews:

Celeste Sur Lie 2015: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/10/redbyrd-orchard-ciders-celeste-sur-lie.html

The Andromeda Crab: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/01/cider-review-redbyrd-orchard-ciders.html

Their presence at an all FLX pairing dinner: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/09/finger-lakes-cider-week-and-birthday.html

The North Star: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/01/cider-review-redbyrd-orchard-ciders.html

The Starblossom: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/10/finger-lakes-cider-week-special-review.html

The Dry Harvest Cider 2013: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/12/cider-review-reddbyrd-2013-harvest-cider.html

The Wild Pippin (my #1 cider of 2014, the Wild Pippin): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/12/cider-review-redbyrd-orchard-ciders.html

Visit Redbyrd Orchard Cider online here: https://redbyrdorchardcider.com/

And the full rundown of Black Diamond Cider Reviews:

Black Diamond Cider's 2018 Rosé: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/09/cider-review-eden-ciders-peak-bloom-and.html

Shin Hollow: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/08/cider-review-mountain-west-ciders-sweet.html

Jaywalker: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/03/cider-review-alpenfires-dungeness-and.html

Geneva Tremlett’s: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/03/cider-review-black-diamonds-geneva.html

Somerset Jersey: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/05/very-perry-may-with-vandermills-ice-ice.html

Slatestone: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/11/cider-reviews-big-hill-ciderworks.html

Hickster: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/12/cider-review-black-diamond-ciders.html

Porter’s Pommeau: https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/09/finger-lakes-cider-week-and-birthday.html

Solstice: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/08/cider-review-black-diamonds-solstice.html

Rabblerouser: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/09/cider-review-black-diamonds.html

Learn more about Black Diamond Cidery online here: https://www.blackdiamondcider.com/

The B I G Project: A Collaboration Cider is called Black is Gold. Here’s how the label describes the cider.

Black is Gold

Semi-dry Carbonated Cider

The B I G Project: An Annual Collaboration from Black Diamond Farm and Redbyrd Orchard

Made with love and care in support of the fight for racial equity and justice

The first year a blend of Goldrush, Tremlett’s Bitter, Wickson Crab, Harrison, Dabinett, Roxbury Russet, Black Oxford, Suncrisp, Razor Russet.

8.0% Alc/vol 750ml 

Appearance: shining gold, brilliant, few visible bubbles

This cider looks warm, shining, and totally brilliant. The color is a toasty gold. I can see some bubbles; they are very active and tiny. What instant appeal!

Aromas: lemon, baked apple, peach, breadcrumbs, minerals

It was fun picking out aroma notes in the Black is Gold. I noticed lemon, bread crumbs and minerality. One of my co-tasters zeroed in on the baked apple and ripe peach notes. The cider smells cleanly inviting and fruit but complex.

Dryness/sweetness: Semi-dry

The Black is Gold tastes semi-dry: exactly as the label said it would. I get enough sweetness to open up the layers of flavor and fruit but not more than that. The sweetness isn’t distracting at all.

Flavors and drinking experience: bubbly, tannic, high acid, tropical fruit, citrus, balanced

This cider! Oh my goodness, I love this. The Black is Gold blooms into a full lush experience centering on tropical fruit, sweet citrus, and juicy acidity. The cider is delightfully bubbly too. The  tannic presence helps to anchor the cider, maintaining a sophisticated sense of balance.

What a complete delight! The tropical fruit notes keep me coming back for more sips, and the ciders lovely clean finish just keeps making me smile.  I’m really digging this collaboration. The Black is Gold brings everything I enjoy to the experience: tart clean citrus, awesome bubbles, structural tannins, and enjoy fruit to keep everything fun and lively. 

We paired the cider with pasta, marinara sauce, and homemade veggie meatballs. Having all of the lightness from the bubbles and cutting acidity made for a remarkably good pairing. This cider is something special!

Cider Reviews: Two Towns Cider House Good Limes Roll & Woodbox Cider Co.'s Heritage Imperial Dry

We’re hurtling towards August at breakneck speeds, but the heat makes every moment feel sluggish and melted. Time certainly doesn’t feel precise and scientific in these heights of summer. I feel the need to slow down myself, and I’ll do that as often as I can with my CSA veggies and cider. This week, I tried two very different ciders with veggie-ful summer meals.

We’re starting this week with 2 towns Ciderworks Good Limes Roll. For full disclosure, this sample was shared with me for review. That sharing does not color my perception of a cider. 

I have an abundance of previous reviews for 2 Towns. Here’s the rundown

Cosmic Currant: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/12/cider-review-two-towns-cosmic-currant.html

Hollow Jack’d: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/10/cider-review-two-towns-ciderhouse.html

Afton Field: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/06/cider-review-2-towns-ciderhouse-afton.html

La Mûre: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/02/cider-review-albemarle-ciderworks.html

Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy:

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

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

Pearadise:

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

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

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

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

You can visit 2 Towns online here: https://2townsciderhouse.com/

Two Towns’ official description reads as follows, Good Limes Roll AGAVE LIME CIDER

Fresh & Tangy, let the Good Limes Roll with this easy-drinking cider crafted with fresh-pressed apples, key lime & organic blue agave. This lime-ited release is sure to help make your next summertime adventure your best one yet! 5.6% ABV”

Appearance: goldenrod, brilliant, bubbly

2 Towns Cider House consistently sends beautifully brilliant, intensely colorful ciders. Good Limes Roll is no exception. The color reminds me of Goldenrod or Sungold tomatoes. It’s perfectly brilliant with some visible bubbles. 

Aromas: grapes, pears, powdered sugar, lime

Good Limes Roll smells like minerals, powdered sugar, and melon. This fruity cider includes not only notes of apple, lime and melon, but also grapes and pears. All of the flavors come across cleanly and with maximum freshness. There’s one mysterious note that reminds me of spice but in a fruity way, almost like a pepper that’s sweet and hot at the same time.

Sweetness/Dryness: sweet

This is a sweet and dessert-y cider. It reminds me of key lime pie!

Flavors and drinking experience: citrus tartness, hint of herbal spice, melon

This cider’s aromas prepared me well for how it tastes. The Good Limes Roll brings melon, lime, and ripe apple to the forefront. The cider also zaps with a citric acid tang. It starts off sweet and the cider seems gets sweeter over the sip. It’s fun that every sip has two stages. 

Good Limes Roll brings medium high acidity but the levels aren’t puckering or overwhelming.  There are lingering limey notes and a tiny touch of habanero spice. The cider has only  light carbonation.  It tastes like key lime pie, complete with graham cracker crust and whipped cream. I had mine with blistered Shishito Peppers. Keeping the pairing simple was key to its success.

Now for Woodbox Cider Co.'s Heritage Imperial Dry!

Unfortunately, Woodbox cider closed in 2019. I only just got to try it through my custom box from Press then Press Cider. 

You can still buy this one from Press then Press along with a few other Woodbox ciders: https://press-then-press-llc.myshopify.com/products/woodbox-heritage-cider-500-ml-8-abv?_pos=2&_sid=54437a05d&_ss=r

Here’s the official Description as was shared on the Press then Press site.

Five types of heirloom apples were carefully blended with French & English cider varieties to produce our flagship cider. Partially fermented with wild Northwest yeasts, this cider has a subtle complexity that links to our local terroir making it truly unique. Swirled in the glass it releases intriguing aromas and enjoyable subtleties. Complex apple, notable acidity and minerality, with darker bitterness and mild tannic astringency. A difficult cider to produce, but an easy one to enjoy.

Appearance: hazy, popcorn yellow, very bubbly

What a lovely cider! I enjoy how bubbly it looks. The hazy and color are so different than many ciders from the west coast. 

Aromas: overripe apples, oranges, sun-warmed wood, Autumn

This cider smells like so many UK ciders. I get notes of slightly softened overripe apples, spices, orange and wood. It reminds me of an autumnal woodshed. From this array of aromas, I expect tannins in the cider.  My co-taster found one hint of coconut in the mix, but I’m not sure I agree.

Sweetness/dryness: Dry

While I wasn’t sure how much sweetness to expect from this cider’s aroma, but it was so softly fruity that I expected it to be semi-dry or off dry, but this cider seems dry. It isn’t austere or overly bitter, but it’s not sweet.

Flavors and drinking experience: Tannic, balanced,

The Heritage Imperial Tastes tannic, as I expected. I appreciate that the cider tastes drier than it smells. The whole experience is pleasingly balanced. It does still remind me far more of a UK cider than a US one, much less a west coast cider. 

While Woodbox’s cider is not necessarily for the novice, it’s quite drinkable. The cider finishes while a mildly bitter aftertaste. It's very satisfying, and I wish I’d discovered it years ago!

Cider Reviews: Citizen Cider Currant Affair and Starcut Cider’s Pomace Cult

Summer has finally arrived, Cider Lovers. And we had our first whole weekend of warm bright summery weather. After such a rainy spring, this feels especially welcome! I spent part of my weekend touring around my region in search of food and beverage excitement, and the other part of my weekend was spent preparing my screened in porch for semi-outdoor relaxing. There’s nowhere quite like a screened in porch for a summer cider.

This week, let’s start with a limited release Citizen Cider that I picked up from them quite some time ago: Currant Affair. Citizen Cider makes Burlington, Vermont it’s home base. The company now sells it’s ciders in several states, but it certainly maintains its strong ties to Vermont. 

I’ve reviewed quite a few Citizen Ciders before. Here’s the rundown in no particular order. 

Sur Lies: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/02/cider-review-citizen-cellars-sur-lies.html

Barrel Aged: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/02/cider-review-citizen-ciders-barrel-aged.html

The Wood: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/07/cider-review-citizen-ciders-wood-and.htm

Companion Sour Cherry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/06/pickcider-review-citizen-ciders.html

Tulsi: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/03/cider-review-fable-farms-greensboro-and.html

Wit’s Up, a Belgian beer inspired cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/04/cider-review-citizen-ciders-wits-up.html

Citizen Cider bRosé: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/02/cider-review-citizen-cider-brose.html

I visited Citizen Cider's production facility and tap room in Burlington: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-great-vermont-cider-tour-day-2.html

You can visit Citizen Cider online to learn more about the company including recent releases, special events, and more: https://www.citizencider.com/

Now on to Citizen Cider’s Currant Affair. Here’s the official description: 

Currently, Citizen Cider is having an affair with currants and cider. Currants like the cold, so do apples, and as it happens they pair well through fermentation. This rose cider is big, bright, fruity and exciting. Please have your own little affair and enjoy this cider. 100% locally sourced apple cider, black currants, sugar. Contains sulfites. Naturally gluten-free. 6.9% ABV

Appearance: tawny, brilliant, bubbly

What fun color. It’s almost hard to characterize because it has shades of red, brown, and orange but somehow seems more carnelian and gem like with a tawny hue.

Aromas: Raspberries, red fruits, powdered sugar, green wood

The Currant Affair smells like raspberries and red fruits. I get hints of aroma that remind me of sweetness particularly powdered sugar. There’s something else though; I can detect a flexible backbone of green wood.

Sweetness/dryness: Semi Dry

This cider is semi-dry, but that’s far from the most exciting thing about it. 

Flavors and drinking experience: super tart, tannic, bubbly, red fruit

The Currant Affair is tart and tannic! I get a strong salivary reaction the second I taste it.
Not all tannins are the same; these notably taste fruity and astringent. They come from the currants rather than from wood aging or apples. 

One of the other features of this cider I noticed first was how bubbly it is.  This high acid cider brings tons of red fruit and fun to every sip. I get some apple notes but it reminds me more of black currants, red raspberries, and super tart cherries. I enjoyed it very much, and I recommend pairing this cider with relaxing with your favorite animal companions and just quietly watching the world go by. Food wise, it goes well with a light and creamy pasta salad or some goat cheese and grapes.

Now, I want to rewind one last time to my trip to Grand Rapids this spring. While in Michigan, I judged for GLINTCAP, took my CCP Level 2 exam and volunteered for the Grand Rapids Cider Festival! It was a whirlwind trip. And one of the ciders I got taste at the Grand Rapids Cider Festival was Starcut Cider’s Pomace Cult. 

The name alone was intriguing, but once I saw that list of apples I had to try it. 

Starcut Ciders is  based in Bellaire, Michigan and was founded in 2014. 

I first reviewed Starcut Cider when I tried the Immortal Jelly: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/01/cider-review-starcut-immortal-jelly.html

More recently, I tasted Pulsar: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/04/cider-review-slyboro-cider-houses.html

You can learn more about Starcut Ciders at: http://starcutciders.com/

Here’s Starcut Cider’s Pomace Cult’s official description: 

Pomace Cult is a dry cider made with a blend of heritage apples. Made with Golden Russet, Brown Snout, Jonagold, Spitzenburg, Dabinett, Reine des Pommes, Yarlington Mill, Goldrush, Kingston Black, Reinette Zabergau, Calville Blanc, Roxbury Russet, Bramley’s Seedling, Harry Masters Jersey, Puget Spice, and Macoun apple varieties, this golden colored cider has an inviting aroma of tart fresh apples. Crisp and clean, this cider finishes dry with apple tartness. 7.7% ABV

Appearance: deep butternut color, hazy, bubbly

This cider brings such vibrant color to my glass. I’ll call the hue butternut squash. I couldn’t quite tell the clarity working with the cups we had at the festival, but I think it was just a bit hazy and bubbly.

Aromas: melon, apples, mild

Though the aromas aren’t strong, the Pomace Cult smells like freshly cut melon and apples.
Sweetness/dryness: Dry

This is a dry cider! I have no doubts about this. 

Flavors and drinking experience: astringent, high acid, bubbly

I had this cider after volunteering for a few fun and sunny hours, so I was ready for something with acidity and plenty of flavor. The Pomace Cult did not dissapoint. I wanted a cider that could wake up my mouth, and the super tart astringent cider did exactly that. I think my initial notes just said, “acid, like whoa!”

I would pair this cider with a hot soft pretzel and honey mustard or with an episode of Good Omens. 

Cider Review: Eden Specialty Ciders' Ezekiel and Rootstock Ciderworks' Legend

Winter isn’t my favorite season, so I tend to pamper myself with some extra special ciders this time of year. Because I’m a seasonal cider fan, I’ve thought a fair bit about what makes a cider nice for this time of year or that. In the first throes of Winter, I like a cider with some body to it. That helps with food pairing and it helps have mouthfeel and substance when cozying in of an evening. 

Today I'm starting my reviews with Ezekiel by Eden Specialty Ciders. This is part of their Cellar Series lineup. I have reviewed a few Eden ciders before.  

Most recently I tried the Eden Heritage Cider in a can: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/06/cider-cans-crush-it-eden-heritage-and.html

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

I enjoyed the Sparkling Dry in 2015: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/06/cider-review-eden-sparkling-dry-cider.html

And in 2016 I made the Sparkling Dry part of my Thanksgiving and Birthday celebrations: 
http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/11/pick-cider-for-thanksgiving-and-my.html

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/11/happy-to-pickcider-for-thanksgiving.html

Visit Eden Speciality Cider online to learn about all of the ciders: https://www.edenciders.com/

Now to Eden's Ezekiel. The official description of this limited edition cider reads: 

"100% Kingston Black apples: Rare apples, pressed at harvest, carefully fermented and bottle-conditioned with our ice cider to produce a cider that is exquisitely delicious and unique. Winner: GLINTCAP Silver" 8% ABV.

Appearance: Hazy, few visible bubbles, goldenrod

This hazy cider offers up deep goldenrod color. Each glass poured with a different amount of clarity and showed some settling in the glass. I couldn’t see very many bubbles.

Aromas: leather, tea, cooked apples and peaches.

The Ezekiel smells like leather and cooked apples. It had more fruity and herbal notes though like a spicy black tea or warm peaches.

Dryness/sweetness: Dry

This is a tannic, high acid, dry cider. Wowzas!

Flavors and drinking experience: high acid, tannic finish, good body

I am never sure of what to expect from a single varietal cider. They often aren’t balanced. The Ezekiel has a lot to recommend it. I adore the immediacy and strength of acid I tasted. It’s not just powerful, it’s pleasurable rather than thin or too sharp. It’s almost as if there are multiple types of acid playing in concert here rather than one note being played loudly.

I definitely get some tannins from the Ezekiel, and they feel stronger on the finish. I can detect subtle and grainy wild rice notes too. The cider provokes a strong salivary reaction.
It’s dry but intensely flavorful and filled with juicy stone fruits. The body on this cider is firm and substantial, perfect for winter. I had mine with a savory rich cornbread casserole, and it was heavenly.

Rootstock Ciderworks Legend Barrel Aged

Rootstock is a Rochester-area cidery, based in a Williamson, New York orchard. The orchard is currently worked by three generations of the DeFisher family. The Legend is a premium cider available only in a limited run. 

I’ve reviewed a few Rootstock Ciders.

I reviewed the Rose this past summer: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/07/cider-review-shacksbury-dorset-and.html

Not much later, I included the Belgium when rounding up canned ciders: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/06/cider-cans-crush-it-rootstock.html

Rootstock Ciderworks first showed up on the blog with the Hopped Cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/10/cider-review-rootstock-ciderworks.html

Here’s the official description of the Legend Barrel-Aged, "Rich golden color and soft tannin—full of robust apple and vanilla flavors accompanied by the subtle aroma of oak, leather and hints of black pepper. Made from heirloom variety apples and aged for over a year in French and American oak barrels. 7.6% Alc/Vol – 0.5% RS"

It has won silver at two of the most prestigious cider competitions, Bath & West International Cider Competition 2017 and Great Lakes International Cider & Perry Competition (GLINTCAP) 2017. I love that the description lists not only the ABV but also the residual sugar. Factual information really helps contextualize a cider, now if only we knew more about the heirloom apple varieties!

You can learn about Rootstock Ciderworks on the company website: https://rootstockciderworks.com/

Appearance: bright gold, brilliant, bubbly

This is going to be a sparkling cider! It pours with a light mousse that doesn’t stick around. I’d call the color bright gold with beautiful brilliant clarity.

Aromas: vanilla, toasted crumbs, pear, smoke


This cider some big emphatic barrel characteristics to the aromas. I can smell vanilla, toasted breadcrumbs, smoke, butter, caramel and pear. 

Sweetness/Dryness: Semi-dry 

This cider has some sweetness, but it needs it to smooth out both the emphatic barrel qualities and the acidity. Keep reading for the full picture.

Flavors and drinking experience: Barrel, acidity, butter, apple

As I suspected from the aroma, the barrel has the first word here. I can taste lots and lots of barrel, in flavor it comes across as oak and butter. These notes do not drown out the apple thankfully! I can taste mellow cooked apple very pleasantly on the midpalate. Other flavors include citrus, ginger, and vanilla.


The Legend is undeniably High acid but the acidity is not pointed. This cider offers up loads of body and bubble! This is a fun one! Overall, it’s fruity and barrel-icious! 

Cider Review: Eden Cider's Siren Song and 2 Towns Easy Peasy

Happy December, Cider Lovers! We’re entering the last month of the calendar year, and I’m so excited about a cider event I have coming up!

I’ll be leading a talk and tasting at the Eden Boutique Taproom and Cheese Bar in Winooski, Vermont on December 19th! For those who don’t know, Winooski is just barely outside of Burlington. I know Vermont is filled with cider lovers, so I want to see you there, so we can taste great ciders from all parts of the United States and talk about different cider styles!

Read more about it and get tickets here: https://www.facebook.com/events/447866402411371/

Today, I’m starting with my notes on a cider by Eden Specialty Ciders Cellar Series Cider: #9 Siren Song, but I do want to share my previous Eden Ciders reviews first.

Let’s start with my number one cider of 2017: the Imperial 11 Degree Rose: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/03/the-january-2017-cidrbox-and-edens.html

This year, I reviewed the Heritage canned cider: 
https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/06/cider-cans-crush-it-eden-heritage-and.html

Back in 2015, I reviewed the Sparkling Dry, and it also made it into my top ten that year: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/06/cider-review-eden-sparkling-dry-cider.html

I relished the 2016 Sparkling Dry for Thanksgiving and my birthday celebration in 2016.

Here’s the coverage: 

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/11/pick-cider-for-thanksgiving-and-my.html

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/11/happy-to-pickcider-for-thanksgiving.html

The Brut Nature got a mini-review in my Cider Con 2018 coverage: https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/02/cider-con-2018-pt-1-eden-specialty.html

You can learn about all of Eden’s ciders on the website: https://www.edenciders.com/

And here’s the official description for the Siren Song. 

In Greek mythology the songs of the Sirens were enough to entice a Mariner to jump off his trireme, only to meet his end in the depths of the Adriatic Sea. This cider will beguile you with fruit, spice and smoke, cradled in an illusion of residual sweetness. As you follow it down to the depths of your glass, the tannins reveal themselves in astringency rather than bitterness. The complexity derives from a mix of over 20 apple varieties, harvest-pressed and fermented slow and cold as are all our heritage ciders. The curvaceous balance derives from skillful blending by our enraptured Cider team. Another glassful calls. 7.5% ABV.

This won gold in its Heritage Dry category at GLINTCAP 2018. 

Appearance: copper, brilliant, bubbly

This has the deep coppery color that tells me to expect richness and tannins. I can see the generous smattering of bubbles that whet my appetite. The cider is also completely brilliant: no haze here.

Aromas: warm applesauce, white grape, ginger

I love the warm applesauce scent that dominates this cider. There are lots of other fruity and spicy notes like white grape, ginger, and pineapple. They are lovely, but it’s the richer warmer apple notes that I find most enticing.

Sweetness/dryness: right on the Semi-dry/Semi-sweet line

As promised by the cider’s description, the Siren Song has some sweetness, but there’s not too much. I’d call it a semi-sweet, but I have a feeling that for many drinkers this would be the perfect semi-dry.

Flavors and drinking experience: rich, medium tannins, fruity, firm acid

All of the fruity and tropical notes from the aromas definitely translate to the flavors of the cider. That means lovely presences of ginger, pineapple, white grape, and homemade apple sauce. These tastes are driven by very pleasant and not-biting acidity. 

But that’s not all of what’s going on in this cider. What’s more difficult to articulate is the sense of richness and decadent mouthfeel. It’s a creamy, caramelly, cider with medium-high tannins.

The bubbles add great crispness and really transmit the flavor well. This is a sophisticated and satisfying cider. I paired it with spicy buttered popcorn and episodes of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina on Netflix, but I would also love to serve it with homemade gingerbread and lemon sauce or with blended mushroom bisque. I can’t wait to get my hands on more. 

2 Towns Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy Cider

2 Towns Ciderhouse out of Oregon shared the Easy Peasy with me, and I was happy have something a little sunny and summery to try on a rainy cold night recently. 

For background, 2 Towns Ciderhouse is based in Corvallis, Oregon; the company has been operating since 2010. 2 Towns has grown to two production facilities and a taproom. It is Oregon’s largest craft cidery. The company makes many different groups of ciders, including flagship ciders, seasonal offerings, limited releases, and collaborations.

Here are a few of my previous 2 Towns Ciderhouse reviews.

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

Earlier this year 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

Back in 2016 I tried the Bright Cider along with a travel roundup: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/07/cider-review-roundup-common-cider-co.html

And earlier this year, I tried the Pearadise as part of Very Perry May:
http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/05/very-perry-may-2-towns-ciderhouses.html

You can visit 2 towns online: https://2townsciderhouse.com/

The official description reads, “Citrusy and refreshing, Easy Peasy will have you leisurely drifting your way through summer. Crafted with fresh-pressed Northwest apples, Meyer lemon, raspberries and soured with lactobacillus, it's summertime and the livin's squeezy!” ABV 5%

Appearance: hazy, watermelon, bubbly

This bubbly cider has the color of beauitfully ripe watermelon flesh. It’s decidedly hazy and just looks juicy! 

Aromas:Raspberry, grapefruit, lemon, creamy

This cider smells fruity. I can smell raspberries immediately upon opening the bottle. Secondarily, there are ntoes of  grapefruit and lemon also. And there’s something about this cider that smells just so creamy.

Sweetness/dryness: sweet

This cider is sweet but also tart, like lemonade. 

Flavors and drinking experience: tart, bubbly, pink lemonade

Summer indeed! This is the opposite of Christmas in July because this tart fresh fruit bomb just breathes summer atmosphere and relaxation. This is a gently boozy pink lemonade with a little apple on the side.

I appreciate that the Easy Peasy has a sharp acidic finish but an easy first hit of flavor. There’s lots of Citric and malic acid in this bubbly, zesty cider. It has a medium body especially for a cider with an ABV on the lower side. A night blast of sunshine and fruit.

Cider Reviews: Castle Hill's Levity and Treasury Cider's Burr Knot

Last week, I shared two ciders with extra seasonal ingredients. But I can’t leave heritage orchard-based cider out in the cold. As much as I love experimentation, my fondness for this cider style cannot be matched. Apple only ciders can be so much more than the familiar flavor of the fresh fruit. Often these ciders are the most wine like in the cider world, and like many wines, one cider will offer up dozens of aromas, flavors, and scintillating nuances.

Let’s start today with Castle Hill’s Levity. Castle Hill is an orchard-based Cidery in Keswick, Virginia. This cidery was founded in 2011, but many of the trees that grow its apples are more than eighty years old. It’s history is closely connected with the Albemarle Pippin apple. Many of the apple choices and fermentation techniques at this cidery appear to be inspired both by history but also by technical exploration, seeking traditions from around the world and local apples to make their cider.

Read about Castle Hill on the cidery website: https://www.castlehillcider.com/

I’ve had a few Castle Hill ciders before.

Most recently, the Terrestrial had a place on the table for my friend Elizabeth’s pairing birthday dinner: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/09/my-dear-friend-el-just-had-birthday.html

My first review of Castle Hill was their Celestial in 2015: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/02/cider-review-castle-hll-ciders-celestial.html
That cider made it to #5 of my favorites list of that year.

And I did get to taste the Levity at CiderCon this past winter as part of the Heritage Cider track: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/02/cidercon-part-2-including-heritage.html

This bottle was shared with me as a sample. Here’s the official description:

“A feral yeast fermentation of traditional high-tannin cider apples, high-tannin and high-acid crabs, and heirloom varieties --some gathered from 80+ year old trees. Levity is fermented in buried beeswax lined terra cotta fermenters called Qvevri-the world’s oldest known fermentation vessels. We draw Levity out of its earthen womb and place in bottles before fermentation completes, allowing the yeast to naturally produce a sparkling cider. Enjoy at cellar temperature.”

Appearance: very bubbly, rich butternut color, brilliant

Thought this cider is super bubbly, it’s also brilliant. One could easily read straight through that rich butternut color. What a lovely sight.

Aromas: cinnamon, cooked apple, Baking spice

I have to make known that glorious intensity of the Levity’s aroma. Wow! It smells just divine. I love the cooked apple, baking spice, and cinnamon notes. What’s harder to describe is the warm clean fermentation character I’m also picking up on.

Sweentess/dryness: Dry

This is a dry cider. Yes, it’s rich and lucious and fruity, but it’s also dry.

Flavors and drinking experience: Golden, tiny bubbles, high acid, tannins

Ooh! I get shivers just thinking about how good this cider is. Wow! The baking spice notes I detected as aromas also approach as flavors, but they aren’t alone. The Levity also tastes of fall flowers, cooked fruit, and quince. I don’t know how to say it exactly but there’s something light and silvery to the flavors also.

Dry, yes. High acidity and medium high tannins, yes but fresh and fruity. No one characteristic can fully describe this cider. It’s light and playful yet rich and complex. The bubbles are so fine and numerous. Of any individual note, quince probably comes through the most clearly. It’s just such a lovely cider.

From Virginia to New York, I want to share my thoughts on Treasury Cider’s Burr Knot next. Fishkill Farms is the home orchard for this relatively young cidery. They use heritage, crab, and eating apple varieties. I love the simple yet sophisticate sense of graphic design I get from both their labels and website.

Visit Treasury Cider online: http://www.treasurycider.com/

I have talked about this cider briefly in February when I wrote about the Gathering of the Farm Cideries: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/02/gathering-of-new-york-farm-cideries.html

The Burr Knot’s official description reads:

A careful mix of apples from our family orchard, Fishkill Farms, was selected to make the hard cider in this bottle. Heirloom varieties, proper harvest timing, ecological farming, and traditional wine-making methods all come together in our cider. Our name is an homage to the farm's founder Henry Morenthau Jr., who served as Secretary of the Treasury under FDR. It also celebrates the revival of hard cider in America. 8.4% ABV

Other descriptors include, “Dry and unfiltered / orchard cider / traditional method” and a list of apples, “Hyslop crab / Granny Smith / Pink Lady / Old-Growth Golden Delicious / Jonamac”

If you have the chance I do recommend looking at the cider descriptions online because you can click on any variety and get some incredibly rich detail on the orchard and the cider making info.

Appearance: hazy, no visible bubbles, goldenrod

This unfiltered cider has a harvest glow about it, as it’s hazy and warm hued. I love the goldenrod color. I didn’t see any bubbles when I poured.

Aromas: Stony, melon, quince

The cider smells like apple juice splashed onto limestone; it’s all fruit and minerals. Those gorgeously stony smells appear at the same time as fruit notes, but they never compete. I get tons of quince and melon with a delicate creamy background of velvety yogurt.

Dryness/sweetness: Dry

I love how dry dry dry this cider is.

Flavors and drinking experience: high acid, funky, milk chocolate

Even though I expected relatively high acidity, this tartness was striking! But I also got some of the creaminess I smelled in a new rich milk chocolate note. What a fun and surprising facet.

This intensely flavorful is fruity and funky! There’s peach and strawberry but also savory notes like sesame seeds and toasted grain. The Burr Knot goes everywhere, powered by that zesty acid and structured by medium tannins. Needless to say, I adore this one.

Cider Review: Angry Orchard Cider's Understood in Motion 3 & Big Fish Cider Co. Highland Scrumpy

We’re halfway through August. And for once, I can believe that the month is half over. It’s been hot. It’s been humid. It’s been rainy. There’s even a flash flood watch. Summer has lots of weather drama, and that gives me every excuse to enjoy my screened porch and a cold glass of cider. This week, I wanted to try two ciders that I had really high expectations for.  I may be running out of recipes that don’t require turning the stove on, but I know that Autumn is coming. 

For the first of these a good feeling about, I chose a compilation cider put out by Angry Orchard. This is Understood in Motion 3 created by Angry Orchard Cider’s Ryan Burk and  and Tom Oliver of Oliver’s Cider and Perry. 

I have one previous review of an Oliver’s Cider collaboration, this one also with Ryan Burk but when he was affiliated with Virtue Cider. That’s Gold Rush.

I reviewed the Gold Rush (as part of my first visit to The Queen’s Kickshaw) http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/06/trying-virtue-and-olivers-ciders-at.html

Gold Rush also made my first ever top 10 list of ciders in 2013: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/12/my-10-favorite-ciders-of-2013.html

If you don’t know at least a bit about Angry Orchard, then you’ve not been drinking cider in the United States recently. The company burst onto the national cider scene in 2012. Three years ago, the company opened an orchard, research and development facility, and beautiful treehouse to the public in Walden, New York. 

You can visit the website to learn about the company, the Walden orchard, and everything Angry Orchard is up to: http://www.angryorchard.com/

I’ve reviewed a large number of Angry Orchard ciders: too many to post all the links here, so I’ll just share a few recent ones.

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

And in March I checked out the Rose which has been making a ton of waves: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/03/cider-review-angry-orchard-rose-and.html

I had the Angry Orchard Spiced Apple as a recent winter was hanging on too long: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/03/cider-review-angry-orchards-spiced-apple.html

And I did get a chance to review the Walden Hollow which was an early release from the Walden Orchard project: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/09/cider-review-angry-orchards-walden.html

Tom Oliver of Oliver's Cider and Perry is a legend in the cider community and a genuinely fun person. He's also a cider maker who respects the fruit he works with while remaining open to innovation. That's shocking special. I can scarcely believe I’ve not properly reviewed any Oliver’s Cider. That’s something I will rectify soon. Watch this space.

Find tons more information online: https://oliversciderandperry.co.uk/

Understood in Motion 3

Here’s the cider’s official description: 

Understood in Motion 03 started over two years ago, as two different natural ciders fermented with wild yeast. The Dabinett apple was the principle apple variety used in this collaboration, an 18th century English bittersweet apple that is favored for its reliability to yield fruit annually, and is now grown in the United States. The result, a still, tannic, dry, wild and funky cider that pairs well with a hearty meal enjoyed with friends. 7.2% ABV

Appearance: pumpkin, hazy, few visible bubbles

This has the deep warm color of many ciders made with cider specific apple varieties. It looks like pumpkin flesh. Based on the description, this isn’t a surprise. I don’t see a lot of bubbles, but that’s hard to do in a hazy cider. 

Aromas: cooked apples, leather, yeast, gentle funk

This cider smells yeasty in a very appealing way. I anticipate something I will love because Understood in Motion 3 also smells very much like leather and cooked apples. I’m anticipating something rich and wild.

Sweetness/dryness: Semi-dry

This is on the drier side of semi-dry. It’s still plenty fruity and full bodied though.

Flavors and drinking experience: high tannins, high acid, funky but not too funky

I like my ciders high in tannins, and the Understood in Motion 3 delivers beautifully here. The tannins add structure but not harshness. What I sometimes miss in high tannin ciders is the sharpness and zest of high acid, but I was not disappointed here. The Understood in Motion 3 combines the cider apple mellowness with some American heritage apple acidity to great effect. 

Holistically speaking, I love so many things about this cider. It has a lovely body and a long funky finish. From the great perfume of the aromas to that finish, I was a happy cider drinker. Flavor notes I noticed include tea, orange, lots and lots of mushy ripe apple, leather, wood, and smoke. All of these were balanced together such that none dominated.

Just like I loved the aroma, I really enjoyed drinking this cider. I had it with a beautiful summer meal of deconstructed kebabs(long story) with lots of peppers and zucchini. 

Big Fish Cider Co.'s Highland Scrumpy

Founded in 2015, Big Fish Cider Co. is based in Monterey, Virginia where the company creates a variety of ciders from the traditional to modern inventive cider styles.

I tried (and enjoyed) the Church Hill Blush back in May: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/05/very-perry-may-aeppeltreows-orchard.html

Read more about the company here: http://www.bigfishcider.com

I am excited to try Highland Scrumpy; this bottle is a review sample from Cider Con. I’m always extra curious when folks (particularly United States cider makers) use the term. It doesn’t have one clear and unambiguous definition. 

The Highland Scrumpy’s description is pleasantly informative.

Sparkling gold clear Semi-Dry cider featuring over 20 varieties of locally sourced apples.  This is a blend of ciders using 2 different wine yeasts, but the character of this cider really comes from the wild yeast ferment that one of the blends went through. 

This cider is made from apples donated during our Community Apple Drive.  There are many trees in Highland that were planted or grafted by Highland residents 50 plus years ago.  The names of the trees have long been forgotten, but the trees still fruit. We cannot tell you the varieties, no one can.  But we can tell you it’s all Highland apples, and we think you’ll enjoy. 

This wild ferment makes our most complex cider.  It has pear and floral notes on the nose.  This well balanced cider has a clean yet creamy mouthfeel, combines the sourness of crab apples, with a hint of sweetness, a wonderful blend of earthy notes, some melon and citrus notes.  The fruity esters come alive in this cider more than most. 

This is the favorite cider of the crew here at Big Fish. This cider is best enjoyed by itself. But due to the complexity pairs well with many types of foods, including oysters, clams, quiche, poultry, green salads, and of course just about any cheese.

This cider did win a Gold Medal in the heritage category at GLINTCAP this year.

Appearance: saffron, brilliant, no visible bubbles

This is a pretty pretty cider. I can see through it easily. The glow in the picture is from condensation; I assure you that the cider brilliant. It didn’t show off any bubbles, but had a lovely saffron color.

Aromas: wet, ripe apples, green

The Highland Scrumpy smells like wet fruit. It’s very ripe appley and super fresh and almost green in my  mind.

Sweetness/dryness: semi-dry

I feel totally confident calling this a semi-dry cider.

Flavors and drinking experience: medium tannins, mellow acid, floral, citrus

Oooh. The first thing I thought when first tasted this cider was, that big apple blend certainly included some very quality apples. The Highland Scrumpy offers up medium tannins and pleasantly mellow acidity. What smelled green in the aromas tastes golden
To me on the palate. I get tons of flower and herb notes.

The sweetness that’s present is bright, with a burst of grapefruit bitterness and then a quick turn to warmer and more herbal flavors. The cider has a neat finish: short, clean, and wet. I know some of that’s far more associative than scientific, but that was my experience. 

I had this cider with fresh grapes, brie, homemade cider bread, and a good movie with friends. I must say that I recommend the experience.