Cider Review: Farmhaus Cider Co.'s Trocken Dry and Washington Cider Week!

Labor day has come and gone. I’ve been to Black Diamond’s orchard for the first time to walk through with Ian Merwin and pick up my apple and cider CSA. It’s a grand time of year, even in the bizarre pandemic life we’re trying to create. I’ll even give a silver lining, because so many cider week events have had to move online, it’s easier than ever before to take part in a cider week further afield. I never want to travel much during the local apple harvest time here; it’s simply too nice to miss. That means not seeing other harvest places and celebrations, until now!  

This year, I can join Washington Cider Week without having to fly across the country, and I’m grateful for that. 

There are still some things I cannot do, like enjoy a cider and pairing meal of Taiwanese food from BB6: https://www.washingtonciderweek.org/event-calendar/2020/9/10/republic-of-cider-meal-pairing-with-bbg 

Amazingly, there’s so much more I can do, including tour cideries and orchards and taste along with cider makers. The event I’m most excited about is the Washington Fine Cider Virtual Tasting with Dragon’s Head, Libery and Alpenfire. It will be a live tasting of 3 amazing ciders  Alpenfire Cider’s Glow; Dragon’s Head Cider’s Heritage; and Liberty Ciderworks’ Major Hewes with all the cider makers plus Cidercraft’s Erin James will be moderating.

Here’s the link if you want to find out more and join us! https://www.washingtonciderweek.org/event-calendar/2020/9/18/wa-fine-cider-virtual-tasting-with-dragons-head-liberty-and-alpenfire

You can read about all the events and cider makers at the Washington Cider Week website: https://www.washingtonciderweek.org/

Now for my review of Farmhaus Cider Co.'s Trocken Dry! The kind folks at Farmhaus Cider Co. shared a few ciders with me, and this is the last of them. 

I have three earlier reviews of Farmhaus Ciders.

Classic:  http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/06/cider-cans-crush-it-aeppeltreow.html

Crushable: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/09/cider-review-farmhaus-crushable-and.html

Sweater Weather: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/03/cider-review-black-diamonds-geneva.html

Find out all about this Michigan family-farm company on the website: http://farmhauscider.com/

So, what does Farmaus Cider say about the Trocken Dry? Here’s the introduction to it from the website.

Tart. Crisp. Unfiltered.

A delicious hard cider made with all local Michigan ingredients. This cider is fermented completely dry, giving it a crisp, tart taste consistent with a German Apfelwein, or some even say a sour craft beer. This cider pairs well with savory meats, strong cheeses and anything with spice. 6.9% ABV.

Appearance: Brilliant, moonglow, few bubbles

I was surprised to find the Trocken Dry rather brilliant for being unfiltered. Even with it’s clarity, something about this cider just looks thick. The Trocken Dry has a lovely pale moonglow color.

Aromas: sweet, overripe apples, cream, pastry

The Trocken Dry smells sweet like overripe apples. The concentration of apple aroma goes past juicy into nearly syrup territory. There are some notes that remind me of pastry and powdered sugar, but the whole experience is very appley though—that's the immediate smell. But I think my favorite surprise is how the aromas include just a hint of heavy cream. 

Dryness/sweetness: Semi-dry

To me, this cider tastes semi-dry but not actually dry. It’s fruity and natural in its sweetness, but it's not a dry cider.

Flavors and drinking experience: Medium high acidity, green apple, citrus, pleasantly drinkable 

The Trocken Dry offers up medium high acidity; again it’s quite appley: I’ll even go so far as t specifiy a certain tart green apple flavor. This is a relatively straightforward cider with a nice blend of fruit notes that include cherry and citrus as well as apple. The cider tastes pleasant and drinkable. The Trocken doesn’t rely on tannins for structure, that comes from the acidity and the sparkle. There’s much more acid in the flavor than the smell.

Another note in addition to the Granny Smith apple and tart cherries is almost a balsamic note—a good and intriguging one. I read an interesting dialogue between sweet rich smell and tartness.   The Trocken Dry has a thick mouthfeel.The fruit intensity is a bit like an apple syrup. Indeed, the cider drinks like a german apfelwein, a bit reminiscent of Charles Dodge's cider. It’s especially nice in big sips. I appreciate the cider’s clean fermentation.  

Ideally, I’d love to serve this with veggie tacos. The spice of chipotle roasted sweet potato, the warmth and substance of black beans, sweet onion and corn, a sharp cheddar, and some crunchy cabbage slaw would show off the tasteful simplicity of this cider beautifully.

Cider Review Black Diamond's Geneva Tremlett's and Farmhaus Cider's Sweater Weather

Everyone hates on Daylight Savings Time, unless they are hating on Standard Time. I try to avoid the internet on the day after the switch just because I am so tired of seeing the same thing every year. Personally, I’m a fan. I love looking out my windows to see sunset after 7pm, and I know that soon enough the mornings will be bright again. But, I’m here to talk about cider and not just pick fights about things beyond my control.

Black Diamond remains a absolute favorite cidery in home region. And I don’t think the competition for the title of regional favorite gets much more competitive than it is in the Finger Lakes area of New York. For a touch of background, Ian and Jackie Merwin, started as long-term home cidermakers, orchardists, and farmers. Dr. Ian Merwin is a Professor Emeritus at Cornell University in Pomology, specializing in cider. He and Jackie founded their own fruit orchard in the finger lakes, near Trumansburg, New York. They founded Black Diamond in 2014 and use primarily the apples they’ve been growing for years. 

You can read much more about the Merwins and their ciders on Black Diamond Cider's Website: http://blackdiamondcider.com

I’ve reviewed several Black Diamond Ciders before.
Most recently, I checked out the Slatestone: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/11/cider-reviews-big-hill-ciderworks.html

Black Diamond’s award-winning Pommeau made an appearance at the Locavore Birthday pairing dinner in 2017: https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/09/finger-lakes-cider-week-and-birthday.html

I reviewed The Solstice; this cider was my second favorite cider of 2017! http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/08/cider-review-black-diamonds-solstice.html

My first review of a Black Diamond cider is the Rabblerouser: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/09/cider-review-black-diamonds.html

I did receive my bottle of Geneva Tremletts for review just after its release. Full disclosure, many  ciders I review are shared with me for that purpose. I do not promise a review for every cider received, and I certainly do not allow the origin of a bottle to sway my thoughts on it. 

Here’s the background information on the Geneva Tremletts' as provided by Black Diamond Cider. 

Our version of a sour cider  

The identity and origin of Geneva Tremlett’s Bitter is unknown. It was imported from England for the Geneva, NY apple collection in the 1960s, thought to be the English cider apple Tremlett’s Bitter. Whatever its true name may be, Geneva Tremletts has established itself as one of the few bittersharp cider apples that can stand on its own in the bottle. This single variety cider is cold fermented and then bottled conditioned using both wild and cultured yeasts.  

Tasting Notes: Complex and austere with robust tannins and aromas of citrus and spice with a lingering finish. 

Predominant Apples: Geneva Tremletts (80%), Mixed Sharps (20%)

Appearance: warm straw, transparent, bubbly

This looks like a bubbly heritage cider. I see plenty of color in it’s warm straw hue and bubbles in my glass. I’d not call it brilliant, but it is transparent. I apologize for no good picture of the poured cider. Sometimes my photos just don’t turn out, so here’s the cake I paired the cider with.

Aromas: very aromatic, cooked apple, pear

Here’s exactly what I love about Black Diamond ciders. They smells luscious, rich, and intense. The Geneva Tremlett’s smells of apple, particularly cooked apple, pears and baking spices. 

Dryness/sweetness: off dry

I think this cider is an off dry, but I’m fairly confidently it would be perceived as dry by many drinkers. It has both high acidity and high tannins, without a lot of sweetness, pulling it towards a semblance of dryness.

Flavors and drinking experiences: high acid, high tannins, pointed tartness

The pointed tartness of the Geneva Tremlett’s is the most notable feature. Yes, the cider has tannins and some fruit notes. I love some of the mellow fermented flavors. What keeps sparking to the front of my mind though is that tartness on the very of being sour. 

I’m glad this cider isn’t fully dry. The sweetness that’s there does bring out the cider’s fruit notes, namely in a tart tropical fruit direction. The sweetness also helps bring it some heft (though it’s still lithe), just enough to pair with a chocolate spice pound cake. It’s a complex cider; one well worth trying if you ever see a bottle! 

Next up something spiced by Farmhaus Ciders!

Because I knew the spring is coming, I didn’t want to wait any long to enjoy  Farmhaus Ciders’ Sweater Weather. Even so, I’m read to trade in my tights and sweaters for sundresses and sandals!

Farmhaus cider comes from the fifth generation of a Michigan farm family. The ciderywas founded in 2015 in Hudsonville, Michigan. Not far from Grand Rapids you can try Farmhaus Ciders in the tasting room and a cidergarten I met the founders Megan and John at GLINTCAP years ago; it’s been fun to watch their progress. This is a sample shared with me for review. 

Find out all about the company on the website: http://farmhauscider.com/

I’ve reviewed a cider or two by Farmhaus Cider before. 

Last year, I tried the Crushable a canned cider with cucumber: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/09/cider-review-farmhaus-crushable-and.html

My first Farmhaus review is of The Classic: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/06/cider-cans-crush-it-aeppeltreow.html

Here's the official description of Sweater Weather.

Chai. Spice. Cozy.
Throw on your favorite sweater, it’s about to get cozy in here!  Snuggle up and sip on this delicious chai cider.  Unlike anything you’ve tried before,  cardamom, cloves, allspice, cinnamon and ginger meet their soulmate in a blend of sharp and sweet apples.  Not too sweet and not too dry, this is the cider for you.  So settle in, get comfortable and most importantly bundle up – because it’s sweater weather time!

Appearance: morning sunshine, brilliant, mildly bubbly

This cider just shines in the glass! It's color is like a wintry morning sunshine, it's bright but not too warm. I don't expect a strong sparkle based on how it poured out of the can, but I can see some bubbles. 

Aromas: cinnamon, clove, vanilla, nutmeg

Sweater Weather smells just exactly how I want a spiced cider to smell. I get notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and vanilla. I’m hoping for a cider that’s going to balance sweet with spicy and a hint of tartness.

Sweetness/dryness: Sweet
This is a sweet, spicy cider. It doesn’t want to be anything else, and I’m glad for that.

Flavors and drinking experience: full bodied, mildly spicy, acid, sweet

Yes, there’s a lot going on in this cider. Sweater Weather feel full bodied with rich maple heaviness. It’s Mildly spicy and mildly sparkling. Something about this cider reminds me of Chocolate and tea berry gum that I haven’t tasted since high school. What a wave of nostalgia! 


All of the spices that I smells are still present in the flavors of the cider. Sweater Weather brings medium high acidity and some savory and fruity notes as well. I feel most surprised to taste little hints of cherry, concord grapes, black tea and not at all surprised to taste ripe sweet apples in the mix. This cider is just a little bit funky, but not enough to be distracting from the spices.

Cider Review: Farmhaus Crushable and Savanna Dry

After a few fluctuations, I think Fall has well and truly arrived here in the Finger Lakes. The Autumnal Equinox ushered in the season meteorologically on Saturday, and conditions outside match the official season. I’m ready. It’s time for all things crisp, bright, and autumnal. And this is a time when cider shines.

I’m also ready for Finger Lakes Cider Week which is coming up soon. Read all about the many exciting event happening from Sept 28th through October 8th here: https://ciderweekflx.com/flx/

I know I’m particularly excited about all of the orchard tours being offered this year! From the schedule it looks like we’ll get the chance to see Black Diamond’s orchard, Cornell Orchards, Kite and String Orchards (Good Life Orchards), Redbyrd Orchards and Eve’s Cidery Orchards. There’s also a cheese based pairing dinner with South Hill Ciders that I’m pretty thrilled to be attending.

Before all of that wonderful stuff begins though I have two more summery reviews I want to share before the season gets too thoroughly behind us.

Farmhaus Crushable 

Farmhaus cider comes from Michigan where the fifth generation of an orcharding family make cider and run a Cidergaarten. You can find the ciders all over western Michigan. 

Find out all about the company on the website: http://farmhauscider.com/

I have one previous review of a Farmhaus Cider. I reviewed their Classic in June of this year: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/06/cider-cans-crush-it-aeppeltreow.html

This can was shared with me for review, but my opinions remain my own. 

The Crushable is a limited release. Here’s the official description.

Refreshing. Cucumber. Great Mixer.You know that amazing feeling when you jump in the water on a hot, sunny day? Well, we canned it for you to enjoy – whenever! Cool, crisp and refreshing, it’s like a poolside afternoon for your taste buds. Freshly picked cucumbers straight from our garden combined with all local apples create an easy-drinking cider that will quench your thirst and leave you craving that next sip. Enjoy it straight or use it as a mixer. Try and savor it if you can, but be warned: this cider is completely crushable.

Appearance: hazy, butter yellow, few visible bubbles
The cider poured with a bit of fizz, but that settled down quickly. I’d call Crushable’s color an easy butter yellow and it’s on the opaque or hazy side.

Aromas: cucumber, floral, bubble gum, fresh apple

I am astonished by how many smell make up the aroma for this cider. The Crushable smells like flowers, cucumber, wet raw apple, bubblegum, spearmint, hay, smoke, hops, and maybe a bit of volatile acidity. It’s fresh and spiky and exciting!

Sweetness/dryness: Semi-dry

This cider perceives as semi-dry. There’s a lot more going on though than just the level of sweetness. Keep reading.

Flavors and drinking experience: herbal, medium acidity, cool and hot, peppery

As exciting as the aromas were, it tastes even better than it smells. I wouldn't have noticed rosemary as an ingredient if I'd not read it. The cider’s cucumber comes out even more tasting than smell; it’s all very vegetal and herbal. 

The Crushable displays a much more intense sparkle than what I anticipated from how it poured. The cider has middling acidity, low tannins, and a reasonably full mouthfeel.  semi dry.  cleaner from the can than a glass.  I found it a curious blend of cool and hot—6.4%ABV, but a slightly peppery note. It’s very summery indeed, so I’m glad I tried it before Fall arrived.

This is a throwback to one of the ciders I found in Scotland on vacation this summer. I’d been seeing social media about Savanna Dry for years, but I’d not ever seen it for sale until I was in a Mexican restaurant in Scotland. The international connections continued when I found out that this South African cider brand produced my cider in Belgium.

You can see loads of pictures and learn about Savanna Dry online here: https://savannacider.com/welcome

I found some information about the cider, but not a tremendous amount. Here's the page about this cider on the Savanna website.

Savanna Dry Premium Cider Bottle
INCIDER'S EDGE

         1996 – The year we corrupted the apple!

We started making cider all those years ago from the juice of the tastiest apples around. 

But not that kind of cider that smacks of sweetness, we knew that
you were looking for something unique… something crisp, refreshing, balanced and most importantly something with a bit of edge. 

That's why we created Savanna Dry which is still crafted in the same way it was all the way back then. 

The cider equation: Apples + fermentation + micro-filtering + chill-filtering = Savanna Dry

Other sources online from a few years ago indicate that this cider is made with Granny Smith apples, but I don't want to count on secondary sources from a while back. Other parts of the Savanna website recommend serving the cider with a wedge of lemon in the bottle neck.

Appearance: Brilliant, deep straw, no bubble

I love the brilliance and deep straw color of this cider. The Savanna website mentioned two types of filtering, so clarity seems to be a priority for the cider brand. I couldn't see any bubbles in the bottle or glass. 

Aromas:  yogurt, raspberries, cheeries

These smells are fascinating! It's very fruity. The cider smells like yogurt, raspberries and cherries. 

Sweetness/dryness: sweet

This is a cider called dry that tastes sweet. 

Flavors and drinking experience: vanilla, raisins, green apple candy

This cider tastes very much of vanilla and raisins. I get some green apple candy as well. The flavors are more intense than the aromas were, but there's perhaps something a bit artificial in the mix. I do taste tremendous direct flavors of unfermented green apple, and waves of green apple candy. 

Secondarily I get notes of Watermelon, Pixie Stix, and malic acid. I had this cider with spicier than expected Mexican food. The spice did a lot to help cut the sweetness, but it was still notably  green apple candy flavors. The cider had medium high acidity and no tannins. The level of sparkle was moderate. The cider has an overall profile that would be familiar to many United States cider drinkers. It resembles many other sweet to semi-sweet relatively low ABV ciders sold in 12ounce bottles. For many people, this is their preferred style. 

 Enjoy the start of Fall, cider lovers!

Cider Cans Crush It: AeppelTreow Blackbird Berried Cider and Farmhaus Cider Co. Classic

My last post for Cider Cans Crush It has arrived. I don't even feel like I've scratched the surface of what kinds of cider can now be found in cans. Yes, the eight I picked are all very different from one another, but I know have at least this many more that highlight other facets of the cider world in cans. But, let's not get ahead of ourselves. I do want to show off these last two ciders in the series!

Today we're starting with AeppelTreow's Blackbird Berried Cider. This is far from my first AeppelTreow review. The cidermaker, Charles, is a friend of mine within the cider world. He regularly does trainings on fermentation and on perceiving flaws in cider from a scientific view. The whole community of cidermakers and drinkers has a lot to thank Charles for. So, I'm always happy to review any samples from AeppelTreow.

Here are my previous reviews of AeppelTreow Ciders:

Orchard Oriole Perry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/05/very-perry-may-aeppeltreows-orchard.html

Appley Brut: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/09/cider-review-appeltreow-winerys-appley.html

Sparkling Perry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/05/very-perry-may-pt-1-aeppeltreow.html

Kinglet Bitter: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/09/cider-review-appletreow-kinglet-bitter.html

Barnswallow Draft Cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/03/cider-review-appeltreow-barnswallow.html

You can read about many of the ciders, fruit wines, and spirits on the AeppelTreow website: http://aeppeltreow.com/ and also now http://appletrue.com

The canned line is AeppelTreow's Songbird Ciders. Blackbird Berried Cider. The ABV is 5.5%. I'll share what I saw on the can itself.

AeppelTreow Songbird Ciders are crafted in small batches from apples grown by farmers we know. They are named for the birds that live in and around the orchard.

Blackbird is our American-style berry-flavored cider, blended with the juices of black currants and elderberries. It's a little sweet and a bunch tart.

At AeppelTreow we are Apple True

Respect the land

Savor the fruit

Deliver unique flavors

Make it the hard way

Appearance: brilliant, some bubbles, mulberry

I'll call the color mulberry because it's to red to be purely purple and to purple to be purely a dark red. Though the color is dark, the cider is brilliant and shows of a host of bubbles. This one is too pretty to leave in the can! Transport it to your drinking destination, but then put this beauty in a glass!

Aromas: black currant, black berry, dusty, citric acid

The cider smells like citric acid, black currants, and dark fruity berries in general. The fermentation notes come across subtly in a very tantalizing way. It's mouth watering.

Sweetness/dryness: Semi-sweet

I find this cider approachably semi-sweet. Though I tend to prefer dry ciders, I can enjoy the sweeter side of life when done well and with good balance. This is just such a cider. I like how the malic acid and citric acid keep that sweetness from getting out of control.

The cider tastes a little sticky and a bit foxy and oh so summery. I love the dark and foresty notes. The Blackbird is grippy due to black currant juice. They offer up pleasantly fruity tannins. The cider has undeniably high acid but low level bubble that keeps it from getting harsh.

This cider is very drinkable, even dangerously drinkable. Full bodied, coats but doesn’t clog. I am a big fan of the Blackbird's pert acidic finish. I find the whole experience lusciously balanced. I had this cider with homemade vegetable burritos, and it was perfect.

Farmhaus Cider Co. Classic

This company is the product of the fifth generation of a Michigan farming family. The current endeavor was founded in 2015 near Grand Rapids in Hudsonville. They even have a Cidergarten and tasting room now! I met the founders Megan and John at a cider event years ago, and I've been watching their progress and rooting for them. So, I'm happy to finally be reviewing the cider. This is a review sample shared with me.

Find out all about the company on the website: http://farmhauscider.com/

In the "About" page, there's a hilarious section dedicated to haters, even giving them a specail email address for negative feedback. I think that's so clever.

The Farmhaus Classic cider's official description follows.

Fresh. Bright. Halbbitter.

A semi-sweet cider with a fruity last and sweet aroma created using local apples and fermented in a Germanic style, giving it superior drinkability. Most often compared to a riesling or Moscato, this cider pairs well with soft & creamy cheeses, chicken dishes and your favorite pizza

Appearance: straw, transparent, very bubbly

This cider looks so bubbly! My sparkle-loving taste buds are now actively anticipating this one! I'd call the color straw and the clarity transparent.

Aromas: Stony, fresh apples, dust

I didn't get a lot of smell from the can, but I detected more aromas once I poured the classic into a glass. I can smell stones, dust, and fresh apples. These are very traditional aromas for a cider of this type.

Sweetness/dryness: right on the line between semi-sweet and semi-dry

This cider perceives as semi-dry, but only just barely. It's right on that semi-sweet/semi-dry line, but because the acid is on the higher side, I'll call it semi-sweet. The sweetness that's there is very apple-y.

Flavor and drinking experience: citrus, high acid, balanced

Like many modern ciders, the flavors are all driven by the high acidity in the Classic. It's fruity but tastes more like citrus than like pomme or stone fruits. My first impression was how very much the cider reminds me of fresh-squeezed orange juice. The cider comes across as reasonably balanced even with that high-ish acidity.

There are no tannins to speak of but it has some excellent refreshing qualities. I appreciate the nice strong bubble level. I'm always a sucker for strongly sparkling ciders. All the flavors combine to create a crisp, sessionable drinking experience. The cider has a light body and a clean finish.

One of the most interesting things I noticed about it is a floral finish and pear-like aftertaste. I had this cider with homemade popcorn and good conversation. It was a simple pairing for an approachable cider, and I enjoyed the experience.

This may be the last week of Cider Cans Crush it for June, but that doesn't mean I'm going to stop covering canned ciders. What I learned in focusing on them for 4 weeks is that there really is an amazing breadth to this format. I want to keep exploring it and showcasing all the different kinds of ciders that people are canning these days. Cans really are perfect for Summer, and I have a feeling we have a lot more hot weather coming! Cheers!