Cider Review: Crispin Georgia

 
I've reviewed a fair number of Crispin Ciders and drunk a few more, but this is my first experience with any of their barrel aged limited releases. If you want to check out my previous Crispin post, you can find it here: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/05/cider-review-crispin-ciders-saint.html. I've also reviewed a few of their sister company Fox Barrel's perries, http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/07/and-now-for-something-completely.html and http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/08/perry-review-fox-barrel-blackberry-pear.html.

Crispin has a fantastic website: http://www.crispincider.com/ with gorgeous photos, recipes, and mixed drink ideas. They've clearly put tons of effort into their brand image and it shows. I wish more companies were as thoughtful in how they present their ciders as Crispin.

I don't know if you can forgive the cheese, but this official press release has tons of good information. It just presents in a way that's a bit over the top.

Let’s kick off this ride with the sweet goodness of Georgia peach juice.  Georgia peaches have a high quality combination of sugars, acidity, aromas and textures making it a seamless integration into the unpasteurized, fresh-pressed juice already being used in Crispin’s super premium artisanal ciders.

An elegant, spicy blend of Crispin’s Colfax Classic apple-wine superbly aged in bourbon American whisky barrels.  The final blend is finished with Georgia peach juice, a mention of mint and a touch of Tupelo honey, also aged in bourbon barrels.

Georgia offers a drinking experience and flavor profile like no other.  Georgia has full, rich whiskey notes right up front with smooth toasted oak and vanilla.  The peach juice provides a velvety lushness with a mere hint of mint to bring it all together.  This 6.78% (678 being a Georgia area code) alcohol by volume cider packs full flavor and full body.

So how might one enjoy this beverage? The optimal sip scenario for Georgia is at the cellar temperature of 50/55 F. Grab a snifter or a tulip glass and get ready for greatness. When pouring, use a solid bottoms-up tilt and swirl the bottle to disperse the sediment evenly. This unlocks the whiskey aromas and a unique bouquet.

This is nearly the first time, if not the very first time, that I've seen pouring instructions and glassware recommendations with a cider. Frankly I like it. It gives the cider even more of a sense of identity and tradition.

Appearance: Cloudy, nectarine, plenty of bubble

After pouring this cider, I noticed immediately how cloudy it looks. It is easy to be a casual cider fan and never see a truly cloudy cider, so let this picture illustrate. I couldn't tell how many fingers someone was holding up behind this cider. This cider shows off a gorgeous nectarine flesh color and lots and lots of visible bubbles. It looks like a meal.

Aromas: Asian pear, fresh apple, honey

So fruity! This cider is so cool and refreshing to smell. The Georgia begs for warmer temperatures, but even now it reminds me beautifully of summer with the ultra clean fruit notes of asian pear and fresh apple.  The honey is more understated but definitely supports the fruits. Upon repeated sniffs, this really reminds me of a light-bodied perry in aroma. Alex (my frequent co-taster and husband) noted a distinct aroma of caraway seeds. Interesting.

Sweetness: Semi-sweet/sweet?

It is difficult to decipher the level of sweetness in Crispin's Georgia. Ultimately, I think this is a sweet cider, but the flavors go so far beyond just fruits and sweetness that this measure is made much less meaningful for this particular cider. The sweetness is definitely not the dominant impression as I'm drinking it.

Flavors and drinking experience: crazy (minty), complex (honeyed) and fun (peachy)

The complexity on this cider truly overwhelms me. First, I taste the cool and delicate fruit, getting bolder. Mint hits the mid palate and intensifies at the finish. Crazy. Seriously. Certifiable. I keep drinking it, and I keep being surprised by a few of the notes. The peach isn't overly strong and it melds well with the whisky. I like the honey and the mint. I'm not sure the Georgia needs to have all four notes, because, in the end, it becomes a mixed drink more than a cider. That said, I'd love to see this divided into two summery ciders, a whisky peach and a honey mint. Even so, as an intense punch this is a lovely drink.

 I'm enjoying this with an old fashioned fish fry, cole slaw, and some sweet cooked carrots. It is a lot of flavors, but it works. The Georgia is a summer time drink; for me, it reminds me of summer because December in upstate New York is a far cry from summer. I think this cider would work best as a summer picnic cider. Use the cooling mint when you really need it.

Cider Review: Naked Flock Original (and a link)

Naked Flock is Jonathan Hull’s small line of Hudson Valley ciders. The company uses only local apples from the Hudson Valley region of New York State.  The ciders come 3 varieties Original, Draft and Pumpkin. I’ve seen Original and Draft, but sadly I’ve het to see the Pumpkin in stores.  A quote from Hull on the website makes his priorities apparent: "We don't add water or grape spirits, flavorings or colorants and that's why when you open it and you smell it you get a big Apple nose. It gives it a look and feel that sets it apart from the competition." What also sets the cider apart in my mind is their very unique cartoon bottle art, featuring barrel-clad fowl and a confused minister along with the more typical apple-laden trees. The website tells the full story behind the name and the art.

Here’s the official description of the Original, the cider that I’m reviewing today, “The Original Cider is fermented with Champagne yeast and sweetened with a touch of local honey.” I’ve tasted several ciders that use honey at this point, and it isn’t always my favorite source of sweetness, but we’ll see. The ABV is listed as 6.8%.

Color and appearance: almost greenish yellow, just off clear, no visible bubbles

Though this cider isn’t perfectly clear, it isn’t near to cloudiness. No head, no sediment. The color is bright and light and sunny.

Aroma: grape, minerals, flour

Very gentle smell. The Naked Flock Orginal’s predominant aroma is white grapes. The flour and minerals combine easily with the grape smell to remind me of slightly dusty green grapes. Pleasant, but not strong.

Sweet-dry scale: sweet

The Naked Flock Original tastes sweet in a decidedly apple-y way. It tastes light and bright along with the sweetness. That keeps this cider from becoming sticky or heavy. Grapes, apples, and very wet fruits characterize the sweetness. Even so, it may be too sweet for some fans of craft ciders.

Drinking experience and flavors: bread, apples, easy

The most dominant element of the experience for me is how easy drinking it is. The cider is only lightly carbonated. The flavors are well balanced though not challenging. As the cider maker describes his own beverage, apples are the predominant flavor.

Finish:  sweet fruits and peanut

The finish surprises me more than any other facet of this cider in that a full two seconds after the drinking is done, I am reminded of the deep south delicacy boiled peanuts. It is earthy, tasty, and unusual. Frankly, I’m glad because otherwise this cider might suffer a bit from a lack of strong characteristics.

Pairs with: pancakes or waffles

At the risk of sounding strange, I want to call this a breakfast cider. Mind you, I didn’t have mine first thing in the morning, but I could easily see it tasting delicious with many breakfast foods. Drink it with pancakes and cooked apples, yoghurt and granola, or even a savoury omlette. It is a light cider in a way that seems more right for breakfast foods more than pastas or casseroles. Make of that what you will.

The cider comes in 22oz bottles, a good size for sharing. Whether or not you decide to take up ciders with breakfast, this is a tasty sweet cider. I’m curious to try the draft since it is described as drier, but this one certainly has its place in the cider world. 

 

Last but not least, I really want to share a link to one of my Twitter friends: American Hard Cider. This website is a really nicely put together directory of American cider makers and cideries with clear indications of their locations. If you want to go cider exploring in the states, this is a great starting place: American Hard Cider Directory.