Cider Review: Whitewood Cider Company Northland Traditional Blend

This is a cider I've been excited to try for a long time. For one reason, Whitewood Cider Company makes their stuff in Olympia, Washington, and I get very few chances to try any west coast ciders. This is a rare treat for my curious tastebuds. Even more importantly, David White (Oldtimeydave), hero of the cider blogging world and a really nice guy, is the main dude behind Whitewood Cider. I've followed Dave online for long while, so I've been eager to try his cider. This was a also given to me back at Cider Days in Massachusetts. Pretty thrilling.

You can check out Whitewood Cider Company's website at whitewoodcider.com. It uses gorgeous graphic design which is no surprise since White has worked in graphic design for more than a decade. Other interesting information I gleaned online has to include Whitewood's cider CSA. I've now found a handful of examples of this creative way to both fund exciting small scale cideries and insure cider fans good access to a highly seasonal product. Cider made from real juice and real apples is a fairly seasonal affair after all.

Here's what Whitewood says about the particular cider I tried, The Northland Traditional Blend:

"Our Northland Traditional Blend is traditional as it gets. European cider apple varieties blended at the press, fermented through the winter, racked, blended again and matured into early Summer. Lightly back-sweetened for balance and bring out fruitiness. 

Floral spicy sweet nose, with strong characteristics of sweet apple, stone fruit, ripe orange and a tropical fruit acidity and wine-like tannic/bitter notes balanced with a crisp clean finish."

The apples are all cider varieties grown in Washington state. The Northland Traditional Blend cider stays just under the limit that means more regulation and taxation at 6.8% ABV.

Appearance: deep apricot, plenty of visible bubbles, brilliant

You can just see the cider apples in here. Cider apples give more rich color than many larger dessert apples. The same intensity of flavor also communicates in terms of color, making this an intense apricot color. Sadly, my photo doesn't do it justice. The bubbles are all over the interior of the glass making it hard to appreciate how brilliant it looks in the bottle.

Aromas: fresh apples, mineral, sharp cheddar

What strikes me most about the aromas on the Northland Traditional Blend is that the smell is so minerally; it really just smells like apples and stones in a straw basket. A hint of Sharpness that is both alcohol and cheddar. All of these together give me the impression that this will be a highly tannic cider on the dry side, but we'll see how it actually tastes.

Sweetness: off dry

This is dryer than what I frequently call a semi-dry, but not fully dry. I think Whitewood is spot on to call their cider a medium dry, and I'm happy to consider it off dry. There are fruit flavors, but the Northland Traditional Blend is truly not sweet.

Flavors and Drinking Experience: high tannins, medium fruit, medium-high acidity, great structure

Wow, the Northland Traditional blend tastes really tannic. Again, that's the choice of apples at work here. Balancing out those tannice, I can also taste lots of acid. This cider offers a note of extremely sharp cheddar in a wonderful way.

To zoom out a little and describe the cider more generally, this cider has a slow unfolding of multiple deep rich flavours.  It takes about 4 or 5 seconds to go through its full taste.  Again, dry, but not bone dry.  Deliciously bitter. The cider is heavily sparkling and structured with a full mouthful but no hint of syrupyness. It is not sticky or heavy, but full and ripe.  It has the elusive "body" everyone is after.

It reminded me husband slightly of ricewine or sake with a hint of yeast and tanginess. It warms the tummy as you drink. Overall, I'd say it is  wweet enough to be drinkable (and not just sippable) while still being mostly dry and quite complex.  Goes fast and very pleasantly.

I enjoyed my cider as a celebration of the new semester than just started for me. It is my return to teaching after about 5 months away. My Northland Traditional Blend complemented my radish and goat cheese pizza beautifully. Both were so warming and hearty. Full flavors are what I need in the winter and Whitewood Cider Company's Northland Traditional Blend fit the bill amazingly well.

Cider Review: Thatcher's Green Goblin

 
I usually only review American ciders, but I do enjoy ciders from many different places. My palate doesn't discriminate by region. When I was on a trip home to Kentucky recently, I promised to look at what I could find in terms of local cider selection and write about it. The most interesting thing I found had to be Thatcher's Green Goblin. I got the very last bottle at a Liquor Barn in Louisville KY and I had to climb on the shelves to get. And this wasn't even on Black Friday! In any case, I was thrilled to see something I do not usually see, hence a review of a decidedly English Cider. Hopefully in coming years, I'll see some Kentucky ciders. We do have the apples after all. If you've ever heard of a Kentucky cider, please let me know!

Thatcher's Green Goblin has its own website at http://www.greengoblincider.co.uk/ and for more information, this page has more detail http://www.greengoblincider.co.uk/cider.htm. The promotional copy isn't particularly descriptive, but it does emphasize that the apples are English and that the cider is oaked. Here's how they put it: "The Green Goblin from deep in the wood - 100 year-old oak vats, that is. Made with English apples, and matured in oak vats, Green Goblin cider is a full-flavoured, bittersweet blend, beautifully balanced to give a fresh character with a medium dry finish." When reading about their cider process, they list two apple varieties Somerset Redstreak and Dabinette both grown in the West County region. I know both of those apples from several US ciders that use them for tannins, so I'm even more curious than I had been before.
                                                                                                                                                       

Appearance: brilliant, papaya, no foam

Seriously, the color is deep papaya. I've never seen another cider like it. When poured, this cider had no foam or head. As I hope the photo shows, it has no haziness and is instead clear and brilliant. What a beautiful cider!

Aromas: stone, wood, subtle aura of persimmon

This earthy smell is delightfully cidery but in an unexpected way because it offers almost no apple, and absolutely no yeast. Instead I smelled stone and wood with just a smidge of acidic fruit. Thinking about that fruitiness, ripe persimmon rather captures it.

Sweetness: Fairly dry

While the dryness is not extreme, this cider defnitely comes across more dry than sweet. I think the dryness combines with the tannins to emphasize those elements more than sweetness or fruit.

Flavors and drinking experience: high tannins, low acid, dry. Woody.

I taste tannins most predominantly in the Green Goblin and I love it. The tannins are soft and not overly aggressive because they are balanced with some lovely apple notes and low acidity. The cider tastes very woody in that almost drying way. Some folks don't care for this, but I'm totally into it. I get hints of leather but those are restrained. Some subtle spicy fruits and farminess give character to the apple. The Green Goblin has fairly intense levels of carbonation, but they lighten up what is otherwise a fairly dark-tasting beverage, so I'm not complaining. The finish lingers with more wood and spice, but at this point the farmyard notes have all disappeared, giving it an evolving taste.

This cider strikes me so deeply enjoyable because of its maturity and balance. I shared the Green Goblin with my mother who doesn't usually care for cider, but she loved the complexity and drinkability of the Green Goblin. She's totally right; it is exceptionally good. I can now add oaking to my list of techniques that make a cider more likely to make my list of repeat buys. Nice.

When thinking of food pairings, I can see a few different directions suiting the Green Goblin. In summer, I'd drink this with a capese salad with loads of fresh mozzarella and some aged balsamic vinegar. In winter, pair the Green Goblin with pasta in cream sauce with walnuts and broccoli. In terms of activities, I'd bring this to a gathering full of new people. The cider has so many different nuances that it makes a great conversation starter, and I'm confident most folks who try would find it both enjoyable and interesting. Besides, I'm always looking to use parties as a way to make more drinkers into cider drinkers.

Cider Review: Albemarle Ciderworks Royal Pippin Virginia Apple Cider

This afternoon, I'm quite pleased to share my first review of cider by Albermarle Ciderworks. I've been following the company online for a while, but I got a chance to taste several of their ciders on my recent vacation. I asked on Twitter and did a bit of research into where I could get cider reasonably close to the Norfolk, Virginia airport and I was thrilled to see so much cider at the fairly nearby wine store. I hauled my embarassing amount of vacation cider to the Outerbanks of North Carolina and reviewed ciders all vacation long. This is definitely a process I recommend and plan to repeat.

You can check out their website here: http://www.albemarleciderworks.com It has lots of great information about their ciders, local events, and cider more generally. Very nice. Though I haven't gotten to visit it, I'm excited that Albemarle has a tasting room! You can visit them Wednesdays - Sundays from 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. in North Garden, Virginia just south of Charlottesville.

I'm starting this series of reviews with my encounter with their Royal Pippin Virginia Apple Cider in no small part because I've already tasted and reviewed the Newtown Pippin single variety by Original Sin. You can check out that review for comparison here: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/02/cider-review-newtown-pippin.html. The apples aren't the same, but they are closely enough related that I think looking at the reviews together makes sense.

Here's the official blurb for the cider from Albemarle: "The Albemarle Pippin, besides being an exquisite dessert and culinary apple, makes a delightful single varietal cider. Royal Pippin has notes of pineapple and grape, with a well balanced acidity and a lush apple taste. It is a refreshing apertif and pairs splendidly with seafood and pork. 8.5% ABV." What I find really interesting is that the label lists a different ABV than the website; on the cider label the ABV appears to be 9.5%. I'm sure batches vary and that labelling requirements are as mysterious in Virginia as they are in other states, but I wish I knew what the actual ABV of the cider was. 

In the websites's tasting notes section, it says this about the cider: "Royal Pippin is a wonderfully diverse cider, perfect for pairing with so many dishes.  Roasted chicken over winter root vegetables, lemony scallops, poached salmon, even spicy carnitas or a firm, nutty cheese. . . all work well alongside this cider."

Giving a bit of extra info in the "Why we like it" section, Albemarle says this about the background of its Royal Pippin: "The Albemarle Pippin has a storied past; Queen Victoria and her subjects were so enamored of the taste of the Albemarle Pippin that they were willing to pay higher prices and forego the import tax on this richly flavored apple.  Our Royal Pippin cider captures all the best aspects of this apple's essence superbly."

Appearance: slightly hazy, glowing deep vanilla

The color needs a slightly more whimsical description than some, perhaps because of the haziness or the lovely bubbling. So, I stand by my glowing deep vanilla color assessment.

Aromas: Fresh apples, wine yeast, tea, pencil shavings

This smells sweet but the other blended aromas that include clean minerals, iron, wood, and wine yeast give me a good hint that it won't likely taste sweet. I am expecting a fairly high tannin level though.

Sweet-dry scale: off dry

Upon first taste, my prediction is fulfilled. This is not a sweet cider, but is approachable and full of flavor. I love this level dryness. The Royal Pippin could easily go with food or be enjoyed just on its own.

Flavors and Drinking Experience:  floral, high tannin, low acid, woody

Thie cider tastes wild and English, but not farmy. Instead it strikes me as refined with hints of very sharp cheddar, lapsang souchong tea, rich mushrooms, maybe even bleu cheese. The Royal Pippin's  finish is citrusy, but I get no citrus before then. It gives a lingering warmth that is most enjoyable.

Drinking Experience:

This single varietal is better balanced than Original Sin's Newtown Pippin.  In fact, it is so well balanced and drinkable, I would not have guessed it for a single origin cider had I known this beforehand. For me that makes it not just an educational or interesting beverage, but one to savor on its own merit as well.

Though you could drink this on its own, I recommend it with a summery veggie tart something with lots of zucchini, tomatoes, corn and cheese. It could also go easily with sitting on a porch and watching the world go by. Very lovely indeed.

Trying Virtue and Oliver's Ciders at The Queens Kickshaw and having a blast

I'm really sorry, but every reader is about to get jealous.  My husband and I finally made it out to The Queen's Kickshaw in Astoria last night to sample their extensive and thoughtful cider menu. We knew we'd have a good cider or few and a nice time, but we were simply blown away. The experience was so great, I had to write it up in a whole new style. There are some cider reviews imbedded here, but I want to share what a fantastic evening we had at The Queen's Kickshaw.
First a few facts. Here's the restaurant's website: http://thequeenskickshaw.com/ They can be found at:

40-17 Broadway
Astoria, NY 11103

The atmosphere in this small restaurant is very homey and understated yet up to date. I love their embellished hardwood floors, their mix of seating, and the fun music choices.

What we drank:

Virtue Red Streak. 5.2% ABV http://www.virtuecider.com This is what Virtue's official description says, "RedStreak is a proper English style draft cider. With its hazy lemon hue, scent of ripe apples and just a touch of oak, RedStreak has a crisp, tart finish that pairs perfectly with your favorite mature cheddar. First discovered in Herefordshire in the 1630s, the Redstreak bittersharp apple produced a cider so delicious it was deemed to be ‘fit for kings.’"

There is description is largely spot on. The Red Streak is a barely cloudy lemon color with almost no visible bubbles. The scent also evoked lemons, but with a creaminess that takes it from lemon into a lemon dessert with whipped cream. I also smelled minerals in a pleasant almost vinous way. The taste is floral and grassy. I thought of fresh pea shoots. It rewards big full drinks that fill the mouth. The farminess is understated but adds to the pleasure of the cider. The finish gives a brief impression of dark concord grapes. A lovely fresh springy cider! All of the good things I've heard about Virtue's RedStreak are true and all of the anticipation I had for trying this cider completely paid off.

Oliver's Gold Rush http://www.oliversciderandperry.co.uk/ 

This comes from a collaboration between UK cider maker Tom Oliver and Virtue Cider's Greg Hall. The ABV is 6.8%. Here's some information from the press release: "The 6.8% sparkling, medium dry cider with a deep, burnished color was made from 100% bittersweet and sharp vintage cider apples from traditional Herefordshire farms. The juice was slow fermented by wild yeasts in old oak barrels through a cold winter and underwent malolactic fermentation in the warm spring.  Oliver then added fruit sugar and lambic yeasts for a second alcoholic fermentation, adding a touch more alcohol and complexity. It was finished in oak, for maturity, before final blending and bottling."

In terms of appearance this was fairly dark and red brown; the color reminded me of some teas. The aromas that came from this cider were fascinating: wood, pickled ginger, and farminess. After a bit of time a second smell drifted to the fore, a spicy leather scent. I knew I'd be in for something exactly up my alley when I could smell the wildness of the cider. When drinking the flavors include sour cherry and tons of tannins all supported by the dry oaky farminess that makes English-style ciders my favorite. The level of sparkle hits just right in that it does not prevent a drink from enjoying a big gulp, but it livens the taste. The finish is dryly effervescent and fast. The cider tastes complex and mellow at the same time.

All in all, the Gold Rush has to be the best cider I've tasted in 2013.

What we ate:

Fontina and Hard Cider Arancini: I loved this. Arancini are little fried balls of risotto, which basically takes my favorite food in the world and adds to it the sinful deliciousness of being fried. The Queen's Kickshaw version was made utterly mouthwatering by using cider in the risotto and pairing that sweetness with a tomato spiciness and Fontina cheese. Eat it and die happy.

Polenta Cake: This was the biggest risk for me because I have a love/hate relationship with mushrooms, and this dish uses a mushroom sauce. It worked out really well because of how the sauce added richness to the roasted vegetables and polenta cake. The cake itself was super tasty with the egg yolk confit and sauce.

Gouda Grilled Cheese, but the title does not begin to describe it. The bread was sweet and the sandwich had not only gouda but also black bean hummus, pickled jalepenos, and guava jam. Totally insane. I'm a sucker for pairing sweet and savoury (as if that isn't obvious from what dishes we chose)

Apple Cobbler with fresh whipped cream: since there was an apple dessert, we just had to try it. The apple cobbler was delicately-spiced, rich and crumbly and the whipped cream was so light and fluffy. It had a tasty garnish that I think was micro-grated chocolate.

Many thanks to Chef Youngsun Lee!

Last but far from least, I got to meet one of the owners, Ben. Sadly I didn't get to meet his wife, but we had a great conversation. I heard a bit about his cider-loving staff, distribution, and the growing enthusiasm for cider he's experienced as a restauranteur. We talked a bit about cider in the sphere of social media and blogging.

 What a wonderful night! I hope to go back soon and try their brunch and breakfast menus and even more ciders. The Queens Kickshaw cider menus is deep and international, it has a lot to keep cider fans coming back.