Cider Review: Once Upon a Tree Wild Flight and Portland Cider Co. Razzberry

While I miss so very much about times before the global pandemic, I’m finding it easier to appreciate my yard and my porch with these beautiful weeks of mild summer weather. This week, I chose two very different ciders because I wanted to see how these two flavor profiles work with sitting on a porch in the evening.

I encourage you to learn about the company through their own words. I quite like how they describe themselves on a distributor website.

Good orchard management, fantastic soils and perfect mesoclimate means the fruit is some of the best available anywhere in the UK. Cider maker Simon Day is an experienced professional winemaker who began making cider after walking through the local orchards and seeing the potential to use winemaking skills to capture the true characters of the apples in the juice and ciders.  Great care is taken to select the best fruit with the least intervention possible to maximise the flavour imparted into their ciders and perrys.

Once Upon A Tree has a great info page on the website, 

https://shop.haygrove-evolution.com/collections/once-upon-a-tree-cider

The Wild Flight Single Origin Dabinett’s official description is short and to the point.  I’m surprised it doesn’t talk up the single origin element more!

“A bottle-conditioned natural sparkling dry cider made with wild yeast. Aged for over 3 years, the taste is rich with bittersweet fruit. 7% ABV”

Appearance: copper, hazy, few bubbly

The Wild Flight looks coppery and hazy when poured. I could see a fair number of bubbles rising up through the cider. 

Aromas: funky, hay, dusty, leather

I see why Once Upon a Tree included the word wild in the name of his cider; it’s really funky!

The cider smells like leather, barn wood, and oranges. I also get notes that remind me of dust and warm hay.

Sweetness/dryness: dry

This is a dry cider with some fruit and mineral notes, but no actual sweetness. The flavors all come from other elements.

Flavors and drinking experience: mega tannic, chalky, petrol, citrus

The first sip is a slap! This cider tastes hardcore tannic, mildly chalky, with some citrus and apple notes and medium acidity. It’s tannic enough that you might say it’s evocative of drinking a stick of aged barn wood or very strongly steeped black tea.  It’s certainly zingy, perhaps even a little harsh. The mineral notes shade into reminding me of petrol-heavy white wines. But the Wild Flight also offers up soft fruit and citrus notes.

I enjoy ciders like this. It’s very distinctly UK style. This cider has a lovely long appley finish. 
It’s quite bubbly and full bodied. We had it after dinner because I wanted all of the Dabinett character to shine through with the distractions of food. We did end up finding pretzels and crackers just for a bit of crunch and contrast, but this cider would pair well with simple bold flavors. I’d pair it with strong cheddar, homemade pretzels, and mustard.

My next cider was a sample shared with me by Portland Cider Co. The Razzberry! Portland Cider Co. Tends to create lots of blended ciders that use Northwest apples but also other fruits and ingredients. They are often semi-dry to sweet and more fun and innovative rather than traditional.

I’ve reviewed a few of their ciders before. Here’s the list.

Peach Berry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/04/cider-review-portland-cider-companys.html

Kinda Dry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/05/cider-review-portland-cider-company.html

Pineapple: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/02/cider-review-portland-cider-company.html

Cranberry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/03/cider-review-seed-stone-cidery-heritage.html

Pumpkin Spice: 
http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/10/cider-review-portland-cider-co-pumpkin.html

Pineapple Rose: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/07/cider-reviews-portland-cider-cos.html

A cool thing I just heard about is their PDX cider club! You can read about it here: https://www.portlandcider.com/pdxciderclub. 

Here’s how Portland Cider Co. introduces this one, “Loads of bright raspberries combine with Northwest grown apples, a touch of lemon zest, and Hood River Valley pears for a refreshing cider that everyone will love. Easy-drinking, thirst-quenching and refreshingly tart, RazzBerry is ideal for barbecues and outdoor adventures. 5.8% ABV”

Appearance: brilliant, bubbly, strawberry red

I’d not call this cider a rose, as it's far more red than pink. The color reminds me of perfectly ripe strawberries. It’s also brilliant and bubbly.

Aromas: sweet apple, raspberry

As soon as I cracked the can on the Razzberry I could smell oodles of sweet apple and raspberry smells. This is a juicy set of smells that make me anticipate a sweet cider!

Sweetness/dryness: sweet!

While some folks might call this cider semi-sweet, I think it’s sweet! The sweetness is concentrated fruity and thick like jam.

Flavors and drinking experience: Chambord, raspberry, apple butter, pear and lemon

Pear and lemon do show up in the Razzberry’s flavors along with raspberry and apple. Lots of what I taste isn’t simple though.  A bit of concentration and booziness mean that instead of just tasting raspberries, I taste Chambord and raspberry jam. It’s all so very juicy!

I appreciate the good strong bubble and plentiful citrus acidity to this cider. It has a full body that comes more from sweetness rather than alcohol. This could be a cider to turn into a float with lemon sorbet! As it is, it was downright dessert-y and decadent. 

Cider Review: Portland Cider Company's Peach Berry and Nine Pin Ciderworks House of Dabinett

Good morning, cider friends! I hope you are doing okay today. It’s been a rough week, but I’m very excited about an event coming up soon! Since none of us are going out on Thursday night, I invite you to join me with the fine folks at Cider Culture magazine for a little informal Cider School!

I’ll be taking people through a short program about tasting called, “Tasting Cider Seriously.”

Here’s a link to the Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/674645873363402/

The only thing you need to bring is a cider to taste and a piece of white paper. Join us on Thursday evening at 6pm Eastern!

Now, I'm super excited to share my experience with Portland Cider Co.'s Peach Berry.

I enjoy lots of ciders from Portland Cider Co. They often send me samples for review, and that's how I was able to access the Peach Berry!

Kinda Dry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/05/cider-review-portland-cider-company.html

Pineapple: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/02/cider-review-portland-cider-company.html

Cranberry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/03/cider-review-seed-stone-cidery-heritage.html

Pumpkin Spice: 
http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/10/cider-review-portland-cider-co-pumpkin.html

Pineapple Rose: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/07/cider-reviews-portland-cider-cos.html

Today, I wanted something fruity and springy so I’m tasting Portland Cider Co.’s Peach Berry.

Here’s the cider’s official description, “Bold, juicy Oregon peaches play with a blend of tart Northwest grown berries: raspberry, blackberry & blueberry. A cider full of sunshine to drink on those grey Portland days. 5.2% ABV.”

Appearance: brilliant, carmine, few bubbles

This cider shocked me as soon as I saw it. This isn’t a rose, it’s a deep carmine red. It’s almost too dark to detect the Peach Berry’s clarity, but with good light, I can see that it’s brilliant. There aren’t a lot of visible bubbles. It looks almost like a light bodied red wine in the glass.

Aromas: peach, blackberry, apple, strawberry

The Peach Berry does smell like peaches and a bit like berries. Specifically, I get notes of blackberries and strawberries. The aromas are so fruity. I am definitely anticipating a sweet cider. I get some hints of apple, but it’s more integrated into the overall experience rather than standing out distinctively.

Sweetness/Dryness: Sweet

As I imagined, the Peach Berry is a sweet cider.

Flavors and drinking experience: low tannins, medium acid, very fruity

Indeed, this is a sweet and fruity cider! The notes that take center stage are raspberry, strawberry, blueberry, and peach. One of the interesting qualities for the Peach Berry is that some berry tannins do show through, though it’s a low tannin cider. I’d call it medium acidity with very peachy tartness, but my co-taster though it was high acidity. Your results may vary there.

The overall impression I get from the Peach Berry is that of clean fresh fruit.The cider has nicely strong bubbles.It’s a balanced drink from start to finish.

I enjoyed mine with pasta prima vera, and I’d totally recommend that pairing!

Next up, I'm excited to share notes on Nine Pin Ciderworks' House of Dabinett!

This was a purchase I made recently now that Nine Pin can ship cider! This is an Albany, New York cidery and a regional favorite of mine. I have several previous Nine Pin Reviews

Cucumber Lime Light Cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/08/cider-reviews-ninepin-light-cider.html

Gathering of the Farm Cideries (including the Cascara cider): https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/02/gathering-of-new-york-farm-cideries.html

Peach Tea: https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/06/pickcider-review-nine-pin-ciderworks.html

Blueberry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/08/cider-review-nine-pin-cider-blueberry.html

Ginger: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/10/cider-review-nine-pin-cider-works-ginger.html

Signature cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/04/cider-review-nine-pin-cider-works-nine.html

I encourage you to visit Nine Pin Ciderworks online to learn more and order about the ciders, now shipping to most states: http://www.ninepincider.com

I asked Alejandro about this cider, and he gave me a little of it’s backstory. Here’s what he had to say. “The House of Dabinett was a by chance made cider that stemmed from a trip in a box truck to Wayne County this fall.  First stop was to see Jake Lagoner at Lagoner farms where we picked up the bins of Smokehouse apples.  The second was meeting Dave DeFischer from DeFischer fruit farms to get the bin of Dabinetts.  When we got back to Albany, we pressed the two varieties together, fermented it nice and slow and the result was the House of Dabinett.  We think these two apples make a great "double variety" cider.” 

Appearance: aged vellum, hazy, bubbly

This cider looked rustic and hazy once poured. The color reminds me of aged maps and antique vellum or parchment. It’s obviously going to be a sparkling cider based on the bubbles I can see. 

Aromas: melon, white flowers, overripe apples

The House of Dabinett smells simply mouthwatering! I am suddenly even more excited to taste it. The cider smells like melon, overripe apples and white flowers. It’s luscious!There are tropical notes and I don’t know whether I should expect sweetness in this cider based on how fruity it smells or if most of that expression will be aromatic.

Dryness/sweetness: Off-dry

This off-dry cider is a wonderful resting place between the austerity of a completely dry cider and the overflowing fruity lushness that a sweeter version would have created. This would be an absolutely crowd pleaser!

Flavors and drinking experience: tannic, funky, high acid, citrus

Everyone who reads this blog knows that I love an off-dry tannic cider, and I’m happy to say that the House of Dabinett is exactly that. It’s a lil’ bit funky with medium high acidity. It actually reminds me of some British ciders that I love. It’s well balanced and quite good.

I appreciate the tropical notes but the House of Dabinett also this cider brings forth flavors that remind me of oranges and leather. I enjoyed this cider so much! I had one of my four pack with spicy popcorn, another with an excellent veggie burger, and I can’t wait to create two more pairings with my last two. 

Be good to yourselves out there, cider friends. Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you online Thursday evening!

South Hill Cider's Tasting Room and Flight Plus FLX Cider Week!

Hey cider fans! I’m so excited for Finger Lakes Cider Week! It’s coming right up, so I thought I’d put our one last reminder for a few of the awesome events that I’ll be supporting this year.

Events where you can find me:

9/26, Not Far From the Tree: An Evening Celebrating Apples & Cider- https://www.facebook.com/events/2322642131307274/

Autumn Shosteck of Eve’s Cidery and Steve Selin of South Hill Cider with both be joining me talking about orchards, apples, ciders, and food pairings. This is an evening packed with cider education plus local farm-to-table dishes and ciders at Coltivare. Tickets are $50.

9/28, Jason Wilson & Meredith Collins | The Cider Revival
https://www.facebook.com/events/2365892806779923/

I’m stoked to interview Jason Wilson about his new book at Buffalo Street Books at 4pm this Saturday. Jason will read a few sections from his book: Cider Revival: Dispatches from the Orchard and you can taste samples by Grisamore Ciderworks. This event is totally free! You can always choose to support Grisamore Ciderworks or Jason and Buffalo St. Books, and I encourage you to do so!

10/3, Basics of Cider Tasting at The Watershed:
https://www.facebook.com/events/704691016703741/

Next week at The Watershed (http://www.thewatershedithaca.com/) join me! Everyone is welcome to purchase a glass of cider from the expanded cider week selection. I’ll be in the back discussing the basics of cider tasting and geeking out! No entry fee, just buy some cider!

I want to keep the Finger Lakes celebration going this week by talking about the opening of South Hill Cider’s new tasting room!

I've previously reviewed a few ciders from South Hill Cider:

Prelude #3:http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/12/cider-review-south-hill-ciders-prelude.html

A newer Prelude #7:
http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/07/cider-review-aeppeltreow-scarlett-rosey.html

Bluegrass Russet: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/04/cider-review-sea-ciders-ruby-rose-and.html

Finger Lakes Cider pairing dinner: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/09/finger-lakes-cider-week-and-birthday.html

My top cider of 2016, the Stone Fence Farm: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/08/cider-review-south-hill-ciders-stone.html

2014 Packbasket: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/04/cider-review-south-hill-ciders-2014.html

And my first review for them was the hyper-limited Hypothesis: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/05/cider-review-south-hill-ciders.html

I made my way to South Hill Cider’s new tasting room on the second of two soft-opening afternoons. It was a race to make it up there after hours of my day job downtown, but I did! The setting is rural and lovely with breathtaking views and easy access to one of the area’s best waterfalls: Buttermilk Falls. Steve started the farm in 2014 after ordering a batch of cider-specific apple trees in 2012. And so much has happened in the cider world since that early investment!

The parking lot was full when I pulled in, but most folks were enjoying the outdoor area with glasses of cider and picnic tables. Steve found me and my dear friend Maria (of https://ciderwithmaria.com/) and volunteered to guide us through our tastings himself. She went with the Premium tasting and I chose the Classic South Hill Cider Tasting.

Here’s what I tasted!

We started with the Baldwin; it’s a new release. Here’s how South Hill describes it, “2018. New England single varietal. Fine bubble, mouth watering, long finish. 8.5%”

What I noticed first about it was the applesauce aroma. I am a total sucker for this particular scent, so I got very excited! This cider’s apples come from just two orchards. I loved how super dry, high acid, and super bubbly this cider tasted. It’s crisp and citrusy and may have been my new favorite.

The second cider in the flight was Russet Dabinett. The official description and tasting notes read, “Dry and Still. Complex. Featuring cider apple varieties indigenous to NY State and England. Golden Russet is native to New York and Dabinett from Somerset, England. Tasting Notes: Deep Honey color with a smooth mid-palate and a mineral and textured finish. Very long finish. Flavors of honeycomb, elderflower, lychee, sour plum, white pepper, papaya, ripe plum  skin, subtle vanilla.” 8.1% ABV

This cider’s nose reminded me white wine, almost like a spicy Gewurztraminer. When I taste this cider, it’s more mellow than the aromas imply.  Steve talked about how it is blended for structure with a different grouping of apples each year. The cider is dry but tastes off dry and just a little bit barrely.

We then moved on to Old-Time ‘17. Online descriptions say, “Off-dry. Naturally Sparkling. Predominantly from abandoned and wild homestead trees, reflecting the perfection of their diversity and age. The name Old-Time is a nod to both the cidermakers from past generations who produced ciders from these trees and to the style of music cidermaker Steve plays: American old-time music. Tasting Notes: Light gold. Soft rounded bubbles, notes of strawberry, grapefruit seed, butterscotch, musk.” 7.5% ABV

This cider is all about zesty acid in my book. I got more barrel character than from my previous two ciders. This one is definitely semi-dry with a residual sugar of 1.8% and a titratable acidity of 8.1 grams per litre. This cider is very approachable and easy; I’m sure it will be among the most popular at the tasting room.

Our next cider was the Bluegrass Russet ‘17. This cider is made from the same blend every year and fermented and aged in stainless steel. The description for this cider introduces it as, “Off-dry. This cider showcases the Golden Russet apple, a native apple to New York, historically prized for it's excellent flavor in cider and on the table. Custom fermentation and bottling using the Charmat method. Naturally Sparkling. Tasting Notes: Lively effervescence. Crisp. Peach, raspberry, beeswax.” 8.2% ABV

I got the most intense aromas yet when this cider was poured. Notes of concentrated fruitiness just wafted from the glass, primarily pineapple and pear. This has the same level of residual sugar as the previous cider but lower acidity and higher ABV. Those factors combine to make it taste both fuller and sweeter.

And we ended with one of my favorite things in the entirety of the cider world: pommeau. Steve poured the Pommeau ‘17. As South Hill’s website says, this is a “Port-style cider. An apple apertif/digestif from a blend of barrel-aged Apple Spirits (Eau de Vie) with unfermented and unfiltered apple cider. During months of aging, the pommeau naturally clarifies to an amber liquid of exquisite character. Still and sweet. Tasting Notes: Deep gold. Warming, rich and velvety. Aromas of honey and clove. Nutmeg, amaretto, sun-warmed plum.” ABV of 19%.

Based on Steve’s description of the process, it’s clear that this pommeau will change subtly year to year but slowly home in on a more and more consistent flavor profile. He uses a barrel blending method with many different vintages working to tempering the variance with those blends. The Pommeau smells simply heavenly: rich and buttery. Flavors are just silky smooth and velvety cooked apple, caramel biscuit, and butterscotch. The sweetness smoothes out the ABV and the ABV provides some backbone and fire to a sweet cider. It’s tension and balance working together perfectly!

Cider Review: Eve's Cidery Kingston Black 2017 and Stem Cider's Colorado Heritage Blend

We are barreling towards harvest time, the autumnal Equinox, and Cider Weeks all over the country. For us cider nerds, it’s almost show time! All that is to say that I’ve got some exciting news coming up, but I’m not quite ready to share it yet. Just keep watching this space! In the meantime, I wanted to treat myself this week. When things get busy, it’s tempting to just power through, but I think trying to do a lot is the perfect reason to slow down with a cider or two you have an extra good feeling about. That’s exactly what I’m sharing this week.

First up is Eve's Kingston Black 2017 single varietal. I loved sharing my thoughts on a delicious single varietal from only Kingston Black apples last week (thanks to Stormalong Ciders), so I looked through my cellar to see if I had any other single varietal ciders. That’s where I found another Kingston Black cider!

Eve’s Cidery operates in the small Finger Lakes community of Van Etten, New York. The cidery has been there since 2002 when the cider apple orchard was planted. Now, we can all taste the fruits of those early labors.

My previous reviews of Eve’s ciders and the cidery’s appearances at significant cider events are all shared below. I recommend checking out a few, just to see how consistently quality these ciders are!

Northern Spy: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/04/cider-review-eves-cidery-northern-spy.html

Autumn’s Gold: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/06/cider-review-eves-ciderys-autumns-gold.html

Beckhorn Hollow Dry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/10/cider-review-eves-ciderys-beckhorn.html

Albee Hill Still and Dry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/12/cider-review-eves-cidery-albee-hill.html

Perry Pear:
http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/05/very-perry-may-pt3-eves-cidery-wyders.html

Autumn led an Orchard Tour and picnic as part of Finger Lakes Cider Week back in 2016:
http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/11/cider-event-twilight-walk-talk-and.html

Darling Creek:
http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/11/thanksgiving-ciders-eves-ciderys.html
And http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/12/my-favourite-10-ciders-of-2018.html

Cider Con: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/02/cider-con-2018-pt-1-eden-specialty.html
http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/02/cidercon-part-2-including-heritage.html

You can read all about Eve’s Cidery on the website: https://www.evescidery.com.

There’s a whole page about this particular cider, it’s well worth reading.

https://www.evescidery.com/ourcider/2017-kingston-black/

If you just need the short official description, “On the nose: melted sugar, apple crate and anise. In the mouth, rough-sawn wood and tobacco dissolving into chewiness. The finish has substantial weight and smells like Christmas spice cookies.

Now for Eve's Cidery Kingston Black 2017 Single Varietal. I purchased my bottle at the Ithaca Famer’s Market, which I use like a weekend local cider market.

Appearance: copper, bubbly,  variable clarity

It’s hard to say what the clarity is for this cider. Each glass pours differently from a brilliant first glass to a cloudy 4th glass. All of the glasses glow with an intensely dark shade of copper, and each is alive with bubbles. Everything about this suggests a dry tannic cider is waiting for me!

Aromas: overripe apples, leather, orange, tea, spice, wood

The Kingston Black smells mouthwatering. I get notes of overripe apples, leather, orange, and tea. There’s a bit of funk and yeast,  but more of the flavors remind me of fruits, spices, and mellow barn wood.

Sweetness/dryness: Dry

The Kingston Black tastes dry. It does have a hint of flavors more often associated with sweetness but they waft by as suggestions and resemblances and not sweet in the cider’s essence. If you want to know what I did taste, keep reading.

Flavors and drinking experience: high acid, astringent, orange peel, almond

I love how the Kingston Black tastes. This cider is gently bitter and tart with high acid and high tannins. I find it notably dry throughout, but it’s not entirely without fruit character.  I taste orange peel, clove, and a bit of brown sugar. The whole experience is complex and rich; I find it  warm, but not hot. The cider has plenty of minerality but also umami that reminds me of  Almond and apple peel.

I shared this cider with dear friends and a simple meal of corn on the cob, tomato pie, and some amazing cheeses. I wouldn’t change a thing.

Next up: Stem Ciders’ Colorado Heritage Blend

Lafayette, Colorado is home to Stem Ciders. Eric Foster and Phil Kao began the company in 2013. To find more background on the company, here are all of my earlier reviews of Stem Ciders. Full disclosure, this was a sample shared with me for review.

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 all about the company online: https://stemciders.com

Here’s the official description for Stem Ciders’ Colorado Heritage Blend, “Made with a blend of local Dabinette and Winesap apples. ABV 7.7% Juicy, dry, clean, and light with a balanced acidity. Nice lingering soft tannins and a touch of grapefruit citrus without the bitterness. A quintessential hard apple cider.”

Appearance: day-lily yellow, super bubbly, hazy

This cider looks lovely in every glass we poured it in! The color reminds me of these late summer day lilies that I keep seeing all around town. It’s a mellow color that shows off all the bubbles present.

Aromas: cooked apple, dust, grain,

This cider smells just a little bit grainy and funky, but mostly I smell cooked apples. The scents remind me of homemade applesauce, warm on the stove. There are hints of dust and grain also. Based on these scents, I expect a super tart cider.

Dryness/sweetness: Dry

This cider tastes even drier than I expected from the aroma! Its austere and cooling, perfect for a humid summer evening.

Flavors and drinking experience: fermented, briney, cooling
Those dusty notes in the Colorado Heritage Blend’s aroma indeed translate into high acidity and some degree of astringence. What I taste isn’t exactly what I smell though. I could smell a certain graininess, but that tastes a bit like yeast and corn. There’s some classic clean barn notes going on at the same time, and I didn’t expect those from the cider’s aromas. What I don’t know how to articulate is what makes the flavors feel cool and aquatic to me; it’s not watery but something decidedly connotes a certain chill. The cider’s finish reminds me of many UK ciders with some phenolic character that reminds me of leather and olives.

I had this one with a fish fry and broccoli slaw. I like the creamy veggie slaw with this austere and structured cider. This one could be enjoyed with a plethora of different food pairings and in any season!

Cider Review: Aeppeltreow Scarlett Rosey Cider and South Hill Cider Prelude #7

This week, when thinking about cider and Summer, I want to think about the specific cider styles most often associated with the season. There are more than I can cover in a week, but two of the first styles that come to mind are rosé ciders and dry, acid-forward, bubbly ciders. Luckily I found examples of each: one in my own cellar waiting for its moment and the other featured at a local restaurant (Agava: https://www.agavarestaurant.com/) known for showcaseing local food and beverages. 

Today, I’m starting with Aeppeltreow’s Scarlett Rosey Cider. 

I’ve enjoyed a number of Aeppeltreow ciders since starting the blog. Here’s the list:

Sparrow Spiced Cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/01/cider-review-aeppeltreow-sparrow-spiced.html

The Orchard Oriole Perry has to be one of my favorite perries ever: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/05/very-perry-may-aeppeltreows-orchard.html 

In 2015, I got to try the Appley Brut which brings the bubbles: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/09/cider-review-appeltreow-winerys-appley.html 

The first time I had something pretty in pink from Aeppeltreow it was the Blackbird Berried Cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/06/cider-cans-crush-it-aeppeltreow.html

My favorite might still be the Kinglet Bitter: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/09/cider-review-appletreow-kinglet-bitter.html 

When I first moved to Ithaca, I got to try the Barnswallow Draft Cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/03/cider-review-appeltreow-barnswallow.html 

For Very Perry May 2017,I reviewed the Sparkling Perry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/05/very-perry-may-pt-1-aeppeltreow.html

At my friend El’smost recent  birthday dinner, I included the Americana:
http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/09/my-dear-friend-el-just-had-birthday.html

Read about all the ciders, and the rest of the delicious lineup online: http://aeppeltreow.com/

Here’s the official description for the Scarlett Rosey Cider, “Scarlett is blended from real red-fleshed crab apples and eating apples specially selected to leave the scent of rose petals in the bottom of the glass. Semi-sweet. It is pink.” 5.5% ABV

Appearance: Brilliant, bubbly, coral pink

The can describes this cider as pink, but it’s a more nuanced shade than just pink. To me, it looks like a coral pink that hints toward peachiness. It’s lovely: far too lovely to leave in a can! Pour this one into a glass.

Aromas: ripe apples, raspberries, stone and dust

The Scarlett smells like ripe apples and raspberries! Underneath all of that juicy ripe apple I get a hint of dust and stone associated notes that make me expect something tart.

Sweetness/dryness: Semi-sweet

This is semi-sweet, but I’m guessing many folks would call the Scarlett Rosey Cider semi-dry. It’s a lovely fruity sweetness that melds with all of the facets of the cider.

Flavors and drinking experience: tart, tannic, sweet, floral and fruity

I love how the Scarlett cider offers up lots of tannins! It also brings enough medium high acidity to balance the sweetness. I enjoy the medium intensity of bubbles, and the heft of the mouthfeel. This cider has both body and lift! The floral and fruity elements play nicely together. What I particularly appreciate is that the floral notes shade more into foody and juicy notes and less into powdery or perfumed ones. 

I enjoyed the Scarlett Rosey Cider with some wheaty crackers and a mature cheddar. It didn’t need anything else!  

South Hill Cider Prelude #7

Previous reviews of South Hill Ciders

South Hill Ciders has a fantastic group of ciders that manage to be different and yet all 100% apple-based and local. Cidermaker Steve Selin uses all manner of apples for the different South Hill ciders including heirloom, crab, and cider specific apples all from the local environs, both grown and foraged. South hill planted a young orchard in Ithaca, NY and has broken ground for a tasting room to be open on the same site soon. 

Here is a list of my previous South Hill Cider reviews:

Most recently I reviewed the Bluegrass Russet: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/04/cider-review-sea-ciders-ruby-rose-and.html

I reviewed the Prelude 3: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/12/cider-review-south-hill-ciders-prelude.html

Then it became my #7 favorite cider in 2018
http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/12/my-10-favorite-ciders-of-2017.html

My Finger Lakes Cider pairing dinner in September of 2017 included one: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/09/finger-lakes-cider-week-and-birthday.html

I chose South Hill Cider’s Stone Fence Farm as my favorite cider of 2016: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/08/cider-review-south-hill-ciders-stone.html

In 2016, I tasted the 2014 Packbasket: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/04/cider-review-south-hill-ciders-2014.html

And my very first South Hill Cider review was the hyper-limited release Hypothesis: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/05/cider-review-south-hill-ciders.html

You can visit South Hill Cider online to learn more and follow the progress on current projects: http://www.southhillcider.com/

And now for the South Hill Prelude #7. 

Here’s the official description, “#7- An assemblage of all late-season apples. 50% Dabinett, 34% Golden Russet and 16% Goldrush. Bone Dry & Sparkling traditional method. Because of the bottle fermentation and that the apples are all late-season and ripe, the cider is 10.1% ABV. 90 cases”

Appearance: brilliant, bubbly, warm straw

This cider looks very much like what I expect and hope for a cider from this area. I’d call the color warm straw. It’s brilliant, and I can see some bubble activity in the glass.

Aromas: lemons, clean grains, boozy, minerals

This cider smells unlike others I’ve smelled or tasted from South Hill Cider. I suppose that’s the beauty of the Prelue line. The #7 smells lemony and boozy with notes of clean grain and minerals.

Sweetness/dryness: Dry

This is a dry and astringent cider. Folks expecting any sweetness at all will be surprised, but I love that about it.

Flavors and drinking experience: oaky, herbal, anise

The Prelude #7 tastes oaky; maybe some part of this juice saw time in a barrel of some form. The description doesn’t say so, but that’s what I’m tasting. The cider is also strongly herbal with notes of anise, black tea, and dried leaves. I love that it has so many bubbles. It tastes toasted with breadcrumbs and marshmallows. I get brown sugar notes in the finish. This cider is high acid with medium-high tannins.

I had this with a black bean veggie burger and fantastic fries. I definitely recommend the paring.

Summer has lots of long hot days, enough to include both rosé ciders and dry, acid-forward, bubbly ciders. Check back next week to see how else to enjoy cider in the Summer.

Cider Review: Angry Orchard Stone Dry

The most common complaint I hear from casual cider drinkers is that there is not a good option for picking up a six pack of dry cider in most grocery stores. I cannot count the number of times I've heard a variation of this comment. I've been suggesting cidermakers fill in this market gap for almost as long as I've had this blog. Several brands have released ciders that approach this idea, but none have yet met the mark. Angry Orchard is the latest attempt, and I'm curious to see what they are offering as a dry six-pack cider.

We're all familiar with the Angry Orchard brand; they sell more cider in the United States than any other. Angry Orchard appears everywhere, so if they could make a dry six pack cider, it would be big news. And with a name like Stone Dry, it sounds like they are trying.

I'll share a link to Angry Orchard's website, so readers can find out about Angry Orchard ciders and their process as well as swag and recipes.

http://angryorchard.com/

Here's a chronological list of my previous Angry Orchard reviews:

My first Angry Orchard review tasted the Elderflower Cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/06/cider-review-angry-orchards-elderflower.html

Roundup review of multiple Angry Orchard styles, including Strawman, Traditional Dry, and The Muse: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/05/roundup-of-angry-orchard-reviews.html  

Then I tried the Hop'N'Mad Apple: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/03/cider-review-angry-orchards-hopn-mad.html

Most recently, I reviewed their Summer Honey: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/08/cider-reivew-angry-orchard-summer-honey.html

That makes this review the seventh Angry Orchard cider I'm sharing here. Today's variety won't surprise anyone who has been watching the newest cider releases; Angry Orchard's Stone Dry debuted most recently as an addition to Angry Orchard's cider lineup. 

I got my two bottles of Angry Orchard Stone Dry as a review sample from Angry Orchard. So, thanks guys! They also sent a helpful fact sheet and a note from the new head of Research and Development, Ryan Burk. I'll include as much information as I can to best frame my review.

Here's the official promotional copy describing this cider: "Angry Orchard Stone Dry – the driest cider in Angry Orchard’s core collection – is our twist on traditional English dry ciders. This cider balances the acidity of culinary apples with the tannins of traditional cider making apples, for a cider that is clean, refreshing, and slightly puckering on the finish."

That reads similarly to the fuller description included in my fact sheet, but they aren't identical. 

Angry Orchard Stone Dry-- the driest cider in Angry Orchard's core collection -- is an American interpretation of the traditional English dry cider style. It offers bright apple aroma, juicy flavor, and a clean dry finish, showcasing an intricate balance between the sweetness and acidity of culinary apples and the tannins of traditional cider making apples. The traditional apples chosen by the cider makers are European bittersweet varieties like Dabinett, Binet Rouge and Harry Masters Jersey, which contribute to the cider's high tannic character and dry finish. The result is a refreshing, slightly puckering cider with drying finish, most often felt on the middle of your tongue and the front part of your mouth.

While most of the juice from apples in the cider is fermented, Angry Orchard's cider maker add a bit of non-fermented bittersweet apple juice into the cider during the post fermentation stage to help achieve this cider's balanced, dry taste. This results in Stone Dry's fuller tannic mouthfeel as well as percieved dryness and robust bittersweet aromatic notes -- much like a very ripe apple.

the last few facts I need to include are that the cider has 5.5% ABV, and this will be offered year round, both in six packs and on draft.

Appearance: maple syrup color, ring of bubbles around the top of the glass, clear and uncloudy

Though this color would not strike one as particularly dark for maple syrup, it looks impressively dark for a cider, especially an American cider. I also noticed a persistant bubble ring around the top of my glass. Again, not a usual cider characteristic.

Aromas: yeast, beer-like, fruity with notes of grapes and apples

The first thing I noticed about how this cider smells, is how very beer-like the aromas are. I smell more yeast than fruit. It smells pleasantly cleanly bready. This isn't to say that there aren't fruit notes too. I smell plum, apple and grape in this cider too.

Sweetness/dryness: Off dry

While this isn't strictly dry, it is certainly off dry. That's my second to driest category as I perceive levels of dryness and sweetness. This also has characteristics that will most likely influence folks to think that this cider is completely dry. I'll get into those later.

Flavors and drinking experience: medium tannins, nice acidity, bold first note and mild finish

This cider at first tastes bitter yet then gets distinctly fruity. It tastes dusty, stony, crisp and acidic. This has to be the best Angry Orchard cider I've ever had, hands down. I'm that impressed! I liked some elements of their Elderflower and the Strawman previously, but this is more balanced and enjoyable. Stone Dry offers up a pleasantly fiesty level of fizz. As promised there is some presence of tannins, but they aren't dominant in the experience. And some acidity. And these are the reasons, I think many drinkers will find this cider dry. It offers tannins, bubbles, and acidity without scads of sugar. This will be familiar to most fans of American craft cider, but not necessary to those who haven't found much in the way of tannins or dryness before.

For a distinctly not-beer person, I love the ways in which this cider reminds me of the best parts of beer. I like the yeasty aromas and first bitter edge. But I know a beer aficionado would differ from my opinion, but perhaps like this cider more than other grocery store ciders.

Suggested pairings from the fact sheet include root vegetables, seafood, and charcuterie, but my recommendations will be a bit more everyday. This is a sandwich cider because it is so well balanced. Have it with your hummus and red pepper and sprout wrap if you like, egg and tomato on a croissant, or a veggie burger or even a pile of marinated mushroom with melted provolone on a baguette. 

I mean to show flexibility when I say have this with a sandwich. Beautiful sandwiches come in many forms and flavors, and this cider could accompany many of them! I would also pair this cider with game nights, all the better to share with your friend who haven't had a cider like this before.

Cider Review: Good Life Cider's Cazenovia Plus their Call to the Barrel Dinner

 Now that we're so close to the start of Finger Lakes Cider Week, I'm reviewing ciders by local participants. This will be my first year living here when I can really participate in cider week as a cider drinker and not just a cider pourer. Though I'll miss getting to see hundreds and hundreds of reactions to quality craft cider in one cider week, I'm excited to experience it more for myself. This leads us to...Good Life Cider!

Good Life Cider hosts and anchors the new Finger Lakes Cider House along with a handful of other Finger Lakes Cideries. Garrett and Jimmy Miller and Melissa Madden create the cider and care for their larger farm enterprises. 

You can read a bit more about their cider here:

http://www.fingerlakesciderhouse.com/good-life-cider

I found only a limited amount of information on this cider online, cobbled together from beer review sites and stores selling the bottles. I do know that it is named for a soil type: one present on the Good Life Farm.

Dry. Champagne style. Austere acidity backed with soft round tannins, coming from European bittersweets; Dabinett and Chisel Jersey. Aromas of ripe pear and caraway. Rich, creamy mouthfeel with a long sparkling finish. (8.3% ABV, 0.3%RS) Secondary fermentation lasted three months in bottle

Aromas of Bosc pear and red apple skin float alongside citrus fruit and distinct minerality.  The palate shows a pleasant tartness with round and rich mouthfeel and persistent sparkling finish.

Appearance: pale lemon, visible bubbles, brilliant

The most striking thing about the appearance of this cider is how the bubbles both gather at the bottom of the glass and race upwards. It's beautifully exciting!

Aroma: spicy, cooked apple, caramel

From the smell, I would expect some inclusion of Russet varieties or Northern Spy or Greenings, but that's far from precise. This cider smells lovely and like it will have both tannic and acidic activity in pleasing levels. That edge of soft spiciness is often a good sign.

Dryness/sweetness: dry to off dry

There's almost no percievable sugar or sweetness in this cider. In my book that makes it dry. What I do get though is enough various fruit notes to round it out and make it more lush than austere. There are dry ciders that feel more aggressive or severe than this. There's so much more to a cider like this than its level of sweetness OR dryness.

Flavors and drinking experience: high acid, medium tannins, strong sparkle,

The high acidity comes across as a bright punch of citrus and pineapple in the mid palate. I'm also getting a lot of cherries and raspberries. The whole experience is taut with acid. Bottle conditioning leads to a high level of sparkle, but not a lot of additional body in this case. Like the smell, the flavors include some on the subtly appley spicy side. 

It's not very yeasty or funky when cold, but hints of farminess became apparent when the cider reaches a cellar temperature rather than the more chilled white wine temperature. When reviewing, I like to taste a cider at both just to see what differences emerge. 

I paired this cider with an evening of relaxing conversation and a Mexico-inspired soup with beans, chickpeas, tortillas, peppers, tomatoes, rice, and avocado. I'd recommend this pairing, or taking it with you on a last picnic before this beautiful mellow fall gets too cool. Enjoy!

And don't forget! Finger Lakes Cider Week is coming up!

This event: Call to the Barrel Dinner will feature Good Life Ciders among others along with tapas inspired dishes and lots of cider toasts! Happening soon: October 6th at 6:30pm. Tickets available online for $50 and include food and drink the whole night through.

http://www.fingerlakesciderhouse.com/calendar/2015/10/5/call-to-the-barrel-dinner-and-cider