Cider Review: Kite and String's Geneva Russet and Grand Illusion Hard Cider's Street Magic

We’re back on the spring roller coaster this week. Two days last week, I saw snow and then the day after I was mowing my yard in shorts and a t-shirt. Obviously, this means I’m still concerned for apple trees, orchards, and growers all over the country. I hope that trees can warm up and wake up slowly enough that they don’t lose most of this year’s apple crop.

As for myself, I’m still tasting in two seasons myself depending on the weather. I wanted to have one more review of something more cold weather friendly and a review of something downright springy.

To start, I got out my bottle of Kite and String’s Geneva Russet. I picked this up after a tasting at the Finger Lakes Cider House last summer. I knew I liked it then, so I felt confident that this would be a beautiful send off for big, structured dry ciders that work well with hearty winter meals.

Kite and String is the house cider brand of the Finger Lakes Cider House at Good Life Farm. The farm is just off of Route 89 outside of Interlaken, New York and on the west side of Cayuga Lake. This cidery and farm is a gathering place (when such things were a normal part of life) for local food, local music, and local cider.  The Geneva Russet is a cider from 2018 apples.  

Here is a quick rundown of my previous reviews of Kite and String ciders (some of which pre-date the name).

Rose: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/10/cider-review-kite-and-strings-rose-17.html

The Barrel Rye: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/12/cider-review-good-life-ciders-barrel-rye.html

The Cazenovia: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/09/cider-review-good-life-ciders-cazenovia.html

The King of Hector:
http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/07/cider-review-kite-and-string-ciders.html

I've enjoyed Kite and String ciders at a few special dinners including:

Thanksgiving 2016: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/11/happy-to-pickcider-for-thanksgiving.html

Finger Lakes Locavore Birthday Dinner:  
http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/09/finger-lakes-cider-week-and-birthday.html

I recommend read about both the Finger Lakes Cider House and Kite and String Cider on the website: http://www.fingerlakesciderhouse.com You can also find out what’s on the curbside pickup menu!

Here’s the official description of the Geneva Russet: 

Dry, Traditional Method.Begins with honeyed floral notes, buttered popcorn, and campfire on the nose, followed by an evolving palate of dirty honey, fresh cut grass, smoked gouda and crème fraiche. Finishes with long and soft tannins. Alcohol 8.40%

Appearance: warm straw, brilliant, bubbly

This is a lovely, luscious, and appealing cider. It uncorked with a soft pop and sprang into bubbly action. The Geneva Russet looks like warm sun-toasted straw in color.  I’ll call it brilliant because it’s transparent and bright, but the bubbles are so active, it’s almost hard to tell if there’s any haze in there.

Aromas: overripe soft fruit, baking spices, autumn leaves, 

When I lifted my glass, I could smell overripe apples and pear long before it reached my nose. Mellow mouth watering soft fruit notes just tumble into the atmosphere. The cider also smells like spices and autumn leaves while still being primarily fruity! 

Dryness/sweetness: Dry to off dry

My tasting companion and I weren’t quite sure where to rate the dryness of this cider. Its not completely bone dry, but it's nearly there. What sweetness is present is very natural and integrated into a larger experience. For me it falls somewhere between dry and off dry.

Flavors and drinking experience: High acid, Clean fermentation, Medium Tannins, Fantastic

Oh what a treat! This cider is something special.  High acid and minerals make the cider bracing and exciting.The Geneva Russet offers a clean fermentation; it’s just fruit speaking. I love how taste after taste, the mouth popping acid just scrubs my palate.

Acid isn’t the only element of this cider though. The Geneva Russet is solidly anchored by  medium tannins and beautiful bubbles. My favorite part might be it’s soft roasted apple finish. Really everything about this cider works and works fantastically together. I had it with a simply meal of veggie sausages, peppers and onions, and sauteed  zucchini. It was perfect.

Now for my look forward to spring with Grand Illusion Hard Cider’s Street Magic.

I’ve reviewed a few Grand Illusion ciders before. The company was kind enough to send me a small sampler quite a while ago. This cidery and restaurant is based out of Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Even though the restaurant cannot serve diners inside these days, you can order food and cider for delivery!

Here are both of my earlier reviews of Grand Illusion Hard Ciders!

Citra Pineapple: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/08/cider-review-grand-illusion-hard-cider.html

Blue Illusion: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/03/cider-review-stem-ciders-banjo-and.html

Appearance: hazy, peach nectar

This is a hazy almost cloud cider. I can see some bubbles but not much. The color reminds me of peach nectar.

Aromas: hops, grapefruit, sunflower seeds, tangy yogurt

The aromas are overflowing with lots of hoppy green notes. I also get bitterness and grapefruit smells. Like with many hopped ciders, there’s this combination of sweatiness, grassiness, and pine. This smells tangy almost like yogurt. And I’m surprised by a tiny whiff of sunflower seeds.

Dryness/sweetness: Semi-dry but only just

This cider tastes sweeter than I expected it would from its aromas. Its still semi-dry rather than semi-sweet but just by a hair. The sweetness is both fruity and like crystalized sugar.

Flavors and drinking experience: green apple, hoppy bitterness, grapefruit, hay   

The Street Magic speaks first with high acidity. This is a tart and zesty cider. It’s not one that trades on tannins but I can detect some bitterness that I associate with the hops and the grapefruit. All of the elements are present together and hard to fully tease out separately. I appreciate the integration of the drink.

Street Magic has a pleasant medium intensity of sparkle. There are all kinds of fruity notes in the mix like green apples, crab apples, and peaches. THere are other notes as well like sticky and bitter green hops, wood and hay.

This was my reward cider after my first trip to a grocery store in almost two months. I had it with cheese and crackers. It was a springy reward that I enjoyed very much along with a vintage episode of The X-Files. Yes, there’s a lot going on there, but every bit of it was good.

Cider Review: Stem Cider's Banjo and Grand Illusion Cider's Blue Illusion

Before I get into this week’s reviews, I do want to remind folks of two upcoming cider competitions for which I’ll be volunteering. I admit my bias freely, but I’m excited to be involved with both of these competitions, and I hope cider makers of all styles and categories will enter their favorites.

 New York Cider Competition through the Raise a Glass Foundation: https://cider.raiseaglassfoundation.com/

GLINTCAP (still a few more day for discounted registration): https://glintcap.org/register/

This week, I have two fun and different ciders. Before I start my reviews for the week, let me mention that both ciders were samples shared with me for review. A free cider doesn’t sway my opinion; I review based only on my perceptions. Both of this week’s are on the more inventive rather than traditionalist side of the spectrum. The first is Stem Cider’s Banjo

Stem Ciders is a company out of LaFayette, Colorado. The company dates back to 2013, but the flagship cider Real Dry Apple Cider was born even before the company in 2011. The company’s philosophy section of the website identifies a clear focus and mission within the cider world: one that straddles experimentation and apple-focus. (Read it here: https://stemciders.com/philosophy/). 

 I have reviewed two Stem ciders before. 

I tried the Pear Apple in 2017: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/06/pickcider-review-stem-ciders-pear-apple.html

And I enjoyed Stem Ciders’ Perry last year during Very Perry May: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/05/very-perry-may-tieton-cider-works.html

You can find out all about the company online: https://stemciders.com

Here’s the official description, “Crisp apple melodies and smoky undertones come together to create Banjo. Carefully picked apples are fermented dry and aged in bourbon barrels to smooth perfection. Pour a glass, find a band and marinate the day away.” 6.9%ABV.

Appearance: hazy, no visible bubbles, pale honey

I know it’s a cheat to call a cider honey colored because honey comes in as many colors as cider does, but that’s what looking at the Banjo makes me think about. It’s pale and nearly transparent but not bubbly, not golden, and not quite brilliant. Instead it looks like a mild pale honey. 

Aromas: Alcohol, bourbon mash, vanilla, smoke

Almost all of the Banjo’s smells relate to the barrel aging. It’s scent pours forth with notes of  bourbon mash, alcohol, corn, smoke, wood, steel. Secondarily, the cider smells of sour and sweet apple notes, but then we return to barrel qualities with sweet creaminess and vanilla. This collaboration is going to be very barrel forward, I predict.

Sweetness/dryness: off dry

This cider is mostly dry and has lots of different moments of flavor, but sweetness only makes a fleeting appearance at the beginning and end of the cider’s flavors.

Flavors and drinking experience: whiskey, hot, astringent, tannic

This is almost certainly a divisive cider for Stem fans. It tastes overwhelming of whiskey and barrel notes. I imagine whiskey drinkers and barrel fans (perhaps even stout drinkers) like it very much but those who want a more fruit forward cider might be less into it. I can see both sides of the story; for me, this has to come down to how such a cider might be best served.

The Banjo’s first note is grainy and intriguing, following instantly by a big wave of astringence sweeping the tongue front to back. It feels a little hot despite the perfectly reasonable ABV.  The wave dissipates, and what comes after both feels and tastes lighter. The barrel contributes corn, toasty, vanilla, and smoky notes.  

Somehow this cider can swing between cool and then warm all in one sip. I’m glad that there’s plenty of acid, which serves to deliver the bitterness in a more balanced way. Though I couldn’t see them, the Banjo brings  plenty of fine bubbles. It goes all over the place, but averages out to mildly more than  medium mouthfeel. Yes, it’s  tannic but only in a barrel way.  I got into its groove, but as a whiskey collaboration, it's definitely heavy on the whiskey end. I had this cider with veggie barbeque, corn, and cheddar. It could have handled even heartier foods. I’d love to try it again with a rich and smoky bean chili and cornbread. 

Grand Illusion Cider’s Blue Illusion

Grand Illusion Cider comes from Carlyle, Pennsylvania. The company has a restaurant and makes cider. You can also find a variety of beers, wines, and special events at the location.

Visit Grand Illusion’s website to learn more : https://www.grandillusioncider.com


A few months ago, I shared my first review of a cider by Grand Illusion Cider: Mystic Citra Pineapple: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/08/cider-review-grand-illusion-hard-cider.html

The official description of the Blue Illusion is short and to the point, “This well-balanced blueberry-lavender cider offers a pleasant sweetness and a light berry fruitiness; it finishes with a touch of English lavender.” 6.5% ABV I’ve not had very many lavender ciders, so I’m curious to see how that flavor profile will blend with apple and blueberry.

Appearance: Cloudy, magenta, bubbly

This cider bubbles excitingly, just as the color strikes an intriguing ambiguous place  between red and purple. Let’s call it magenta, but I’m hard pressed to know if it’s more like red grape or a plum color. What I can tell is that it’s not filtered; this cider is cloudy!

Aromas: yeast, lavender, acetic acid, blueberry and apples

There’s a rich fermenty note that starts off my experience of the Blue Illusion; I think this comes from the yeast chosen. The Blue Illusion smells very much of both lavender and blueberry, with some tart acetic acid thrown into the mix. While there’s not a lot of apple in the aroma, I do smell some, blended with the clean yeast to remind me of apple pastries.

Sweetness/dryness: Semi-dry

This is a semi-dry cider but one kept there by acidity rather than by austerity.

Flavors and drinking experience: Blueberry, lavender, lemon curd, high acid

The Blue Illusion tastes of lavender but most of its character can be traced back to blueberry; it’s not very apple-forward. The acidity in this cider is high and reminds me of lemon curd. That’s a flavor I love! This cider tastes enjoyable in an easy-going and approachable way. 

The mouthfeel is wet and full. The whole experience reminds me of blueberry muffins; that could also be the yeast notes from the smell coming through in a new way with all of the fruity notes.  The Blue Illusion boasts high acidity but no tannins. I’m guessing the apples involved are eating varieties, though I cannot be sure. 


I had this cider with some some pineapple pizza! Two fun easy things together: both fruity and flavorful.

Cider Review Grand Illusion Hard Cider Mystic Citra Pineapple and Stowe High and Dry

This past weekend was one of the local school’s move-in weekends. That means our sleepy little town swelled in population not only because of thousands of incoming students returning, but many of them came accompanied by family and all of their worldly possessions. It’s intense. That made it a great weekend to make a point of sitting on my back porch with cider and cats. I’m happy to say that I survived and tasted some delicious stuff.

For the first time, I’m reviewing a cider by Grand Illusion Hard Cider. The company is from Carlisle, PA. The company both makes hard cider and also runs a restaurant/taproom with weekly table magic event. The whole operation sounds fascinating.

Visit Grand Illusion on the company’s website: https://www.grandillusioncider.com

Before I start my review, I will give the usual caveat that this cider was a sample shared with me for review. That doesn’t change what I taste, but I think it’s important to let folks know when I’m drinking a review sample.

Of the cans Grand Illusion shared with me, I am starting with the Mystic Citra Pineapple. I chose it because it sounds quite summery: just the thing for hiding from crowds in my own backyard.

The official description of the Mystic Citra Pineapple reads, “Has a pineapple ever played tricks on you? This cider will. Floral and fruity with passion fruit, grapefruit, pineapple and lemongrass overtones. Dry hopped with a combination of Cascade and Citra hops.” ABV 6.5%.

Appearance: cloudy, pineapple color, some bubbles



This cider is too cloudy to show many bubbles, but it did froth a bit when poured from the can into a glass. The color reminds me of pineapple, and as the photo shows, this is decidedly opaque.

Aromas: wet green hops, pineapple, sweaty

The Mystic Citra Pineapple certainly lives up to its name in terms of aroma. I can smell hops that are more wet and green grassy than either soapy or piney. My drinking companion detects some sweat notes, which is not uncommon for hopped ciders, but it didn’t strike me as strong. It does also smell like pineapple, but more like canned than fresh.

Dryness/sweetness: semi-dry

This is on the dry side of semi dry.

Flavors and drinking experience: high acid, lots of pineapple, bubbly

The Mystic Citra Pineapple tastes a little different than how it smells. Though it smells very hoppy, the flavors include more pineapple than apple or hops. It’s still plenty fruity and herbal. Though the cider tastes juicy, it’s not too sweet. There’s plenty high acid to balance out what sweetness is present, but it’s not crazy high.

The drinking experience changes a little bit as it goes. At first sip, there’s a hint of bitterness that flares first and then fades. The mid palate is mostly pineapple and the after taste reminds me of all the hops I smell in those green aromas.

The cider’s texture is nice and bubbly like a canned cider should be. I think the Mystic Citra Pineapple has a fair amount of body, probably because it's not filtered. This cider is super approachable and easy to drink and fun.

Next up is Stowe Cider’s High and Dry

I’ve had Stowe ciders occasionally since I visited the tasting room two years ago. The company has been around since 2013 in Vermont. The company focuses intently on local ingredients and local collaboration.

I talked about Stowe back in 2016 when I visited the tasting room: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-great-vermont-cider-tour-day-1.html

I tasted the Local Infusion Snow’s Raspberry Hard Cider back in March: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/03/cider-review-angry-orchard-rose-and.html

Learn all about Stow Cider online: https://www.stowecider.com/home

The High and Dry is one of the company’s three flagship ciders.

Stowe’s official description reads, “A Super Dry, Brut Like Cider. Apple Forward, Crisp, And Refreshing. 100% Locally Sourced Apples.” ABV: 6.5%.

Appearance: Transparent, warm straw, visible bubbles

This cider is totally transparent. It has a very familiar warm straw hue. I could see bubbles very clearly in this cider.

Aromas: minerals, cooked apples, fermentation, mild funk

From what I can smell, I anticipate this cider being complex. The aromas are slightly reductive, slightly funky, but mostly like cooked apples and fermentation. The High and Dry has lots of nice mineral notes. There's enough going on in the smell that drinking this in a can would be a waste

Sweetness/dryness: Dry

This cider knows that it’s dry. It leans into that dryness and makes it work.

Flavors and drinking experience: high acid, medium funky, light mouthfeel

The first thing I notice when drinking this cider is its high acidity. Wowza! The High and Dry showcases a medium level of funk. It’s not really tannic, but there's something good about these apples. I like that this cider is dry and astringent. The High and Dry is an austere cider.

In terms of texture, the cider has medium bubble and a pleasantly light mouthfeel. This would be a great cider for people who say they aren't into cider. I think the yeast characteristics could win over some beer fans. It tastes like fermentation and not like raw fruit. I like how bright it is. Overall, this is definitely a winner!

And next weekend the other school has move in! Wish us luck.