Cider Review: Angry Orchard's Newtown Pippin Traditional Method

Last week I was able to take a few days for a cider trip down to the Hudson Valley. It was finally time for my sensory retake of the Certified Pommelier Exam. The timing worked out amazingly so I could also visit Treasury Cider (http://www.treasurycider.com/) for a meet up with New York Cider Association members and tour Angry Orchard’s Walden Orchard and research cidery (https://www.angryorchard.com/tours/plan-your-visit). What made it sweetest of all is that my darling partner (He’s called The Tall One here) passed his Cider Certified Professional Level One exam shortly before, so he got to take the Pommelier test as well.  

Here’s a link to learn more about the American Cider Association’s Certified Pommelier program: https://ciderassociation.org/certification/.

That’s why I chose to review one of my special Walden Cidery offerings from Angry Orchard to review this week. I’m so happy to share my thoughts on Angry Orchard’s Newtown Pippin! Full disclosure, this cider was shared with me by some cider friends who work for Angry Orchard.

Here are a few of my earlier Angry Orchard reviews:

Baldwin: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2022/05/cider-review-angry-orchards-baldwin.html

Understood in Motion 2: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/02/cider-review-critz-farms-double-vision.html

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You can learn more about what Angry Orchard is up to, including a new series of cider-based cocktails inspired by tall tales: https://www.angryorchard.com/

This cider is the Single Varietal Newtown Pippin Traditional Method. Here’s what Angry Orchard has to say about this particular cider.

Newtown Pippin 

Using only the Newtown Pippin apple this cider is tart and dry with notes of apple skins and wild honey. 6.8% ABV. 750 mL bottle.

Appearance: bubbly, ripe straw, transparent

This looks glowy and inviting with a color reminiscent of ripe straw. The Newtown Pippin pours with an aromatic mousse of bubbles.  

Aromas: Intense, breadcrumbs, champagne

I love how strong the Newtown Pippin’s aromas are. I could smell this cider as soon as I popped the cork. It’s bread crumbly, yeasty, and has a very champagne-like aroma. It reminds me of ripe grapefruit and white grapes.

Sweetness/dryness: Dry

This is a lovely dry cider. If you think Angry Orchard cannot make a dry cider, please try some of the special offerings from the Walden facility. This team can do it!

Flavors and drinking experience: intense sparkle, clean, pear, grapefruit, medium high acid

Nice! The Newtown Pippin is blowing me away. I’m such a fan of this. The first impression is how super bubbly it is. This cider brings a awesome intensity of sparkle from that second fermentation. The Newtown Pippin doesn’t really go for tannins but it offers medium high acidity and a beautiful fresh and clean fermentation. 

The flavors I notice early are pear, grapefruit and buttery breadcrumbs. The citrus that I noticed in the cider’s aroma remains. It’s all very golden, crisp, and polished. The body strikes me a lithe  but subtly rounded! The cider is so very pleasing.

I had this with a sweet corn ravioli in a blush tomato sauce with sauteed yellow squash, stripey tomatoes, and a red pepper. The pairing was delightful. The Newtown Pippin’s bubbles had a zesty cleaning effect between creamy pasta bites. 

The Pommelier test was challenging, and I won’t know how we did for a few weeks yet, so I’ll just share a few tour pictures in the meantime. 

Cider Review: Mission Trail Cider's Dryhard Gold and Washington Cider Week!

I know it’s not a pleasant or fun thing, but so much of my brain is on the West Coast wildfires. My heart goes out to everyone there who has lost a home or orchard, had to evacuate, or cannot safely go outside. 

Here’s a list I found of ways to help. Feel free to put other suggestions in the comments.  https://www.cbsnews.com/news/wildfires-oregon-california-washington-west-coast-how-to-help-victims/

I’m reviewing Mission Trail Cider's Dryhard Gold today. Founded by two brothers Monte and Victor Jones, Mission Trail is a small producer not only of cider, but also perry, wine, mead, and jerkum. This Sonoma County producer began selling cider in 2014. Here’s how the folks at Mission describe their aim, “Mission-Trail has one simple goal- create innovative, and artisanal jerkum, perry, wine, and mead, while using traditional and innovative wine making practices.”

I have two previous reviews of Mission Trail Cider.

Champagne Style Hard Cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/11/cider-review-mission-trails-champagne.html

Perry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/05/very-perry-may-pt-2-woodchuck.html

You can check out Mission Trail on the web here and buy cider online: http://www.missiontrailranches.com/

Here’s the official description of the Dryhard Gold, “Perfectly bone dry, single varietal Newtown Pippin aged one year for your sipping pleasure. Great acidity makes for a dry, tart finish. Alcohol 6.90%”

Appearance: brilliant, pale straw, no visible bubbles

Mission Trail’s Dryhard Gold looks very wine like in the glass. I’d call the color pale straw, and it's totally brilliant. I didn’t see any bubbles in the glass either.

Aromas: ripe apples, minerals, berries, melon

The Dryhard Gold smells like ripe apples, minerals, strawberries and melon! This smells like it's going to be a fun and fruity cider.

Sweetness/dryness: dry but fruity

This dry cider is as fruity as the smell promised. Its always fun when a complete dry cider is still brimming with fruit notes.

Flavors and drinking experience: high acid, bubbly, nutty, boozy and warm

The Dryhard Gold cider tastes warm but not hot but it feels a touch more boozy than its ABV usually does. The cider also brings some seriously high acid to the party. That might be part of how the cider tastes so fruity yet dry. I love a bubbly beverage, and the sparkle on the Dryhard Gold suits me well. 

As I sip the cider more, I can detect a nutty element in the warmth. I appreciate how cleanly fermented and not funky this cider tastes. Yes, I also love a bit of barnyard, but I don’t need that in every glass, and this one is shiningly clean. The medium tannins keep things anchored well.

This cider’s pleasing floral finish kept us sipping until the bottle was too quickly gone.

I had this delicious cider with Okonomiyaki, and our little group was wowed by the pairing. I highly recommend exactly this!

Now it’s time to share my unquenched excitement for Washington Cider week!

Check out the full even listing (including lots of shippable cider specials!) here: https://www.washingtonciderweek.org/event-calendar’

Join me (virtually) this Friday at the Washington Fine Cider Tasting!: https://www.washingtonciderweek.org/event-calendar/2020/9/18/wa-fine-cider-virtual-tasting-with-dragons-head-liberty-and-alpenfire

And for one more recommendation, this Instagram Live event with Caitlin Braam (founder of Yonder Cider) Sara Harvey (Head Chef of Hama Hama Oysters) sounded really interesting: https://www.washingtonciderweek.org/event-calendar/2020/9/17/instagram-live-with-hama-hama-head-chef-sara-harvey-and-yonder-cider-founder-caitlin-braam

Stay safe out there, and I hope to see you Friday!