Cider Review: Black Diamond Cider's 2021 Redfield/Wickson Crab

This weekend I got to attend my first ever gaming convention. I strolled downtown to enjoy the first ever FLAG Con (Finger Lakes Area Gaming Convention). It was a brilliant and totally overwhelming experience. I played 1 board game and 4 tabletop role playing games in 3 days, and that includes my first experience running a one-off con game. At the end of each day, my voice was absolutely destroyed. When I was home Sunday evening after my game, I needed something calm, mature, and sophisticated for my cider choice. That’s why I choice Black Diamond Cider’s 2021 Redfield/Wickson Crab to accompany my dinner and relaxation.

Black Diamond Cider is based out of Trumansburg, New York. It’s a great small cidery out of truly incredible orchard. You can find more background information in my earlier reviews. I bought this cider as a returning member of Black Diamonds Apple and Cider CSA.

Here are all my Black Diamond Cider reviews. 

The Moosewood Black Diamond Pairing Dinner: https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2022/10/cider-week-new-york-moosewood.html

2021 Black is Gold a collaboration with Redbyrd Orchard Cider(My #1 cider of 2021): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2021/11/cider-review-black-diamond-farm-and.html

Black Diamond Cider's 2018 Rosé: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/09/cider-review-eden-ciders-peak-bloom-and.html

Shin Hollow: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/08/cider-review-mountain-west-ciders-sweet.html

Jaywalker: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/03/cider-review-alpenfires-dungeness-and.html

Geneva Tremlett’s: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/03/cider-review-black-diamonds-geneva.html

Somerset Jersey: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/05/very-perry-may-with-vandermills-ice-ice.html

Slatestone: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/11/cider-reviews-big-hill-ciderworks.html

Hickster: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/12/cider-review-black-diamond-ciders.html

Porter’s Pommeau: https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/09/finger-lakes-cider-week-and-birthday.html

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

Rabblerouser: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/09/cider-review-black-diamonds.html

Black Diamond Cidery’s website is the best place to find out the latest news with this Finger Lakes cidery: https://www.blackdiamondcider.com/

2021 Redfield/Wickson Crab

The berry-filled essence and soft tannins of Redfield combined with intense acidity and rich sugars of Wickson Crab create this cider which is full-bodied, fruit-forward and with just enough sweetness to temper its racy acidity.

In the cidery: Field blend of Redfield and Wickson Crab pressed 1 month after harvest. DV10 yeast. Bottled still after 8 months of aging. 20 Cases produced.

In your glass: Aromas of stone fruit and white grape. Mouthwatering acidity, cherry and peach.

Varieties: Wickson Crab (80%), Redfield (20%)

Alcohol: 8%   Residual Sugar: 0.75% 

Knowing that this will be a still semi-dry cider with my favorite crab apple makes me extra curious about it. 

Appearance: delicate straw color, brilliant, still

This cider is completely still and brilliant. The color is a gently warm straw. 

Aromas: star fruit, peach, apple, cherry & minerals

One of my favorite things about Black Diamond ciders are the aromas. They never fade away; 

I’m amazed by the intensity of the Star fruit, ripe peach, apple and mineral aromas. The peach and cherry from the official description is completely accurate. 

Dryness/Sweetness: Semi-dry

This is a semi-dry cider. I usually have the dry end of Black Diamond’s ciders, but this has loads of appeal. 

Flavors and drinking experience: fruity, citrus, extremely high acid, wine like

The first thing I noticed when the cider touched my tongue is its extremely high acid. The cider tastes fruity, with loads of citrus. The particular way that this cider is semi dry is that it approaches sweetly and then goes to semi dry. It’s a still and luscious cider with a heavy mouthfeel. The impression that lingers is one of peach and apple. I think this would be a huge hit for fans of cool-climate semi-dry white wines like Riesling or Gewurztraminer.

Cider Review: Star Cider and Blue Barn Cidery's Folklore

It’s Halloween time, and this year looks like sunny warm weeks and rainy cold weekends. Our trips to the pumpkin patch might be more hurried amidst the blowing blustery conditions. The time at home with snuggly blankets, cozy candle scents, and pots of hot soup is more needed than usual. This season has many modes, and all facets of Autumn are welcome to me. This week’s cider was enjoyed with a potato and cider cider soup and hot crust bread toasted with cheddar. 

Today, I’m sharing my thought’s on Star Cider’s Folklore. Star Cider is a regional cider local to us here in upstate New York. The cidery is based in Canandaigua, New York. That's part of the Finger Lakes, for those unfamiliar. It was founded in 2014 and the current tasting room opened in 2019. I love this quote from the cidery’s website.

Cidermaking is not a destination, but a journey. On this journey, cider will continue to evolve as we discover new insights on the science of cider and unravel myths and legends about the processes used to make hard cider in the past. Cidermaking will continue to transform as we experiment with the fermentation process and through the use of fresh ingredients that complement the flavor of cider.

I had a great time visiting Star Cider with the Cornell and NY Cider Association Summer tour last year: https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2022/07/cornell-and-nyca-hard-cider-summer-tour.html

And in 2018 I finally shared my notes on the Wild Child Rhubarb by Star Cider: https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/07/cider-review-kite-and-string-ciders.html

I recommend checking out the Star Cidery website to learn more about current offerings and activities in the tasting room: http://www.starcidery.com/.

And here's a link to Blue Barn Cidery too: https://www.bluebarncidery.com.

Admittedly, I know less about Blue Barn Cidery out of Hilton, New York, but I look forward to learning more!

Here’s how Star Cidery describes Folklore 

Made with mixed heirloom apples from Blue Barn Cidery in Hilton New York this collaboration cider is guaranteed to impress!

Notes of green apple, peach, and pear give way to a dry Riesling-like finish. The perfect cider for a sunny day. 7% ABV.

Appearance: Intense sunflower yellow, brilliant, bubbly

The Folklore pours with a head, but the head didn’t stick around long enough for pictures. This cider vibrates with its sunflower yellow color; it’s so bold and bright! The cider is bubbly and brilliant.

Aromas: overripe apples, tangy tartness, gentle funk

This cider bubbles ripe apple aromas with fervor! I love the rich autumnal lushness I get here. The Folklore also smells just a touch funky in a tangy way. Other notes remind me of lemon, wild rice, and mushrooms.

Sweetness/Dryness: Semi-dry

I find the Folklore semi-dry, but it was a careful consideration to get there. I’d be curious to see the residual sugar and acidity.

Flavors and drinking experience: Bubbly, bittersweet, high acid

This cider develops as I taste it in a most pleasing way. The Folklore communicates with gentle bittersweetness. In mouthfeel, it’s creamy and rich; the fine bubbles move energetically through the cider. Like the majority of New York state ciders the Folklore gets lots of its ooph from its high acidity rather than tannins. 

Specific flavors associations that wafted through my mind were white grape and crème brûlée: something round and full. One of my favorite little surprises of this cider was its vanilla finish.

*

*Tattoo pictured is temporary: a remnant of my pirate costume. Sure looks great though, doesn't it?

Cider Review: Redbyrd Orchard Cider's 2021 Baldwin - Brown Snout - Kingston Black

I’ve gone more than a full week wearing a boot and treating my right foot as though I’m healing a break. Thankfully the boot works and eliminates pain while walking around the house, so I will not complain about it. I do look forward to being able to resume my normal habits of walking miles a day and getting outside whenever the weather is pleasing and often when it's not. But I certainly don’t mind sitting on my porch on these late summer mornings and evenings.

But I did make it out of the house briefly this weekend to celebrate a wonderful friend, and I brought Redbyrd Orchard Cider's 2021 Baldwin- Brown Snout- Kingston Black to taste and share. I picked up this Redbyrd Orchard Cider from Ithaca’s Farmer’s Market earlier in the Summer. In case you’re ever travelling this way, do not overlook the Farmer’s Market as a place to sample and buy local ciders. Our selection is really astounding!

One of the local gems in the Finger Lakes has to be Redbyrd Orchard Ciders. The cidery is based on a small biodynamic farm near Trumansburg, York. I’ve reviewed several of their ciders since first encountering them in 2014. You can find more background in earlier reviews. Here's the full rundown of my earlier Redbyrd Orchard Cider reviews, including one from earlier this year. 

Biodynamic Cloudsplitter Extra Brut: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2023/04/cider-review-redbyrd-orchard-cyders.html

Tompkins King/Stoke Red (my #6 favorite cider of 2022): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2022/07/cider-review-redbyrd-orchard-ciders.html

Black is Gold (a collaboration with Black Diamond Cider and my #1 cider of 2021): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2021/11/cider-review-black-diamond-farm-and.html

Celeste Sur Lie 2015: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/10/redbyrd-orchard-ciders-celeste-sur-lie.html

The Andromeda Crab: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/01/cider-review-redbyrd-orchard-ciders.html

Their presence at an all FLX pairing dinner: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/09/finger-lakes-cider-week-and-birthday.html

The North Star: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/01/cider-review-redbyrd-orchard-ciders.html

The Starblossom: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/10/finger-lakes-cider-week-special-review.html

The Dry Harvest Cider 2013: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/12/cider-review-reddbyrd-2013-harvest-cider.html

The Wild Pippin (my #1 cider of 2014, the Wild Pippin): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/12/cider-review-redbyrd-orchard-ciders.html

And I encourage folks to visit Redbyrd Orchard Cider online to learn more about the current cider lineup: https://redbyrdorchardcider.com/.

Here’s what I learned about the 2021 Baldwin- Brown Snout- Kingston Black from the folks at Redbyrd.  

Alcohol 8%

A beautiful dry cider made from these three apples: Baldwin, Brown Snout, Kingston Black

Certified Biodynamic® by Demeter

pressed rack and cloth with secondary fermentation in bottle, sediment natural

all grown, fermented and bottled at Redbyrd Orchard

22 cases produced

notes of chocolate mint, cinnamon, peppercorn, bittersweet apple

Appearance: intense brass color, brilliant, bubbly

Apologies for the action shot; I’m having issues with my camera lately. Still, it’s apparent that this cider shimmers with a beautifully intense brass color. It’s brilliant with bubbles as well. 

Aromas: oranges, autumnal, overripe apples, rubber

The Baldwin- Brown Snout- Kingston Black  causes an immediate salivary reaction for me! This is going to be a wonderfully exciting cider. The first aroma notes I can identify are overripe apple, oranges, and wet autumn leaves. The scents are mellow and a touch oxidized. I expect deep autumnal acid and apple flavors in this one. Yum.

Sweetness/dryness: fully dry

I love the total dryness of this cider. It’s austere and yet filled with flavor. 

Flavors and drinking experience: actively tannic, fine bubbles, funky, acid but round

The Baldwin- Brown Snout- Kingston Black tastes actively tannic, even a bit fiery and aggressive. I love its champagne-style bubbles from the cider’s second in the bottle fermentation. That crisp sophistication is made beautifully complex with some funky and metallic notes and big round acids. The mouthfeel is full, with a long blocky tannic finish. This cider goes best with salty foods. It’s big, fun, and challenging. These are wonderfully interesting apples, and I’m so glad that Redbyrd Orchard Cider made the most of them.

Cider Review: Redbyrd Orchard Cyder's 2020 Biodynamic Cloudsplitter Extra Brut

Spring has burst into fullness with an unseasonable run of hot days. It’s disturbing to see temperatures in the high 80s in April, but it’s also amazing to see trees go from twiggy to budding and then blooming in so few days. It finally feels like the season has arrived to drink cider outside, and I couldn’t be happier about that.Today, I chose a cider that I picked out with some help from the cidermaker at the opening day of Ithaca’s Farmers’ Market. 

This is Redbyrd Orchard Cyder's  2020 Biodynamic Cloudsplitter Extra Brut. This cidery is a delightful one in my region. I have several earlier reviews for Redbyrd Orchard Cyders. Many include more background on this awesome cidery. Here’s the list.

Tompkins King/Stoke Red (my #6 favorite cider of 2022): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2022/07/cider-review-redbyrd-orchard-ciders.html

Black is Gold (a collaboration with Black Diamond Cider and my #1 cider of 2021): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2021/11/cider-review-black-diamond-farm-and.html

Celeste Sur Lie 2015: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/10/redbyrd-orchard-ciders-celeste-sur-lie.html

The Andromeda Crab: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/01/cider-review-redbyrd-orchard-ciders.html

Their presence at an all FLX pairing dinner: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/09/finger-lakes-cider-week-and-birthday.html

The North Star: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/01/cider-review-redbyrd-orchard-ciders.html

The Starblossom: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/10/finger-lakes-cider-week-special-review.html

The Dry Harvest Cider 2013: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/12/cider-review-reddbyrd-2013-harvest-cider.html

The Wild Pippin (my #1 cider of 2014, the Wild Pippin): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/12/cider-review-redbyrd-orchard-ciders.html

You can visit Redbyrd online to learn about all of the ciders and what’s happening at the cidery: https://redbyrdorchardcider.com/

Here’s information on the 2020 Biodynamic Cloudsplitter Extra Brut.

~notes of~

cherry, birch, vanilla, clementine

0.0% residual sugar

champagne style, disgorged in batches of 10 cases

2020 harvest disgorged 9/2022

Certified Biodynamic® by Demeter

porter's perfection, kingston black, liberty, golden russet, ashmead’s kernel, tompkins king, keepsake, nehou,

roxbury russet, dabinett, brown snout, wickson crab,

honeycrisp, goldrush, geneva crab, harry masters jersey,

somerset redstreak, zabergau, baldwin, golden hornet,

redfield, rubinette, zestar, browns’ apple, texas king crab,

NY75, redbyrd bitter, barn hill sharp, gnarled chapman

Grown, Fermented, and Bottled at Redbyrd Orchard.

19 cases produced

The cider has an ABV of 9.3%

Let me just note two things here. First, that’s a fabulous list of apples. Secondly, 19 cases is not a lot of cider! I feel lucky to have just one bottle!

Appearance: active bubbles, warm sandstone color, brilliant

The Cloudsplitter Extra Brut looks so inviting. The color is a warm and intense shade of orange that reminds me of sandstone. The bubbles are multitudinous and active. I can easily see through the cider, even with the bubbles, leading me to calling it brilliant in terms of clarity.

Aromas: applesauce, pears, straw, mellow overripe apple

I love how the Cloudsplitter smells immediately and vividly of applesauce. Ciders with this homey aroma start to win me over immediately. Secondarily, I get notes of pears and straw; it’s a mellow and welcome set of scents.

Dryness/sweetness: Dry, but fruity

This cider is dry, and it has to be dry because of how it is made. Nonetheless, it’s far more fruity than many ciders with a similar level of dryness. The fruit makes it tremendously enticing and friendly.

Flavors and drinking experience: overripe apple, apricot, high acid, high tannins, many bubbles, fruity and concentrated

The Cloudsplitter makes a big first impression with high acidity and also high tannins. The cider dances across my palate with lively miniscule bubbles. Again, I love how it manages to taste so fruity but completely dry. I’m reminded of homemade fruit leather in that all of the Cloudsplitter’s flavors are so concentrated. This cider is a dynamo of apple flavor. My co-taster really captured it when they said that this cider tastes specifically like many types of apple at once. Wow, yes. And on the finish, it’s tremendously elegant: apricots and a hint of honey.

We enjoyed this cider with a veggie fried rice and then beautiful locally created macarons. What a divine taste experience.

Cider Review Open Spaces Cider's Early and Wild

Friends and family sometimes share ciders with me, and I always appreciate it. When they share ciders that are hard to come by or unusual in some way, I treasure the kindness all the more. Recently, some dear friends came over and brought this cider for sharing. I made my first veggie pot-pie, so we’d have something for pairing. My friends shared Open Spaces Cider’s Early and Wild with me, and I’m so grateful.

Here’s how Open Spaces Cider introduces the project, “Open Spaces Cider is a tiny, art-driven project foraged and fermented by a willing group of collaborators, focused on access to the bounty of public and marginal lands. OSC is made in service of reparations and reconciliation for stolen land and lives, with an agricultural and access focus.”

Open Spaces Cider is based out of the finger lakes region of New York and makes a point to start by acknowledging that the land that grows apples for the cider is Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫʼ land. If you’d like to learn more about the indigenous people of this area, I think this is a good start: https://cayuganation-nsn.gov/tribal-history.html.

The partner collaborators are listed as: Melissa Madden, Rachel Freier, Pete Messner, and Jenn Smith. There are additional collaborators including other Finger Lakes Cideries, artists, and non-profit organizations. 

Right now, these ciders are only available in the seasonal reparations packages from Open Spaces or sold through the cider clubs of partnering ciders like Redbyrd Orchard Cider and Eve’s Cidery.

Learn more about Open Spaces Cider online: https://www.openspacescider.com/

That’s a lot of intriguing background for a cider producing group that’s more than a little unusual, but now for the cider itself. Here’s info from the label.

100% foraged apples from public space

Cold settled and racked before wild fermentation

In October 2021

Bottled during primary fermentation in November 2021

Disgorged in January 2022

Open Carefully and cold!

7.5% ABV

Produced and bottled by Eve’s Cidery, Van Etten, NY

The cider is also described as Petillant and Dry.

Now for our collective cider tasting notes.

Appearance: intense tawny orange, cloudy, bubbly 

Because the Early and Wild is bottled in clear glass, I knew it would have a rich intense color. It’s tawny orange like some earthy teas. The glasses all poured with a mousse, so I know there will be awesome levels of bubble. The cider is cloudy with some sediment pouring in the final glass of the bottle.

Aromas: olive bring, wild tang

The Early and Wild does smell wild. I get notes of olive brine, savory spices and it’s  mildly reductive. I have a feel this cider will be plenty tart and tasty.

Sweetness/Dryness: Dry

Petillant Naturels end up dry as fermentation feeds sugar to yeast and pet nats complete their fermentation in the bottle. The interventions taken to make a cider sweet aren’t really compatible with this method of cider making. 

Flavors and drinking experience: tangerine, tannic, fine bubbles

Delicious! Oh what a treat. I love when a cider can be dry and yet still substantially fruity. The Early and Wild does exactly that. It manages to be strongly reminiscent of sweet citrus, particularly tangerines, while remaining dry and crisp. Everyone agreed on citrus notes immediately! I think the reactions went like, “ So lemony and orangey—no, tangerine!”

It tastes acidic in such a refreshing way. The Early and Wild comes across as quite different in taste than in its aromas. I love how unusually fruity (though not actually sweet) this tastes for a pet nat. It’s simply a delicious cider with medium tannins, high acid, and very fine bubbles.

We enjoyed this with veggie pot pies and excellent conversation, and I’m excited to keep my eyes on Open Spaces Cider to see where they go from here. 

Cider Review: New York Cider Co.'s The Naturist

I’m shocked that it's taken me this long to review anything by New York Cider Co. My apologies, friends. New York Cider Company is a relatively new cidery based in Tompkins County, New York. This is my home turf, so I’ve been remiss here. I’ve tried a few by New York Cider Company, and I’ve found them consistently refreshing and interesting. 

Here’s how the cidery folks describe their approach to cider making. I’ll let their words speak for themselves.

Yet, we, at New York Cider Company, appreciate the simplicity of traditional cider craft. We believe that much of the art of cider making involves helping nature, the best artist, do the work itself. Often this means staying out of the way: Our apple trees, some more than 150 years old, are nurtured by little more than sun, rain, and maybe a sprinkle of compost. Our apples—whether we grow them ourselves, forage them from wild or abandoned trees we rescued near our farm in the New York Finger Lakes—are always interesting and picked at peak ripeness.

Similarly, our ciders are fermented naturally, without added yeast, whenever possible. “Wild” fermentations can be riskier; you never know how the natural yeasts will affect the final taste of a hard cider. To us, the rewards of wild fermentation are a worthwhile gamble. Each carboy, barrel, tank, or vat of cider truly takes on a life—and flavors—of its own. Yeast is alive, after all; each strain has a different personality. Each hard cider is a separate conversation. 

Blending is also key—and where the human touch can augment nature’s. We find that the sum is usually greater than the parts. Figuring out the tastiest combinations of separate fermentations, creating a beautiful, unified, refreshing drink, is fascinating and rewarding. It can be an art.

New York Cider Company’s artisanal approach extends to the way we bottle most of our ciders. Again, we like to let nature do the job—through bottle conditioning.  The sediment that remains at the bottom of the bottle is a testament to our artisanal approach.

You can visit New York Cider Co online here: https://www.nyciderco.com/

If you’re in the Ithaca area, you can try New York Cider Company ciders at the Ithaca Farmer’s Market. That’s a wonderful way to get to know these very local, usually wild ciders. 

The Naturist was shared with me by Brian of Empire Haven who supplied the New York Cider Co. folks with these apples. He serves as director of an annual event Sentient Fest held at Empire Haven and is a seasonal family camper there.  Many thanks, Brian!

Here’s the official description for The Naturist.

NEW! AVAILABLE ONLINE ONLY! LIMITED SUPPLY.

Did you hear the one about the nudist and the cider maker? Neither had we. So, when a customer walked up to us at the Ithaca Farmers’ Market a few years ago and said we should check out the old apple trees at his nudist colony, we weren’t quick to respond. Then, in 2020, our own trees bore scant fruit, and we scurried. Thanks to the kind folk at Empire Haven Nudist Park in Moravia, NY, located on the remnants of a large pre-Prohibition seedling cider orchard, this story gets even better: We now introduce NATURIST, a bracingly tart, full-bodied blend of the distinctive apples we gathered there, plus two early American cultivars, Golden Russet and Rhode Island Greening. Celebrate freedom! Enjoy cool.

Alcohol 8.20%

 

Appearance: medium color intensity, warm straw, hazy

The cider has a gently pearly haze. The color is a classic warm straw color with medium intensity. 

Aromas: leather, overripe apples, green grapes, citrus and minerals

I'm charmed because The Naturist has so many delightful aromas! The Naturist smells like soft worn-in leather, overripe apple, green grape, citrus and minerals. Something about it is both salty and funky. 

Sweetness/dryness: Dry

The Naturist is an unapologetically dry cider. I appreciate how much is going on without any sweetness.

Flavors and drinking experience: hay, lime, bitter, high acid, bubbly

This cider has many scents, and its flavors are just as varied and enveloping. It tastes grassy; the cider reminds me of hay and green tea. The Naturist brings high acid with notes of lemon and lime. The whole cider is somehow both funky and fresh: dewy and bitter. The cider is alive with prickly bubbles and blocky tannins.

The Naturist is wonderfully bold; it takes the sipper on an experience. I appreciate that after the big adventures of flavor and texture, the cider ends cleanly with a pleasant aftertaste. Overall, it’s a wild interplay of austerity and citrus. I enjoyed it very much with a dinner of homemade fisher’s pie. The custardy base was rich enough to benefit from the cider’s high acidity. I’m glad it was a salty, creamy, rich dish and a zesty cutting cider. Not many pairings go better together. 

Guest Cider Review: Eve's Cidery's Butcher Hollow with Elizabeth

Hello! I’m not Meredith! Instead, I’m Elizabeth! Meredith was unable to clear time for all you lovely cider fans, and so asked me if I’d be willing to fill in for her, and of course I said yes. So hi. I’m a writer living a mile or two up the hill from Meredith in Ithaca. You can mostly find my work at http://www.eruditorumpress.com, where I write about things that are very different from cider.

I’ve known Meredith since college, and was on the trip to England with her where she first fell in love with cider. You’ve seen me lurking around the edges of this blog, providing a few tasting notes here and there, and occasionally becoming the subject and occasion, such as when Meredith provided cider pairings for two of my elaborate birthday dinners: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/09/my-dear-friend-el-just-had-birthday.html and http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/09/finger-lakes-cider-week-and-birthday.html

As those posts suggest, I’m a big lover of all things culinary. In my cooking, I strongly favor local and seasonal ingredients, and when it comes to cider my tastes are similar: I love the myriad of Finger Lakes cideries, and am members of several cider clubs in the region. It was through one of those that I got today’s cider, Butcher Hollow, from Eve’s Cidery, which Meredith has featured on the blog so many times before that I’ll just link her tag for it: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/search/label/Eve%27s%20Cidery

They’ve got a ton of information at their website at https://www.evescidery.com , including information on the cider club where I got this bottle.

The gorgeous label is described as “an abstract representation of the aura of the cider.” But it’s the back label that is truly striking, with the following simple and unsparing description of the cider:

“The apples for this cider were gathered on a single day in a single location of the Finger lakes National Forest, traditional lands of the Onödowága: where they tend productive, abundant orchards until the trees were destroyed in General Sullivan’s campaign of genocide in 1779. When the Indian orchards regrew from the roots, White Settlers made cider from them. This fraught and complicated history can still be read in the landscape today, through the story of wild apples.”

This stunningly direct account of indigenous genocide puts what initially seemed like a pretty standard bit of rural place naming in a cold new light. Thankfully, Eve’s Cidery is at the forefront of efforts to acknowledge this history and do what can be done to right these horrors through its involvement, along with Redbyrd Cidery, in newcomer Open Spaces Cidery’s biennial Reparations Packages, which offer a trio of limited and exclusive ciders to people who make an appropriate donation to organizations involved in providing farmland to BIPOC communities. You can find more information on that at https://www.openspacescider.com, and, not to offer any spoilers, but I’ve definitely got a really interesting bottle from Open Spaces that came out of the last reparations package stashed away to bring to Meredith’s house soon, and I’m sure you’ll be hearing more about it.

The zine Eve’s sends out with its club shipments (and I cannot tell you how much that phrase delight me) gives a further sense of where these apples came from, describing a wagon wheel that had been placed around a tree, long since rotted away, leaving only a metal ring around the trunk. What a beautiful place, where such horrible things happened

The zine also gives more details of how the cider was made: it’s a wild ferment, with a secondary fermentation in the bottle, which was aged on the lees for nine months and disgorged. 

Appearance: Cloudy, yellow-amber, small tight bubbles. 

A cloudy cider, pale yellow with tones of warm gold that dominate once I took it away from the bright light I was photographing it with. 

Aroma: Apple juice, fruit forward, candied lemon, apricot, *intense* apples, like they’re just cut. Warm, inviting, some faint spice notes—nutmeg and cinnamon.

Our first impressions of the cider left us all convinced we were going to be terrible at this job as we all agreed that it was, well, appley. Eventually we managed to find our way towards notes like candied lemon, apricot, and some faint spice notes of nutmeg and cinnamon, but man, we sure appreciated how good Meredith is at this by the end of this section!

Sweetness/dryness: Dry, but, as Facebook would put it, “it’s complicated.”

This is a dry cider—the zine says “totally dry.” But it presents with almost a ghost of sweetness—flavor notes that you’d associate with sweetness but none of the actual sense of sugar. A little caramel early on, and some peach notes after the cider had a chance to open up a bit. I drank this while cooking a spicy chili, and the sips I had after spending a bunch of time tasting and adjusting it really brought that quasi-sweetness out.

Taste: Acidic but full-flavored. Pineapple, caramel, raspberry, hay, unripe plum, honeyed finish, almost a ghost of sweetness

A profoundly sharp, acidic cider, but with tremendous depth behind that. Clean and rich, but approachable. Eve’s recommends this as a cider for pairing with “roasted squash stuffed with walnuts, apples and cranberries,” and that captures its vibe well—a cider that tastes like being ushered into a warm home where a rich, flavorful winter’s dinner is waiting for you.

The emphatic acidity fades into softer, fruitier notes—pineapple and unripe plum soon after opening it, relaxing into peach and raspberry once it’s sat for a bit. The finish is honeyed and languid. The bubbles are small and soft, enough to add some zip to the mouthfeel but not enough to dominate the experience. 

This is a lovely, mature cider, comfortable and welcoming, and everything I want from the Finger Lakes It’s a perfect one to open with some friends on a quiet evening away from the cold, and left me thinking fondly of the next time I’ll get to sit on Meredith’s couch providing a few tasting notes instead of doing this whole thing myself.

Cider Review: Black Diamond Farm and Redbyrd Orchard Cider's Black is Gold

It has been far too long since I’ve gotten to share anything by Redbyrd Orchard Cider, and even Black Diamond Cider hasn’t graced the blog recently enough. I was thrilled to learn of their first annual collaboration: Black is Gold. 

Black Diamond Farm and Redbyrd Orchard Cider both anchor the Finger Lakes cider scene; they are each based nearest to Trumansburg, New York. You can find plenty of introductory info on both orchards and cideries in earlier entries. I encourage you to go back and check them out. Both of these ciders are special endeavors that produce delicious ciders. 

Here’s my list of Redbyrd Orchard Cider reviews:

Celeste Sur Lie 2015: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/10/redbyrd-orchard-ciders-celeste-sur-lie.html

The Andromeda Crab: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/01/cider-review-redbyrd-orchard-ciders.html

Their presence at an all FLX pairing dinner: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/09/finger-lakes-cider-week-and-birthday.html

The North Star: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/01/cider-review-redbyrd-orchard-ciders.html

The Starblossom: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/10/finger-lakes-cider-week-special-review.html

The Dry Harvest Cider 2013: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/12/cider-review-reddbyrd-2013-harvest-cider.html

The Wild Pippin (my #1 cider of 2014, the Wild Pippin): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/12/cider-review-redbyrd-orchard-ciders.html

Visit Redbyrd Orchard Cider online here: https://redbyrdorchardcider.com/

And the full rundown of Black Diamond Cider Reviews:

Black Diamond Cider's 2018 Rosé: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/09/cider-review-eden-ciders-peak-bloom-and.html

Shin Hollow: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/08/cider-review-mountain-west-ciders-sweet.html

Jaywalker: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/03/cider-review-alpenfires-dungeness-and.html

Geneva Tremlett’s: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/03/cider-review-black-diamonds-geneva.html

Somerset Jersey: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/05/very-perry-may-with-vandermills-ice-ice.html

Slatestone: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/11/cider-reviews-big-hill-ciderworks.html

Hickster: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/12/cider-review-black-diamond-ciders.html

Porter’s Pommeau: https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/09/finger-lakes-cider-week-and-birthday.html

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

Rabblerouser: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/09/cider-review-black-diamonds.html

Learn more about Black Diamond Cidery online here: https://www.blackdiamondcider.com/

The B I G Project: A Collaboration Cider is called Black is Gold. Here’s how the label describes the cider.

Black is Gold

Semi-dry Carbonated Cider

The B I G Project: An Annual Collaboration from Black Diamond Farm and Redbyrd Orchard

Made with love and care in support of the fight for racial equity and justice

The first year a blend of Goldrush, Tremlett’s Bitter, Wickson Crab, Harrison, Dabinett, Roxbury Russet, Black Oxford, Suncrisp, Razor Russet.

8.0% Alc/vol 750ml 

Appearance: shining gold, brilliant, few visible bubbles

This cider looks warm, shining, and totally brilliant. The color is a toasty gold. I can see some bubbles; they are very active and tiny. What instant appeal!

Aromas: lemon, baked apple, peach, breadcrumbs, minerals

It was fun picking out aroma notes in the Black is Gold. I noticed lemon, bread crumbs and minerality. One of my co-tasters zeroed in on the baked apple and ripe peach notes. The cider smells cleanly inviting and fruit but complex.

Dryness/sweetness: Semi-dry

The Black is Gold tastes semi-dry: exactly as the label said it would. I get enough sweetness to open up the layers of flavor and fruit but not more than that. The sweetness isn’t distracting at all.

Flavors and drinking experience: bubbly, tannic, high acid, tropical fruit, citrus, balanced

This cider! Oh my goodness, I love this. The Black is Gold blooms into a full lush experience centering on tropical fruit, sweet citrus, and juicy acidity. The cider is delightfully bubbly too. The  tannic presence helps to anchor the cider, maintaining a sophisticated sense of balance.

What a complete delight! The tropical fruit notes keep me coming back for more sips, and the ciders lovely clean finish just keeps making me smile.  I’m really digging this collaboration. The Black is Gold brings everything I enjoy to the experience: tart clean citrus, awesome bubbles, structural tannins, and enjoy fruit to keep everything fun and lively. 

We paired the cider with pasta, marinara sauce, and homemade veggie meatballs. Having all of the lightness from the bubbles and cutting acidity made for a remarkably good pairing. This cider is something special!

Cider Review: 1911's Shandy Hard Cider

I’m recovering from the afternoon sun in my living room and listening to The Tall One record takes for a strange new song. It’s peaceful and summery; before this, I was in my garden harvesting cucumbers, chard, tomatoes, yellow squash and checking on the carrots. I’m sure that we’ve done something wrong such that the carrots are still exactly the size of one bite, but gardening is always seeing changes to make for next year. In the meantime, I found a supremely summery cider to review: 1911’s Shandy Hard Cider.

1911 is a cidery, distillery, and part of Beak and Skiff’s Orchard playground in Lafayette, New York. This Finger Lakes Staple is home to many exciting and innovative beverages as well as a full calendar of music and events. I'm happy to say that I can pick up cases of canned 1911 at multiple grocery stores in town, so it tends to be a cider I bring regularly to outdoor gatherings. 

I’ve reviewed a few 1911 Ciders  before; check out some earlier reviews for more background information on this cidery. Here’s the list!

Cranberry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/12/cider-review-1911-cranberry-cider.html

Rose: https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/02/cider-review-1911-rose-and-virtue.html

New England Style Hopped IPC: https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/09/cider-reviews-1911-hard-cider-new.html

Tropical: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/06/cider-cans-crush-it-1911-tropical-cider.html

Somerset Original Cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/06/cider-review-beak-and-skiffs-1911.html

Founders’s Reserve Hopped: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/09/cider-review-1911s-founders-reserve.html

You can find out about all the ciders, spirits, and events at 1911’s Apple Campus online:  https://1911established.com/product-type/hard-cider/

Here’s the official description for 1911’s Shandy Hard Cider.

Shandy Hard Cider 6.5% ABV

Why should the beer drinkers have all the fun? Cider fans are just as deserving of some lemonade love! Grab a bikini, a towel, some screen, and a can, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for some fun in the sand!

1911 includes a sweetness scale from 1-6 and rates the Shandy a 4. 

Appearance: hazy, pale yellow, few visible bubbles

The Shandy looks pale and hazy. The color is gently lemony, but it’s not intense. There are just a few little bubbles that I can see, but I have a feeling the Shandy Hard Cider will have some fizzy action.

Aromas: lemon, spice, salt, just a hint of apple

1911’s Shandy Hard Cider smells salty and minerally. There are even more lemon and spicy notes to the aroma. There’s some apple, but its more in the background. These aromas are all about citrus.

Sweetness/dryness: Semi-sweet

This is a tart and sweet cider, but the balance comes across as plausibly semi-sweet.

Flavors and drinking experience: lemonade, nectarine, high acid, full body

I picked up the Shandy Hard Cider hoping for a fun summery blast, and it totally is! 1911 has released a lemonade acid bomb that brings a party to each sip. Not only do I get a zesty lemon vibe, there are also notes of nectarines, peaches, and apples in supporting roles.

I appreciate the ciders’ ear and jaw curling salivary action. That’s the acid at work. I find the cider comes across as semisweet and tasty. As it’s a shandy, it’s very lemonade like and that totally works. 

This cider succeeds at being an easy summer charmer. I find it totally enjoyable with a buffalo faux-chicken burger and sautéed zucchini. You could also just pair it with barbeque chips and a lazy afternoon. 1911’s Shandy Hard Cider makes a fun and drinkable good time!

Cider Review: Eve’s Cidery's Orchards and Pastures

I just got back from a trip to Michigan for GLINTCAP. It was lovely. I had such a good time volunteering, seeing friends, continuing to explore Grand Rapids, and tasting some seriously good cider. It's good to be home, even though I seriously enjoyed my first vacation since early February 2020. 

Check out the best-in-show results here: https://glintcap.org/

To soften the blow of coming back to real life though I had to enjoy a genuinely special cider. I chose Eve's Cidery's Orchards and Pastures. I'm a fan of this local cidery; check out earlier reviews to find out more about the background of this fascinating cidery and farm. 

Here is a full list of all of my reviews of cideries and perries by Eve's Cidery.

Kingston Black 2017 (my #4 cider of 2019): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/08/cider-review-eves-cidery-kingston-black.html

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

Darling Creek (#2 cider of 2018): 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 2018: 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

Eve’s Cidery has loads on information on the website: https://www.evescidery.com.

I couldn’t find much out about this cider online, so here's what I read from the label.

“Naturally sparkling dry cider grown on our farm and wild foraged. Native yeast fermentation. Tasting notes: sweet clover, farmyard, sourdough bread. This cuvee is a blend of every cider and perry we make this season, barrel fermented and aged on its lees for 9 months in the bottle. Dry, tannic, tart and funky, this cider makes the perfect companion for cheese. 8% ABV. Batch No. 2019.”

Appearance: hazy, intense harvest gold, mousse

This cider pours with a beautiful mousse and plentiful haze. I love its intense harvest gold color. It makes me think of fall which will be here so soon. Everything about this appearance is inviting. 

Aromas: softened apples, pears, leather, nuts

The Orchards and Pastures smells of softened apples, pears, nuts, and leather. I love how everything comes together in this cornucopia of warm and mellow scents. The barrel aging definitely comes through in the caramel and vanilla notes. I also get golden raisins which remain among my favorite scents in a cider. 

Sweetness/dryness: Dry

This cider has plenty of fruity aromas, but it tastes completely dry.

Flavors and drinking experience: funky, wild rice, dried apple, Meyer lemon

I love how everything I noted in the aromas comes through in the Orchards and pastures flavor, but they are transformed. The cider tastes dry and funky yet perfumed. I get notes of overripe oxidized dried apple, wild rice, Meyer lemon, and Seville orange. The cider is redolent of baking spices.

The mouthfeel leads with high tannins and astringency, but a balancing level of bracing acid. The body has heft and fullness, but it's very firm and nearly austere. This cider sparkles strongly, and I love it. 

Eve’s Cidery has created something special with this aged cuvee blend. I love how mature and fermented it smells and tastes. I shared this with friends in my living room. We paired it with sharp cheddar and good conversation. It was simple and perfect because the cider brings plenty of fascination all on its own. 

Cider review: Rootstock Ciderworks' 2020 Heritage Hard Cider

I can’t believe that the Summer Solstice has come and gone! I want to celebrate the day, because it's the official start to summer. The longest span of sunlight in the year feels like something to celebrate! To be honest, I find it an anxious day. I never feel ready by the solstice for the days to start getting shorter. Ask me again around August first, then I’ll feel ready for Solstice. But it just arrives too soon! That said, I was happy to celebrate with cider and a chat with Dan Pucci, Craig Cavallo, and Steve Selin (among others) about orcharding and cider. Nothing could have been more appropriate!

For today, I’m sharing a review of Rootstock Ciderworks' 2020 Heritage Hard Cider. 

Rootstock Ciderworks comes out of a fifth generation family farm just outside of Rochester, New York in Williamson. The DeFishers know apples well and only use them and yeast to make a wide range of ciders. Today, I’m reviewing the 2020 incarnation of Heritage, but if you want to learn more about Rootstock I recommend going back to some cidery info in prior reviews.

My Rootstock Ciderwork’s reviews are all listed below.

Ruby Mac: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2021/05/cider-review-rootstock-ciderworks-ruby.html

Legend Barrel Aged: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/01/cider-review-eden-specialty-ciders.html

Rose: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/07/cider-review-shacksbury-dorset-and.html

Belgium: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/06/cider-cans-crush-it-rootstock.html

Hopped: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/10/cider-review-rootstock-ciderworks.html

You can check out all of Rootstock’s offerings at the website: https://www.rootstockciderworks.com/

Here’s how Rootstock describes the 2020 Heritage Hard Cider.

Made from heritage apples harvested in the 2020 growing season, this cider is a dual varietal cider consisting of Rhode Island Greening and Cortland Apples. This cider has notes of fresh peach, apricot, and rose petals with flavors of ripe pear and citrus fruit.

Alcohol 6.00%

I received this bottle of Heritage as a review sample from Luke at Rootstock! Thanks so much! I’m grateful for review bottles, but the gift does not sway my opinion about a cider nor guarantee coverage on the blog.  

Appearance: intense butter yellow, brilliant, bubbly

This cider looks like the essence of summertime to me! It's perfectly brilliant, dotted with shining small bubbles. The color looks like the most intense version of yellow butter. It's cheerful, sunny, and welcoming!

Aromas: Green apple, peach, nectarine, apple peelings, and pineapple 

What a basket of fruit I find in these aromas! I can smell green apples, which I associate with anticipating high levels of Malic acid. There’s also a strong presence of peach, nectarine, and pineapple. This will be a tart cider; I have no doubt. Thinking more about the green apple scent, it reminds me of peeling green apples for baking.

Dryness/sweetness: Semi-dry

This is straightforwardly a semi-dry cider! There’s tons of flavor and just a little burst of sweetness.

Flavors and Drinking experience: Green apple, cherry, nuttiness, high acidity

As I hoped and expected, Heritage brings lots of acid to the drinking experience. It’s not austere or punishingly sharp; the acidity is fruit and crisp! I love how lively the Heritage tastes.

This cider is nutty and fruity with pineapple and cherry notes. The Heritage lifts up the layers of flavor with strong bubbles. I’d describe the mouthfeel as medium light but very zesty. Each sip wraps up with a long perfumed finish.

I enjoyed this cider with friends and homemade pretzels on a long summer evening, and I’d heartily recommend exactly this pairing!

Cider Review: South Hill Cider's Packbasket '15

We have a new president, and we’re closing in on the end of January! These are two great reasons to look deep into your cellar and pick out something you’ve been holding on to for a while. That’s exactly what I did when I pulled out a cider from 2015 for a weeknight dinner recently. You don’t need a special occasion to open up a bottle with some age on it. 

I chose my South Hill Cider Packbasket from 2015. I remember buying this cider years ago from my favorite downtown bottle shop in Ithaca: The Cellar D’Or. I bought a couple because I liked the cider plenty and expected it to age well. This past week, I got to test that theory.

South Hill Cider is right in my backyard. This Ithaca cidery creates cider in a range of styles. The cidery has an orchard, purchases heirloom apples from nearby farms, and creates ciders with foraged apples. Cider maker Steve Selin coaxes a fabulous array of flavors while refraining from adjunct fruits or other flavors. South Hill Ciders is all about apples. 

I've had the pleasure of reviewing many ciders from South Hill Cider. Here’s the list.

Tasting Room Flight including: Baldwin, Russet Dabinett, Old Time ‘17, Bluegrass Russet ‘17, and Pommeau: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/09/south-hill-ciders-tasting-room-and.html

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

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, 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

Here’s South Hill Cider’s official description of the Packbasket.

Dry. Naturally Sparkling. 100% wild seedling apples germinated at the edges of pastures along fence lines that are barely noticeable today. Gathered by hand in the hedgerows and forests of the Finger Lakes, primarily around Ithaca, NY. The trees are often far enough from the road that they must be hauled out on our backs, hence the name Packbasket. The epitome of terroir, bringing the expression of an exact time and place into the glass. Naturally sparkling. Undisgorged.

Tasting Notes: Fresh stone fruit, mineral, citrus, pomegranate. Wine-like and chaulky with a dry and cleansing finish.

Alcohol 8.30%

Appearance: transparent to hazy, plentiful bubbles, intense apricot color

This undisgorged cider pours differently glass to glass. The first was transparent, but each subsequent glass had more sediment, making the cider more hazy. I’m hopeful that my pictures capture that. I love the intensity of color. The shade reminds me of fresh apricots. I can see so many bubbles; I know this one is going to be sparkling! 

Aromas: applesauce, golden raisins, peaches, tart cherries

The Packbasket smells like applesauce, golden raisins, tart cherries and peaches. I love the stone fruit notes. The aromas make my mouth water with their immediacy and power. My nose doesn’t have to be in the glass for these aromas to reach me.

Dryness/sweetness: Dry

This is a hugely flavorful dry cider. Keep reading to find out more.

Flavors and drinking experience: high acid, medium tannins, delicate funk, many bubbles

The 2015 Packbasket brings wonderful intensity, complexity, and balance to the drinking experience. The cider has sharp minerality, off the chart acidity, and some tannins. It can support all of these being pronounced because the balance one another. 

I love the bubbles, and the Packbasket’s delicate funky tartness. This cider has aged beautifully.

The acid has mellowed over the years in the bottle. The beautiful fruit fruit notes taste more dried and rich rather than fresh or juicy. The spices and fruit linger in a long finish.

We had this with a green bean stir fry with egg, and it brightened the meal delightfully!