My Favourite 10 Ciders of 2018

As I’m about to close the books on 2018, I’m startled to realize that this is my 6th year collecting my top 10 favorite ciders of the year! Wow! There is something different this year though; I reviewed almost twice as many ciders. I had some encouragement to switch from top 10 to top 20, but I think the cider world is ready for more competition. ; ) I reviewed more than 95 ciders this year!

But that’s not all that happened! I’m so happy to say that I continued learning and teaching about cider, giving talks, consulting, and I wrote more about cider for venues beyond the blog than ever before. 

Just in case folks want to take a peek at last year’s and those that came before. 

2017 List: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/12/my-10-favorite-ciders-of-2017.html

2016 List: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/12/my-10-favorite-ciders-of-2016.html

2015 List: https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/12/my-10-favorite-ciders-of-2015.html

2014 List: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/12/my-10-favorite-ciders-of-2014.html

2013 List: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/12/my-10-favorite-ciders-of-2013.html

And I'll quote my own rules. “As in earlier years, I have two rules: I'm not listing more than one cider from any company, and I am going to limit myself to ciders that have coverage in the blog. Beyond that, my only caveat is that these are my personal favorites that I wrote about in 201[8]. These may or may not be your favorites, but I encourage you to taste them and make up your own mind.”

With no further addendum or caveats, let me show you what ciders I loved most this year!

10. Australia Peckham’s Wild all the Way 
https://www.peckhams.co.nz/

I tried this intriguing blend of wild fermented cider and perry at CiderCon, and I managed to sneak a can back home with me to enjoy months later. I was surprised by the awesome tartness of this cider. Many international ciders do not have the same focus on acidity that American ciders do, but I loved this one. It had great mellow fruitiness and some tannic heft too!

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

9. Tieton Ciderworks Sparkling Perry
https://tietonciderworks.com/

When visiting friends after GLINTCAP, I got the chance to share a very special perry. I wanted to treat them to Tieton’s Sparkling Perry because I knew it would have some sweetness, some bubble, and tons of fruit character. These were all perfect as accompaniment to two vegetarian curries; and this cider wowed everyone! We loved the bright acidity and nuttiness.

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

8. Number 12 Cider House: Chestnut Semi-Dry 
https://number12cider.com/

Number 12 Cider House just opened their Minnesota taproom this year, and they continued to put out totally delightful ciders including this rich and fruity semi-dry cider filled with buzzy zestiness. The barrel characteristics took this cider from tasty to really special!

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/01/cider-review-number-12-cider-houses.html

7.  Descendant Cider Company: English Kills 
http://www.descendantcider.com/

This cider is described as and English Bittersweet Dry, all magical words to my ears. This cider delivers on lush aromas but keeps the taste cleanly austere. It tasted more savory than fruity but kept some tannic wow factor and a light enough body to be perfect with summer barbeque and corn on the cob. It was a delight.

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/08/cider-review-descendant-cider-company.html

6. Angry Orchard Cider's Understood in Motion 3 
http://www.angryorchard.com/

This collaboration cider between Ryan Burk and Tom Oliver has so many of my favorite characteristics. I knew it would take a place in this list the moment I first caught of a whiff of those mouthwatering leather and cooked apple aromas. The taste didn’t disappoint either. I like my tannic ciders to maintain balance with acidity and the Understood in Motion 3 really managed that beautifully. Yum!

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

5. Snowdrift Cornice: 
http://www.snowdriftcider.com/

Washington state’s Snowdrift Cider Co. put out a supremely wintery cider in the Cornice. It has body from barrel aging and enough tannins to really feel substantial in mouthfeel. I loved the acidity and plumminess. This cider was one to savor.

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/01/cider-review-snowdrift-cider-cos-cornice.html

4. Whitewood Cider Company’s Kingston Black and Wickson Apple
http://whitewoodcider.com/

This cider was part of a very special birthday dinner my friend Elizabeth prepared. I chose this cider for the pesto and homemade pasta course, because the cider was going to offer up more herbal notes (to pair with pesto) due to some time spent aging in a gin barrel. The pairing worked splendidly, and everyone noticed this cider in particular. It was just so aromatic and botanical and delicious!

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/09/my-dear-friend-el-just-had-birthday.html

3. Big Fish Highland Scrumpy
http://www.bigfishcider.com

This is another treat, I got to take home from CiderCon 2018; it’s a big blend of apples shared for a local community event. The final result is mellow, fruity, balanced and beautifully semi-dry. I especially enjoyed the burst of grapefruit: bitterness tempered with citrus fruit notes. 

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

2. Eve’s Darling Creek: 
http://evescidery.com

This was my Thanksgiving cider this year. I’ve had the Darling Creek for years, but this particular vintage came out drier and more balanced than any previous. I just love how the aromas reminds me of autumnal apples and oak.This cider is funky, tart, substantive, and super bubbly. I absolutely adored it. 

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

1. Castle Hill Cider's Levity
https://www.castlehillcider.com/

This is just a fantastic cider. In a list this good, that almost feels like an understatement. The cider has body but lightness, structure and playfulness, balance and sophistication.I simply adore the richness and baking spice notes that manage to do so much in a completely dry cider. The Levity is bone-dry, beautiful, and bubbly. The apple varieties and use of terra cotta fermentation vessels combine to create a truly magical cider. 

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/10/cider-reviews-castle-hills-levity-and.html

Let’s end this list with what I feel most: gratitude for cider people and the wonderful experiences we’ve had together this year. I appreciate the orchardists, restaurant folk, cider makers and cider geeks of all stripes. I raise my cider glass to all of us, loving, learning, and promoting our favorite beverage. Here's to even more of the good stuff in 2019! Cheers!

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

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

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

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

I’ve had a few Castle Hill ciders before.

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

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

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

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

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

Appearance: very bubbly, rich butternut color, brilliant

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

Aromas: cinnamon, cooked apple, Baking spice

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

Sweentess/dryness: Dry

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Burr Knot’s official description reads:

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

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

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

Appearance: hazy, no visible bubbles, goldenrod

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

Aromas: Stony, melon, quince

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

Dryness/sweetness: Dry

I love how dry dry dry this cider is.

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

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

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

CiderCon Part 2 including Heritage Cider Tasting with Foggy Ridge, Eve's Cidery, Castle Hill, and Dragon's Head Cider

Before I get into the rest of my CiderCon highlights, I do want to share a few facts I've learned about this year's event. Baltimore's convention hosted 1100 people from 12 countries and 41 states. Wow! That's fantastic attendance, and the number one thing that shocks people when they ask me about CiderCon. No one expects it to be this populated. I think folks must under-estimate the devotion cider inspires!

Also, if you haven't read Part 1: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/02/cider-con-2018-pt-1-eden-specialty.html

My Friday started with an amazing panel, “Heritage Cider: Keys to Success in this Next Growth Category.” Diane Flint of Foggy Ridge Cider (https://foggyridgecider.com/) led this talk with verve, humor, and a compelling argument. Flint used pictures of her home state of Virginia to start in on the connection of land to cider, but soon used what at first seemed like a little local color with pictures of church signs to make her largest point. One sign said “Repent,” and Flint took us on a little etymological journey about the word. The takeaway was that to repent means to think again.

Flint used this theme to discuss several facets of heritage cider: orchards, format, style, and sales. What I appreciate is that she didn't just bring her own perspective as a talented cidermaker and business owner, but also brought on folks affiliated with on and off premise sales as well as Autumn Stoscheck of Eve's Cidery. Stoscheck has been growing her We also tasted a few heritage ciders

Eve's Cidery: Autumn's Gold

https://www.evescidery.com/

Three significant cider apples adding to this blend include Ellis, Dabinette, and Yarlington Mill. This cider was generous with smoky and overripe apple aromatics. Autumn's gold is a champagne style cider that has undergone two fermentations, spent nine months on the lees, and was finished with hand disgorgement. Like many Finger Lakes Ciders, much of the mouth feel comes from the double impression of high acids and medium to high tannins. The lingering finish on this cider totally wows me.

Castle Hill's Levity

https://www.castlehillcider.com/

The heritage fruit in the Levity includes Yarlington Mill, Golden Hornet, Dabinette and Albemarle Pippin. This cider spents time underground fermenting in amphora. Whatever they did, the resulting cider had more sparkling champagne-esque bubbles than anything in the champagne-style cider tasting the day before. Mesmerizing! I found it floral balanced with grassy. My primary experience was the duelling excitement of really strong bubbles with lippy, grippy tannins. There are almost no ciders in the world that do this tense and exciting combination like the Levity does.

Dragon's Head Cider Traditional Cider

http://www.dragonsheadcider.com/

This is an estate bittersweet cider. I enjoyed how it is a little yeasty and wild in its aromas. The most like an English cider in style, I found the Traditional astringent, bitter, and leathery. It is full of big big flavors and substantial body. It did have some excellent bubble in the mouthfeel. It's earthy, funky, with medium high acidity and wowza levels of tannins. This cider was a lot less fruity than the others in the tasting.

Hearing from not only cider producers but also from folks selling heritage cider both on and off premise made this panel well-rounded and persuasive. It had to be a highlight of the conference for certain!

Friday afternoon centered around the events planning and management panel: “Let's Get this Cider Party Started” with Jenn Smith, Eric Foster and Mattie Beason. In addition to having that adorable name and greeting us with cans of wonderful cider, this panel covered a hot topic of the conference.

This was a fantastic panel that packed the room with folks passionately eager to learn how to run events with their cideries. It said to me that if there's one area I think next year's Cider Con could meaningfully expand upon its this! One panel gave the audience a lot of help, but we were hungry for even more. Our speakers brough a pleasing variety of event experience to the stage including events large and small, for individual cideries, groups, and focuses that range, including, education, food and drink pairings, music, fund raising, and just enlivening slow week nights at a taproom.

Panelists gave answers to moderator questions that started out with the basics but included lots of real life stories and even got into some of the tricky stuff. How does one estimate how many people will show up for an even the first, second, or third time it happens. Audience members shared questions and got thoughtful answers that really showed the usefully different perspectives represented. It really makes me want to run some fun cider events up in the Finger Lakes!

Cider Con ended with a “New Zealand Cidermakers Panel” that led directly into the “Grand Tasting and Commencement Toast”. Here our guest cider makers from New Zealand answered questions from Ciderologist Gabe Cook (http://www.theciderologist.com) and from the audience.

 

My favorite of these was Wild all the Way by Peckhams Cider(https://peckhams.co.nz/). This cider is a bit non-traditional in that a third of the juice is from Comice pears. All of the New Zealand ciders showed some real stylistic differences from other cider regions; this was great for me to learn as I went into Cider Con 2018 with virtuall no knowledge of a New Zealand cider culture. I didn't even know what I was missing.

The evening continued with generous sharing and good times. I spent it at a Hawaiian fusion restaurant with cider friends old and new eating coconut milk lobster bisque and vegetable tempura. Delightful!

What's next you might, ask. The Gathering of the Farm Cideries in Albany!

https://www.facebook.com/events/327649811084399

At this sold out event, 17 New York State Cideries will be sampling there wares under one roof! I'll be on the scene with some beverage industry friends to scope and sip and tell you all about it!

My 10 Favorite Ciders of 2015

Thank you! Along Came A Cider has had a fantastic 2015, and I am so grateful. I tasted cider in England, at CiderCon, at GLINTCAP, and in kitchens, tasting rooms, and restaurants everywhere I went. Thanks so much for each glass, each apple, each conversation shared this year.

Cider itself also had a great year in the United States and around the world. Many new cideries and cider bars opened their doors. Others grew in taste and reach. My favorite news though has to be the CIDER Act. This act makes cider more comprehensible to the United States Federal Government, and begins to support this internationally popular agricultural product. Read what the United States Association of Cidermakers says about it here:

http://ciderassociation.org/resources/Documents/Meeting%20Minutes/CIDER%20Act%20Passage.pdf

To share my joy and gratitude, I want to share which 10 ciders have thrilled me the most this year. At this point it's a tradition for the blog. 

(my 2014 list: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/12/my-10-favorite-ciders-of-2014.html and my 2013 list: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/12/my-10-favorite-ciders-of-2013.html) 

To borrow from last year, I have two rules: I'm not listing more than one cider from any company and I am going to limit myself to ciders that have a review on the blog. Beyond that, my only caveat is that these are my personal favorites that I reviewed in 2015. These may or may not be your favorites, but I encourage you to taste them and make up your own mind.  

10. New Day Craft's Johnny Chapman

I love how this cider—made in Indiana—smells malty and tastes fabulously balanced yet sweet. Its character of  maple, caramel, and sorghum charmed but did not overpower. 

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/05/cider-review-new-day-crafts-johnny.html
  

9. Rev Nat's Hallelujah Hopricot 

This west coast cider not only struck me as super tart, bitter, hoppy and mildy fruity, but it also made a major impression with its creativity and innovation. This, to me, is the most outstanding contribution of American west coast ciders in 2015. 

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/07/cider-review-rev-nats-hallelujah.html

8. Awestruck Premium Hard Cider Hibiscus Ginger 

Staying with my theme of exciting ciders, I was amazed by how developed and balanced this adventurous offering the taster. It looks beautiful in the glass, but is so much more than that. Awestruck, a young New York State cider company, really has something to say with this zesty blend of apple, hibiscus, and ginger.

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/10/cider-review-awestruck-premium-hard.html

7. Cornwall Cider Co. Lyonnesse 

My review of Lyonnesse was part of a longer entry on all of the ciders I found and tried during my trip to Devon and Cornwall this May. This cider smells like cooked apricots and is semi-dry. It stood out because it offered great bubbles and a higher level acidity than most UK ciders. I was just endlessly impressed with its bright acidity and medium-high tannins. Its full and oaty mouthfeel kept it uniquely English and decidedly special.

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/06/along-came-cider-goes-to-england-pt-2.html

6.Good Life Cider's Barrel Rye

This is my most recent addition to the list, and it's a special one. I tasted this New York state cider a few times before reviewing it, including on the night the CIDER act was passed. What a perfect celebratory drink: bright with acidity yet deep with caramelly oxidation. It's recalls maple and coconut, uniquely combined with clementines. Very yummy indeed.

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/12/cider-review-good-life-ciders-barrel-rye.html


5. Castle Hill Cider's Celestial 

This high-acid off-dry cider from Virginia was a special treat found in a Florida grocery store. I have the highest praise for its clean fermenation and stone fruit notes.

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/02/cider-review-castle-hll-ciders-celestial.html

4. Eden Sparkling Dry Cider

Now we've crossed into the rarefied terrority of the top four. These are the ones that start to reveal my preferences and biases as a cider drinker. Vermont's Eden Sparkling Dry Cider hits all of the notes I enjoy: great mouthfeel, high tannins, enough acidity to keep things firm, and gorgeous sparkle!

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

3. AeppelTreow Winery's Appley Brut Sparkling Cider

And now for the second appearance of an AeppelTreow Cider in my favorites list. This year I loved the Appley Brut, and previously I adored their Kinglet Bitter (which I just tried on draft for the first time at a top notch beer store in Louisville and loved again). But this Wisconsin cider offers a crisp, very bubbly, and cracklingly sharp experience with great balance.

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/09/cider-review-appeltreow-winerys-appley.html
 
2. Aspall Imperial English Cider

My choice here cannot surprise anyone who knows me. I love English ciders of the particular type Aspall offers—what can I say, we get along well.  Their sense of balance is difficult to beat and the mouthfeel is nearly always outstanding. This particular cider is smooth, dark, rich, and just cuddly.

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/11/cider-review-aspall-imperial-english.html
 
And now, drumroll please...

1. Farnum Hill Extra Dry Cider

Farnum Hill, based in New Hampshire, is the only cider company to have made all three of my yearly favorites lists.  (Previously, I'd nodded to both Kingston Black and Farmhouse.) That might tell us all something about their quality, or maybe something about my tastes. I tried this as part of Protocol Wine Studio's month of Twitter discussion amongst wine and cider folks. It was really a great time.

What I love about this cider is its complexity and controlled funk. Yes, the Extra Dry was earthy and mushroomy, but it still offered loads of fruit. A cider that gives me orange, leather, and butter is doing something right.

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/08/cider-review-farnum-hill-extra-dry-and.html

With that, I wish you all a safe and happy New Year! Let's enjoy cider together in 2016!

Cider Review: Castle Hill Cider's Celestial

There's time for one last cider review before Cider Con 2015, and I have just the cider for it: Castle Hill Cider's Celestial. Many thanks for my enthusiastic friends who took me cider hunting for the entirety of my vacation because this find surprised me in a Florida grocery store wine shop(http://www.luckysupermarkets.com in Gainesville, FL for those who care). Especially surprising because the cider itself is not from Florida but from Virginia. Thanks so much, guys!

 In looking up the company, I noticed how beautiful the Castle Hill Cider website looks: http://castlehillcider.com

Mind you, I could be feeling pretty biased towards seeing beautiful summer views of trees, apples, and green grass. Things are pretty chilly in upstate tonight (predicted windchill is -15). But more seriously, the page is helpful, clear, and filled to the brim with gorgeous photographs. This is what the folks behind the cider say about themselves, their cider philosophy, and what sets apart Castle Hill Cider.

We take an apple-centered approach to cider making. The aim of our technique is to bring out the best of each year’s harvest. Utilizing both tradition and the cutting edge, Castle Hill Cider strives to bring you the highest quality and most enjoyable ciders. From fermenting the Levity in buried kvevri, the world’s oldest known fermentation vessels, to arresting fermentation of the Serendipity with cross flow filtration; from working with growers of varieties truly suited to cider, to renovating an 80 year old orchard, we strive to bring you the best cider to share with meals, friends, and relaxing moments.

 This set of claims comes across as fairly lofty but incredibly interesting, especially when paired with cider names like Celestial, Serendipity, Levity, and Gravity. I admit that my curiosity is more than piqued. I also love that they distinguish between high quality and enjoyable; that's funny and unexpected but not without truth. Castle Hill Ciders have a tasting room and, for seven special states (of which New York is not one), a cider club which offers steady good discounts for quarterly three-bottle shipments of cider. Why no New York, friends?

In looking at the descriptions both online and on the bottle of the Celestial, I found quite a bit of information. Here's the online description, "This cider has firm tannin structure that exhibit notes of earthiness, spice and citrus.This comes from a blend of Ellis Bitter and Albemarle Pippin apples. Celestial’s finish is enhanced by a touch of Winesap apples that offer a bright clean finish. Pairing this cider with dishes incorporating rosemary or lavender will pick up on its aromatic notes." The ABV hits right above average for artisanal ciders at 8.1%. 

Reading from my bottle, "Made from classic Virginia cider apples and English bittersweets, Celetial shimmers with layers of apricot, citrus, and melon over a generous balance of tannins and bright acid. Star kissed."

These share quite a few similarities but one emphasizes tannins more and the other fruit and acid. We'll see how the cider actually tastes.

 Appearance: straw, small visible bubbles, brilliant

Though I see some bubbles, I don't see too many. The color looks like a shining pale straw and it simply sparkles with brilliance in the glass. Very lovely.

Aromas: cooked apples, yeast, minerals, rich

The primary aroma is one of a wonderful home-cooked apple sauce. If you read this blog regularly, you know this is one profile of cider aroma for certain heritage apples. Secondarily, I get nice yeasty dry minerally notes. The holistic impression is of rich blended fruit. It is very natural to smell and gives me the expectation that this cider won't be particularly sweet.  Lastly my companions and I could detect green walnut and ripe pear. Smells yummy.

Sweetness/Dryness: Off-dry

The Celestial is a very acid-edged off-dry.

Flavors and drinking experience: high tannin, very high acid, medium sparkle

To be fairly factual at first, both descriptions are correct. This cider offers high tannins and even higher levels of acid. I think they use Champagne yeast. I would not describe this cider confrontational. Pleasant. My only critique would be that the finish fades quickly. I can detect some warmth from the higher ABV, but the cider is not hot. The Celestial tastes very clean with notes of underripe peaches, green wood, and spice. Definitely Mid-level sparkling, and bottle conditioned.  The bright citrus gives what little sweetness I can detect some character. Almost more twiggy than fruity, like an apple stem. I would call this cider very North American in style. I do get the tiniest phenolic note when it warms up more. A cider for committed cider lovers but friendly enough for anyone who likes white wine or champagne. Two thumbs up!

I think the Celestial would be delightfully drinkable with nearly any food. We had it, oddly enough, with local Florida tortilla chips and special Austin, TX salsa. I found it very good that way, but I would also have been well pleased to serve it with crab cakes and asparagus. My firmest recommendation is to serve this cider with warmth and conversation. It can support both beautifully.