Cider Review: Blake’s Hard Cider Co.'s Peach Party

Welcome to 2024! I write this from the liminal week between Christmas and the new year. Some folks get restless during this time, or mind that they forget what day of the week it is. Others return to work and life as usual. Yet others, and I count myself in this last lucky camp, relish the quiet long chance to say goodbye to the year not in a moment or a night but for a solid week. I’m looking back at the good moments, good books, good films, and holding those close. The challenges certainly come, but they don’t need any extra airtime. And I’m happy to be traveling to see my family right now. 

My dad was kind enough to save me two cans of Blake’s Hard Cider’s Peach Party. I shared some with him and also one with my mom, and I so enjoyed getting their reactions as well as my own. Consider this review a Collins family special. 

Here is a list of all previous reviews of Blake’s Hard Ciders on the blog.

Apple Lantern: https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/10/cider-reviews-blakes-hard-ciders-apple.html

El Chavo (habanero and mango): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/11/cider-review-blakes-hard-cider-companys.html

Black Philip(cranberry and blood orange): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/04/cider-review-blakes-hard-cider-black.html

The Tonic (cucumber & ginger): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/03/cider-review-blakes-hard-cider-companys.html

Grizzly Pear(pear, prickly pear cactus, & elderflower):

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/05/very-perry-may-pt-5-e-z-orchards.html

Snapdragon (rum raisins): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/11/cider-review-blakes-hard-ciders.html

Wakefire (cider with sour cherries and orange peel): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/09/cider-review-blakes-hard-cider-companys.html

It’s easy to learn more about Blake’s Hard Cider Company on the website: http://www.blakeshardcider.com/

I’ll include the official description for the Peach Party, so we can see what exactly Blake’s is offering here!

Peach Party Peach and Blackberry Get ready to groove with the goodness of sweet peach, bold blackberry, and mellow apple. It’s all peach and love at this party.

6.5% ABV

Appearance: gentle blush pink, brilliant, few bubbles

I see a lot of gentle blackberry and apple influence  in this color. It’s a delicate blush pink with total brilliance. There are only a few little bubbles in the mix. What a lovely lovely cider. It makes me think of Spring already.

Aromas: Creamy and peachy with a background of apple and blackberry

The Peach Party lives up to it’s name with a fun and enticing aroma. It smells creamy and peachy almost like a Peach Melba. As I bring the glass to my nose there are also elements of citrus and sweetness in its nose.

Sweetness/dryness: Sweet

This cider is unambiguously sweet like peach candy but with a fun citric acid zing!

Flavors and drinking experience: peach, apple, vibrant fruit, high acid

Like with the aroma, I find Blake named this cider aptly. It is indeed a Peach Party! That’s the dominant flavor on the palate. I don’t detect a ton of blackberry flavor, but I’m happy to report that the whole experience is supported on a firm backbone of apple.

The Peach Party brings lots of acid and medium intensity of bubble to the drinking experience. The cider has a clean fermentation with loads of fresh very vibrant fruit flavor. It’s got a big mouthfeel as well. On two different evenings, I shared this one with my folks and both quite liked it. Our collective experience is that it’s a super approachable and friendly cider. Fans of sweetness will find it sessionable to boot. 

One evening of this was paired with a tense film about the end of the world and the other night it was shared with college basketball. Both worked well, but I think its best pairing might be popcorn and comedy or perhaps a bonfire!

Here’s to a wonderful 2024. Cheers!

Cider Review: Wild State Cider's Peach Basil

I woke up this morning with muscles sore from doing yard work, and I spent my lunch break moving flower volunteers between beds. We waited a long time for the warm and busy days of Spring here in upstate New York, but they’ve arrived. Sure, it might snow on Wednesday, but right now everything is blooming. This change in season calls for a change of ciders, and my cellar is ready. Today, I’m sharing my notes on Wild State Cider’s Peach Basil.

Wild State Cider comes to us from Duluth, Minnesota. I recommend checking out the cidery’s about page to learn more about this cidery and its founders: https://www.wildstatecider.com/copy-of-about

I’ve reviewed just two Wild State Ciders before. Find the links below.

Semi-dry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2021/10/cider-review-wild-state-ciders-semi-dry.html

Triple Berry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2021/11/cider-review-wild-states-triple-berry.html

Wild State’s website has lots more info about ciders and the taproom: https://www.wildstatecider.com/ciders

Peach Basil has a short official description from what I can find, “The sweetness of peach balanced with the strength of basil. Best friends now. 6.3% ABV”

Appearance: intense tea, slight haze, visible bubbles

The color reminds me of green tea, freshly steeped with just a hint of haze. I can see plenty of active bubbles playing in the depths of my glass.

Aromas: Peach, mint, basil

The Peach Basil smells mostly like I expected, with a strong presence of both  peach and basil. What I didn’t expect is the powerful undercurrent of mint that’s steadily wrapped in the mix as well. It all comes across as pleasantly bitter, herbaceous, and inviting.

Sweetness/dryness: sweet

This isn’t a dry cider. Basil has a bitterness to it that I expect to be counter-acted with a certain amount of fruity sweetness, which is why pairing it with Peach is a very logical and appealing choice. I like my savory and sweet together, so why not sweet with my bitter?

Flavors and drinking experience: medium acidity, full body, peach, basil, petillant

The first thing that I notice about Wild State’s Peach Basil is that the acidity is medium rather than high. The choice works well, but its one that surprised me, as I associate acid as another counter-balance for sweet and an element that strikes me as harmonious with peach. What a medium level of acidity does is make more room for lushness and body. Wild State’s Peach Basil does bring that Medium-full body and nice bubble. 

The bitter and herbal elements that I noticed in the Peach Basil’s aromas maintain their prominence in the cider’s flavors. I appreciate how effortlessly the bitter balances out the sweet. The beverage does not offer much apple but the fruity and herbal melange is very pleasant.

I had my cider with a light pasta with sauce and veggie sausage dish, and it totally worked.

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: Portland Cider Company's Peach Berry and Nine Pin Ciderworks House of Dabinett

Good morning, cider friends! I hope you are doing okay today. It’s been a rough week, but I’m very excited about an event coming up soon! Since none of us are going out on Thursday night, I invite you to join me with the fine folks at Cider Culture magazine for a little informal Cider School!

I’ll be taking people through a short program about tasting called, “Tasting Cider Seriously.”

Here’s a link to the Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/674645873363402/

The only thing you need to bring is a cider to taste and a piece of white paper. Join us on Thursday evening at 6pm Eastern!

Now, I'm super excited to share my experience with Portland Cider Co.'s Peach Berry.

I enjoy lots of ciders from Portland Cider Co. They often send me samples for review, and that's how I was able to access the Peach Berry!

Kinda Dry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/05/cider-review-portland-cider-company.html

Pineapple: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/02/cider-review-portland-cider-company.html

Cranberry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/03/cider-review-seed-stone-cidery-heritage.html

Pumpkin Spice: 
http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/10/cider-review-portland-cider-co-pumpkin.html

Pineapple Rose: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/07/cider-reviews-portland-cider-cos.html

Today, I wanted something fruity and springy so I’m tasting Portland Cider Co.’s Peach Berry.

Here’s the cider’s official description, “Bold, juicy Oregon peaches play with a blend of tart Northwest grown berries: raspberry, blackberry & blueberry. A cider full of sunshine to drink on those grey Portland days. 5.2% ABV.”

Appearance: brilliant, carmine, few bubbles

This cider shocked me as soon as I saw it. This isn’t a rose, it’s a deep carmine red. It’s almost too dark to detect the Peach Berry’s clarity, but with good light, I can see that it’s brilliant. There aren’t a lot of visible bubbles. It looks almost like a light bodied red wine in the glass.

Aromas: peach, blackberry, apple, strawberry

The Peach Berry does smell like peaches and a bit like berries. Specifically, I get notes of blackberries and strawberries. The aromas are so fruity. I am definitely anticipating a sweet cider. I get some hints of apple, but it’s more integrated into the overall experience rather than standing out distinctively.

Sweetness/Dryness: Sweet

As I imagined, the Peach Berry is a sweet cider.

Flavors and drinking experience: low tannins, medium acid, very fruity

Indeed, this is a sweet and fruity cider! The notes that take center stage are raspberry, strawberry, blueberry, and peach. One of the interesting qualities for the Peach Berry is that some berry tannins do show through, though it’s a low tannin cider. I’d call it medium acidity with very peachy tartness, but my co-taster though it was high acidity. Your results may vary there.

The overall impression I get from the Peach Berry is that of clean fresh fruit.The cider has nicely strong bubbles.It’s a balanced drink from start to finish.

I enjoyed mine with pasta prima vera, and I’d totally recommend that pairing!

Next up, I'm excited to share notes on Nine Pin Ciderworks' House of Dabinett!

This was a purchase I made recently now that Nine Pin can ship cider! This is an Albany, New York cidery and a regional favorite of mine. I have several previous Nine Pin Reviews

Cucumber Lime Light Cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/08/cider-reviews-ninepin-light-cider.html

Gathering of the Farm Cideries (including the Cascara cider): https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/02/gathering-of-new-york-farm-cideries.html

Peach Tea: https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/06/pickcider-review-nine-pin-ciderworks.html

Blueberry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/08/cider-review-nine-pin-cider-blueberry.html

Ginger: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/10/cider-review-nine-pin-cider-works-ginger.html

Signature cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/04/cider-review-nine-pin-cider-works-nine.html

I encourage you to visit Nine Pin Ciderworks online to learn more and order about the ciders, now shipping to most states: http://www.ninepincider.com

I asked Alejandro about this cider, and he gave me a little of it’s backstory. Here’s what he had to say. “The House of Dabinett was a by chance made cider that stemmed from a trip in a box truck to Wayne County this fall.  First stop was to see Jake Lagoner at Lagoner farms where we picked up the bins of Smokehouse apples.  The second was meeting Dave DeFischer from DeFischer fruit farms to get the bin of Dabinetts.  When we got back to Albany, we pressed the two varieties together, fermented it nice and slow and the result was the House of Dabinett.  We think these two apples make a great "double variety" cider.” 

Appearance: aged vellum, hazy, bubbly

This cider looked rustic and hazy once poured. The color reminds me of aged maps and antique vellum or parchment. It’s obviously going to be a sparkling cider based on the bubbles I can see. 

Aromas: melon, white flowers, overripe apples

The House of Dabinett smells simply mouthwatering! I am suddenly even more excited to taste it. The cider smells like melon, overripe apples and white flowers. It’s luscious!There are tropical notes and I don’t know whether I should expect sweetness in this cider based on how fruity it smells or if most of that expression will be aromatic.

Dryness/sweetness: Off-dry

This off-dry cider is a wonderful resting place between the austerity of a completely dry cider and the overflowing fruity lushness that a sweeter version would have created. This would be an absolutely crowd pleaser!

Flavors and drinking experience: tannic, funky, high acid, citrus

Everyone who reads this blog knows that I love an off-dry tannic cider, and I’m happy to say that the House of Dabinett is exactly that. It’s a lil’ bit funky with medium high acidity. It actually reminds me of some British ciders that I love. It’s well balanced and quite good.

I appreciate the tropical notes but the House of Dabinett also this cider brings forth flavors that remind me of oranges and leather. I enjoyed this cider so much! I had one of my four pack with spicy popcorn, another with an excellent veggie burger, and I can’t wait to create two more pairings with my last two. 

Be good to yourselves out there, cider friends. Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you online Thursday evening!

Cider Review: Potter's Craft Cider Pippin Cuvee and Arsenal Cider House's Powder Monkey Bone Dry Peach, Plus Cider Week VA

Good morning, Cider Friends! I come to with my first post after coming back from Cider Days in Massachusetts and the return to Standard Time. (Cider Days was fantastic! Thank you for asking!) I’ve seen a lot of posts decrying the earlier evenings, but I’ve so appreciated having some light in the morning. The morning is when I need the extra boost. When I’m sitting down to supper and an evening glass of cider in these colder months, it can be dark. 

Speaking of evenings with cider, we are now only a week and a half away from Cider Week Virginia! I got to have a Virginia cider or two from Albemarle while I was at Cider Days, and I know several other excellent cider makers are participating.

Here’s the cider maker lineup: https://ciderweekva.com/cider-makers/

Here’s the Facebook event where you can learn more: https://www.facebook.com/events/593462531182987/

Potter’s Craft Cider comes from Charlottesville, Virginia. It is the project of Tim Edmond and Dan Potter and the cider maker is Andy Hannas. The cider comes from Virginia apples and, for some of the lineup, interesting additions like ginger, passionfruit, raspberries or hops. This is my first review of anything by Potter’s Craft cider, but it feels long overdue. The company is opening it’s tasting room on November 16th! The grand opening shindig is from 1-9pm.

You can learn more about the company at the Homepage for Potter’s Craft Cider

https://www.potterscraftcider.com/

The kind souls at Potter’s Craft Cider shared this upcoming release with me for review, so let’s get to it! 

The Pippin Cuvee’s official description reads, 

Pippin Cuvee 100% Virginia-grown Albemarle Pippin Barrel Fermented Bottle Conditioned Six Months Sur Lie Alc. 8.4% by Vol

Appearance: clear, creamy gouda glow, bubbly

This cider is not quite brilliant, but it's very clear for a sur lies aged cider. I'll call the color creamy gouda glow because something about that pale shade of warm yellow just reminds me of a creamy Gouda. I can see plenty of bubbles in this sparkler too!

Aromas: green, ripe apples, pear

The first impression I get from the Pippin Cuvee is a super fresh garden smell. I also get lots and lots of aromatics of ripe apples and pears

Dryness/sweetness: Dry

This is a dry and high acid cider!

Flavors and drinking experience: Zingy, bubbly, wild

Yowzers, the Pippin Cuvee has bite! This cider tastes crisp, bracingly tart and zingy. The pointed acidity drives the drinking experience. I love that the Pippin cuvee brings lots of bubble to the table. I can taste the gentle funk of a wild fermentation.

This cider comes across as lively, zesty, spiky and intense. I enjoyed it with a gorgeous selection of cheeses and good company. Try that yourself when this cider is released later this month!

Up next, Arsenal Cider's Powder Monkey Bone Dry Peach

Arsenal Cider is the first Pennsylvania cider I ever tried back in 2013. I visited the Pittsburgh tasting room and saw their hometown success and the Federal Allegheny Arsenal thematics. Since then, the company has grown in both popularity and cider making experience. The company has also branched out to other fruit wines and meads. 

I have two previous reviews of Arsenal Cider House libations. 

Cannoneer’s Bone Dry Cherry:

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/04/cider-review-arsenal-cider-cannoneers.html

Fightin’ Elleck:

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/03/cider-review-arsenal-cider-fightin.html

Plus it appeared in my top 10 in 2013!http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/12/my-10-favorite-ciders-of-2013.html

I couldn’t find an official description for Arsenal Cider House’s Bone Dry Powder Monkey Peach, but it appears that many of the flavors come in and out of availability and different batches might have quite varied ABV. What I will share is that these notes were taken when I tried this peach back in 2015 on a trip to Pittsburgh. Arsenal made this entirely from peaches, but it hasn't been produced since 2015. My apologies then for sitting on these notes for way too long!

Here’s what else I can share. I didn’t know the term Powder Monkey when I encountered this cider, so I looked it up. Here’s what Wikipedia says about this naval term: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powder_monkey.


You can learn more about the cider house online: http://www.arsenalciderhouse.com/

Appearance: hazy, medium straw, no visible bubbles

I apologize for not having pictures of this poured. I had it while travelling and visiting Pittsburgh friends and was too social to remember a photo in the glass, but my notes tell me that the Powder Monkey Peach is just barely hazy with a medium straw color and not much in the way of visible bubbles.

Aromas: peach, orange, citric acid

The Peach smells like citric acid, peaches and oranges. The smells tell me to expect tartness but also I get notes that remind me of dust and stone.

Sweetness/dryness: dry

This is a dry drink! Arsenal is not exaggerating, but the flavors have a hint of bitter peach syrup.

Flavors and drinking experience: medium sparkle, yeast, citrus, leather, green pepper

This is a dry fruit wine with medium sparkle and high acidity. I taste wild and funky yeast notes and citrus. The fruits that I get are more lemon,  lime and orange rather than peach. The Powder Monkey brings high acid but no tannins. There are notes of leather, aftershave, and green pepper also. 

I definitely enjoyed some bitter fruit funk!

#PickCider Review: Nine Pin Ciderworks Peach Tea

Last post before the 4th of July! I hope you have you plans made for how to celebrate the most picnic, cookout, fun, food, and firework's holiday in America's calendar year. I hope you've thought about how you'll #pickcider as part of this awesome occasion. Here's one last review of a new release seasonal cider that's just tailor made for summer parties. 

One of the coolest things about Nine Pin is their amazing range of specialty and seasonal ciders. Looking at the website just now, I counted 17 available ciders. That's impressive, and even more so once I tasted several of these and found out how good they are. 

You can read the whole list and find out much more here at their site:

http://www.ninepincider.com

I couldn't finish up my series of #PickCider reviews without Nine Pin Ciderworks' summer seaonsal release: Peach Tea. They were kind enough to share some samples with me just in time!

Here are my previous reviews of Nine Pin Ciders:

I first reviewed their Signature Blend: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/04/cider-review-nine-pin-cider-works-nine.html

Ginger: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/10/cider-review-nine-pin-cider-works-ginger.html

Blueberry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/08/cider-review-nine-pin-cider-blueberry.html

Though not a review, Nine Pine Ciderworks is part of my cider event calendar every winter, and this is the writeup when they launched the annual Gathering of the Farm Cideries, which is an amazing event every year in Albany: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/02/my-cider-event-calendar-cider-and-beer.html

Official description: 

Peach Tea is Nine Pin’s take on a classic summer drink. This cider, crafted from a farmhouse blend of New York apples from Kinderhook, N.Y.-based Samascott Orchards, is cold-infused with a custom peach tea blend from Short and Stout. The infusion of these ingredients creates a bright, refreshingly tart, and delicious peach cider. Peach Tea pairs well with sunsets and warm summer nights.

I got some amazing pairing recommendations from Alejandro for this cider including tire swings and puppies. It was charming, and I'm curious to see if I'll agree. The ABV is a middle of the road 6.2%.

Appearance: transparent, very few visible bubbles, warm apricot color

One of my co-tasters said that the cider's appearance reminded her of the warm orange tones of peaches, and I think that's completely fair. I found it reminiscent of dried apricots.

Aromas: Peach! More peach!

This smells completely like peaches and unfermented peach juice. I can envision the drips of peach juice running down my chin when I smell this. Its almost mind boggling.

Sweetness/dryness: Sweet

This is a sweet and juicy cider.

Flavors and drinking experience: peach, hints of tea, bit of creaminess

Rather like the aromas, I was surprised by how very juicy the Peach Tea is! The cider tastes a tiny bit creamy as well. To be more specific, its a sweet sort of juicy- not very tea like, to me One out of three tasters, one could pick it up clearly, and guided the rest of us to noticing a bit of tea. Maybe the tannins mid palate were from the tea, but I found my impresions of tea growing as the taste matured. It comes out mostly on the finish - as a sustained note.

Something else, we all noticed about the Peach Tea cider is that the drinking exeperience is light and not very boozy to the tastebuds. Somehow the balance sweet and fruity with high acid stayed very friendly. The cider is easy drinking and not punishing or sharp at any moment of the taste journey. Maybe it is as cider for warm nights and cuddling puppies.

For us it was an evening on the porch with chevre and strawberry short cake and good conversation. There are endless ways to #pickcider but it is always best with good company.

Cider Review: Doc's Draft Peach Hard Apple Cider

Finally, finally, finally, after many fits and starts, spring is springing. Though we had new snow flying through the air a week ago, now all of the grass grows greenly and humans appear to be emerging from their winter coat chrysalides (yes, that is an appropriate plural for chrysalis, and yes I had to look it up). Anyhow, beyond just feeling wonderful, this change of season also means a change of cider.

I'm not sure that spring needs its own series of seasonally appropriate ciders, but I know I'm ready to move away from the warming and heavy ciders into more fruity, sparkly, light ciders. They can be as dry or sweet as they need to be, but these ciders need to pair with a whole different range of foods. I've opened up my favorite room in the house, my screened in porch, and many meals and ciders will be consumed there. Imagine semi-indoor picnics, guacamole, frittatas, lighter soups, and mighty salads. Maybe even some cider-based mixed drinks.

But to get things started, I want to try a cider that breaks the winter pattern boldly! So I'm going with Doc's Draft Peach Hard Apple Cider. I cannot imagine a fruit that piques my interest more right now, and there aren't many ciders that use peach.

Though I could find nothing about this particular cider on the Doc's Draft website, I'm linking to it anyway. It has basic information about most of their ciders and about visiting the winery.

http://wvwinery.com/cider/

I do recommend visiting, especially now that the weather inspires exploration and enjoyment. Spring time mini-getaways are the absolute best.

To check out my previous reviews of Doc's Draft Ciders take a look at these links. I've evidently tasted more of theirs than I'd realized.

Apple: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/01/cider-review-docs-draft-hard-apple-cider.html

Hopped: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/07/cider-review-docs-draft-hopped-cider.html

Pumpkin: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/10/cider-review-docs-draft-pumpkin-hard.html

Cranberry Spice: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/05/cider-review-docs-draft-cranberry-spice.html

Of those, I probably like their hopped cider best, but I know I've got a soft spot for the pumpkin as well. Shameful perhaps to the purists but I like it, and pumpkin such a very difficult style to make tasty. But that's a condundrum for fall and not for today. But back to today and reviewing Doc's Draft Peach Hard Apple Cider.

The official description of Doc's Draft Peach Hard Apple Cider can no longer be found on their website, but I tracked it down to share nonetheless. It doesn't say too much though, "Doc's Draft Peach Hard Apple Cider made from freshly pressed NYS apples and peaches, fermented with champagne yeast. Deliciously refreshing!" I wish I knew when the peach was added, the ratio of peach and apple, and the varieties of both peaches and apples. Ah well, I usually want to know more.

Appearance: brilliant, warm gold, visible bubbles

This color is more nuanced and interesting than my photo shows. It is a brilliant cider with one layer of visible bubbles at the bottom of the glass, but what's interesting is the color. It has a bright warmth that seems to defy most shades of gold, straw, or yellow. When looking up colors it reminds me most of a shade called Stil de grain yellow which was made historically from unripened buckthorn berries.

Aromas: roasted nuts, dust, sweetness

This ciders smells like dust and stones, a surprisingly common blended aroma. After doing the sensory analysis training, I've come to associate this smell with perceivable levels of sulfites. The Peach cider also offers up aromas reminiscent of roasted nuts. I can definitely find some vegetal notes as well. Interesting.

Sweetness/Dryness: sweet

This cider has plenty of sweetness. Thankfully it is more like a fruity but also burnt marshmallow sweetness rather than anything artificial or too sticky. The sweetness is pleasant.

Flavors and drinking experience: peach, apricot, apple, high acidity

First, I must say that this cider tastes very peachy! The intensity of flavor surprises me after the mildness of the aroma. Primary notes are apricot, peach, and apple. The other dominant impression this cider gives is high acid. The acid tastes more acetic than either malic or citric. The Peach Hard Apple Cider bursts with high levels of bubbles. The taste vanishes in a short uniform finish. If pressed to describe some of the fruit flavors in more detail, I think of cooked peaches blended with a little note of booziness. Adding to the complexity, I also get a little nice bite of bitterness at the back of the tongue.

In thinking about pairing this cider, I think it could go beautifully with a number of fruit based desserts. I actually saw a recipe for a rhubarb custurd pie that strikes me a perfect for this cider: http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Rhubarb-Custard-Pie

I could also imagine having this cider with a simple pancake brunch before going out on a long walk. All of my imaginings put this sweet cider with more mildly sweet and creamy bready foods. I think that's the best way to enjoy its high acid fruitiness. In any case, get out there and enjoy spring with any cider you can!

Cider Review: Crispin Georgia

 
I've reviewed a fair number of Crispin Ciders and drunk a few more, but this is my first experience with any of their barrel aged limited releases. If you want to check out my previous Crispin post, you can find it here: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/05/cider-review-crispin-ciders-saint.html. I've also reviewed a few of their sister company Fox Barrel's perries, http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/07/and-now-for-something-completely.html and http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/08/perry-review-fox-barrel-blackberry-pear.html.

Crispin has a fantastic website: http://www.crispincider.com/ with gorgeous photos, recipes, and mixed drink ideas. They've clearly put tons of effort into their brand image and it shows. I wish more companies were as thoughtful in how they present their ciders as Crispin.

I don't know if you can forgive the cheese, but this official press release has tons of good information. It just presents in a way that's a bit over the top.

Let’s kick off this ride with the sweet goodness of Georgia peach juice.  Georgia peaches have a high quality combination of sugars, acidity, aromas and textures making it a seamless integration into the unpasteurized, fresh-pressed juice already being used in Crispin’s super premium artisanal ciders.

An elegant, spicy blend of Crispin’s Colfax Classic apple-wine superbly aged in bourbon American whisky barrels.  The final blend is finished with Georgia peach juice, a mention of mint and a touch of Tupelo honey, also aged in bourbon barrels.

Georgia offers a drinking experience and flavor profile like no other.  Georgia has full, rich whiskey notes right up front with smooth toasted oak and vanilla.  The peach juice provides a velvety lushness with a mere hint of mint to bring it all together.  This 6.78% (678 being a Georgia area code) alcohol by volume cider packs full flavor and full body.

So how might one enjoy this beverage? The optimal sip scenario for Georgia is at the cellar temperature of 50/55 F. Grab a snifter or a tulip glass and get ready for greatness. When pouring, use a solid bottoms-up tilt and swirl the bottle to disperse the sediment evenly. This unlocks the whiskey aromas and a unique bouquet.

This is nearly the first time, if not the very first time, that I've seen pouring instructions and glassware recommendations with a cider. Frankly I like it. It gives the cider even more of a sense of identity and tradition.

Appearance: Cloudy, nectarine, plenty of bubble

After pouring this cider, I noticed immediately how cloudy it looks. It is easy to be a casual cider fan and never see a truly cloudy cider, so let this picture illustrate. I couldn't tell how many fingers someone was holding up behind this cider. This cider shows off a gorgeous nectarine flesh color and lots and lots of visible bubbles. It looks like a meal.

Aromas: Asian pear, fresh apple, honey

So fruity! This cider is so cool and refreshing to smell. The Georgia begs for warmer temperatures, but even now it reminds me beautifully of summer with the ultra clean fruit notes of asian pear and fresh apple.  The honey is more understated but definitely supports the fruits. Upon repeated sniffs, this really reminds me of a light-bodied perry in aroma. Alex (my frequent co-taster and husband) noted a distinct aroma of caraway seeds. Interesting.

Sweetness: Semi-sweet/sweet?

It is difficult to decipher the level of sweetness in Crispin's Georgia. Ultimately, I think this is a sweet cider, but the flavors go so far beyond just fruits and sweetness that this measure is made much less meaningful for this particular cider. The sweetness is definitely not the dominant impression as I'm drinking it.

Flavors and drinking experience: crazy (minty), complex (honeyed) and fun (peachy)

The complexity on this cider truly overwhelms me. First, I taste the cool and delicate fruit, getting bolder. Mint hits the mid palate and intensifies at the finish. Crazy. Seriously. Certifiable. I keep drinking it, and I keep being surprised by a few of the notes. The peach isn't overly strong and it melds well with the whisky. I like the honey and the mint. I'm not sure the Georgia needs to have all four notes, because, in the end, it becomes a mixed drink more than a cider. That said, I'd love to see this divided into two summery ciders, a whisky peach and a honey mint. Even so, as an intense punch this is a lovely drink.

 I'm enjoying this with an old fashioned fish fry, cole slaw, and some sweet cooked carrots. It is a lot of flavors, but it works. The Georgia is a summer time drink; for me, it reminds me of summer because December in upstate New York is a far cry from summer. I think this cider would work best as a summer picnic cider. Use the cooling mint when you really need it.