Cider Reviews Colorado Cider Co's Pato Feo and Descendant Cider Company's Descendant Dry

So much for Fall in New York. Winter’s here! Our first large snow fell Thursday evening, all through the night and into Friday morning. Ten inches later, it feels like a whole new season, even before Thanksgiving. None the less, I’m getting ready for this food-filled holiday, and I’m still thinking about pairing my favorite Thanksgiving dishes with delicious ciders. That’s how I chose the two ciders to share this week. They each have a killer Thanksgiving pairing. 

Let’s start with Colorado Cider Co.’s Pato Feo. 

Colorado Cider Company volunteers the slogan, “Fresh Genuine Balanced” prominently on the website. This cider company was founded in 2011 in Denver, Colorado. There’s even a tasting room open year round for visits. 

Learn more online: https://www.coloradocider.com/

For full disclosure, this bottle was a sample sent to me for review. Here’s the official description, “This brettanomyces fermented sour cherry was aged in rum and wine barrels for over a year. After 3 months, we dubbed it the "ugly duck" but it ignored the taunts of the other ciders and proved us all wrong. Enjoy the beautiful Pato Feo!” 6.7% ABV

I did review a Colorado Cider Company cider earlier this year. I tried & enjoyed Block One: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/03/cider-review-colorado-cider-cos-block.html

Appearance: brilliant, still, brandied cherries

This lovely cider perplexed me with it’s color. I looked up swatches of ochre, umbre, brick, and tawny. It’s brilliant and still, but the color falls into a delicious in between place with hints of red, brown, and and orange. I’ve even seen a similar shade called russet, but in the cider world, that means quite definitely something else. It’s the color of brandied cherries or certain old book bindings.

Aromas: leather, ripe apple, cherries

The Pato Feo smells like leather, cherries, and apple. It’s a rich and enticing set of aromas. But that’s not all there is to it; I also smell some hints of funky tartness like sour citrus.

Sweetness/dryness: semi-dry

There’s a ton going out outside of sweetness/dryness, but I’d call this cider a semi-dry, but it will perceive as on the dry side of that.

Flavors and drinking experience: still, funky, fruity, barrely

The Pato Feo has some sour funk; do not mistake the promises on this bottle for exaggerations.

This cider surprised a few of my companions when it was still. I explained that many ciders this barrely are going to be still. This one certainly is barrely, dark and fruity, while being quite tannic.

The fact that the Pato Feo is semi-dry makes it easier to pair with foods, because it has some astringence. I think it makes a great choice for Thanksgiving because it tastes more sour and astringent with many sips, and that makes it an excellent palate cleanser for the heavy rich foods of the holiday. I love this cider a root veggie roast. It’s easy to cut and roast turnips, parsnips, carrots, onion, and Brussels Sprouts all together after a quick drizzle of olive oil and balsamic and a sprinkle of pepper and salt. This cider complements all those earthy flavors beautifully.

My second cider review for the week is Descendant Cider Company’s Dry.

I have previously tasted their Succession: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/01/cider-review-descendant-cider-companys.html

And the Dry by Descendant makes a brief appearance in my write up of this year’s Gathering of the Farm Cideries: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/02/gathering-of-new-york-farm-cideries.html

I reviewed the English Kills back in August: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/08/cider-review-descendant-cider-company.html

Read all about the Queens-based New York company on its website: http://www.descendantcider.com/

Here’s the official description of this limited edition Descendant Dry cider, “Dry has strong ripe apple aromas and bright acidity balanced with bittersweet tannin. It is medium body and bone dry. It also has bright appearance as a result of the aging process.” 6.9% ABV.

Appearance: Brilliant, popcorn, bubbly

This cider isn’t still! I can see a gathering of bubbles in my glass and it makes my mouth water to see them. The rich golden color reminds me of unpopped popcorn. The cider is brilliant in terms of clarity.

Aromas: ripe apple, parmesan, chalk

This cider smells like so many things that I associate with a crisp, acid-driven cider. The dry smells like ripe apple, chalk, and Parmesan.

Dryness/sweetness: Dry

This is a dry yet fruity cider. There’s a ton of flavor.

Flavors and drinking experience: bubbly, acidic, tropical, dry

This is such a fun yet serious cider! It’s absolutely perfect for the main event of the Thanksgiving meal, the Celebration roast! (Or Tofurkey or Qorn Roast) or whatever you put at the center of the table. It reminds me of overripe apples but without the sweetness.

The Dry offers up thrillingly high acid. This cider will curl your toes with how tart and zesty it is. I get pineapple and tropical fruit notes all over it, and I can taste peach as well. It’s just loaded with so much fruit presence for a dry cider.


In terms of texture the dry has lots of bubbles and a relatively light mouthfeel. It has some light tannins, but most of the excitement comes from the acidity. I love this for an entree, but it really is a flexible enough cider you could enjoy it with all the elements of a classic Thanksgiving feast.

Cider Review: Descendant Cider Company English Kills and Stormalong Cider’s Light of the Sun

It’s hot where I live right now. Too hot. And there are plenty of other places that are too hot right now too. Don’t turn on your oven hot. All the pets have melted hot. Go places just to enjoy the air conditioning hot. I’ve been waiting until after dark to take my daily walks and get my steps. (Yes, I am one of those people). It changes what ciders are the most appealing, so this week I’m sharing two ciders I’ve enjoyed during this most recent heat wave. 

The first is a dry sparkler by Descendant Cider. The one thing about this Queens cidery I will highlight is from the page of the website introducing the cidery, “At Descendant Cider Company we press, ferment and bottle our cider using fresh New York State apples in our blends and why wouldn't we? New York is the second largest apple growing region in the country producing a wide range of excellent apple varieties that we love in our ciders.”

Read all about the company on its website: http://www.descendantcider.com/

I have previously reviewed Succession by Descendant: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/01/cider-review-descendant-cider-companys.html

And the Dry by Descendant makes a brief appearance in my write up of this year’s Gathering of the Farm Cideries: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/02/gathering-of-new-york-farm-cideries.html

Today I’m excited to be reviewing a cider I picked up at that event, the limited edition English Kills. I suspected because of its dryness and particular apple blend that it would suit this monstrous heat well.

Here’s how Descendant introduces it: 

ENGLISH KILLS (7.2%ABV) - 2015 Harvest availableThis dry English Bittersweet cider is a blend of vintage English cider apples fermented long and slow over four months then aged for another six months.  Rich tannins and ripe fruit aromas combine in this traditional approach to English cider making.  A rich golden appearance this cider is completely unfiltered or clarified in anyway.

I have a feeling that some of these characteristics will make for a particularly refreshing choice of cider.

Appearance: deep orange, transparent, few visible bubbles

This cider doesn’t look like most American ciders. The color is deeper and warmer. Those orange hues don’t tend to show up in dessert apple ciders, and this is full on pumpkin colored. The cider is transparent rather than brilliant, and I can see very few bubbles.

Aromas: overripe apples, melons, limes, white wine, and bread

I found this array of aromas fascinatingly complex. I first smell overripened apples, but they don’t show up alone. Other fruits like melons and limes round out the picture. The cider also smells like fermentation by showing facets of white wine, bread, and yeast all in a smooth aroma. Something about the whole is round rather than crystalline. The images these aromas call to mind are sleek and dark; they remind me of mushrooms the best possible way. 

Dryness/sweetness: dry

This cider is not kidding around with dryness. The English Kills is dry.

Flavors and drinking experience: tannic, medium acidity, austere

This cider tastes quite different than it smells. Though it smells plentifully fruity the tasting experience is more austere. The English Kills is very dry, quite tannic, with medium acidity. Instead of fruit, I get taste notes like wild rice, toast, and wood. The name says English—and I can taste why—but this is also New York with that powerful acidity. The tannins linger, and though they add structure, the cider has a fresh light mouthfeel. The texture is shaped by many medium-small bubbles. The English Kills has some astringence which only makes me love it. 

I had this cider with corn on the cob, a crazy loaded salad, and my favorite vegetarian version of barbecue wings. It was a summery delight. 

Stormalong Cider’s Light Of the Sun

Next up, I want to talk about Stormalong Cider’s Light Of the Sun. This is a hopped cider by a Massachusetts cidery. Stormalong combines a lot of nearly mythic imagery in the branding: oceans, sea captains, orchards, a forgotten heydey of cider, and even Paul Bunyan. I enjoy these larger than life images and ideals. I’m hoping the cider will live up to them. 

I reviewed the Legenary Dry in 2016:  http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/12/cider-review-stormalongs-legendary-dry.html

You can read more about the company on the website: http://stormalong.com/

I enjoyed the history section especially. It speaks to Sherborn’s particular relationship with cider over time, including this fact; “Sherborn in fact supported more than 20 cider mills in the 1800s that were productive enough to be taxed.” Fans of cider must check it out! 

Official description: “A refreshing cider double dry-hopped with Citra and Mosaic hops.  We then add blood orange and ruby red grapefruit zest in the second dry hopping addition to enhance the citrus notes.  Crisp.” The cider contains 6.5% ABV (which could be considered a bit high for a 16 ounce can unless you split it). The apples used for this cider include:  Northern Spy, Idared, Golden Delicious, and Jonagold.

Appearance: pale wheat glow, brilliant, bubbly

This cider pours with a head, but it doesn’t stick around. The color reminds me of ripe wheat, with that cool blonde color. The cider is brilliant and decidedly bubbly.

Aromas: hoppy, lemon, dust,

The Light of the Sun smells hoppy in a particularly lemony way. The cider also smells like dust and stone. All the aromas present are mild. I also get hints of rain and lemongrass.

Dryness/sweetness: Off Dry

While this cider isn’t fully dry, The Light of the Sun is close. I’d call it a very zesty and flavorful off dry. 

Flavors and drinking experience: lot of citrus, high acid, no tannins, lots of hops

This cider was made for summer! The Light of the Sun is refreshing and crisp. The hopped and citrus notes play well together and with the high acid. I love how lemony and hoppy it tastes, like some other hopped ciders, it does include one soapy note in the mix.

Though I get some citrus, overall, this cider is not very fruity. It's just fresh tasting! The strongest citrus notes associate with the hops, but in terms of strict fruits I can taste lime. The cider tastes like it had a clean fermentation and lots of carbonation. The Light of the Sun does have a quick finish and a light body. These factors work together to make a supremely summery cider. 

I had this with veggie filled burritos and it was astoundingly good with creamy avocado, sweet corn, and zucchini.

Trying Virtue and Oliver's Ciders at The Queens Kickshaw and having a blast

I'm really sorry, but every reader is about to get jealous.  My husband and I finally made it out to The Queen's Kickshaw in Astoria last night to sample their extensive and thoughtful cider menu. We knew we'd have a good cider or few and a nice time, but we were simply blown away. The experience was so great, I had to write it up in a whole new style. There are some cider reviews imbedded here, but I want to share what a fantastic evening we had at The Queen's Kickshaw.
First a few facts. Here's the restaurant's website: http://thequeenskickshaw.com/ They can be found at:

40-17 Broadway
Astoria, NY 11103

The atmosphere in this small restaurant is very homey and understated yet up to date. I love their embellished hardwood floors, their mix of seating, and the fun music choices.

What we drank:

Virtue Red Streak. 5.2% ABV http://www.virtuecider.com This is what Virtue's official description says, "RedStreak is a proper English style draft cider. With its hazy lemon hue, scent of ripe apples and just a touch of oak, RedStreak has a crisp, tart finish that pairs perfectly with your favorite mature cheddar. First discovered in Herefordshire in the 1630s, the Redstreak bittersharp apple produced a cider so delicious it was deemed to be ‘fit for kings.’"

There is description is largely spot on. The Red Streak is a barely cloudy lemon color with almost no visible bubbles. The scent also evoked lemons, but with a creaminess that takes it from lemon into a lemon dessert with whipped cream. I also smelled minerals in a pleasant almost vinous way. The taste is floral and grassy. I thought of fresh pea shoots. It rewards big full drinks that fill the mouth. The farminess is understated but adds to the pleasure of the cider. The finish gives a brief impression of dark concord grapes. A lovely fresh springy cider! All of the good things I've heard about Virtue's RedStreak are true and all of the anticipation I had for trying this cider completely paid off.

Oliver's Gold Rush http://www.oliversciderandperry.co.uk/ 

This comes from a collaboration between UK cider maker Tom Oliver and Virtue Cider's Greg Hall. The ABV is 6.8%. Here's some information from the press release: "The 6.8% sparkling, medium dry cider with a deep, burnished color was made from 100% bittersweet and sharp vintage cider apples from traditional Herefordshire farms. The juice was slow fermented by wild yeasts in old oak barrels through a cold winter and underwent malolactic fermentation in the warm spring.  Oliver then added fruit sugar and lambic yeasts for a second alcoholic fermentation, adding a touch more alcohol and complexity. It was finished in oak, for maturity, before final blending and bottling."

In terms of appearance this was fairly dark and red brown; the color reminded me of some teas. The aromas that came from this cider were fascinating: wood, pickled ginger, and farminess. After a bit of time a second smell drifted to the fore, a spicy leather scent. I knew I'd be in for something exactly up my alley when I could smell the wildness of the cider. When drinking the flavors include sour cherry and tons of tannins all supported by the dry oaky farminess that makes English-style ciders my favorite. The level of sparkle hits just right in that it does not prevent a drink from enjoying a big gulp, but it livens the taste. The finish is dryly effervescent and fast. The cider tastes complex and mellow at the same time.

All in all, the Gold Rush has to be the best cider I've tasted in 2013.

What we ate:

Fontina and Hard Cider Arancini: I loved this. Arancini are little fried balls of risotto, which basically takes my favorite food in the world and adds to it the sinful deliciousness of being fried. The Queen's Kickshaw version was made utterly mouthwatering by using cider in the risotto and pairing that sweetness with a tomato spiciness and Fontina cheese. Eat it and die happy.

Polenta Cake: This was the biggest risk for me because I have a love/hate relationship with mushrooms, and this dish uses a mushroom sauce. It worked out really well because of how the sauce added richness to the roasted vegetables and polenta cake. The cake itself was super tasty with the egg yolk confit and sauce.

Gouda Grilled Cheese, but the title does not begin to describe it. The bread was sweet and the sandwich had not only gouda but also black bean hummus, pickled jalepenos, and guava jam. Totally insane. I'm a sucker for pairing sweet and savoury (as if that isn't obvious from what dishes we chose)

Apple Cobbler with fresh whipped cream: since there was an apple dessert, we just had to try it. The apple cobbler was delicately-spiced, rich and crumbly and the whipped cream was so light and fluffy. It had a tasty garnish that I think was micro-grated chocolate.

Many thanks to Chef Youngsun Lee!

Last but far from least, I got to meet one of the owners, Ben. Sadly I didn't get to meet his wife, but we had a great conversation. I heard a bit about his cider-loving staff, distribution, and the growing enthusiasm for cider he's experienced as a restauranteur. We talked a bit about cider in the sphere of social media and blogging.

 What a wonderful night! I hope to go back soon and try their brunch and breakfast menus and even more ciders. The Queens Kickshaw cider menus is deep and international, it has a lot to keep cider fans coming back.