Cider review: Critz Farms Double Vision and Angry Orchard and EZ Orchard's Understood in Motion 2

It's a mouthful this week with two cider reviews that cumulatively represent 3 different cideries! I feel like it’s been a while since I’ve shown New York much love, so I’d like to include two different New York ciders this week. 

 Let’s start with Critz Farms’ Double Vision. I’m seeing double because I used to know Critz Farms cider’s under a previous name (formerly Harvest Moon Cidery). This farm cidery now also brews beer! The folks behind this cider started making cider commercially in 2011, though the family farm has been functioning for far longer!

I can’t believe I’ve not reviewed any of the ciders since 2013, but that’s what it looks like. Here’s my review of the Heritage Hops: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/06/cider-review-harvest-moon-heritage-hops.html

Learn about the cider here and you can easily find your own way to the beer: http://www.critzbrewandcider.com/cider/

Here's how Critz Farms introduces the Double Vision. 

DOUBLE VISIONALCOHOL (ABV): 5.5%RESIDUAL SUGARS: 4.5% TASTING NOTES:Aged hard cider blended with fresh pressed sweet cider. A double dose of apple gives this cider a true flavor of the fall season. Lightly carbonated. 

Double Vision Hard Cider is our unique blend of aged hard cider and fresh pressed sweet cider. We take the fermented cider from last year’s apple crop, age it for 6 to 12 months, then blend it with the fresh pressed sweet cider from this season’s apple harvest. Available primarily from September through November, this lightly carbonated cider offers a double dose of apple goodness and a true flavor of the fall season.

Appearance: pale, gently hazy, bubbly

This is a very pale cider. It has only the barest hint of yellow. The cider shows just a bit of haze and a fair number of visible bubbles. 

Aromas: Spring flowers, creamy, yogurt, sweet, fresh apples

This cider smells appley and sweet and very creamy. More specifically I gather notes of a rich vanilla yogurt, fresh apples and spring flowers.

Sweetness/dryness: Sweet!

I served this cider last at a tasting party and it was a fine finish to some cider exploration because it was sweet enough to still stand out even to un-fresh palates. Fans of sweet ciders will like how natural and appley this tastes.

Flavors and drinking experience: full mouthfeel, medium high acid, very bubbly

This cider came across as exceedingly fresh and zesty while also being sweet and full bodied. It isn’t a cider for everyone, its flavors come very much from fresh unfermented juice rather than tasting like wine or champagne. It’s sweet and fun and bubbly. 

 I paired this with a pile of great friends, lots of cheese, and a strawberry ginger icebox cake. I can recommend it with all of them! 

Now It’s time to share my notes on a collaboration, this time between Angry Orchard and E. Z. Orchard: the Understood in Motion 02. This is a cider that was shared with me when I visited the Innovation Center for Angry Orchard in Walden, New York. 

Here’s what I wrote about that visit for Cider Culture: https://www.ciderculture.com/angry-orchard-innovation-cider-house/

You can also visit Angry Orchard online: https://www.angryorchard.com/

Here’s a link to E. Z. Orchard’s website: https://www.ezorchards.com/cider

Here's a quick list of some of my most relevant previous Angry Orchard reviews (this is not all of them!)

Understood in Motion 3: this collaboration with Tom Oliver of Oliver’s Cider (this was my #6 cider of 2018): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/08/cider-review-angry-orchard-ciders.html

Wooden Sleeper: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/12/cider-review-angry-orchards-wooden.html

Spiced Apple: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/03/cider-review-angry-orchards-spiced-apple.html

Pear: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/05/very-perry-may-review-of-greenwood.html

Rosé: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/03/cider-review-angry-orchard-rose-and.html

Walden: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/09/cider-review-angry-orchards-walden.html

Supernatural: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/03/cider-review-angry-orchard-super.html

And here are my E. Z. Orchard reviews: 

Willamette: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/10/cider-review-e-z-orchards-williamette.html

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

Here's the official description for Understood in Motion 02.

East Coast meets west coast with Understood in Motion 02, a collaboration between Angry Orchard and E.Z. Orchards Cidre. The cider is homage to style, tradition, and a shared respect for the integrity of the fruit. Apples used are Bittersweet Muscadet de Lense and Marie Menard from Oregon, and heirloom, acid-forward Gold Rush and Northern Spy from New York. The fruit was naturally fermented in a process that requires very little intervention but lots of careful attention. ABV 7.2%.

Appearance: Hazy, peach, tiny visible bubbles 

This color reminds me of a tiki drink: something with peach, pineapple, or apricot juice! Hazy ciders have been really making a splash lately, and this picks up on that fresh fruit juice or craft beer hazy look. 

Aromas: pineapple juice, apricot, citrus

This cider is bursting with mouthwatering smells including: apricot, pineapple, citrus, and fresh apple.

Dryness/Sweetness: Semi-dry

This is a semi-dry cider which definitely seems like a comfort zone for both E. Z. Orchards and Angry Orchard. All of the sweetness that is here feels very natural and like a product of the fermentation style. 

Flavors and drinking experience: high acid, tropical, petillant 

This semi-dry cider is just as tropical to taste as it was to smell! The Understood in Motion 02 brings medium tannins and high acidity to a very fruity overall flavor profile. The sweetness in this cider helps contribute to its creamy full body. 

What surprised me most when drinking this cider was it’s short clean finish. After being so flavorful and aromatic, it leaves the palate as quickly as it had arrived.

I paired this with a hearty yet simple winter dinner of sun-dried tomato veggie sausage and sauteed peppers over brown rice. The salty, spicy, and umami paired beautifully with the ciders acidity and hint of sweetness. I enjoyed the pairing very much! 

My 10 Favorite Ciders of 2017

This is my fifth annual roundup of favorite ciders for the year. Wow! That's 50 favorites recorded here, and my heart knows that there are many more. 2017 was a challenging year; I don't want to understate that. For me, though, it was also a healing and exploring year. I did more with cider than ever before: volunteering, pouring, teaching, writing, speaking, and consulting. I'm so grateful for all of those opportunities.

My cider highlight had to be judging two more cider competitions for the first time: The Pennsylvania Farm Show Competition (https://www.ciderculture.com/pennsylvania-farm-show-cider-competition/) and the cider category at the Good Food Awards (http://www.goodfoodawards.org/).

But one of my favorite at home cider activities each year has to be compiling this list of my 10 favorite ciders of the previous blogging year.

For context, here are my lists for the previous four years:

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 2016. These may or may not be your favorites, but I encourage you to taste them and make up your own mind.”

10. Virtue Percheron

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

Virtue Cider was started in 2011 by Greg Hall; This cidery is based out of Fennville, Michigan. They use a lot of international inspiration for their ciders and aren't afraid of a little funk.

My tasting notes include leather, dried tropical fruits and raisins, all as an overlay to overripe apples. The scents include something a little floral and a little spicy. The french oak barrel aging gently steers the flavors of the Percheron. The definites are high acid, medium high tannins, with a low intensity of bubble. What I especially like about this cider is the mutually supportive spice and richness.

9. Dunkertons Dry Organic Cider

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/10/cider-review-dunkertons-dry-organic.html

Dunkerton's Cider is the only English company to have made the list this year. They make cider in Pembridge, Herefordshire and have done so since 1980. That has allowed them to see a lot of changes in the cider market both in the UK and abroad in that time.

The cider looks like dark tea but hazy; it had only a few visible bubbles. Gorgeous. When I first tasted it, I said the drinking experience like getting mildly whacked in the head, but assuredly in a good way. This is so dry and tannic that its level of bitterness was almost provoking, but since it offered up medium acid to go with those tannins, it brought me round. The aromas bring richness, and the whole experience is heavenly but this one is not for beginners.

8. E.Z. Orchards Poire

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

E. Z. Orchards has been growing apples since the 1920s in Oregon. Now, they make Cidre and Perry as well, in a style much inspired by French ciders and perries. With the Cidre part of the business founded by Edward Zielinski, E. Z. Orchards has made a name for itself in the region for trees, fruit, Cidre, and shared knowledge.

The first thing I noticed after pouring this cider, is how it was ambiently sizzling with effervescence. The Poire reminds me immediately of French ciders and perries in its farmy yet fruity aromas. The keeving fermentation process can create some reductive notes in the aromas like fallen leaves, warm wet wood, and farmy scents. After the funky aromas, I was shocked by how cold and clean tasting it was. Sweet and distinctly like fermented fruit sweetness; its the only perry on this list, but it's here for a reason.

7. South Hill Prelude 3

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

I know, perhaps it seems unfair for them to get the stop spot last year and yet still appear on this year's list. I can't help it. I like South Hill's ciders. These are simple apple-centric ciders that only tweak or adjust in ways that I tend to enjoy. This cider is from a single tree, yet it still tastes great.

The Prelude #3 is dry and sparkling, but it's so much more. It smelled honeyed and floral. Other aromas include orange, but concentrated like Seville oranges or tangerines. The Prelude #3 offers up a strong tannic presence, but overall the cider is round and soft. The tannins are beautifully balanced with bright golden acidity. For flavors, I taste vanilla, citrus, ripe apples, and just a bit of soft leather.

6. 2 Towns Ciderhouse Cidre Bouche

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/11/cider-review-2-towns-ciderhouses-cidre.html

2 Towns Ciderhouse has been operating as a cidery in Oregon since 2010. 2 Towns was founded by Lee Larsen and Aaron Sarnoff-Wood, focusing on local fruit and innovative cider processes and experiments.

This is a French inspired cider through and through. Its semi-sweet, smelling of overripe apples, lemons, leather, hay, and wood. I love this ciders fine bubbles and full mouthfeel. It's my absolute favorite from this producer!

5. Champlain Heirloom

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/09/cider-review-champlain-orchards-cidery.html

The Heirloom comes from Champlain Orchards out of Shoreham, Vermont. This cidery is truly a fruit farm that happens to make really great cider, among other things, on stunning land. All of the stages--growing, milling, pressing, fermenting and bottling--happen right there. They grow many fruits and more than 100 varieties of apples.

This semi-dry cider smells bready and tart but tastes stony and grassy with notes of green grapes. It absolutely wowed me. I love the light and vivacious body on the Heirloom. The esters from the smell remain as pleasant and clean flavors, and I find the acidity bright and high without ever being sharp or pointed. This is fruity sort of acid, balanced with medium tannins. Such a pleasurable and drinkable cider.

4. Blue Bee Charred Ordinary

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/03/cider-review-blue-bee-cider-charred.html

Blue Bee is Richmond's first urban cider--in fact, it's Virginia's first. They focus on heritage fruit, incorporating varieties that can bring both acidity and tannin to their finished ciders. You can visit their tasting room year round.

The Charred Ordinary's aromas remind me of barn wood, barrel, and overripe cider apples. This aroma is extraordinarily rich: frankly outstanding. There's definitely something citrusy going on, specifically lemon. Once I tasted it, I could tell that the Charred Ordinary is 100% New World in style and not old. This cider is defined by high acid, mid-level tannins, and almost no sweetness. This cider ZINGs and keeps on zinging. And that's a very good thing.

3. Quebrada del Chucao Sidra Espumante Brut Nature

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/01/cider-review-quebrada-del-chucao-sidra.html

The company, Quebrada del Chucao, has been around since 2010 in Chile. It is a collaboration between a fruit-producing family and a university-trained winemaker. The back of the bottle describes the orchards from which the apples came as being more than 60 years old.

Though I expected sweeter, this cider is on the dry side of off dry with 7.5%ABV. I love how bubbly it is, and we can thank bottle conditioning for that natural sparkle. I'd expected it to be sweet because the sidra smelled both sweet and briney reminding me a little bit of both French and English ciders.

2. Black Diamond Solstice

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/08/cider-review-black-diamonds-solstice.html

Another strong cider maker from the Finger Lakes Region, Black Diamond is the small family cidery of Ian and Jackie Merwin. They have had a cidery since 2003, and a 150+ variety strong orchard near Trumansburg, New York since long before then. Cider is a natural focus for Ian Merwin as a Pomology Professor Emeritus at Cornell.

In this cider, the aroma notes included overripe apples, sun-warmed rocks, late-summer dust, and caramel. The Solstice tastes fruity, beautiful, and complex while also being uncompromisingly dry. The mouthfeel is fully and boozy. The Solstice's high acids are balanced with high tannins, making the Solstice come across as astonishing and rich. This is a mature and balanced cider, an absolute favorite.

1. Eden's Imperial 11 Degree Rose

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/03/the-january-2017-cidrbox-and-edens.html

Their logo reads “Unique expressions of extraordinary apples,” and Eden Specialty Ciders certainly supports that by making some of the finest cider I have ever tasted. It's astonishing to me that this is their first appearance in a top 3, but it wasn't hard to choose this cider as my absolute favorite of the year. Eleanor and Albert Leger have been helming their cidery since 2007. But for this year, I have to pay homage to the Imperial 11 Degree Rose, which is a blend of heritage apples and red currants.

This cider is off dry, dripping with fruit, and 11% ABV, making the Imperial 11 Degree Rose a big big cider. It's zesty, sprightly, tart and extremely bubbly. I love its flavorful intensity, and I know I'm a sucker for really good bubbles. High acid ciders with lots of fruit and some tannic structure are often among my favorites, so my love for this cider should come as no surprise. I could drink this all the time and never be sad about it.

But most of all, I want to end this post with gratitude for the cider experiences and people. From farmers to restauranteurs and every flavor of cider maker, cider writer, cider seller, and cider fan in between, you all enrich my life so much with your ciders and your stories. Here's to even more in the coming year! Cheers!

Very Perry May Pt 5: E. Z. Orchards, Original Sin, and Blake's

Good morning, cider, (or should I say perry?) fans! Are you getting tired of my pear based explorations yet? I'm certainly not. I think that each week I've been covering flavors and styles that I've never tasted before, and this week is no exception. Welcome to the last week of Very Perry May.

E.Z. Orchards Poire

My only previous review of something by E. Z. Orchards is their 2011 Willamette Valley Cidre: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/10/cider-review-e-z-orchards-williamette.html

You can visit the website http://www.ezorchards.com/

Official Description: "EZ Orchards Poire is a blend of Forelle, Comice, and Bosc pears grown in our orchard. The complex structure of this winter pear blend is enhanced by a slow, cold ferment. Semi-dry with a natural effervescent finish. Serve chilled in a stemmed glass, tall cordial, or pilsner glass." 5.9% ABV

Appearance: hazy, candied lemon peel color, lots and lots of bubbles

You can hear it ambiently sizzling in effervescence.

Aroma: cooked fruit, lemon, farmy

The Poire reminds me immediately of French ciders and perries in its farmy yet fruity aromas. The keeving fermentation process can create soe reductive notes in the aromas like fallen leaves, warm wet wood, and farmy scents. This is rather like that whole style.

Sweetness/dryness: semi-dry

Sweet and distinctly like fermented fruit sweetness, nothing artificial, nor like table fruit.

Flavors and drinking experience: leather, cooked fruit, bubbles

The first impression I get from drinking the Poire comes from the fun bubbles that pop, practically bursting into your nose

This perry is very cold and clean tasting, which wasn't necessarily what I was expecting. The flavor has a round bubble-ness; plenty fruity with a little sweetness that quickly gives way and winds up a bit dryer than most perries. I get some tannins and medium low acid the Poire. There's lots of leather and cooked fruit in the taste, and maybe a little oxidation. The flavors themselves owe a lot to the fermentation—you can really taste the process here. Definitely light and low-alcohol. Works nicely in big sips. This perry is the real deal and I absolutely love it, even though usually I'd not go for something sweet.

Original Sin Pear

There's plenty of information on the Original Sine website: http://origsin.com
Here's a list of my preview reviews of Original Sin ciders.

I reviewed their flagship cider in one of Ithaca's most missed bars, the Chapterhouse Pub: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/02/cider-review-original-sin-hard-ciders.html

In the first year of the blog, I got to try a bottle of the Elderberry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/09/cider-review-original-sin-elderberry.html

And my favorite, the Original Sin Extra Dry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/02/cider-review-original-sin-extra-dry-in.html

And undoubtedly their most interesting, the Newtown Pippin: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/02/cider-review-newtown-pippin.html

Official description: "Original Sin Pear Cider was developed in line with the company’s mission to produce traditional cider leaving out artificial flavors and additives. Original Sin Pear is light and refreshing with a clean, dry finish."


This ABV at 4.8% is a bit on the low side. Something to note is that this is a cider backsweetened with pear juice rather than a true perry. The Process and Taste section of the page says,"Two parts pear, one part magic. A Dry cider fermented with champagne yeast"

Appearance: transparent, straw, bubbly

I'd call the Original Sin Pear transparent rather than brilliant. Its easy to see a fair number of bubbles in the glass. The color strikes me as medium straw. If anything this yellow is a bit more emphatic and cool in tone than many.

Aromas: pear, stone, candy

This pear cider smells like rock candy: the sort I could only buy at state park lodges or other special unusual places. It also smells very much like fresh pear, but somehow more intense. Lastly, I do get some dusty stony notes that definitely happen more often with cider than perry.

Sweetness/dryness: semi-sweet to sweet

I'd call this cider sweet, but I think some folks would consider it more a semi-sweet. The quality of the sweetness is very crystalline and straightforward.

Flavors and drinking experience: tropical fruit, pear, pineapple

I found this a nice level of bubble, but one of my co-tasters wanted yet more. Usually that's my refrain, but not this time. The acidity is medium-high but not too sharp or tart.

What really makes the impression for this pear cider is tropical fruit. I can taste pineapple, mango, banana, a very tiki-esque medley of tropical notes. There's also some bright pink bubblegum flavors floating around. 

This pear cider has no tannins, no edge of bitterness, just lots of fun approachable fruit. Its a bit sweet for me, personally, but when I shared with a couple of co-tasters the response was tremendously positive. The pear plus apple combo and the bright tropical flavors elicited many oohs and ahhs! We had the Original Sin Pear with pizza and brainstorming, two of my favorite things.

Blake's Hard Cider Grizzly Pear

I'm finishing up with my review with something a little outside of the box, Blake's Hard Cider's Grizzly Pear; this Michigan pear cider is pear, prickly pear cactus, and elderflower.

You can find out all about the company and their beverages on the website: http://www.blakeshardcider.com

This is my third review of a cider by Blake's, please find my previous pleasant encounters below.

Their El Chavo with pepper and mango: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/11/cider-review-blakes-hard-cider-companys.html

And The Tonic which features cucumber and ginger: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/03/cider-review-blakes-hard-cider-companys.html

The official description reads, "Our first pear hard cider, Grizzly melds soft notes of pear & prickly pear cactus balanced with a sharp apple finish with a hint of elderflower. No bears were harmed in the making of this product." The ABV is listed online as 5%.

Appearance: hazy, corn kernel yellow, lots of bubbles

Apologies that I don't have a more glamorous photo of this pear cider, but this is how I tasted it. I was lucky enough to be travelling to Louisville and I found out that a Liquor Barn had it on draft, so I stopped by to taste it. The appearance was hazy, corn kernel yellow, lots of visible bubbles.

Aroma: tropical fruit

There wasn't a very strong aroma, but everything I could smell was all about tropical fruits. 

Sweetness/dryness: semi sweet

This is a semi-sweet pear cider and all of the sweetness is very fruity and easy going.

Flavors and drinking experience: Extremely tropical, juicy, medium acid

This pear cider has a lot of unusual tropical fruit flavor; it reminds me of mango, pineapple and banana. The Grizzly bear also reminded me of of beverages with  prickly pear cactus. The other flavor elements I noticed were a strong floral element with a backbone that tasted like peach to me.

Definitely different and fun.

Cider Review: E Z Orchards' WIlliamette Valley Cidre

I guess in some ways this post is my last little ode to summer. I had this just as the seasons were turning from spring to summer

Tonight, I'm sharing my first review of an EZ orchards cider. I can scarce believe my blog has made it this long without one! I hear consistently fantastic things about this cider and the people who make it.

E. Z. Orchards has been growing apples since the 1920s in Oregon. They are still a destination for fresh apples, shortcakes, seasonal produce, and delicious-sounding events. According to their website, they started producing apples specifically for cider in the year 2000. Now they are known for not only producing quality cider but also being a fantastic community resource in their region for growing quality cider fruit.

You can find out some more here: http://www.ezorchards.com/cider/

Tonight's review is their 2011 Cidre Willamette Valley.

The official description reads:

E.Z. Orchards Willamette Valley Cidre is the culmination of 10 years effort to develop our orchard and refine our fermentation technique. We grow a selection of French, English, and Early American apple varieties. The fruit contain essential characteristics, necessary to impart structure and aroma in our Cidre. The predominant characteristics are attributed to French varieties (85% of the blend) contributing tannin for structure, fermentable sugars, and aroma. We use one low acid English variety with similar dynamics. The balance of the fruit is tart to achieve the acidity necessary to complete the structure and provide stability.

The only fact this leaves out is the 6% ABV.  

Appearance:  Hazy, warm brass color. Few visible bubbles.

This cider looks very rustic. I'd call it hazy to cloudy, but I didn't follow the special pouring instructions to get a clearer glass of cider. It isn't a priority for me. The other thing to note is that I'm drinking a 2011 cider in 20016, so its no surprise really that its a gusher. Interestingly, though the cider seems to have plenty of bubbles, they aren't really visible.

Aromas: Berries, pears, phenolics, acetic acid

Primarily, I think the Willamette Valley Cidre smells like pear juice and berries, but the phenolics aren't too far behind. I can also detect a slight acetic acid edge.

Dryness/sweetness: off dry

There's a ton of flavor here and almost no sweetness

Flavors and drinking experience: funky, tannic, fruity, sharp

This cider is a complex journey that starts with high acidity then adds high tannins, and some decided funky flavors. Whoa. I like it, but I like lots of my ciders on the earthy, and this fits that bill.

Lets get specific about flavors though: I can taste pineapple, apple, melon, pear and all manner of light fruit. But that's not all I taste. Surprisngly some notes remind me of nachos or perhaps spicy peppers with a little creamy sweetness. 

Part of what makes the drinking expereince so complex is that the pepper-related flavors and the fruit-related flavors do not combine. Over all, I get an impression of high spicy notes and down low on the palate this feels like a medium bodied off dry cider. 

It hits more sweet and high and then rapidly spreads over tongue and gets spicy. I cannot get over the notes of jalapeño and orange peel. 

The finish and aftertaste stay with the acidity of and off dry cider mixed with sweet bell pepper flavor. I find the cider entirely likable, partly become the experience requires thought and focus. Though I've hung on to this bottle too long to consider this, my experience offered up moderate carbonation; the bubbles are part and parcel of the pleasant assault on the tastebuds. Its hard to imagine what it would be like without carbonation.

It tastes seemingly different with every sip. I found the Williamette Valley Cidre sensitive to other foods, so I'd recommend eating something gentle with it. Watermelon was especially good in my experience.