Cider Review: Citizen Cider’s Ruby Sipper

From moving fast to being grounded, my week has been a whirl and a shift. I’m in a boot and instructed to stay off my right foot for a few weeks as of this morning. I’d been experiencing increasing foot pain for about a month, but I’m hopeful that with the boot I can keep it immobilized for a while. Obviously, this is not what I’d like to be doing right now. I need to cut the blooms off of my basil, harvest from the garden, mow the yard, and care for all of the pets and people and house in my life. This slow down isn’t negotiable, so it’s time for me to literally put my feet up and see what work I can do from this position.

Happily, before I got this news, I was able to enjoy a fun new cider spotted in my local grocery store. Rhubarb and Hibiscus are two of my favorite flavors, so when I saw what Citizen Cider uses for the Ruby Sipper, I had to pick up a pack. I’m often fond of what this Vermont-based cidery creates, so I’ve reviewed several. More background info on the cidery is available in these earlier reviews. Here’s the full list. 

For Shore: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/06/cider-reviews-bellwether-rhode-island.html

Tree Tapper: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/02/cider-review-citizen-ciders-tree-tapper.html

Northern Spy: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/09/cider-review-thornapple-brewings-rough.html

Sur Lies: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/02/cider-review-citizen-cellars-sur-lies.html

Tulsi: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/03/cider-review-fable-farms-greensboro-and.html

The Wood: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/07/cider-review-citizen-ciders-wood-and.html

Companion Sour Cherry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/06/pickcider-review-citizen-ciders.html

Wit’s Up: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/04/cider-review-citizen-ciders-wits-up.html

Barrel Aged: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/02/cider-review-citizen-ciders-barrel-aged.html

Citizen Cider bRosé: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/02/cider-review-citizen-cider-brose.html

My visit to Citizen Cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-great-vermont-cider-tour-day-2.html

Here’s a link to Citizen Cider’s website, where you can find info on all of the cider releases: https://www.citizencider.com/

I’ll share the full description of the Ruby Sipper from Citizen Cider’s website. 

Introducing the Ruby Sipper - a cider in technicolor. This unique rosé seamlessly blends the wild aromas of Brettanomyces with notes of candied cherry, vanilla, and strawberry. Buckle up, because the Ruby Sipper is funky, fruity, and entirely out of this world.

Alcohol 4.20%

Appearance: ruby, brilliant, very few visible bubbles

My gracious! The Ruby Sipper has a lovely intense ruby red hue. Why on Earth is this cider sold in cans? This color was meant to be seen! The cider is brilliant, and I saw very few bubbles in my glass.

Aromas: rose hips, hibiscus, ripe apples, red grapes, mineral dust

This cider doesn’t have the most bold aroma but what’s there is enticing, The Ruby Sipper smells most immediately of rose hips, hibiscus, ripe apple, and red grapes. My cotaster said it smells like a sweeter cider. Lurking in the background I can detect mineral dust and creamy yogurt. 

Sweetness: Semi-dry to semi-sweet

This falls on the sweet side of semi-dry or the driest edge of semi-sweet. What sweetness is there is very fruity and juicy.

Flavors and drinking experience: high acid, ripe apple, sparkling, leather finish, rhubarb, hibiscus, smoky

Wow, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this cider based on the mention of Brettanomyces in the description. That’s honestly not what I taste. Instead, in the Ruby Sipper I get loads of high acid, plenty of fruit, and a specifically leathery finish. The fruit is a beautiful blend of apple and rhubarb and is clear in the taste in a way that was less so on the nose. 

There are elements that taste a bit smoky even meaty; they are phenols that I taste often in higher concentrations in heritage style English ciders. The Ruby Sipper has a pleasingly rich mouthful, but it’s not sticky or overwhelming. My co-taster commented that it reminded him of a sweet ripe tomato.

I enjoyed this with a wild rice and veggie salad that included tomatoes from my garden, tangy cheese, and all manner of ephemeral summer flavors.

Cider Review: Citizen Cider's Little Thicket Spruce Tip Cider

This is my last new cider review of the year. After this, I get to share my favorite 10 ciders of 2022, and then we’ll start a new year. On the one hand, I can scarcely believe it, while on the other I feel more than ready for a new fresh year. But first, a fresh new cider from Citizen Cider!

Today, I’m sharing my thoughts on Citizen Cider’s Little Thicket.

I found this cider at a local grocery, and I’m so glad that I did. Citizen Cider comes from Burlington, Vermont. They are a regional powerhouse that I often relish. I don’t always get access to the limited releases though. Here’s how Citizen Cider tells the origin story for the cidery. It highlights the focus on innovation and curiosity: two key elements of Citizen Cider.

Justin Heilenbach, Bryan Holmes and Kris Nelson founded Citizen Cider in 2010 on a hunch and some good old-fashioned hard work. Kris was working as a wine salesmen, Bryan as a chemist and Justin as a small farmer. All discontent for one reason or another, they started pressing sweet cider in Kris’s barn and fermenting test batches of hard cider in Bryan’s basement. As it happens, they discovered that their ideas about hard cider translated into some pretty unique and interesting finished products.

It’s been a while since I last reviewed anything by Citizen Cider: too long really. Here’s the full list. 

For Shore: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/06/cider-reviews-bellwether-rhode-island.html

Tree Tapper: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/02/cider-review-citizen-ciders-tree-tapper.html

Northern Spy: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/09/cider-review-thornapple-brewings-rough.html

Sur Lies: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/02/cider-review-citizen-cellars-sur-lies.html

Tulsi: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/03/cider-review-fable-farms-greensboro-and.html

The Wood: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/07/cider-review-citizen-ciders-wood-and.html

Companion Sour Cherry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/06/pickcider-review-citizen-ciders.html

Wit’s Up: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/04/cider-review-citizen-ciders-wits-up.html

Barrel Aged: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/02/cider-review-citizen-ciders-barrel-aged.html

Citizen Cider bRosé: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/02/cider-review-citizen-cider-brose.html

My visit to Citizen Cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-great-vermont-cider-tour-day-2.html

I also recommend Citizen Cider’s website. That’s the best spot to find out about all of the ciders: https://www.citizencider.com/

What drew me to this cider is its use of spruce tips as an additional flavor. Here’s the full description. 

We are proud of being cidermakers in Vermont and look for ways to share the culture, history, and flavors of our little state. This limited edition cider is our way of sharing a piece of the green mountains with everyone. With a bright cherry nose and a rich, pine finish, this cider will transport you to a little thicket of trees, high in the mountains of Vermont. 5.3% ABV

Appearance: brilliant, pale straw, few visible bubbles

This is a lovely cider with a pale delicate straw color. I can see through the brilliant liquid clearly, but I don’t see a lot of bubbly action. 

Aromas: piney, herbal, aquatic, ripe apple, and blackberries

Oh fascinating! In some ways the Little Thicket’s smells remind me of some hopped ciders. It smells herbal, piney, and forested. The cider has more notes going on though than just those. It also smells piney without being either sweaty or soapy, both of which can happen with hopped ciders. Instead I get additional notes of ripe apple and blackberry along with something aquatic.

Sweetness/dryness: Semi-sweet

This cider is semi-sweet rather than the semi-dry to off-dry indicated by Citizen’s packaging. The sweetness tastes very fruity and natural. It might be too much for some cider fans, but the sweetness is well integrated.

Flavors and Drinking Experience: medium acid, petillant, clean, fruity and soft

The Little Thicket is a cleanly fermented cider with loads of fruit and herbal flavors. It’s pleasingly full bodied. The low level of visible bubbles was an accurate predictor of a petillant rather than strongly sparkly cider.

This semi-sweet cider brings medium acidity and plenty of ripe apple character. Rather like the aromas, in some ways it reminded me of a hopped cider, but in addition to tasting clean and green, the little thicket tastes soft somehow.

It was a delightful cider to have with a simple supper of rye bread, cream cheese, raw veggies, and smoked salmon. Many thanks to my delightful sister-in-law and her family for sending delicious PNW salmon our way! I like a sweet cider with intense flavors like the salt and smoke of the smoked salmon.

I’m glad I got a four-pack, because I’m looking forward to tasting the Little Thicket again!

Cider Reviews: Bellwether Rhode Island Greening and Citizen Cider's For Shore

The mild weather certainly didn’t stick around upstate New York for very long. It’s hot out and the regular thunderstorms are only doing so much to cool us down. I’m never going to turn to ice in my cider, I will make sure every cider I taste is well chilled. I may even go further than the classic advice of “castle temperature.” But in any case, I want to choose bright refreshing ciders that will enliven my evenings.

I’m starting this week with Bellwether Cidery’s Rhode Island Greening.

Full disclosure here, I worked for Bellwether about 5 years ago. At that time I didn’t review the ciders because I didn’t think it would be possible for me to be objective about them. While I still have many happy memories of my time selling Bellwether ciders, I think there’s now enough distance between me and that job for me to review Bellwether’s ciders. I am choosing to start with one that I never sold: The Rhode Island Greening.

Bellwether dates back to 1999, making them the oldest still-operating cidery in New York state (as far as I know). Cheryl and Bill Barton founded the cidery, and you can find them at the Ithaca Farmers’ Market or Bellwether’s Tasting room near Trumansburg, New York. The couple was initially inspired by French cider making regions.

Before I worked for Bellwether, I did review the Liberty Spy in my first 6 months of cider blogging!

Here’s that review: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/03/cider-review-bellwethers-liberty-spy.html 
That cider made it to my #2 spot on the top 10 of 2013!

And the Heritage did make it into my Locavore Cider Pairing Dinner in 2017:
http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/09/finger-lakes-cider-week-and-birthday.html

You can visit Bellwether online to learn more about the ciders and the wines: https://cidery.com/

Here’s the official description of the Rhode Island Greening:

Semi-Dry; sparkling; with just the right balance of sweet and sour, made from an old North American heirloom; the Rhode Island Greening was discovered in Rhode Island near Newport in the 1700's by an innkeeper/apple grower named Mr. Green. Enjoy the crisp tang of heirloom apple that was once one of NY's culinary favorites. Alcohol 6.50%

Appearance: transparent, warm straw, bubbly

This is a lovely cider in the glass. It looks very traditional for this region of ciders with a warm straw hue, almost shading into apricot. I can see that the cider will have some sparkle because I see bubbles in it. 

Aromas: citrus, Riesling, yeast, orange juice

The Rhode Island Greening smells like citrus! I get notes of orange juice specifically. The cider also brings a strong aroma of Riesling, maybe a little minerality too. The yeast notes are very clean and remind me of freshly baked bread.

Sweetness/dryness: Semi-dry

This is a semi-dry cider just as promised in Bellwether’s description. What sweetness comes to the fore is very fruity and natural.

Flavors and drinking experience: high acidity, medium tannins, citrusy and clean

The Rhode Island Greening is a very pleasing semi-dry but not dry cider with high acidity and some tannins. I taste it as pleasantly puckering. The cider offers one consistent flavor from start to finish, but not a simplistic one. This is a clean, citrusy orchard cider. It's very true to what our region can produce with interesting heirloom apples and clean fermentation.

I find it extremely drinkable. The cider offers lots of mandarin orange flavor and a little cooked apple. Something in the mix reminds me of mellow dried leaves. We enjoyed this with veggie-loaded pizza, and it was a delight.

Next up, Citizen Cider’s For Shore!

Citizen Ciders is a growing cidery based out of Burlington, Vermont. The company’s availability has spread all over the eastern portion of the United States. This company maintains its enthusiastic local focus even as it becomes a regional powerhouse.

I’ve reviewed several Citizen Ciders. Here’s the list.

Tree Tapper: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/02/cider-review-citizen-ciders-tree-tapper.html

Northern Spy: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/09/cider-review-thornapple-brewings-rough.html

Sur Lies: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/02/cider-review-citizen-cellars-sur-lies.html

Tulsi: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/03/cider-review-fable-farms-greensboro-and.html

The Wood: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/07/cider-review-citizen-ciders-wood-and.html

Companion Sour Cherry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/06/pickcider-review-citizen-ciders.html

Wit’s Up: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/04/cider-review-citizen-ciders-wits-up.html

Barrel Aged: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/02/cider-review-citizen-ciders-barrel-aged.html

Citizen Cider bRosé: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/02/cider-review-citizen-cider-brose.html

My visit to Citizen Cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-great-vermont-cider-tour-day-2.html

Check out Citizen Cider’s website to learn about all of the ciders, including a few I’ve never found for sale: https://www.citizencider.com/

Here’s the official description of the For Shore:

For Shore is a gose inspired cider finished with coriander and sea salt. It’s dry and bubbly and best enjoyed alongside your favorite waterfront view. This gose style cider was originally created as part of our Pine St. Cellar Series. 6% ABV

Appearance: hazy bubbly lemon curd

The color of this cider reminds me of lemon curd. It’s a bit hazy but I can still see some bubbles.

Aromas: funky, salty, tropical, fusel oils

What a trip! The For Short simultaneously smells salty, funky, summery and tropical. In terms of notes I get fusel oils, charcoal, but also pineapple and melon.

Dryness/sweetness: Semi-dry

This is a semi-dry cider, but it’s so tart and funky that it’s going to register for some samplers as far closer to dry than sweet.

Flavors and drinking experience: high acid, green grapes, sour and funky

For Sure has off the charts acidity and fruity notes, including Pears, green grapes and pineapples. I also get other more surprising notes like cucumber, cola and Mountain Dew. This is certainly a refreshing and bright cider. I appreciate how bubbly and high acid it is.

We paired For Shore, with it’s mildly sour, fruity, and funky characteristics with a big tray of sushi and demolished both! This cider showed it’s best qualities when paired with sushi!

Cider Review: Citizen Cider's Tree Tapper and Virtue Cider's Brut

We’ve made it to February! The days are noticeably longer, and I’ve seen some of the most incredibly colorful sunsets lately. I’ll take any color I can get; most days here are still pale gray. Hopefully, you’ve got some color and cheer in your life and in your glass too.

I’m headed to the reviews quickly this week, but I do want to share a quick link of both local and cider interest. Here’s a story about the closing (definitely seasonal, likely permanent) of an anchor to the local cider community: the Cornell Orchard Store. Take a moment with me to read and appreciate what this store has done for apples hence for cider in the Finger Lakes area.

https://cornellsun.com/2020/02/02/as-cornell-orchards-store-closes-cornell-community-laments-its-loss/

Turning to the bright side, I got to try two fun new samples shared with me by companies who’ve been part of the blog (and the cider community) for years!

Let’s start with Citizen Cider’s Tree Tapper.

Citizen is a Vermont cidery that has been going strong since 2010! The company now sells cider in 14 states, but the company’s identity still manages to stay very distinctly Vermont. Citizen Cider is based in Burlington; I got to visit the tasting room and production facility back in 2016. I’ll include the link with my previous Citizen Cider reviews.

Northern Spy: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/09/cider-review-thornapple-brewings-rough.html

Sur Lies: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/02/cider-review-citizen-cellars-sur-lies.html

Tulsi: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/03/cider-review-fable-farms-greensboro-and.html

The Wood: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/07/cider-review-citizen-ciders-wood-and.htm

Companion Sour Cherry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/06/pickcider-review-citizen-ciders.html

Wit’s Up: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/04/cider-review-citizen-ciders-wits-up.html

Barrel Aged: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/02/cider-review-citizen-ciders-barrel-aged.html

Citizen Cider bRosé: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/02/cider-review-citizen-cider-brose.html

My visit to Citizen Cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-great-vermont-cider-tour-day-2.html

Check out Citizen Cider’s website to learn about all of the ciders and local events: https://www.citizencider.com/

The Tree Tapper is part of Citizen’s Origin Series: a limited availability specialty line, each with connections to something local and special to Citizen Cider. The Northern Spy that I reviewed last year was another from this lineup.

Here’s an excerpt from the Tree Tapper’s press release, “ Tree Tapper is fermented with maple syrup, red wine yeast, aged on untoasted oak and infused with dark Belgian candi syrup to add rich and hearty characteristics reminiscent of the season and the good maple farmers at the sugarhouse.”

Here’s other information about the cider gleaned from the Citizen Cider website

• No added sugar, never from concentrate.
• Apples pressed at our very own Flynn Ave Press House, Burlington, VT
• Made with pure VT maple syrup from Runamok Maple in Northern Vermont.
• Manufactured in Burlington, VT.
• Naturally Gluten Free
This cider’s ABV is 6.9% 

Appearance: tawny, brilliant, few visible bubbles

This cider reminds me of the tawny colors I see on desert animals; it’s warm and falls somewhere between yellow, orange, and brown. The cider offers up perfect brilliance and few visible bubbles.

Aromas: Dried cherries, milk chocolate, riple apples

Wow. I didn’t know quite what to expect but this cider really reflects so much more than simply maple plus apple. The Tree Tapper smells like dried cherries, milk chocolate, ripe apples, and also dusty stones.

Sweetness/dryness: Off dry

From those aromas, I really expected something with almost dessert levels of sweetness, but this is an off dry cider! Very nice!

Flavors and drinking experience: roasty, oaky, yeasty and bubbly

I appreciate how very bubbly the Tree Tapper is, but everyone knows that I’m a sucker for strong sparkle. The cider also brings lots of clean and pleasant yeast character to the finished beverage. This cider has high acid and low (but present) tannins.

Perhaps the most surprising element is the little touch of bitterness that appears in the Tree Tapper’s mid-palate. Sweetness hits first, then it gets quite dry and eases up.  The maple is not obvious initially, but there is a darkness that it brings—something roasted—especially in the finish.  Both in the smell and taste there is an oak barrel note. I love it when my tasting notes are backed up by the cider making process.

Next up is Virtue Cider’s Brut

Virtue is a Michigan-based company that sprang onto the scene in 2011. I first met founder Greg Hall when I first started this blog in 2013. He was leading a cheese and cider pairing class that I still remember fondly. 

I’ve reviewed a few Virtue ciders before. Here’s the full run down. 

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

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

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

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

Red Streak: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/06/trying-virtue-and-olivers-ciders-at.html

You can find out about all of Virtue's ciders online: http://www.virtuecider.com

Here’s the description of the Brut from Virtue’s website.

“Our dry brut is a blend of hand-pressed heirloom apples aged in French oak barrels that features the scent of fresh apples, a touch of oak, and finishes crisp and tart.”

And Virtue’s tasting notes say, “Virtue Cider Brut bears the scent of crisp apple and citrus notes with a bit of yeast. Clean and crisp up front, it follows with a tart, dry, lightly oaky lingering finish.” This cider's ABV is 6.7%.

Appearance: warm straw, brilliant, few bubbles 

Aromas: alpine cheese, peppers, citrus, minerals

This cider brings so many enticing smells including alpine cheese, ripe peppers, and citrus. There are other pleasing mineral, aquatic, and creamy notes as well. It just makes me anticipate a super fresh cider. 

Sweetness/dryness: semi-dry

For me, this tastes more like a semi-dry rather than a brut level of dryness. Historically, Brut refers to drier than dry! 

Flavors and drinking experience: ripe apples, very bubbly, high acid, peanuts 

Virtue’s Brut tastes easy going and pleasant. The cider offers a good level of active sparkle. The primary tasting note I get from this cider is ripe apples. Secondarily I taste tropical fruit, oranges, and peanuts. This cider offers up high acid, higher than many ciders from Michigan but not much in the way of tannins. I also get a grainy or almost corn-like aftertaste. It’s not enough to be funky, but just another layer in the overall experience. 

I enjoyed this cider with friends, lots of cheese, and a fun new horror game: Escape From Tall Oaks! Check out this indie game here: https://mixtapemassacre.com/escape-from-tall-oaks/

Whatever you pair with your February ciders, I hope you have fun!

Cider Review: Thornapple Brewing's Rough Cut and Citizen Cider's Northern Spy, plus FLX Cider Week!

Fall is creeping in the mornings and evenings. I have dear ones holding on to each last summer tomato and sunny day, while others can’t wait to enjoy crisp autumn delights. I can see both sides of this debate, but I’m ready for Fall. I love colorful falling leaves, nighttime fires, and the harvest moon. I don’t care if it’s cheesy or basic. Fall is the greatest season, and it brings Finger Lakes Cider Week! Check the link to read more: https://ciderweekflx.com/flx/.

I’ll be participating in a few activities this year including September 26th a night of Cider and Apple education and tasting at Coltivare (https://coltivareithaca.com/) with a few of my local orchardist and cider maker friends. Stay tuned for ticket link. And on September 28th, I’ll  be doing an interview for a book launch event for The Cider Revival by Jason Wilson at Buffalo St. Books (https://www.buffalostreetbooks.com/)

But now for 2 canned cider reviews for the week, starting with Rough Cut by Thornapple Brewing. 

I picked up this can when I was at GLINTCAP this year, and I’ve been so curious about it. Reading a bit about Thornapple Brewing reveals that the company has a brewpub in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The founders Jeff Coffey and Eric Fouch make cider, wine, beer, and spirits all of which are served with food at the brewpub. This is the first appearance of anything by Thornapple on the blog.

Read more about everything going on at Thornapple on the web: https://thornapplebrewing.com/

Thornapple Cider’s Rough Cut

I was confused for the longest time about the name of this cider  because of the hand written style on the can. 

Here’s the official description, “Dry hopped cider. 7% ABV.” But I didn’t have the website up when I cracked the cider, so I was going in with no info at all.

Appearance: cloudy, marigold

The Rough Cut looks opaque and orange yellow. The color reminds me of marigolds. I can see some bubbles on the sides of the glass.

Aromas: Hopped! 

I say “Hopped!” because this was a total surprise. I didn’t see info on the can that gave me any expectation of hops. This cider smells like pear, mint, hops, and apples.

Sweetness/dryness: off dry
The Rough Cut is more dry than sweet, but it’s not bone dry. It has enough sweetness to bring out it’s fruit character. 

Flavors and drinking experience: aquatic, mild, bubbly, buttery

I really like the Rough Cut as a hopped cider, however surprised I was at first. Though one edge of this cider come across as a little bitter, perhaps this is where this is where the name comes from. Overall, the Rough Cut tastes buttery, smooth, mild, and somehow aquatic. I love that the Rough Cut offers up lots and lots of bubbles

I had this cider with homemade pesto pizza, and there are few things that go better with a hopped cider than either a pesto sauce or a hearty slice (or two) or pizza. 

Next up, it’s Northern Spy by Citizen Cider!

Citizen Cider comes from Burlington, Vermont. The company has grown a great amount in not too many years, and I can now buy many Citizen Ciders here in Ithaca. I found this one at Finger Lakes Beverage Center and picked it up for a work picnic! 

I’ve reviewed quite a few Citizen Ciders before. Here’s the rundown in no particular order. 

Wit’s Up: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/04/cider-review-citizen-ciders-wits-up.html

Sur Lies: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/02/cider-review-citizen-cellars-sur-lies.html

Tulsi: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/03/cider-review-fable-farms-greensboro-and.html

The Wood: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/07/cider-review-citizen-ciders-wood-and.htm

Companion Sour Cherry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/06/pickcider-review-citizen-ciders.html

Barrel Aged: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/02/cider-review-citizen-ciders-barrel-aged.html

Citizen Cider bRosé: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/02/cider-review-citizen-cider-brose.html

I visited Citizen Cider in Burlington back in 2016: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-great-vermont-cider-tour-day-2.html

Visit Citizen Cider online to see more: https://www.citizencider.com/

Here’s the official description for this cider.

Made with Northern Spy apples alone, this single varietal cider is indubitably a showcase of one proud apple. Bright and acidic with a touch of sweetness and loads of character, the Northern Spy is an exceptional addition to your personal reserve. 6.4% ABV.

Appearance: hazy, glowing, lemon ice

This color reminds of a lemon ice that’s frosty and tart. It’s a pale and hazy cider with so very many bubbles. 

Aromas: apple, sweet potato, minerals

This cider smells quite appley, but with notes of sweet potato and pumpkin as well. The vegetal notes remain present but do not blend with the minerality I’m getting from the Northern Spy. I think in a can most of these aromas would not come through strongly.

Sweetness/dryness: Off-dry

This cider brings only the minimum of sweetness, and I’m grateful for it’s restraint. 

Flavors and drinking experience: medium high acidity, low tannins, apple and blackberry

The Citizen Cider Northern Spy smelled good, but it tastes fantastic. I like how round and bubbly this cider feels. I love an off dry cider, and this one is brimming over with apple and blackberry notes. I also get some bright bitter notes. The flavor comes across well in big sips. It tastes more like fermented fruit than fresh. The Northern Spy has medium high acidity and medium low tannins but some. I get some bitterness up front that remains consistent even as sweetness and brightness changes.

I had this cider with tasty summer salads, a veggie dog, and Peach Melba cake. I recommend it with all of these, but most of all with a loaded veggie dog and a good view. 

Cider Reviews: Citizen Cider Currant Affair and Starcut Cider’s Pomace Cult

Summer has finally arrived, Cider Lovers. And we had our first whole weekend of warm bright summery weather. After such a rainy spring, this feels especially welcome! I spent part of my weekend touring around my region in search of food and beverage excitement, and the other part of my weekend was spent preparing my screened in porch for semi-outdoor relaxing. There’s nowhere quite like a screened in porch for a summer cider.

This week, let’s start with a limited release Citizen Cider that I picked up from them quite some time ago: Currant Affair. Citizen Cider makes Burlington, Vermont it’s home base. The company now sells it’s ciders in several states, but it certainly maintains its strong ties to Vermont. 

I’ve reviewed quite a few Citizen Ciders before. Here’s the rundown in no particular order. 

Sur Lies: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/02/cider-review-citizen-cellars-sur-lies.html

Barrel Aged: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/02/cider-review-citizen-ciders-barrel-aged.html

The Wood: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/07/cider-review-citizen-ciders-wood-and.htm

Companion Sour Cherry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/06/pickcider-review-citizen-ciders.html

Tulsi: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/03/cider-review-fable-farms-greensboro-and.html

Wit’s Up, a Belgian beer inspired cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/04/cider-review-citizen-ciders-wits-up.html

Citizen Cider bRosé: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/02/cider-review-citizen-cider-brose.html

I visited Citizen Cider's production facility and tap room in Burlington: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-great-vermont-cider-tour-day-2.html

You can visit Citizen Cider online to learn more about the company including recent releases, special events, and more: https://www.citizencider.com/

Now on to Citizen Cider’s Currant Affair. Here’s the official description: 

Currently, Citizen Cider is having an affair with currants and cider. Currants like the cold, so do apples, and as it happens they pair well through fermentation. This rose cider is big, bright, fruity and exciting. Please have your own little affair and enjoy this cider. 100% locally sourced apple cider, black currants, sugar. Contains sulfites. Naturally gluten-free. 6.9% ABV

Appearance: tawny, brilliant, bubbly

What fun color. It’s almost hard to characterize because it has shades of red, brown, and orange but somehow seems more carnelian and gem like with a tawny hue.

Aromas: Raspberries, red fruits, powdered sugar, green wood

The Currant Affair smells like raspberries and red fruits. I get hints of aroma that remind me of sweetness particularly powdered sugar. There’s something else though; I can detect a flexible backbone of green wood.

Sweetness/dryness: Semi Dry

This cider is semi-dry, but that’s far from the most exciting thing about it. 

Flavors and drinking experience: super tart, tannic, bubbly, red fruit

The Currant Affair is tart and tannic! I get a strong salivary reaction the second I taste it.
Not all tannins are the same; these notably taste fruity and astringent. They come from the currants rather than from wood aging or apples. 

One of the other features of this cider I noticed first was how bubbly it is.  This high acid cider brings tons of red fruit and fun to every sip. I get some apple notes but it reminds me more of black currants, red raspberries, and super tart cherries. I enjoyed it very much, and I recommend pairing this cider with relaxing with your favorite animal companions and just quietly watching the world go by. Food wise, it goes well with a light and creamy pasta salad or some goat cheese and grapes.

Now, I want to rewind one last time to my trip to Grand Rapids this spring. While in Michigan, I judged for GLINTCAP, took my CCP Level 2 exam and volunteered for the Grand Rapids Cider Festival! It was a whirlwind trip. And one of the ciders I got taste at the Grand Rapids Cider Festival was Starcut Cider’s Pomace Cult. 

The name alone was intriguing, but once I saw that list of apples I had to try it. 

Starcut Ciders is  based in Bellaire, Michigan and was founded in 2014. 

I first reviewed Starcut Cider when I tried the Immortal Jelly: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/01/cider-review-starcut-immortal-jelly.html

More recently, I tasted Pulsar: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/04/cider-review-slyboro-cider-houses.html

You can learn more about Starcut Ciders at: http://starcutciders.com/

Here’s Starcut Cider’s Pomace Cult’s official description: 

Pomace Cult is a dry cider made with a blend of heritage apples. Made with Golden Russet, Brown Snout, Jonagold, Spitzenburg, Dabinett, Reine des Pommes, Yarlington Mill, Goldrush, Kingston Black, Reinette Zabergau, Calville Blanc, Roxbury Russet, Bramley’s Seedling, Harry Masters Jersey, Puget Spice, and Macoun apple varieties, this golden colored cider has an inviting aroma of tart fresh apples. Crisp and clean, this cider finishes dry with apple tartness. 7.7% ABV

Appearance: deep butternut color, hazy, bubbly

This cider brings such vibrant color to my glass. I’ll call the hue butternut squash. I couldn’t quite tell the clarity working with the cups we had at the festival, but I think it was just a bit hazy and bubbly.

Aromas: melon, apples, mild

Though the aromas aren’t strong, the Pomace Cult smells like freshly cut melon and apples.
Sweetness/dryness: Dry

This is a dry cider! I have no doubts about this. 

Flavors and drinking experience: astringent, high acid, bubbly

I had this cider after volunteering for a few fun and sunny hours, so I was ready for something with acidity and plenty of flavor. The Pomace Cult did not dissapoint. I wanted a cider that could wake up my mouth, and the super tart astringent cider did exactly that. I think my initial notes just said, “acid, like whoa!”

I would pair this cider with a hot soft pretzel and honey mustard or with an episode of Good Omens. 

Cider Review: The Citizen Cellar's Sur Lies and Eastman's Forgotten Ciders Cinnister

I’m trying to write this week’s blog post with a very cuddly cat. Princess Peppercorn doesn’t really care that I’ve got a deadline, or that I found two really interesting ciders to review for the week. All she concerns herself with are ear scritches. Nonetheless, I am thrilled to share my thoughts on two more ciders that were waiting for another cold wintery week like the one we just had. I chose both of these ciders for their seasonal suitability.

I’m starting with Citizen Cellars Sur Lie. The Citizen Cellars line is the limited small-runs available at the Citizen Cider tasting room in Burlington VT. I’ve reviewed many a Citizen Cider before; here’s the list. 

I enjoyed another Citizen Cellars before in 2017 when I reviewed the Barrel-Aged: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/02/cider-review-citizen-ciders-barrel-aged.html

The Wood used juice purchased from Poverty Lane Orchards. That orchard is home to Farnum Hill Cider (http://www.povertylaneorchards.com/farnum-hill-ciders/): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/07/cider-review-citizen-ciders-wood-and.html

The Tulsi is a cider that uses a lesser known variant of basil: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/03/cider-review-fable-farms-greensboro-and.html

I enjoyed the Companion Sour Cherry at a summer picnic in 2017: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/06/pickcider-review-citizen-ciders.html

Earlier that year, I reviewed the Wit’s Up, the Belgian beer inspired cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/04/cider-review-citizen-ciders-wits-up.html

And a long while ago, I shared my thoughts on the Citizen Cider bRosé: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/02/cider-review-citizen-cider-brose.html

My favorite coverage of Citizen has to be when I visited the tasting room and production facility in Burlington during the summer of 2016: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-great-vermont-cider-tour-day-2.html

The official description reads, “Sur Lies translates from French into ‘fine lees’ and is a method of aging where a thin layer of ‘lees’ (yeast and apple fruit leftover from the fermentation) is allowed to settle during aging, imparting flavors into the cider and smoothing out the mouthfeel. This dry and bubbly cider was sur lies aged for 18 months in American Oak barrels. So we spiritedly offer this cider aged on fine lees to you, the more-than-fine citizen.” 6.9% ABV

Appearance: brilliant, bubbly, warm straw

This looks like many American ciders with it’s warm straw hue and brilliance. I expect a very bubbly cider not only from the description but from how this looks when poured. 

Aromas: flowers, barrel, honey, minerals

I didn’t know quite what to expect from the aromas of this cider, but what I got was certainly complex. The Sur Lie smells of summer flowers and barrels, vanilla and honey. I expect based on some of these aroma notes that the cider will taste very mineral rich.

Dryness/sweetness: Dry

This is a dry cider, but it’s not the simplest cider to categorize because of what’s going on with this cider. It’s doing so much more than just tasting sweet or dry. You’ll have to read on to learn more. 

Flavors and drinking experience: barrelicious, bright acid, white chocolate

Oh my, oh my! This is an exciting cider that I think only got better for waiting around in my cellar for too long. My first impression comes from many barrel qualities in this cider. That includes a host of flavors including, bread crumbs, vanilla, brown sugar, and substantial mouthfeel. 

The Sur Lie doesn’t only taste like it’s barrel aging though. There’s enough bright acidity to keep the  mouthfeel firm and crisp. I get fruity flavors as well like ripe apple and pear, but they don’t appear alone. This cider just oozes with white chocolate notes! I love how creamy the Sur Lie feels.

The combination of tartness and body is very pleasing. I had this cider with pesto pasta with asparagus, roasted red pepper, and and cherry tomatoes, and it was outstanding.  

Next up, I brought the Forgotten Ciders Cinnister to a party.

Several select ciders from Eastman’s Forgotten Ciders were shared with me at the most recent GLINTCAP. This Michigan cidery doesn’t make it easy to find out very much about the ciders, but the cidery does have a well-liked Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/EastmansForgottenCiders/

I shared my notes on The Mad Russian (a red cider made from red-fleshed apples) in March of 2018: 
http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/03/cider-review-fable-farms-greensboro-and.html

Here’s what the label says about this cider, “Once a high priced ancient world spice from the Silk Trade Route, this now common spice evokes many memories of fall and flavor. An inviting aroma and delicate warmth are peeled back  in this cider, artfully infused with the once rare and exotic cinnamon spice” 6.9% ABV.

Appearance: pumpkin, brilliant, no bubbles

This cider looks still and brilliant. I didn’t notice any bubble action when it was poured. The color reminds me of pumpkin or roasted butternut squash.

Aromas: cinnamon roll, cleanly bready, yeasty, fruity

The Cinnister smells like cinnamon roll. The notes of powdery cinnamon are not too sweet but persistently roll between spicy and fruity. This just smells so pleasant. I appreciate the clean and yeasty bread notes. I feel like I should check on the oven to see if my cinnamon rolls are done, but sadly there are no cinnamon rolls.  

Here’s the most interesting part of the Cinnister’s aromas; as I lifted my glass and the drink approaches, I could sense the acidity as it neared. I’d not call the experience volatile acidity, or some of the aroma notes that traditionally 

Dryness/sweetness: Dry!

This cider shocked me with it’s dryness. After all of those rich and desserty aromas, this is a rough and tumble spicy dry cider! 

Flavors and drinking experience: Tart, petillant, high tannins

Wowzers, the Cinnister tastes extremely tart! And yes, this cider was surprisingly dry to everyone at the party! It simply doesn’t smell how one expects a dry cider to smell, and I think that’s because we are conditioned as Americans to associate cinnamon with dessert. 

In terms of texture the Cinner has relatively low carbonation; I’ll even call it petillant. What the cider doesn’t have in sweetness or fruity notes, it does compensate for with high tannins and high acid. The body is sharply pointed. 

This is an ideal cider for the true cinnamon fan. Notably we usually associate cinnamon with ripe apples (perhaps because of apple baked goods) but these notes are of tart underripe apples. The fermentation tastes clean, and the overall impression is very fresh and pleasant. I appreciate the spicy start that eventually shifts into an apple core finish. We had this some luxurious baked macaroni and cheese, and the contrast was epic.

Whether you’re hibernating at home next to warm cats like me, or out taking in the outdoors whatever the conditions, I hope you find just the right cider for your season. Cheers!