Cider Review: Blake’s Hard Cider Co.'s Peach Party

Welcome to 2024! I write this from the liminal week between Christmas and the new year. Some folks get restless during this time, or mind that they forget what day of the week it is. Others return to work and life as usual. Yet others, and I count myself in this last lucky camp, relish the quiet long chance to say goodbye to the year not in a moment or a night but for a solid week. I’m looking back at the good moments, good books, good films, and holding those close. The challenges certainly come, but they don’t need any extra airtime. And I’m happy to be traveling to see my family right now. 

My dad was kind enough to save me two cans of Blake’s Hard Cider’s Peach Party. I shared some with him and also one with my mom, and I so enjoyed getting their reactions as well as my own. Consider this review a Collins family special. 

Here is a list of all previous reviews of Blake’s Hard Ciders on the blog.

Apple Lantern: https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/10/cider-reviews-blakes-hard-ciders-apple.html

El Chavo (habanero and mango): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/11/cider-review-blakes-hard-cider-companys.html

Black Philip(cranberry and blood orange): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/04/cider-review-blakes-hard-cider-black.html

The Tonic (cucumber & ginger): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/03/cider-review-blakes-hard-cider-companys.html

Grizzly Pear(pear, prickly pear cactus, & elderflower):

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/05/very-perry-may-pt-5-e-z-orchards.html

Snapdragon (rum raisins): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/11/cider-review-blakes-hard-ciders.html

Wakefire (cider with sour cherries and orange peel): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/09/cider-review-blakes-hard-cider-companys.html

It’s easy to learn more about Blake’s Hard Cider Company on the website: http://www.blakeshardcider.com/

I’ll include the official description for the Peach Party, so we can see what exactly Blake’s is offering here!

Peach Party Peach and Blackberry Get ready to groove with the goodness of sweet peach, bold blackberry, and mellow apple. It’s all peach and love at this party.

6.5% ABV

Appearance: gentle blush pink, brilliant, few bubbles

I see a lot of gentle blackberry and apple influence  in this color. It’s a delicate blush pink with total brilliance. There are only a few little bubbles in the mix. What a lovely lovely cider. It makes me think of Spring already.

Aromas: Creamy and peachy with a background of apple and blackberry

The Peach Party lives up to it’s name with a fun and enticing aroma. It smells creamy and peachy almost like a Peach Melba. As I bring the glass to my nose there are also elements of citrus and sweetness in its nose.

Sweetness/dryness: Sweet

This cider is unambiguously sweet like peach candy but with a fun citric acid zing!

Flavors and drinking experience: peach, apple, vibrant fruit, high acid

Like with the aroma, I find Blake named this cider aptly. It is indeed a Peach Party! That’s the dominant flavor on the palate. I don’t detect a ton of blackberry flavor, but I’m happy to report that the whole experience is supported on a firm backbone of apple.

The Peach Party brings lots of acid and medium intensity of bubble to the drinking experience. The cider has a clean fermentation with loads of fresh very vibrant fruit flavor. It’s got a big mouthfeel as well. On two different evenings, I shared this one with my folks and both quite liked it. Our collective experience is that it’s a super approachable and friendly cider. Fans of sweetness will find it sessionable to boot. 

One evening of this was paired with a tense film about the end of the world and the other night it was shared with college basketball. Both worked well, but I think its best pairing might be popcorn and comedy or perhaps a bonfire!

Here’s to a wonderful 2024. Cheers!

Cider Review: Stem Cider's A Salted Cucumber and Blake’s Hard Cider Rosé

It’s not the best day, cider fans. Stress, illness, uncertainty, and economic hardship are real, and they are here. It would feel disingenuous to pretend otherwise. What I can say is that they aren’t the only things going. I’m seeing Spring, creativity, resourcefulness, generosity, love and lots of pet pictures too. They can’t necessarily fix everything, but I’ll take them and appreciate them. 

I’m excited to start this week with Stem Cider’s A Salted Cucumber! 

Eric Foster and Phil Kao founded Stem Ciders in 2013. This cidery is based in Lafayette, Colorado. To find more background on the company, I recommend checking out the about section on the Stem Cider website: https://stemciders.com/our-cider-journey/.

Here are my previous reviews of Stem Ciders.

Colorado Heritage Blend: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/08/cider-review-eves-cidery-kingston-black.html

Banjo: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/03/cider-review-stem-ciders-banjo-and.html

Pear Apple: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/06/pickcider-review-stem-ciders-pear-apple.html

Perry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/05/very-perry-may-tieton-cider-works.html

You can find out more about the company online: https://stemciders.com

Today’s review is of A Salted Cucumber. To my knowledge this is the first cider I’ve seen whose name starts with the word, “A!”

Here’s how Stem Ciders introduces this one, “Dry hopped with cascade and citra hops, finished with fresh cucumber juice and sea salt. Crafted with 100% fresh pressed apples from the Pacific Northwest.” 6.7% ABV.

My can was a souvenir brought home from a large cider event last year. 

Appearance: hazy, crocus yellow, few visible bubbles

I could see one or two trails of bubbles floating through this hazy cider, but it’s appearance isn’t very bubbly. What I see instead is a classic hop haze and a pleasingly warm crocus yellow color.

Aromas: cucumber, salt, spice, hops, apple

A Salted Cucumber smells tantalizingly of cucumber, hops and a sprinkle of salt. I’m wondering if I’m also getting just a hint of spice. The cider is very clean smelling. There’s not a strong apple presence in the aromas, but some clean freshly washed apple notes breeze through.

Sweetness/dryness: Off dry

A Salted Cucumber tastes off dry to me. The can calls it dry, but I’m often not in perfect alignment with what packages suggests for a cider’s relative dryness or sweetness.

Flavors and drinking experience: cucumber, peppery, high acid, bubbly

I want to start by saying how very tasty this is! This cider tastes like salted cucumber and apple. It’s like a fresh salad! My cotaster and I both found A Salted Cucumber so enjoyably drinkable!
The cider offers up peppery and vegetal notes as well as green wood.

This hoppy cider tastes clean and not sweaty or soapy! It brings high acidity and intense sparkle to a very fun and approachable set of flavors.  The balance is really cemented by one hint of bitterness.

We paired this with a bean and corn salad and roasted Arizona Dreaming and Sofritos potatoes and faux-beef crumbles. It was a marvelous pairing. The cool and savory notes of A Salted Cucumber were just amazing with roasty spicy foods! This was followed up by a game of Trivial Pursuit, and I won!

And we’re closing out the week’s reviews with Blake’s Hard Cider Company’s Rosé.

Blake’s Hard Cider calls Armada, Michigan home. This popular company is always crafting new ciders; the range of styles Blake’s produces is large. The cidery prioritizes its local connections. The cidery grew out of a family farm. The ciders are now produced with only Michigan apples. There’s a lot of emphasis on the local and regional community. Someday, I’d love to see the cidery myself!

Here are my previous reviews of Blake’s Ciders.

Rainbow Seeker: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/01/cider-review-stormalong-ciders-boston.html

Fido: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/11/cider-review-blakes-fido-and.html

Santa Rosa: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/02/cider-review-blakes-hard-ciders-santa.html

Beard Bender: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/11/thanksgiving-ciders-eves-ciderys.html

Apple Lantern: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/10/cider-reviews-blakes-hard-ciders-apple.html

Black Philip: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/04/cider-review-blakes-hard-cider-black.html

The Tonic: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/03/cider-review-blakes-hard-cider-companys.html

El Chavo: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/11/cider-review-blakes-hard-cider-companys.html

Wakefire:
http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/09/cider-review-blakes-hard-cider-companys.html

Snapdragon: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/11/cider-review-blakes-hard-ciders.html

I recommend looking around Blake’s Hard Cider’s website. There’s a lot to see: https://www.blakeshardcider.com/


Here the official description for this cider, “Rosé Strawberry and rose hips. Semi-sweet with a citrus like acidity, this native fermented Rosé was infused with strawberries and rose hips, resulting in a vibrant finish.” 6.9% ABV.

Appearance: brilliant, watermelon, some tiny bubbles,  

This cider looks so pink and fruity. The color reminds me of watermelon. It’s brilliantly clear. I can see a few bubbles in glass, but they are small and few. The big show here is color, and it’s much too pretty to drink out of a can!

Aroma: Graham crackers, cherries, strawberries, 

When I poured this cider, I got my first aroma notes immediately. My impression is one of dessert with Graham crackers, cherries, and strawberries. These notes blend into raspberry, syrup, nectarine, and red fruit more generally. It’s very pie like. Other than my dessert impressions, the cider has aromas of minerals, wine, and walnut.

 Sweetness/dryness: sweet

This is a sweet cider! For some folks this would make a very satisfying dessert. The sweetness is intense, even with some fresh acid in the mix. It’s a bit sticky.

Flavors and and drinking experience: medium high acid, very fruity, bit sticky, full body and bubbly

I love that the Rosé begins with a little bitter bite at the start. That quickly gives way to a sweet and jammy drinking experience. The cider has medium-high acidity and a full body with floral and fruity qualities. It doesn’t really bring any tannins. The fruity notes are not powdery but are instead more than a little tropical. I also get bright banners of peach and raspberry flavor. I enjoyed this cider while relaxing with cats and my co-taster Alex after work. If you were to pair it, I think It would taste really lovely with a simple and creamy New York style cheesecake. 

Cider Review: Stormalong Cider's Boston Heirloom and Blake’s Cider Rainbow Seeker

Good morning cider lovers! While many of us are enjoying the sunshine, educational opportunities, networking and, of course, cider of CiderCon 2020, I’m writing to you from a cold gray place. It’s fine. I hope everyone who has made it out to Oakland, California is having a wonderful time. Most of the rest of us are jealous, but really it’s fine.

What’s much closer and coming up in March is our very own North Eastern Cider Conference! This event, in Albany, NY, will bring together folks in all roles of the cider world from restaurateurs to farmers and every cider and apple related link that connects them. I highly recommend looking at the conference tracks and events. You’ll be impressed!  

The event is taking place March 24 - 26, 2020 and the early registration discount deadline was recently extended until February 14!

Check out the website to learn more: https://www.newyorkciderassociation.com/event-calendar

But for today, I am reviewing two canned ciders that made it me from outside of New York. Even if I can’t travel now, my cider can travel to me!

I’m starting with Stormalong Cider’s Boston Heirloom. 

Stormalong cider is based out of Sherborn, Massachusetts now with a production facility in Leominster. The company has been going since 2014 and was founded by Shannon Edgar. This week’s cider was shared with me for review. 

Here are my previous reviews of Stormalong Ciders

Kingston Black: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/08/cider-reviews-ninepin-light-cider.html

Legendary Dry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/12/cider-review-stormalongs-legendary-dry.html

Light of the Sun: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/08/cider-review-descendant-cider-company.html

Mass Appeal: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/12/cider-review-prospect-ciderworks.html

To learn more about what Stormalong is up to, visit online: http://stormalong.com/.

Boston Heirloom is part of Stormalong’s Rare apple series. Here’s the full description.

In homage to the rich cider history rooted in New England, ‘Boston Heirloom’ is crafted from two heirloom apple cultivars that have a storied past in the region. This cider is made from a blend of 50% Roxbury Russet and 50% Baldwin apples and is crisp, tropical and tart.  These apples were initially bred in the Boston area in the mid 1700’s, making them some of the oldest apple varietals in the United States.  Roxbury Russet and Baldwin apples were commonly used in hard cider up until the 1930’s when prohibition and other external forces pretty much wiped out the hard cider industry.  Taste history. 7.5% ABV 50% Roxbury Russet, 50% Baldwin

Appearance: bubbly, brilliant, warm straw

This cider certainly looks like many american heirloom apple ciders. The Boston Heirloom has a warm straw color with plenty of bubbles and brilliance. 

Aromas: Yeasty, vinous, strawberries and dusty stones

I picked up a wine like aromas just as soon as the can cracked open. Once poured, I could smell some yeast character, ripe apples, dusty stones, and strawberries. Had I been smelling this blindfolded I would have pegged it for a rose cider. The aromas all center pleasingly around ripe apples. These notes give me anticipation of a high acid cider.

Sweetness/dryness: semi-dry

I think how folks perceive acidity will affect how they interpret the dryness or sweetness of this cider. I think it’s a semi-dry cider with plenty of acidity.

Flavors and drinking experience: red currants, high acid, citrus, perfumed finish

Indeed, my anticipation of high acid from the aromas was not wrong! This acid bomb cider tastes like red fruit, currants, citrus fruits like grapefruit and orange.

This cider rounds out into a mellow finish that slowly becomes perfume. I appreciate it’s clean fermentation and full mouthfeel. There’s little tannin, but the whole experience is super smooth and consistent. This cider is easy drinking and bubbly. You can enjoy straight from the can; my fellow taster found it best that way, or you can be like me and use a glass. Either way, there’s a lot to appreciate in the Boston Heirloom.

Next up is Blake’s Hard Cider’s Rainbow Seeker! This cider was shared with me for review. 

Blake’s Hard Cider comes from Armada, Michigan. The company makes a wide range of ciders, so there’s always something new to try. The company also has a very popular bar and taproom. 

Here are my previous reviews of Blake’s Ciders. There are a ton of them! 

Fido: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/11/cider-review-blakes-fido-and.html

Santa Rosa: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/02/cider-review-blakes-hard-ciders-santa.html

Beard Bender: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/11/thanksgiving-ciders-eves-ciderys.html

Apple Lantern: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/10/cider-reviews-blakes-hard-ciders-apple.html

Black Philip: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/04/cider-review-blakes-hard-cider-black.html

The Tonic: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/03/cider-review-blakes-hard-cider-companys.html

El Chavo: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/11/cider-review-blakes-hard-cider-companys.html

Wakefire:
http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/09/cider-review-blakes-hard-cider-companys.html

Snapdragon: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/11/cider-review-blakes-hard-ciders.html

I recommend looking around Blake’s Hard Cider’s website. There’s a lot to see: https://www.blakeshardcider.com/

Here’s the Rainbow Seekers Official description: “Let this pineapple paradise in a can take you on a tropical ride. With hints of sage, this balanced semi-sweet hard cider is impactful in more ways than just quenching your thirst. Rainbow Seeker is a part of the Blake’s #KinderCider Series and crafted with love in support of the LGBT community. Made in support of LGBT National Hotline. ABV 5.55”

I love this choice of charity! Kudos to Blake’s for supporting us LGBTQIA+ folks! It makes me feel supported and valued seeing this. 

Appearance: Brilliant, green tea, few visible bubbles

The color reminds me of Sencha green tea. It’s a gold on the verge of pale green. I see a few bubbles, but it’s not super actively bubbly, and the clarity is definitely brilliant. 

Aromas: Green apple candy, pineapple, sage, and peppers

The Rainbow Seeker smells like green apple candy, peppers, sage, and pineapple. All these together remind me of pizza. It’s appetizing but not like a lot of other ciders. The savory elements in the aroma translate into an anticipation of spice for me.

Sweetness/dryness: sweet or semi-sweet

This is a sweet cider! There’s not as much acid to balance the sweetness as I’d like to see. That said, I know there are folks for whom this will be an absolute delight.

Flavors and drinking experience: sweet, pineapple, sage on the finish

This is a candy sweet cider. The sage comes across primarily in the finish. The Pineapple blends in well with the overripe apple notes. I can taste all of the elements in this cider. The triple combo feels like a riff on the same concept as the mango pepper cider but this feels sweeter and thicker, and stickier. 

The Rainbow Seeker is sessionable, lightly sparkling, and very full bodied. The additional ingredients add to the experience but do not overwhelm it. 

I think it would taste best with salty seafood. I might pair it with a Friday fish fry to give the body and fruity sweetness something of saltiness and substance to balance.  

Cider Review: Blake’s Fido and Cidersmiths Harry Masters Jersey

I’ve been inundated with enough Thanksgiving messages to last me until 2025, so I suggest we take a break together and enjoy two very different and casual canned ciders before the madness of the holiday weekend begins in earnest.  

Let’s start with Blake’s Hard Cider Company’s Fido. This sample was shared with me for review from the Kinder Ciders line. This line is limited-edition ciders that each raise money for a different nonprofit. The Fido raises money for Pets for Patriots; that’s a charity that helps shelter pets and veterans find one another. (Big swoon for animal rescue charities!)  But first, here’s a little more info about Blake’s Hard Cider.

Blake’s Hard Cider is based on Armada, Michigan. The company is a third-generation family farm business. Now, the company has grown and makes many different ciders in several different lines. I’ve reviewed several Blake’s ciders before; check out earlier reviews for more background about Blake’s. 

Santa Rosa: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/02/cider-review-blakes-hard-ciders-santa.html

Beard Bender: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/11/thanksgiving-ciders-eves-ciderys.html

Apple Lantern: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/10/cider-reviews-blakes-hard-ciders-apple.html

Black Philip: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/04/cider-review-blakes-hard-cider-black.html

The Tonic: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/03/cider-review-blakes-hard-cider-companys.html

El Chavo: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/11/cider-review-blakes-hard-cider-companys.html

Wakefire:
http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/09/cider-review-blakes-hard-cider-companys.html

Snapdragon: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/11/cider-review-blakes-hard-ciders.html

Visit Blake’s online to learn about all of the ciders: https://www.blakeshardcider.com/

FIDO (Latin for faithfulness) is the second release in our #KinderCider series. Enjoy this hopped raspberry and grapefruit hard cider made in support of non-profits that pairs veterans and shelter animals.
6.8% ALC. BY VOL.

Appearance: brilliant, foamy, coral color

The color is almost warm enough to be in rose territory but instead it reminds me more of apricot or coral. It foams mightily when poured, but the head does whisk itself away. 

Aromas: Raspberry, ripe apple, hops, dusty

The Fido smells like fresh raspberry and ripe apples. Secondarily I get notes of hops, herbs and dust. I don't get much of the grapefruit as distinct from hops. 

Dryness/sweetness: Sweet

This is not necessarily sweeter than lots of other cider’s I’ve had and called semi sweet but the uplift of acidity I kept expecting in the finish just didn’t show up. Instead, this cider owns its sweetness and has a unique raspberry-centric finish.

Flavors and drinking experience: medium acid, no tannins, lots of fruit, nice sparkle

Fido fetches low to medium acidity. It would likely taste more like medium acidity depending on what cider you usually drink. Like many american ciders, I couldn’t taste much in the way of tannins, but that’s not really what this cider is going for. Let’s talk about that, because I do think this is a very successful cider at it’s own goals. 

Fido wants to please us with fresh fruit flavors, and it does. This cider is very fruity without ever tasting artificial, syrupy or sticky! Hooray!  I find it oh-so- very pleasantly bubbly. Something about the yeast characteristics feels just a little bit beer influenced, but I could be mis-attributing aroma associations with hops. That’s hard to say because the hops feel subtle and integrated into the overall experience. I'd love more voice for the grapefruit element as it does blend with the hops.  

It’s a gentle, sessionable cider that’s lots of fun. I had mine with extra toasty Cheeze-its, because I’m not always fancy. That was delightful.

Now for Cidersmiths’ Harry Masters Jersey I reached back into my vault of notes for a cider I enjoyed a while ago. 

Cidersmiths is based on Herefordshire (a major world center for cider) and was founded by Will Austin and Phillip Warren. Cidersmiths’ website makes the company’s identity very clear. They even use a numbered list to delineate their priorities. I’ll share them exactly how they appear online. 

At Cidersmiths we believe in three principles, it’s what makes great cider… 

1. Good cider is never made from concentrate, only from juice because it tastes way better. Fact.2. Knowing where our apples come from, what varieties are they, how are they grown?3. Cider should be made in a sustainable way that leaves our beautiful countryside just as we found it.

Visit the company’s site to learn more about all the ciders: http://www.cidersmiths.com/ 

The website also has a great section on tasting cider and language often used to describe cider. I decidedly enjoyed this casual take on a topic near and dear to my heart. 

http://www.cidersmiths.com/tasting-notes

And here’s how the company describes the Harry Masters Jersey: 

Made from the vintage bittersweet cider apple raised originally by Somerset nurseryman Harry Masters in the late 1800s, this is a medium blend cider with a refreshing and distinctive taste. As right for a summer’s day as a night on the tiles. ABV 4.5%

Appearance: bubbly, pale cool straw, brilliant

I honestly expected more color from this cider because of the apples, but it looks like many American ciders with that cool pale straw color, visible bubbles and brilliance. 

Aromas: acetic acid, farmy, funky

As I hoped, this does bring some funk! I enjoy the barn yard aroma at this level of intensity. It’s not a dirty smell, but I’m expecting some character to this cider. I also just a little volatile acidity that leads me to expect some wild tartness.

Dryness/Sweetness: Semi-sweet

This is a semi-sweet to sweet cider. The sweetness does very natural and apple-driven.

Flavors and drinking experience: leather, tea, mushy apple, UK style

There’s no mistaking this cider for something American once you taste it! This has the combination of truly soft apple flavors, sweetness, and worn leather notes that are quintessentially UK cider. It does have more bubble than some, and I love that! Lots of the flavors are fruity with just a hint of farminess. There are berry, grassy, and tropical notes here. 

I might wish for slightly higher tannins and acidity, but what’s here is perfectly pleasing. I had mine a few months ago on the screened in porch while watching my backyard on a summer evening.

Good luck this week, Cider friends!  

Cider Review: Blake’s Hard Cider's Santa Rosa, Virtue Cider's Mezzo Spritz, Plus NY state's First Cider Competition

This week, I’m doing something a little different. I’ve got one cider review as usual, and then I’m sharing news on a statewide New York cider competition and a cider spritz. I need a little something different from time to time, particularly when the winter has hit pause on a run of gray days that are going on forever. I’m dreaming of all things fun and fruity.

That’s why I want to start with Blake’s Cider’s Santa Rosa.

Blake’s Hard Cider ferments many different ciders. They are organized into different lines, including a year-round selection, seasonal releases, and two high-end specialty cider lines. You can visit Blake’s Hard Cider’s tasting and tap room in Armada, Michigan. One of the coolest things Blake’s Hard Cider does is the Kinder Cider line that releases a special cider tied to a particular cause for which it raises money. Most recently, the company created Great Blakes coffee-infused cider to raise money for Freshwater Future program. 

Read more about all of the ciders and other projects at: http://www.blakeshardcider.com

I’ve reviewed several ciders by Blake’s before. And for full disclosure, this bottle was sent to me for review. 

I used the Beard Bender to make my signature Thanksgiving dish Hard Cider Dressing: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/11/thanksgiving-ciders-eves-ciderys.html

And I did indulge in a pumpkin cider with the Apple Lantern: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/10/cider-reviews-blakes-hard-ciders-apple.html

Here’s the long-awaited Black Philip: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/04/cider-review-blakes-hard-cider-black.html

To go with a special homemade dinner, I paired The Tonic with cucumber and ginger: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/03/cider-review-blakes-hard-cider-companys.html

One of my favorites is the El Chavo with habanero and mango: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/11/cider-review-blakes-hard-cider-companys.html

I had a can of the Wakefire with orange peel and cherries:

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/09/cider-review-blakes-hard-cider-companys.html

In the winter of 2017, I shared the Snapdragon with rum raisins: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/11/cider-review-blakes-hard-ciders.html

Today, I’m sharing my impressions of the Santa Rosa from the Forager line. Here’s the official description, “Bold yet refined. Hard cider fermented on Santa Rosa plum skins.The extended contact with the plum skins and the long cold fermentation produces a cider of complex depth. 5% ABV” The label includes lots of into that’s more difficult to pass along including fun orchard pictures, other descriptions of the cider and some neat neo-victorian collage art.  

Appearance: brilliant, apricot, bubbly

This cider has such a pleasing warm apricot color. No wonder it’s bottled in clear glass. Once poured the cider looks bubbly and brilliant.

Aromas: dried apples, raisins, caramel, sun-dried tomato

These smell are everywhere and so exciting. I get notes of caramel, dried apple, raisin, even some great savory notes of salt and sun-dried tomato. There is a connecting factor that makes it make sense. These smells associate with umami-rich foods. I expect a rich and hearty cider. 

Sweetness/dryness: sweet

As the graphic on the label indicates this is a semi-sweet to sweet cider.   

Flavors and drinking experience: raisiny, plummy, rich

There are as many tastes to this cider as there were smells, but in this sense they are milder and warmly sweet. The first note I taste is how raisiny the cider is. Yes to plums, but this is full of rich dried flavors. Everyone who tasted it got more than just plums, and they match the aroma profile. We tasted apricot, caramel, and cooked apple. There’s even one tiny note of mushroom in the finish

As I hope with a richer sweeter cider, the Santa Rosa has a big mouthfeel. It’s Good to roll around in your mouth. Medium tannins from the plum skin. Though it’s more than petillant, the Santa Rosa’s sparkle is on the lighter side. 

I love how it manages to be sweet but not cloying. I think that’s due to the Santa Rosa’s medium to high acidity that lingers with citrus notes. This cider isn’t a profile I choose everyday, but Blake’s clearly gets it right! Fantastic!

The announcement: I’m super excited about judging for a new cider competition. This is the first state-wide competition for New York ciders! it’s being held in Rochester in May; that just sounds dreamy to me right now. It’s being run as a non-profit fundraiser. If you are a NY cider producer, I encourage you to submit your very best cider or two! More about the competition in the coming weeks!

https://cider.raiseaglassfoundation.com/

I’m sticking with the theme of different to review a spritz. I know. It’s not a cider. I was curious when I heard about it. Lots of cider makers are making beverages of this type in the past year or so. I even brought a few of them into my Cider Culture article about low ABV ciders and cider related beverages: https://www.ciderculture.com/low-abv-ciders/.

This isn’t going to be a regular feature, but if I happen to find one or try one that’s cider related, it may show up here. 

I have reviewed several ciders from Virtue in Michigan.

The Percheron:
http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/10/cider-review-virtue-ciders-percheron.html

The Mitten: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/05/cider-review-virtue-ciders-mitten-and.html

The Mitten Reserve: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/03/cider-review-whitewood-cider-cos-olivia.html

The Ledbury:
http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/02/cider-review-roundup-virtue-slyboro.html

Virtue Cider Seedling Orchard With Schaerbeek Cherries made it into Elizabeth’s birthday dinner: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/09/my-dear-friend-el-just-had-birthday.html

My first taste was the Red Streak back in 2013: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/06/trying-virtue-and-olivers-ciders-at.html

Product information straight from Virtue includes: 

Product Details: Mezzo Spritz Blood OrangeMade with Virtue Cider, sparkling water, and botanicals including blood orange oil, sage, and spearmintTasting Notes: hazy orange-rose appearance, bright fresh-squeezed blood orange with light floral aromas, juicy blood orange up-front, dry, soft middle, and a crisp, complex bitter orange peel, cocktail bitters-type finish3.5% ABV, 80 calories

So when I read about Virtue Cider’s Mezzo Spritz it sounded like a cider-based low alcohol version of an Aperol Spritz or something like it. And I love an Aperol Spritz, plus having lower ABV options is often a really desirable thing. 

Appearance: deep orange, hazy, bubbly

What a fun color to be hiding in a can! This looks a lot like an Aperol Spritz! It’s deep orange, bubbly and mildly hazy. It does not look like a cider.

Aromas: blood orange, botantical, herby

This smells strongly of blood orange and secondarily like some botanical herbs. 

Dryness/sweetness: off dry

This was the biggest surprise of the whole experience. The Mezzo Spritz tastes significantly drier than I expected.

Flavors and drinking experience: apple, orange, bitter herbs

The Mezzo Spritz tastes like apple, orange and botantical herbs. It’s a lot less soda like than I rather expected. It’s not that the spritze doesn’t have a high bubble level- it does. This is an intense sparkler. The Spritz was just so much less sweet than I expected. This was a thrill for me, but I’m actually not sure how well that will serve it in the market. 

It has a light body, and I enjoy the relatively high acidity. I’d prefer Virtue’s ciders, but this spritz achieves its own identity. It’s tasty, bubbly, light, dry, and zesty.