Cider Review: Eden Ciders' Fuzz Ball Harvest Cider

How can I be poetic about the time of the year when everyone I know is telling me how behind they feel? It’s not just bad stuff; people are stuffing their lives overfull with those things we must do and some of the experiences that bring us joy or contentment. That’s exactly where I am too. What the moment has in common is just the tumbling, “Are we flying or falling?”  momentum of it all. I think we’re like those busy, distracted, intense squirrels and chipmunks perhaps, trying to fit it all in before the winter comes. Or at least that’s how things look from here. 

I'm up and out of the boot, so that might be part of why I'm going absolutely everywhere. I missed this for the past 5 weeks!

Yesterday, I was determined to get one last important treat from my garden. I gathered the last of the ripe tomatoes, and we turned them into a tomato pie. If you’ve read this blog for a while, you know it's one of my favorite dishes and a great cider pairing. I had a fairly new box Eden ciders too, since I’m a member of the cider club. That made choosing easy. I wanted to try the new Harvest canned cider: Fuzz Ball.

Eden is a fabulous cidery from northern Vermont. I’ve reviewed their ciders many times. In earlier reviews, I include more background on this wonderfully apple focused cidery. Here is the full list of my earlier reviews:

Cobble Knoll: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2022/08/cider-review-eden-ciders-cobble-knoll.html

Sorciere: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2022/07/cider-review-eden-ciders-sorciere.html

Oliver’s Twist Foxwhelp Cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2021/11/cider-review-eden-ciders-olivers-twist.html

Brut Rose: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2021/07/cider-review-eden-ciders-brut-rose.html

Benjamin: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2021/06/cider-review-eden-ciders-benjamin-and.html

Deep Cut: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/08/cider-review-eden-specialty-ciders-deep.html

Peak Bloom: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/09/cider-review-eden-ciders-peak-bloom-and.html

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

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

Eden Heritage Cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/06/cider-cans-crush-it-eden-heritage-and.html

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

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

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

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

The Sparkling Dry featured in Thanksgiving & Birthday celebrations in 2016: 

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

Eden Specialty Ciders can be found online here, plus you can meet the newest additions to the portfolio: https://www.edenciders.com.

 The Fuzz Ball was included in my club shipment. It excited me, because I love a dry cider in a can. I want the ease of a canned cider sometimes. There’s not a lot that easier for a bonfire evening or a movie night. And I know that Eden Specialty Cider has made some of the best I’ve ever tasted.  Here’s what the folks at Eden Cidery have to say about this new one: Fuzz Ball Harvest Cider. 

Fuzz Ball 6.2% ABV

You should see me in a crown. 

Notes of lemon pith, soft herbs, wheat biscuits with jam.

Limited Run. Made with the pomace of the renowned Kingston Black, Fuzz Ball is dry dry dry. Crisp, structured, really, truly, if you love dry this is going to knock your socks off!

Appearance: Cloudy cool toned yellow

When poured, the Fuzz Ball reveals the reason for its name. It’s a cloudy cool toned yellow that reminds me of honey and dandelion fluff. 

Aromas: Smells sharp, crisp, white floral, ripe apples,grassy, chalk

This cider smells sharp, crisp, and apple-y immediately. I definitely recommend pouring it from the can into a glass to get the full aromatic experience. After a moment, I notice white flowers, dry grassy notes, and chalk.

Dryness/sweetness: Dry

Completely dry. No fooling around here.

Flavors and drinking experience: high acid, astringent, twiggy, sour orange, ripe apple

Emphatically dry, this cider is more than just what it doesn’t have. The Fuzz Ball brings off-the-charts acid in a super yummy way. The Kingston Black pomace indee imparted some assertive astringence like twiggy young green wood. After the tannins and acids make their presence thoroughly known, I can get into more specific flavors like lemongrass, green apple, and sour orange.

We enjoyed this cider along with a goodbye to Summer supper of tomato pie (with a cheese crust of course) and vegetarian baked beans. It was simple and delightful. The Fuzz Ball was a wonderful accompaniment, because it lifted and separated flavors with its acidity and bubbles. 

Now if we can just find a moment to remain still and appreciate the changes of the season. 

Cider Review: Redbyrd Orchard Cider's 2021 Baldwin - Brown Snout - Kingston Black

I’ve gone more than a full week wearing a boot and treating my right foot as though I’m healing a break. Thankfully the boot works and eliminates pain while walking around the house, so I will not complain about it. I do look forward to being able to resume my normal habits of walking miles a day and getting outside whenever the weather is pleasing and often when it's not. But I certainly don’t mind sitting on my porch on these late summer mornings and evenings.

But I did make it out of the house briefly this weekend to celebrate a wonderful friend, and I brought Redbyrd Orchard Cider's 2021 Baldwin- Brown Snout- Kingston Black to taste and share. I picked up this Redbyrd Orchard Cider from Ithaca’s Farmer’s Market earlier in the Summer. In case you’re ever travelling this way, do not overlook the Farmer’s Market as a place to sample and buy local ciders. Our selection is really astounding!

One of the local gems in the Finger Lakes has to be Redbyrd Orchard Ciders. The cidery is based on a small biodynamic farm near Trumansburg, York. I’ve reviewed several of their ciders since first encountering them in 2014. You can find more background in earlier reviews. Here's the full rundown of my earlier Redbyrd Orchard Cider reviews, including one from earlier this year. 

Biodynamic Cloudsplitter Extra Brut: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2023/04/cider-review-redbyrd-orchard-cyders.html

Tompkins King/Stoke Red (my #6 favorite cider of 2022): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2022/07/cider-review-redbyrd-orchard-ciders.html

Black is Gold (a collaboration with Black Diamond Cider and my #1 cider of 2021): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2021/11/cider-review-black-diamond-farm-and.html

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

And I encourage folks to visit Redbyrd Orchard Cider online to learn more about the current cider lineup: https://redbyrdorchardcider.com/.

Here’s what I learned about the 2021 Baldwin- Brown Snout- Kingston Black from the folks at Redbyrd.  

Alcohol 8%

A beautiful dry cider made from these three apples: Baldwin, Brown Snout, Kingston Black

Certified Biodynamic® by Demeter

pressed rack and cloth with secondary fermentation in bottle, sediment natural

all grown, fermented and bottled at Redbyrd Orchard

22 cases produced

notes of chocolate mint, cinnamon, peppercorn, bittersweet apple

Appearance: intense brass color, brilliant, bubbly

Apologies for the action shot; I’m having issues with my camera lately. Still, it’s apparent that this cider shimmers with a beautifully intense brass color. It’s brilliant with bubbles as well. 

Aromas: oranges, autumnal, overripe apples, rubber

The Baldwin- Brown Snout- Kingston Black  causes an immediate salivary reaction for me! This is going to be a wonderfully exciting cider. The first aroma notes I can identify are overripe apple, oranges, and wet autumn leaves. The scents are mellow and a touch oxidized. I expect deep autumnal acid and apple flavors in this one. Yum.

Sweetness/dryness: fully dry

I love the total dryness of this cider. It’s austere and yet filled with flavor. 

Flavors and drinking experience: actively tannic, fine bubbles, funky, acid but round

The Baldwin- Brown Snout- Kingston Black tastes actively tannic, even a bit fiery and aggressive. I love its champagne-style bubbles from the cider’s second in the bottle fermentation. That crisp sophistication is made beautifully complex with some funky and metallic notes and big round acids. The mouthfeel is full, with a long blocky tannic finish. This cider goes best with salty foods. It’s big, fun, and challenging. These are wonderfully interesting apples, and I’m so glad that Redbyrd Orchard Cider made the most of them.

Cider Review: Berkshire Cider Project's Hancock Shaker Village

I’ve just returned from another cider competition. This past weekend, I judged for The Eastern States Exposition (usually just called The Big E), and it was a well-run competition with the added benefit of getting to meet online cider friends in-person for the first time ever. What a treat!

That brought Massachusetts ciders to the forefront of my mind, so I did a little digging in my cellar and found Berkshire Cider Project's Hancock Shaker Village. I picked this up last summer when visiting the cidery’s Greylock Works tasting room in North Adams, Massachusetts.  

Here’s how Berkshire Cider Project describes what they do.

All of our ciders are dry and sparkling.  

Natural ciders may remind you of white wine or even champagne. Enjoy at home, bring to a dinner party or as a special gift, made right here in the Berkshires.

Each fall we receive fresh-pressed juice from local orchards and ferment slowly during the cold Berkshire winter. We age these base ciders in French wine barrels or neutral tanks for 6-12 months, before blending and bottling.

We’re obsessed with traditional cider apples. These often forgotten varieties are like grapes to wine, with distinct levels of acid, aromatics and tannins. We source from local orchards, forage wild fruit and  even import juice from the UK to supplement what we can’t find locally (yet!).

Each harvest is different so each cider will be different. But you can be sure that each one was crafted with care, right here in the Berkshires.

I have one previous entry about Berkshire Cider Project, but it’s a roundup of several of the ciders: Bittersweet, Windy Hill, Hancock Shaker Village (2020), and Dry.

Roundup: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2022/06/cider-roundup-berkshire-cider-project.html

Visit the Berkshire Cider Project online: https://www.berkshire-cider.com.

HANCOCK SHAKER VILLAGE (2021)

Hand-picked heirloom apples.

A rich blend of heirloom and wild apples from the historic Shaker orchard. Our 2020 bottling captures the bright aromatics of a warm fall and chalky palate of late-harvest russets. Fermented slowly and simply with wild yeast.

Tasting notes: Wildflowers, Oyster Shell and Green Apple.

500ml, 6.9% alc/vol

65 cases produced

I quite liked the Shaker Village that I tasted last year, so I was curious about this one. 

Appearance: brilliant, sunny, bubbly

Bright! I love how radiantly sunny the golden tone is. The cider is beautifully brilliant and bubbly as well. 

Aromas: Leather, overripe apple, honeydew melon, grain and cast iron

The Hancock Shaker Village smells most immediately of leather and overripe apples. I can also detect notes that remind me of honeydew melon, grain and my cast iron skillet.

Sweetness/dryness: Dry

Without any doubt, this cider is exuberantly dry!

Flavors and drinking experience: tannic, chalky, prickly bubbles, overripe apples

I love that the tannins in this cider speak first. The Hancock Shaker Village starts with an initial hit of bitterness that smooths out into gentle fruitiness. I get notes of overripe apple like I noticed in the cider’s aromas. The tannins take back over by the finish with elements that remind me of oyster shells in that they are chalky and minerally.

The mouthfeel is austere and structured with prickly small bubbles. The acidity is present and taut but not a prominent part of the tasting experience. 

I enjoyed the Hancock Shaker Village tremendously with an ultra-simple meal of summer squash, blackened fish, and brown rice. It’s funky but not flawed. What an elegant and restrained cider!

Cider Review: Sider Aga Boddel

I’ve been back from Norway for a few days now, thanks so much for your patience while I took a week off from blogging to see someplace completely new and different. It was a fabulous experience filled with public art, walking new neighborhoods, hearing the sounds of unfamiliar languages, and seeing many different kinds of weather over the course of four days! Of course finding a Norwegian cider had to be priority, so here’s what I thought of Aga Sideri’s Bøddel.

I found Aga Sideri’s - Bøddel Sider frå Hardanger [Pages from Hardanger] at a vinmonopolet in Oslo. (I mangle this word in my mind, because it reminds me of a combination of the app Venmo and the french word for chicken, poulet). In reality, it’s a wine and spirits monopoly owned by the government. They have fantastic labeling, and I was able to get good knowledgeable help finding a cider that’s both dry and bubbly. I did want to increase my odds of finding just the right cider for me. That’s how I chose to try Bøddel Sider by Aga Sideri.

Looking up a bit about Aga Sideri online and using Google Translate gives me this additional info. All of this is from the website.

Visit for yourself here: https://www.agasideri.no/

Aga Sideri lies idyllically between high mountains, in the heart of Hardanger.

Joar Aga is a seventh-generation farmer at Aga, and started Aga Sideri in 2018. The garden is close to both mountains and fjords, surrounded by cultural heritage and large tei. Here in Sørfjorden there is an excellent climate for fruit growing, as well as a rich tradition for silk production. On steep slopes, we grow a handful of different apple varieties which we carefully harvest and process for use in both must and cider.

I used Google to translate the description of the cider, and this is what I got. Please forgive any imperfections here! I’m also including a brief history from the cider website about the person who inspired the name of this cider. 

Apple variety: Aroma, Gravenstein, Bramley's Seedling and James Grieve

Alcohol: 9%

Volume: 750 ml

Sweetness: Dry

Suitable for: Savory dishes (cured food, tacos)

History of Executioner

Samson Isberg (1795-1873) grew up on the farm Isberg, just south of Aga. He moved away from his father and stepmother early on, and joined the military in Bergen. In 1834 he got work as an executioner. He was Norway's penultimate executioner, and the first prince to have the entire country as his official area. Despite his gloomy professional title, Samson was portrayed as a kind-hearted and popular man. After fifteen executions, Samson retired. As the end of his life approached, he said "it will be hard to meet them again on the other side, the people I have parted with my life.

I’ll admit, I almost didn’t pick the cider with the giant axe on the bottle, but read on to find out how it tastes! But looking at the higher than average ABV, the fact that it lists specific apple varieties, plus being promised as both bubbly and dry, I had to try it.

Appearance: mild warm straw, brilliant, active bubbles

The cider is a pale shade of warm straw color with mild intensity. What’s less mild is the cider’s brilliance with effervescent bubbles.

Aromas: minerals, hint of volatile acidity, pear, salt

The Boddel smells minerally with hints of volatile acidity and salt. More persistently I detect fruit notes like pear. These aromas definitely create a salivary reaction.

Sweetness/dryness: Dry

As promised, this is a dry cider! I’m so excited. I never quite know how to interpret a new description of sweetness or dryness, but there’s nothing better than accuracy! 

Flavors and drinking experience: high tannins, high acidity, plentiful fine bubbles.

I’m so thrilled with how the Boddel tastes! I love that it offers both high acids and high tannins. That’s my first impression. Secondarily, the vast quantities of tiny bubbles are just so pleasing. Yum!

The tannins hit first with this cider—these are different apples than my co-taster and I are used to. The pear notes come out to play along with pepper and vanilla. The combination warms up the whole experience. I don’t notice how powerful the acids are until almost the cider’s finish. I appreciate that even with high acids and high tannins, the tasting experience remains rounded, full, and even custardy. Could the cider be barrel aged perhaps? I don’t know, but it’s stony and soft at once. The Boddel is cleanly fermented and wonderfully nuanced. I love this super sophisticated cider. 

We had ours with delicious pizza in a hotel room while watching April snow falling outside. It’s a pairing and a memory, I’ll happily treasure.

Cider Review: Angry Orchard's Margil

It’s sunny enough and and getting warmer each day, that I’m worrying about keeping my seedlings and house plants from getting scorched in the sunroom. I am amazed yet again by how quickly the seasonal shift can come. 

One day, I’m still reaching for thick fluffy socks and hiding from the blustery winds and not long after I’m wearing shades and shedding layers. The surprises are energizing! And this week, I wanted to relish a memory from last summer’s trip to Angry Orchard’s R&D facility in Walden, New York. That means finally opening up my Angry Orchard's Margil.

Over the ten years of this blog, I’ve reviewed many offerings from Angry Orchard, including several from the Walden location. Here is an incomplete list.

Buddy King: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2022/11/cider-review-angry-orchards-buddy-king.html

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

Newtown Pippin: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2022/08/cider-review-angry-orchards-newtown.html

Baldwin: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2022/05/cider-review-angry-orchards-baldwin.html

Understood in Motion 2: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/02/cider-review-critz-farms-double-vision.html

Understood in Motion 3: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/08/cider-review-angry-orchard-ciders.html

Wooden Sleeper: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/12/cider-review-angry-orchards-wooden.html

Spiced Apple: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/03/cider-review-angry-orchards-spiced-apple.html

Pear: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/05/very-perry-may-review-of-greenwood.html

Rosé: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/03/cider-review-angry-orchard-rose-and.html

Walden: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/09/cider-review-angry-orchards-walden.html

And if you want more, just click on the Angry Orchard Tag on any of these posts, and you can find the rest. 

I recommend visiting the Angry Orchard site to see the ciders and check out what’s happening at The Treehouse in Walden, New York: https://www.angryorchard.com/.

Here’s how the Margil is described on the Angry Orchard website.

This single varietal cider features only the Margil apple. With no added sugar, it is a bright off-dry offering with notes of pear and apple skin aromatics. 6.4% ABV.

And from the label itself, “An apple with mysterious origins dating back to 18th century England (or maybe France), the Margil has biome a favorite of ours in Walden for its texture and aroma. With no added sugar, this off-dry cider is bright, fresh, and gives lively pear and apple skin aromatics.” 

And now for my tasting notes on Angry Orchard’s Margil Cider.

Appearance: brilliant, medium intense color, pale straw

This cider has gorgeous shining brilliant and a pale straw color. I can see a few bubbles at the ring of the glass. 

Aromas: Stone, cotton, apple skin, vanilla

The Margil smells first of stone and cotton. Secondarily I get notes of cleanly-fermented fruit. It’s so different from most Angry Orchard ciders. It doesn’t smell like unfermented sweet fruits. I do get the impression of tart apple skin. 

Sweetness/dryness: Off-dry

It’s interesting to isolate the sweetness in this cider. It doesn’t taste particularly sweet, but it must have some sweetness to round out the other elements that it has in such plentiful quantities without becoming severe. Read on to find out more. 

Flavors and tasting experience: Very high tannins, medium-high acids, bright fruit notes, tiny bubbles

The Margil tastes sophisticated yet playful. The cider is lightly sparkling with fine bubbles and very high tannins, but they give way to bright fruitiness. The acidity feels medium-high with lots of citrus notes. The tannins keep coming back to make their presence known with every sip. Gosh, I like this! 

There are hints of sweetness, but the cider is decidedly not sugary. What’s there feels like a neat deep sweetness from the apple’s essence itself and not the residual sugars. The Margil is wonderfully textural and evocative. This delightful cider makes me think of ripe oranges, vanilla, and pears with tropical fruit notes on the finish.

We had our bottle of Margil with a five-cheese pesto pizza and kale salad. The combination was wonderful because the cider helped me remain awake to the delightful contrasting textures of a soft pillowy crust, sharp curly kale leaves, and the melty cheeses. This has to be one of the tastiest ciders I've ever had from the crew at Angry Orchard. Delicious!

Cider Review: Troddenvale's Countryside Farm (100% Harrison)

Welcome back to everyone returning from their time at CiderCon. I hope you had a fantastic adventure. I loved following everyone’s posts about it. I hope re-entry into regular life is gentle and pleasant for you all. This is often a difficult season, so I offer you wishes for cold steady temperatures for orchards and warm hearths filled with love inside. Today, I’m sharing notes on a special cider that was a birthday gift last year from my darling tall one. He found for me a cider that he thought looked especially promising Troddenvale’s Countryside Farm (100% Harrison) from the Grower Series. 

Troddenale at Oakley Farm is based in Warm Springs, Virginia near the George Washington National Forest. This cider is one of the earliest releases, a batch from 2018. Here’s how the folks at Trodenvale describe their methods of cidermaking. I think it's a great introduction to the identity of this cidery more generally.

Stripping away the modern techniques and dogmatic notions of the commercial beverage industry, we strive to make pure expressions of distinct fruit and showcase where they are grown. Focusing on what the fruit can give us requires patience and limited intervention. 

Working with true cider varietals limits the need of flavor-enhancing adjuncts and corrections. Relying purely on native microbial populations provides genuine complexity and individual character. Fermenting in neutral oak creates depth and microflora continuity. Bottling unfiltered provides texture, leaving nothing behind. Limiting the addition of preservatives ensures these ciders are transparent, alive, and evolving.

Visit Troddenvale online to learn about the current lineup of ciders: https://www.troddenvale.com/

Here’s what info I could glean about the Countryside Farm from the cider's back label. 

The grower series focuses on expression of single orchard sites. 

Sparkling Cider. 100% Harrison.

Grown by Countryside Farm and Nurseries of Crimora, Virginia.

Concentrated rich aromatics. Robust phenolic structure. Drink with food. Full native yeast fermentation in neutral oak. Sur lie aged. Undisgorged.

No fining/filtration.

No pasteurization.

No chapitalization.

No acidification.

No added sulfites.

Batch 2018

35 Cases produced

Alc. 8.5% by volume

From the great springs region of Virginia, sparkling ciders of origin driven by transparency. Produced and bottled by Troddenvale, Warm Springs, Virginia.

Appearance: deep color, few visible bubbles, hazy, no sediment in the first 2 glasses

The cider is hazy with deep marigold color, few visible bubbles, no sediment in the first 2 glasses.

Aromas: Woody, twiggy, lime, mineral, and floral

There are wonderful complexities to these aromas. The Countryside Farm smells powerfully woody in a way that anticipates both tannins and acid. I think the cider will be bright and dry, but we’ll see what flavors lie in store. It smells English but not too powerfully funky. There’s also a beautiful interplay of lime, mineral and floral notes.

Sweetness/dryness: Dry

The Countryside Farm tastes dry but not bone dry. The cider has a lot going on that feels totally separate from the dry/sweet spectrum.

Flavors and drinking experience: petillant, tannic, wood, full mouthfeel, angular

This cider, upon first sip, was declared an instant winner. It’s petillant with angular fruitiness, high tannins, and white wood notes. It doesn’t taste traditionally barrelly, but also definitely gained something from its fermentation in neutral oak. I appreciate how full the mouthfeel is. The Countryside Farm is boozy at 8.5oz but with no undue heat. 

It’s well balanced, especially considering that its a single varietal. I don’t expect to get the right counterbalance of acidity, tannin, bubbles, phenolics and everything from just one apple. The minimal intervention approach that Troddenvale committed to was entirely rewarding in this case. I am beyond impressed!

Overall, the cider is serious, but immediately rewarding. I love that it’s still completely delicious a full five years after fermentation (it’s a 2018 batch)! We just served it with a hearty yet simple United Kingdom inspired dinner of jacketed potatoes with beans, shredded cheddar and vegetarian sausage. It was perfect!

Cider Review: Big Hill Ciderworks' Barrel-Aged Reserve Cider

I just filled out my calendar with plans (and necessary blocks of preparation time) for all the big stuff happening between now and the end of 2022. I couldn’t believe how close we are to the end of the year. I can’t say I’ll be sad to see the last of 2022, but I’m also amazed by how busy the next four weeks are going to be. I know I’m not alone, so best of luck to you with your busy-ness! 

One quick reminder. I do a Favorite 10 Ciders list each year just before the end of the year. It’s a fun way to reflect on the delicious bottles and great cider experiences of the previous year. And this year will be the 10th list! Any guesses about what ciders will make the cut? 

Today, I’m sharing my notes on Big Hill Ciderworks' Barrel-Aged Reserve Cider. This cidery is based out of Adams County, Pennsylvania. Here’s how the company describes how locally oriented Big Hill Ciderworks is.

We grow, press, ferment, bottle and distribute all of our ciders right from our orchards in Adams County, PA.  You won’t find added sugars, sweeteners, or natural flavors in any of our ciders.  Rather, we blend different varieties of apples and other fruits from our farms and then our modern ciders are back-sweetened with fresh pressed juice.  The end result - wholesome ciders that are made almost entirely of fruit grown right on our farms.  Enjoy a bottle or swing out and have a pint at our taphouse!

I’ve only previously reviewed a couple of ciders by Big Hill Ciderworks. Here are both reviews.

Manchurian: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/07/cider-review-mountain-wests-cottonwood.html

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

Visit Big Hill Ciderworks online to see what’s happening at the cidery and read about all the tasty releases: http://www.bighillcider.com/home

Here’s how Big Hill Ciderworks describes the Barrel-Aged Reserve Cider: one of the traditional offerings.

BARREL AGED RESERVE     8.4%ABV

Our Barrel Aged Reserve Cider is a unique blend of bittersweet & bittersharp apples varieties grown right here in our orchards.  A complex, tart and tannic flavor profile will pair well with cheese, pork, shellfish and much more.

Appearance: intense harvest gold color, brilliant, tiny bubbles

This cider looks inviting even before I pour it. I love the Barrel-Aged Reserve’s deep harvest gold and brilliance. I can see plentiful tiny bubbles, so I’m not anticipating a still cider. 

Aromas: Ripe apples, woody, homemade apple syrup

This cider’s scents don’t reach super far. I have to put my nose close to the liquid to get much detail; it’s medium intensity rather than anything stronger. The Barrel-Aged Reserve smells like ripe apples and the blunt clean woody side of barrel aging. I get less of the smoky or buttery scents that can come with some kinds of barrel time. Interestingly, I note a little waft of apple syrup once the cider warms up. 

Sweetness/dryness: off-dry

It could be illusory, but I can feel just enough fruit and body to make me think the cider is off-dry rather than fully bone dry. Big Hill’s Barrel-Aged Reserve isn’t pinning to many expectations to sweetness though. 

Flavors and drinking experience: Zingy, medium tannins, balanced

The Barrel-Aged Reserve wears its barrel lightly and integrates the tannins beautifully into the overall drinking experience. It does taste dry to off dry upon repeated sips. I find the whole experience quite balanced. The cider feels light in body but the ABV is 8.4%, so watch out. The cider is very good and shockingly easy to drink. I find it to be a tremendously good winter cider

I paired this with a butternut squash casserole and my second batch of cranberry relish: delish!

Cider Review: Milk & Honey Ciders' Fauna

I write with my eyes full of sunset tonight. It’s coming earlier, but I’m glad to pay that price in order to have a few more weeks of mornings with even just the barest hint of light. I need it to get up and feel like there is a universe outside of my bed. Other folks feel the evening’s loss more keenly, I know it. I’ll take the gratitude though. In any case, I like plenty of quiet dark evenings at home with good food and good cider. This review is from just such a night; I’m trying Fauna by Milk and Honey Ciders.

This week’s cider is my first from Milk & Honey Ciders. This is a cidery out of St. Joseph, Minnesota. I’m so excited to try the Fauna. This cider was shared with me in a trade, so many thanks to everyone in my cider trading communities! You know who you are.

I recommend visiting the cidery online: http://www.milkandhoneyciders.com/. 

Here’s how Milk and Honey describe the Fauna:

Inside you will find an elite group of apples capable of a truly great cider. Tannic apples for depth and body. Sharps for bright fruity-vinous character. Interesting Heirlooms for aromatics. Every year the apples may change depending upon the whims of the orchard, but they will always impress. Let the apples shine.

Alcohol 6.90%

Appearance: hazy, warm straw, bubbly

The Fauna seems like a tremendously active cider. I can see tiny bubbles racing for the surface through the mild haze and warm straw color. It pours with a little bubble, but the mousse dissipates quickly.

Aromas: Malic acid, minerality, rock candy, fresh apple

This cider is brimming over with interesting scents! The first smell I notice is rock candy & malic acid in the attack, followed by something funky and more deeply minerally. Overall, it’s an austere set of smells that concludes with a sense of cold, sharpened apple.

Sweetness/dryness: Dry

This is a nice dry cider. It’s neither harsh nor deceptively fruit forward.  

Flavors and drinking experience: high acid, pineapple, mild tannins, bitterness on the finish

The Fauna taste well-balanced and admirably restrained. Yes, the cider has high acid, but it’s balanced by also being very mildly tannic with a low, bitter finish. I appreciate the fruity acids that remind me of pineapple. The flavors are light and immediate for the most part. I do insist that the cider be poured from its serving container. Drinking from the bottle robs the experience of its best parts, so use a glass. I also love the Fauna’s small but pervasive bubbles. They enliven the experience in a big way.

I enjoyed my cider while I was perusing a game book before playing some table-top role play awesomeness with faraway friends. I'm sure no one is surprised by that level of nerdiness, but I have to own up. I think it would also go well with a hearty minestrone soup and good bread.  

Cider Review: Absolem Cidery's Ferryman

We’re rounding a corner with this beginning of November. Though Winter doesn’t begin until December 21, for me there’s almost a separate season between November 1st and then. This isn’t the Fall of red leaves, pumpkin spice, and golden apple afternoons. These are the newly longer dark nights of fall and the cozy candle afternoons and time to create comfort with loved ones. For me, it’s nesting season. 

And I am happy to share a very appropriate cider: Absolem Cider’s Ferryman. Somehow my images for this cider have vanished, so please enjoy my journey through the first half of fall instead.

Absolem Cider comes from Maine and this is the first Absolem cider appearance on the blog. Here’s a little about how the folks at Absolem describe themselves and their place. 

Our farmhouse cidery and nascent orchard is located along the western side of the Cobbosseecontee Lake nestled between dense woods, and rolling farmland. A short distance from the neighboring towns of Augusta and Gardiner along the Kennebec River that cuts through the heart of Maine. 

Our rustic 150 year-old barn hosts our small cidery where we produce cider and wine. In addition, our barn doubles as a tasting room space where guests can enjoy our hand-made ciders.

Our orchard is dedicated to growing apples varieties originally grown in Winthrop by visionary orchardists like Icabod Howe, Morris Towle, Bill Reid, and John Bunker.

You can check out Absolem Ciders online here: https://www.absolemcider.com/

Fermented with native yeasts in stainless, macerated on Frontenac Noir grape must, and aged in two Port Wine barrels for 12 months. The skin contact enhances the deep berry flavors embedded in the barrel.7.8% ABV.

Appearance: cloudy, rose gold, bubbly

This cider pours with some bubble. It’s cloudy to the point of being opaque. The color reminds me of rose gold. Everything about it is blushing and foggy in a most appealing way.

Aromas: barrel, apple stems and cores, powdered sugar, hay, booze, strawberry

Wow! What a varied range of intriguing smells. The Ferryman first smells like barrels and wine. That’s certainly the port barrel and grape must coming through. I also get a strong presence of apple stems and cores. Something in the mix gives off strong vibes of tannins. In the background, I get hints of powdered sugar, hay, booze, strawberry, and fermented peach.

It’s a wild array.

Dryness/sweetness: Off Dry

The Ferryman tastes dry but not bone dry.

Flavors and drinking experience: fruity, high tannins, soft acid, gently farmy

I love how the Ferryman’s flavor is intense and bold with just enough acid. What the cider really focuses on is high astringence with nutty tannins. I find the Ferryman very fruity in a peach and strawberry way without being a sweet cider. It tastes like it smells. 

What surprised me is how soft it is in both taste and mouthfeel. This is an impressive feat of texture given how tannic and barrel influenced it is, but it manages to be gentle and bright. I find the Ferryman gently farmy but not phenolic. It’s petillant rather than strongly sparkling. A lot of its complexity of tannins and acids may come from the use of grape must or barrel. This is a delicious cider that’s complex and quietly exuberant. What a treat!

Cider Review: Snow Capped Cider Ashmead's Kernel

I picked up my first apple CSA share of the season this past weekend. For me, this is the real start of fall. I’m ready! In the coming weeks the other signs will appear: colorful leaves, pumpkins, early evening shadows and eventually frosted mornings. I’m not in a rush to traverse it; this short season begs to be savored. One of my savorings this weekend was a quiet birthday celebration with a long-time friend, her family, my family, many snacks and Snow Capped Cider’s Ashmead’s Kernel. 

Snow Capped Cider comes to us from a multiple generation family farm in Colorado. I’ve had a few of their ciders and seen the cidery name come up as a frequent award winner. Here are all of my previous reviews of Snow Capped Cider.

Blanc Mollet: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2022/06/cider-review-snow-capped-ciders-single.html

Gold Rush: https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2022/04/cider-review-snow-capped-ciders-gold.html

Harrison Reserve (My #5 favorite cider of 2021): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2021/12/cider-review-snow-capped-cider-harrison.html

You can visit Snow Capped Cider online and learn about everything this cidery is up to: https://snowcappedcider.com/

I love how Snow Capped introduces the Ashmead’s Kernel with background and description for the apple that makes up this single-varietal cider. 

First discovered in Gloucester England around 1700 then throughout North America, Ashmead has remained popular in both cider making and eating for two centuries despite its faded color and dull outer appearance. Ashmead’s Kernel boasts incredible flavor creating a truly remarkable sensory experience. We have returned to its old world roots with a long ripening period and slow farm style fermentation method. A pétillant finish further enhances the fresh fruity aroma delivering the remarkable strong flavor combined with natural, delicate tannin and balanced sweetness. A unique enchanting cider with nearly elusive richness that leaves you questing for more. 100% Ashmead’s Kernel apples grown in our Colorado Orchards.

Alcohol 8.10%

Here are my thoughts on the Ashmead's Kernel by Snow Capped Ciders.

Appearance: mousse, medium intense amber tea color, 

This cider pours amber shading into tea with a lovely head of bubbles. The color is medium intensity. It’s a brilliant cider with no hint of opacity.

Aromas: Orange, minerals, autumn, overripe apples  

The Ashmead’s Kernel smells wonderful and enticing, What I notice first is orange and overripe apples. Secondarily I get aquatic and mineral notes. Overall the impression I get is one of maturity, full bloom, and autumnal forest floor.

Dryness/sweetness: Dry

This is a dry cider. It doesn’t use sweetness to guide you through the experience. 

Flavors and drinking experience: tannic, mid-low acid, pepper, baking spice

What a treat! Everyone gathered was wowed by this cider’s profile. It is substantially different than what we taste a lot here in upstate New York. The Ashmead’s Kernel is super tannic, but that feels very surprisingly different when paired with medium-low acidity. It’s smoother and less spiky. I taste bits of sweet red pepper and fruity sweetness. 

The cider is refreshing; something about it feels not only velvety but also lush with baking spice notes. I love the plentiful bubbles! I always love plentiful bubbles. The cider’s smooth finish makes it easy to reach for a second sip. It wears its relatively high ABV well.

We had divine caprese salad, pesto bean dip, focaccia bread, peppers, cheeses and Marcona almonds with the cider. We loved trying this along side different parts of this beautiful range of treats. I think my favorite pairings were the Ashmead’s Kernel with blue cheese and with truffle dusted Marcona almonds. 

What a way to celebrate a friend and welcome Fall.

Cider Review: Peak Light Cider's Farm School

All I want is flowers. It's ridiculous. This craving feels like it belongs to springtime and just wandered into my brain by mistake. Nonetheless, what brings me joy right now is Cosmos, Zinnia, Spider Plant, Mums, Coneflowers, Mayweed, and Sunflowers.  Please just stick me in a garden with a plate of cheese and a cider; I’ll come back in a few weeks, I promise. 

For right now I want to share Peak Light Cider’s Farm School. I got to sip this cider with friends and brunch on the screen porch. What a lovely way to enjoy a cider.

Peak Light Cider comes to us from Sauvie Island in Oregon. The farm is biodynamic and organic. The cidery was founded by Jen and Travis Lovejoy. Here’s how Peak Light Cider introduces the cidery.

This isn’t just cider. This is a farm to bottle experience of organically grown apples hand-picked at peak ripeness. Where honeybees dance and gatherings are queen. Where days are spent outdoors, dirtying hands, laughing, swapping stories, and staying for supper. Because community is more than who you know, what we drink matters, and every glass feels like coming home.

Peak Light Cider has only had one previous review. I checked out the Field Run: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2021/04/cider-review-peak-light-ciders-field.html

I recommend visiting Peak Light Cider’s website to learn more about the cider and its offerings: https://peaklightcider.com/

Here’s the cider’s official description.

This cider is a creation of collaboration and partnership with Wombat Flats Farm on Kiger Island, Oregon. This limited release cider from the 2020 harvest blends traditional bittersweet and bittersharp apples, including Yarlington Mill, Brown Snout, Muscadet de Dieppe, Vilberie, and Porter’s Perfection. Aromas of molasses and tilled loam soil with notes of chestnut and buckwheat honey. This bitter cider pairs well with radicchio salad and fresh baked bread with herbed butter.

It honors an Autumn of social distancing from broader communities, while coliving with dear friends, homeschooling and working together on the family farm. How bittersweet it is! Enjoy. Preferably with friends or family and some afterglow.

Appearance: warm apricot, brilliant, bubbly

Farm School poured with a bit of mousse all the way through the bottle. There’s that much bubble to see! The color reminds me of mango, tea, or apricot with a medium intensity and a gentle warmth. The cider’s clarity is brilliant.

Aromas: Overripe mushy apple, caramel, spice. 

The farm school smells like fall to me. The predominant note is overripe soft apples. Secondarily I get hints of caramel that make me think of barrels and just a hint of oxidation. There’s also a little baking spice in the grace notes.

Dryness/Sweetness: Dry

This is a dry cider. If you want a great example of a cider that will help you differentiate between acidity and tannins, this is super clear example. Read on for more.

Flavors and drinking experience: very tannic, medium acidity, barrel quality, boozy

 

I love how the Farm School tastes. This is a mature cider that’s at ease with its dry, very tannic profile. It has medium acidity to my palate, but I’d be curious what folks who primarily drink west coast ciders would say. There are still caramel notes like were present in the aroma, but they rise and swell without sweetness. The cider’s fruity appley mid-palate folds into a slightly boozy barrelly finish. There’s just a bit of funk, but not much.

Overall the Farm school is a cider with big full flavors but with a gentle smooth transition through every moment of the tasting experience. It was a wonderful pairing with coconut spice muffins, late summer vegetable frittata, and vegetarian chorizo. What a treat!