Cider Review: Mountain West Cider's Sweet Alice and Black Diamond Cider's Shin-Hollow Sparkling Cider

I’m ready for Fall. That might sound crazy, especially to all of those who love Summer and sunshine. It’s just been dry and hot here for long enough that I crave something different. More than anything, I crave circumstances that would allow for seeing friends and enjoying life like we did before the pandemic. That’s not happening anytime soon, so I’ll crave the crisp nights of late summer and early fall. I’ll think about harvests, especially the upcoming apple harvest.

I’m starting today with a cider that combines elements that I associate with both Summer and Fall. I was able to make a cider trade and get Mountain West Cider’s Sweet Alice (Sweet Peach and Turmeric).

Mountain West Cider comes from Utah. The cidery is owned by Jennifer and Jeff Carleton, and the cider maker is the both wine and cider experienced Jeff Goodwillie. I have just a couple earlier reviews of Mountain West Ciders:

Cottonwood Dry Hopped: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/07/cider-review-mountain-wests-cottonwood.html

Ruby: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/03/cider-review-colorado-cider-cos-block.html 

Here’s where to find Mountain West online:   

Mountain West Cider’s official description really makes their goal for this cider clear,

If you're looking for a hard cider that’s as sophisticated as our other ciders but just a little sweeter, this is it. We took our sweet time experimenting to create what we think is the perfect blend of apples, peaches, and a hint of turmeric - which is what’s made Sweet Alice the unapologetic sweet and spicy lady she is. Pairs well with upscale parties, laid-back gatherings, outdoor adventures, and everything in between. 6.9% ABV

Very helpful! I only wish it said more about the apple varieties included.

Appearance: nectarine color, brilliant, few bubbles

This vivid cider is totally brilliant with color that reminds me of ripe nectarine flesh. It does look almost peachy, which makes a great deal of sense for a peach blended cider. There are just a few visible bubbles but not a dramatic show of them.

Aromas: vivid aroma, peach, apple, banana, spice and tea

Yum! What a range of intense and enticing smells I get lots of aromas from this cider the moment I crack the can. Drifts of peach notes reach out! They are more like like fizzy peach cocktail or a dessert that uses peaches rather than orchard fresh fruit. I also get plenty of apple, banana, tea and spice notes. It’a a very clean and fruity medley.

Sweetness/Dryness: Semi-sweet

This was my moment of surprise with this cider. From both the description and the aromas I was expecting something pronouncedly sweet. It actually is not that way at all. Yes, it’s sweet but not too much at all. Everything is in balance, but not necessarily in the direction I expected.

Flavors and drinking experience: tea, tannins, high acid, peachy, spicy

The Sweet Alice tastes more of turmeric than I thought it would. The spice contributes some tea notes and flattens the acidity.  The cider tastes sweet, but not troublingly so. I’m surprised and pleased by the high tannins and medium-high acid—like a rich fermented peach. Something about the acidity communicates as a dark rich flavor not like citric or malic acid. 

This cider brings tots of fruit flavor too: thick with peach nectar. The whole drinking experience is pleasantly substantial. I appreciate how the apple and peach notes are always accompanied by  cinnamon, turmeric, and spicy notes. I think the cider tastes best from the can.  

The whole experience is lovely.

And now for Black Diamond’s Shin-Hollow!

I am so sorry for sharing notes on a cider that can no longer be purchased! I bought mine a long while ago and saved it for a couple of years before finally cracking it open. What I will say though is that everything that Black Diamond produces is interesting. If this whets your appetite, order one of their current dry sparklers. 

At Black Diamond, Ian Merwin and Chris Negronida make the ciders. I encourage you to read back into my earliest reviews of the cidery for more background information.

Here is the rundown of all earlier reviews for Black Diamond!

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

Here’s how Black Diamond’s Shin-Hollow is described by the makers.

Shin Hollow Cider is a naturally effervescent blend of our last picked tree-ripened apples each year. Its made from Porters Perfection - an old English bittersweet apple cherished for its velvety tannins -, Albemarle Pippin, Winesap, Arkansas Black, GoldRush, Golden Russet and Ashmeads Kernel. It is off-dry, with aromas of russet apples, vanilla and other spices. Since this cider is bottle conditioned, some yeast lees sediment is expected. Decanting the chilled cider will keep those lees undisturbed while serving. ABV 7.5%

Reading online also clued me in to the fact that Shin-Hollow was made with apples harvested in 2015. 

Appearance: hazy, bubbly warm straw

This cider looks utterly beguiling with it’s soft haze and plethora of bubbles. The color reminds me of sun-bleached grasses at the end of summer.

Aromas: overripe apples, warm, mellow, hay

I am simply gobsmacked by these aromas. Black Diamond knows how to bring rich, mellow, overripe apple smells to the forefront! Oh this is luscious! It’s fermented but not funky, mellow, and reminds me just a bit of warm hay.

Dryness/Sweetness: Dry!

As promised, this is a dry cider, just like I prefer.

Flavors and drinking experience:  bubbly, tannic, super high acid, grassy 

The Shin-Hollow is zingy, sappy, and super high acid. I love how pointed the acid tastes. It drives the flavor along with the generous tannins and concentrated golden fruit notes with floral, herbal, and grassy hints all playing around the edges.

This naturally sparkling cider has super strong bubbles. I love that. I’ll call it clean but complex. Shin-hollow has great mouthfeel with both bubbly lightness and cider intensity. The whole experience is beautifully balanced with a lingering finish that gives me hints of all sorts of autumnal smells to come.

Cider Review: Mountain West's Cottonwood Dry Hopped Hard Cider and Big Hill Ciderworks Manchurian Cider

Days are blazing hot and sunny outside. My berry bushes have scads of ripe wild blackberries and even more thorns. At night, I can hear the rubber band croaks of frogs and the string section of insects. Not even a global pandemic can stop the season. I’m just grateful to have air conditioning and a few ciders designed to chill. 

Let’s start today with Mountain West’s Cottonwood Dry Hopped Hard Cider. 

A bit about Mountain West cider. Jennifer and Jeff Carleton started the company in Utah. The company’s cider maker is Joel Goodwillie.

I've reviewed one Mountain West cider before, the Ruby: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/03/cider-review-colorado-cider-cos-block.html

You can visit Mountain West online here: https://mountainwestcider.com/

Here’s the official description of the Cottonwood Dry Hopped Cider. 

From world-class skiing to remote hiking trails to pristine climbing pitches, it takes a lifetime to fully explore Utah’s Cottonwood Canyons. Infused with hops during the final stage of fermentation, our 6.9% alcohol by volume Cottonwood Dry Hopped Hard Cider offers a bold, complex flavor equally worthy of repeated exploration.

Appearance: transparent, corn, few bubbles

This cider has a color like ripe corn. It’s a yellow a bit more strong than Silver Queen but not quite as buttery as Golden Bantam. I’ll call it transparent rather than brilliant. 

Aromas: mild soapy hops, Concord grapes, minerality

My co-taster was the first to notice the Concord grape notes, but once he mentioned them they were unmistakable. I noticed the soapy hops, minerality, and sulphites first.  It does smell cooling, some note in the mix reminds me of aquatic plants and icy mint.

Sweetness/dryness: off dry

The Cottonwood tastes off dry. There’s almost no sweetness to it at all. I like this level for a hopped cider such that there’s just enough sweetness to make the overall experience not one of total austerity.

Flavors and drinking experience: astringent, citrusy, petillant 

The Cottonwood tastes very citrusy! I get strong astringence at the start, leading to a luscious smooth texture. I’ll call this cider petillant, as it’s bubbles are not very strong. The hops meld with the cider nicely with piney, citrusy, and aquatic notes. I appreciate that there’s no sweatiness. Instead this cider tastes aquatic and icy. One of the most surprising characteristics is the creamy mouth coat. It was a fun one to eat with vegetarian hand pies!

Now for Big Hill Ciderworks’ Manchurian Cider!

Every year since it began, I have the pleasure of judging the PA cider competition. Through that, I’ve gotten to be a big fan of several independent Pennsylvania cideries that I would never have other wise discovered. Big Hill Ciderworks happens to be one of them. The small company is based in Adams County; it was started in 2002 by Ben Kishbaugh and Troy Lehman. The fruit and fermentation are all local.   

I have one previous review of a cider by Big Hill Ciderworks, the Little Round Hop: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/11/cider-reviews-big-hill-ciderworks.html

You can read about all of Big Hill Ciderworks beverages on the website: http://www.bighillcider.com/home

This is the official description for the Manchurian by Big Hill Ciderworks:

Manchurian Crabapples by themselves pack a very acidic punch, even with their high brix content.  We’ve blended a bit of Winchester cider to round out the flavor and add some subtle tannins.  Both are barrel aged for one year prior to blending for a smooth vanilla and oak characteristic. 8.2% ABV

Appearance: Butterscotch yellow, brilliant, few bubbles

This cider has so much color! I think I’d describe it as a butterscotch yellow. It pours brilliantly with few bubbles.

Aromas: Tart, dusty, fusel oils and tropical fruit

This was where some differences of opinion began to show. My cotaster and I both agreed that something about the aromas tipped us off to a very tart cider. I got some mineral or dusty notes, and tropical fruit. My co-taster got more notes that reminded them of Sauvignon Blanc or Fusel oils.

Sweetness/dryness: Off dry

This cider tastes very nearly bone dry to me. I’ll call it off dry, but between the subtle barrel characteristics and the crab apple profile, I could be wrong. I could be mistaking richness or fruitiness for just a hint of sweetness.
Flavors and drinking experience: high acid, concentrated fruit, leathery finish

The Manchurian cider is delicious and fascinating! I loved it. I appreciate how the acid is high, but the profile of tartness and hints of sourness are so different from the kind of high acidity I taste in a lot of Northeastern American ciders.  The acid hits immediately, but then melts into a fruity mid-palate and a leathery finish.

I think it’s the heavy use of crab apples, but the apple notes taste concentrated somehow with intensity to acids, fruitiness, and tannins. There’s also a very real citrus presence in the mix. It is too sour for some, including my co taster. It’s got a distinctive profile, and one I liked very much.

I had this cider with peppers, tortellini, and homemade pesto. What a delightful pairing!

Cider Review: Colorado Cider Co.’s Block One and Mountain West’s Ruby Hard Cider

Time to travel out west. For me, I'm travelling with my taste buds but staying in my living room. I chose two ciders from western states: Colorado and Utah. This is my first review for each of these companies. My cider experience has been largely shaped by availability, which means I taste more ciders from the states nearest me. I'm excited to expand my repertoire with not only new cideries but new states!

Colorado Cider Co.

Colorado Cider Company was founded in 2011 to produce fresh hard cider for the discerning Colorado drinker.

https://www.coloradocider.com/

There’s a tabbed design that makes it easy to miss that you can learn not only about the company but also their orchard and their take on cider history. FYI, this bottle was a sample sent to me for review.

Here's the official description of the Block One.

This cider is made from the first planting (2013) of eleven plus cider and heirloom apple varieties at our orchard in Hotchkiss, Colorado. We are trying to determine what traditional apples will grow at altitude and produce unique flavorful ciders. We are happy with this first Block One harvest and think you’ll like it too! The 11 heirloom apple varieties are: Yarlington Mill, Golden Russet, Ellis Bitter, Major, Michelin, Kingston Black, Dabinett, Northern Spy, Foxwhelp, Brown’s Apple, and Wickson Crab 8.2%abv

Those apple varieties...I'm swooning already.

Appearance: hazy, bubbly, bright daffodil 

Shockingly bright, I am stunned by this color. It reminds me of daffodils, but perhaps I am still dreaming of spring. The cider is more hazy than transparent, but I can see a fair number of small bubbles. 

Aromas: lemon zest, peaches, tart

This smells mouthwateringly fruity and tart. The scents remind me of crab apples, peaches, and lemon zest. Whoa! My anticipation just flew off the chart. From that crab apple smell, I’m hoping for a high acid winner!

Sweetness/dryness: Off Dry

This cider is decidedly towards the dry end of the spectrum without being bone dry. I’d call it off dry with confidence. It does have some tannins and acid that help create this drier experience.

Flavors and drinking experience: medium tannins, fruity, high acid

The Block One certainly brings the acidity I hoped for based on its aroma. Yum! I like that it’s a fruity tartness rather than something too spiky and austere (though there certainly are days for that). I notice a clean fermentation and medium tannins. I appreciate how balanced it is.

This off dry cider shows its fruity side readily, with notes of citrus, lemon zest, and tart peaches.

But it isn’t only fruity. The Block One also reminds me of green tea with some grassy green notes. This cider is certainly a springy one, full of bright and enlivening notes. I like this so very much!

Mountain West

Continuing the western exploration, I want to share notes on my first Mountain West cider, the Ruby Hard Cider. This intrepid cider company is nearly on its own in Utah, but making a big impression in Salt Lake City. It was founded by Jennifer and Jeff Carleton not too many years ago, but they produce cider and run a tap room. The cider maker Joel Goodwillie comes from the wine world, but all are dedicated to using local ingredients.  I received a sample of the Ruby Hard Cider, and I’m excited to expand my knowledge of what this segment of the county can produce.  

Find out about the company at: https://mountainwestcider.com

Official Description: 

A crisp 6.8% alcohol by volume hard apple cider for year-round enjoyment and everyday get-togethers. Taking its name from the surrounding red sandstone, Ruby Canyon encompasses 25 miles of the Colorado River shared between Utah and Colorado. Ruby Canyon brings together the two states, like Ruby Hard Apple Cider brings together family and friends.

This doesn’t tell us a tremendous amount about production process or apple selection, but the taste will tell us more!

Appearance: transparent, warm straw, no visible bubbles

I couldn’t see any bubbles in this cider, but I could see great transparency. The color is a pleasant warm straw.

Aromas: Fresh apples

Unsurprisingly, the Ruby Hard Cider smells appley, but specifically it smells like fresh apples right after they’ve been washed and cut.  I associate this smell with lots of malic acid. The cider also has some of those dusty and stony aromas I often enjoy in ciders.

Sweetness/dryness: Dry

This cider perceives dry as promised. It’s more than that too though.

Flavors and drinking experience: high acid, clean, bright

I can totally see why this is Mountain West’s flagship cider. It’s cleanly fermented, extremely high acid, and fruit forward without being too sweet. This is exactly the sort of cider that many folks look for in a regional craft beverage. It isn’t a sugar bomb or a recipe; it’s simply local apples.

This is a trustworthy cider that incorporates zesty tartness, a zippy light body, and some achingly crisp fruit notes. It doesn’t bring any tannins or a weighty mouthfeel to the experience, but it isn’t trying to be that sort of cider. I’m guessing this cider uses eating apples. Instead, it’s a little spicy and very appley, but in a totally natural way.

Overall, I’m very happy to take a little tasting trip out west from the comfort of my living room. Utah and Colorado ciders aren’t the same as the New York and Vermont ciders I drink most often, and they are very different from the craft beer inspired experimentation I see coming out of the Pacific Northwest. And I’m always thrilled to try something new and fresh.