Cider Review: Far From the Tree's Sprig

Today is the day after all the fireworks and cookouts. Its a day lots of folks are heading back into work after a day off or even a long weekend. For me, from July 4^th through when my husband starts teaching every fall is the high plateau of Summer. We'll get more thunderstorms, more watermelon, and soon real local tomatoes, corn, and peppers. America's summer holiday may be over, but the best summer food pairings for cider are just now coming into season.

So, I chose a supper summery cider from Far From the Tree out of Salem, Massachusetts.

Learn about the company on their website: http://www.farfromthetreecider.com

Previously, I reviewed their Nova cider which is another hopped cider offering: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/03/cider-review-far-from-trees-nova-hopped.html

Sprig is their cider that I want to explore today. The sub heading on the bottle reads Dry Hopped Mint Cider.

This is nearly my first mint cider, but far from my first hopped, so let's see what Far From the Tree has to say about it.

Official description:

Today is a great day for a hike. The sight of fresh green growth and the smell of sprouting leaves in the air are two of our favorite things about summer in New England. For Sprig, we've married fresh mint, cascade hops and apples grown in Massachusetts. We age Sprig in oak barrels, dry hop for two sweeks and add fresh mint just a day before bottling.

For us, this cider is what an afternoon hike in the woods would taste like if it came in a bottle. If we happen to cross paths one day, be it on a trail or while sharing a cider, we hope you'll agree that today really is a good day for a hike! 6.9% ABV.

Appearance: cool moonglow, transparent, lots of pretty bubbles

This cider looks almost frosty while still being glowy and transparent. I'd not call it brilliant, but I could see all of the lovely bubbles very clearly.

Aromas: mint, apple, hops, lychee

These smells all add up to a super cool minty picture, but in the mix, I found hops, lychee, apple, with an emphasis on everything being chilly and bright. This smells perfect for the hot weather. Imagistically, it reminds me of a freshly opened jar of applesauce taken from the fridge.

Sweetness/dryness: Semi-dry

This is a semi-dry cider. The acid probably makes it tastes drier than it would look were I to see the actual measurement of sugar. Its a nice level that won't alienate most drinkers of dry, semi-dry, or eve semi-sweet cider.

Flavors and drinking experience: Mostly mint, hops, balanced with apple

When I drink this cider of course I taste lots of mint and apple. I also get some hoppiness, but more mint. The cooling effect continues. Far From the Tree's melding of apple and mint works, but it's a tenuous balance. This cider offers up high acid, no tannins, and medium bubble.

I noticed how very consistent this cider tastes from tip to tail; the mint is dominant. I'm also struck by how much this cider depends on its clean fermentation in order to work. Seems tricky but successful.

I paired my Sprig cider with a very summery meal: sauteed summer squash with herbed chevre, sliced tomatoes, corn on the cob, whole-wheat toast, and baked beans. It was delicious and delicious all together. 

#PickCider Review of Gumption Hard Cider's Citrus Freak

We are now only two weeks away from the 4th of July! I hope you're starting to think of your plans: friends, swimming holes, grilling pizza, fireworks. For me, it all goes with cider, so I've been spending a few entries focusing on the kinds of ciders I think work especially well for warm weather and celebration. I am all about the ways we can #PickCider for the 4th of July!

If you want to look at some fabulous recipes involving cider, think about cider party pairings, and just enjoy some seriously glamour cider shots, please visit: http://www.pickcider.com/.

For today, I want to share thoughts on a cider that was recently shared with my by the fine folks at Gumption: The Citrus Freak. This cider was a review sample, so I didn't buy it, but as always that doesn't ever change how a cider tastes. My opinions stay mine.

You can visit the website here: http://gumptioncider.com/

I have tried Gumption's flagship cider before, back in July of 2015. Then they were a line under the Woodchuck umbrella instead their own product. Here's that review that focuses on the drink's aim for a higher tannin mainstream cider:
http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/07/cider-revew-woodchucks-gumption.html

Here's the official description, “Part prankster, part gangster, Gumption’s right-hand man is the Citrus Freak. A perfect pairing of eating apples, grapefruit, and Cascade hops, this semi-dry cider delivers an all-day enjoyable citrus experience.” 5.5% ABV

Appearance: medium straw, brilliant, not a lot of visible bubble

This cider looks like a traditional American cider but without the haze that hops can often add to hopped ciders. Instead, this is a brilliant, a medium straw color, and not super bubbly looking.

Aromas: strong grapefruit, hops, candied citrus peel, dust

The Citrus Freak smells sweet and citrusy. The presence of grapefruit on the nose is strong.
I can also smell that hint of stony dust that accompanies a lot of ciders. The sweetness and citrus combine to remind me specifically of the smell of candied citrus peel. Yum!

Sweetness/dryness: semi-sweet to sweet

The sweetness of the cider still reminds me pleasantly of candied citrus peel or those citric acid powered candies that recall my 80s childhood and long long days spent by the community pool.

Flavors and drinking experience: cool, lemon, grapefruit

Interesting! This cider does really bring out the fusion of grapefruit and hop flavors in a way that shows how herbal grapefruit can be and how citrusy aromatic hops often are! Its almost spooky how one flavor transitions so smoothly to the other. This cider has a medium body and relatively low level of carbonation. I crave more, but then again, I usually do.

There are some notes of more specifically hop and apple flavors, but these all play so nicely together that its harder than usual to pick them apart. There are no real tannins, medium acidity, and a clean fermentation. I find that the cider dries out a touch on the finish, also feels drier altogether when drunk from the bottle instead of poured into a more open glass. Take that as you will.

For pairing, I'd put this cider with simple veggie burgers, really sharp salt and vinegar chips, and raw veggies dipped in a creamy pesto sauce. Its all easy and delicous which works for a really easy going session-able cider like this. What a way to relax! 

See you Thursday for a bonus review this month to help us #pickcider before the 4th of July.

#PickCider Review of Ricker's Hard Cider Mainiac Blueberry

As we keep on gearing up to #PickCider for the 4th of July, I wanted to share thoughts on a cider I was given at CiderCon this past February in Chicago. But, as soon as I saw the Ricker Hill Mainiac Mac Blueberry, I knew this was a cider for summer. So, I waited.

And I waited and waited some more. But, finally, its downright hot and sunny outside. We are 10 days from the official start of summer just a few weeks from the 4th of July. Now I'm definitely thinking summer every time I #Pickcider.

Last week, I enjoyed a tart cherry cider from Citizen Cider out of the Vermont at a deck party: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/06/pickcider-review-citizen-ciders.html

 This week I'm sitting on my porch to enjoy the Mainiac Blueberry from Mainiac Hard Cider out of Turner, Maine.

This fruit wine business grew out of Ricker Hill Orchard. They pride themselves on doing everything on the orchard from growing the apples to bottling, canning, and serving the cider.

You can learn about Mainiac Cider at the website: https://www.rickershardcider.com

The official description reads, “Mainiac Blueberry is a filtered, mildly carbonated hard cider primarily made with McIntosh apples with a special blend of other varieties of apples as well as blueberries. The result is a sweet, fruity drink – one full of refreshing blueberry goodness. This drink embodies the Maine wild blueberry taste that so many people love.” 5% ABV.

Appearance: dark purple, brilliant, fizzy

When first poured this billowed into a tall foamy head with a fun fuchsia color. The head didn't stick around, but it was definitely the tallest I've ever seen on a cider!

Aromas: grapes, blueberry muffines, red wine

Oh my! This smells so interesting: like grapes, red wine, and blueberry muffins. The smells are sweet, fruity, and summer.

Sweetness/dryness: sweet

The Mainiace Blueberry is a sweet and fruity cider. It does not use tartness or bitterness in any way; its blueberry and apple notes are easy-drinking sweet.

Flavors and drinking experience: blueberry, fresh, sweet, soda

This gorgeous dark purple cider tastes astonishingly like blueberries. I don't get a strong apple flavor or many notes from yeast or fermentation. The bubbles make the experience zingy and light and fun. The experience of drinking this cider is somewhat reminiscent of a slightly-grown-up berry soda.

I found the Mainiac Blueberry pleasant but not challenging. Not even tart. Says it in the can. Very sweet but kinda fun. 

I would pair this cider with a plate full of fresh veggie and fruit-forward flavors. It would go excellently with corn on the cob, fruit skewers, and a heavily loaded leafy green salad with blue cheese, walnuts, and shredded carrots. This is one that was simply designed for the chance to #PickCider for the 4th of July.

#PickCider Review: Citizen Cider's Companion Sour Cherry Cider

I've explored perry for a month and really enjoyed it. I think I'm ready to start including perries more regularly and knowledgeably here since taking some time with them, but what I missed in May was cider made from apples. Plus, we're headed into summer which is a gorgeous time for cider. So, I'm super excited to #pickcider again! 

What's with the hashtag? The United States Association of Cider Makers introduced the #PickCider hashtage before Thanksgiving last fall to encourage folks who were putting cider on their holiday table to share their recipes, pairings, and photos. Now that's its summer, its time to bring it out again so we can all #PickCider for the 4th of July! 

I'm really stoked about this for a few reasons. I love that summer (and July 4th) gives us the excuse to eat outside, to picnic, to grill, and cider goes perfectly with all this outdoorsiness! Its also a chance to think about casual food pairings, seasonal ciders, and cooking with cider in a whole new way.

The first cider that really demanded summer in my mind has to be Citizen Cider's Companion Sour Cherry Cider.

You can learn about the company Citizen Cider on their Website: http://www.citizencider.com/

They are a neat growing regional powerhouse out of Burlington, Vermont. I've gotten to taste a few of their ciders.

Previous reviews include:

Wit's Up: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/04/cider-review-citizen-ciders-wits-up.html

Barrel Aged: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/02/cider-review-citizen-ciders-barrel-aged.html

bRosé: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/02/cider-review-citizen-cider-brose.html

And I did get to tour the facilities at Citizen when I made my Vermont Cider tour last year: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-great-vermont-cider-tour-day-2.html

The Companion's official description reads:

Apple trees and tart cherry trees make good companions in the orchard. They bloom and harvest at different times throughout the growing season, which is good for the land and good for the farmer. We figured they might make nice companions in a fermented cider as well. It turned out to be true, which is good for us, and good for you. Be a Good Companion and enjoy this very limited sour cherry cider. ABV 5.5%

Additional facts Citizen Cider include: 

•No added sugar, never from concentrate.
• Apples pressed at Happy Valley Orchard in Middlebury, VT.
• Finished with fresh sour cherry juice from Monmorency and Balaton sour cherries.
• Manufactured in Burlington and Middlebury, VT.

This cider is available for a limited time both on draught and in cans. Citizen Cider was kind enough to send me two cans and this nice bit of contextulizing information for review.

Appearance: watermelon, brilliant, lots of bubbles

Apologies for the red party cup, but I was at amazing Deck Party complete with corn hole, fire pit, pond, and piles and piles of foods and friends, so it accepting the occasional party cup might just be part of summer.

This pretty cider though really benefited by being poured out of the can into a vessel that shows off its gorgeous watermelon color. This cider also has lots of bubbles and nice clarity.

Aromas: cherries, dried fruit, cinnamon, and limestone.
Citizen Cider's  Companion smells like immediately cherries, but also dried fruit, cinnamon, stone, dust, something tropical—guava?

sweetness/dryness: semi-sweet

Distinguishing the sweetness in this cider is a fun game because the first hit is more tart and bitter but it does sweeten up quickly.

Flavors and drinking experience: tart, clean fermentation, fruity, spicy

The Companion strikes me as both sweet and very tart—nearly made my eyes water. Very clean. First bitter with slight tannins. and spicy, then sweet. This progress feels natural and oh so pleasant: no weird cough syrup flavor, more like a good cherry pie. 

For me, this tastes best on big sips. There's not a lot of apple flavor but more the melded experience of cherry and apple together. But the best part has to be the cleanly floral finish.

I'm not usually a big cherry fan, but this tart cider was thrilling. It would be a perfect choice for lots of cookout and picnic foods. I had mine with chickpea salad, sharp cheddar, baked beans,  veggie crudites, and brownies. It worked with all of them. Next time, I'd love to try it with grilled pizza or salmon. I have a suspicion those would work extra well.

 

Cider Review: Angry Orchard Summer Honey

Our summer got off to a beautiful slow start this year with plenty of breezes and green and flowers and rain. That was lovely. Many thanks to Mother Nature. But it didn't inspire me to get all of my hot-weather-summer-coping activities going until the start of August. Yes for seven miles of walking every day! Boo for not needing gorgeous floats, watermelon, and cold noodle salads. But, let me tell you, August has made up for that. Hot, check. Humid, check. Just humid but not actually raining, check. But now we've had that for going on three weeks now. I've really needed those coping strategies.

One of my experiments in this vein has been ciders sold as summer seasonals. I'm not straight up calling them summer seasonals, because that's in the taste buds of the drinker. These are ciders intended to compliment the season well.

Today it's Angry Orchard's Summer Honey, but here's some background.

The Angry Orchard website: http://angryorchard.com

Here are my previous reviews of Angry Orchard Ciders:

A Roundup including two of their Cider House Series: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/05/roundup-of-angry-orchard-reviews.html

The Elderflower: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/06/cider-review-angry-orchards-elderflower.html

The Hop'n Mad Apple: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/03/cider-review-angry-orchards-hopn-mad.html

Angry Orchard's official description reads, "Our Summer Honey cider is a light and refreshing cider with subtle notes of wildflower honey, perfect for those warmer months." 5%ABV sold in 12oz. bottles and 16oz. cans.

Appearance: medium aged gold

I didn't expect quite this deep a color. It looks brilliant and intense.

Aromas: sweet, honey, candy

It smells a bit dusty and stony but mostly like honey and various kinds of sweetness.

Sweetness: Sweet!

Yep. Fruit and honey all the way.

Flavors and drinking experience: orange blossom honey, honey comb, raw apple, nice acidity

The candy from the aroma is decidedly present in the taste, as is the honey. It tastes somewhat like a raw apple slice slathered in tangy orange blossom honey. I'm pleased that it offers reasonable acidity. The cider features medium light carbonation and a long aftertaste. The most interesting element of the flavors was that after a few sips it seemed to tranform from honey to honeycomb. Not sure there's a logical explanation for that part. It's too sweet for me, but I'm guessing it's a real crowd pleaser. I know my tastes are well dry of center at this point.

Foodwise, pair this with with a chilled peanut noodle salad: the kind with cucumbers and a little bit of spiciness. I'll also recommend it with the perfect perfect music of Father John Misty. But that may just be me

It is appropriately seasonal, but I think the honey doesn't have to go with summer. I could also see it with raw early spring when everything sweet sounds oh so good.

Cider Review: Slyboro's Black Currant Hard Cider

Just over the Vermont border in upstate New York, I'm back to review a cider from Slyboro Cider House out of Granville, NY. I've not yet been to their tasting room, but I understand that it's open from July to Thanksgiving. Hopefully, the next time I'm up in the Saratoga Springs area, I can take a detour to visit these guys. But for now, I'm just happy I can source their ciders locally.

This is what they say about themselves.

 Named for the centuries-old hamlet that is home to Hicks Orchard, Slyboro Ciderhouse re-introduces the lost craft of traditional American ciders. Just as grapes are transformed into wine, our ciders are fermented from our own orchard-grown apples; unlocking the full potential of the apple by creatively blending a a distinctive range of delicious, award-winning ciders.

We at Slyboro Ciderhouse are dedicated to reclaiming cider - "true cider" - as America's favorite drink. We invite you to explore and discover the flavors and delights of Slyboro Ciders. In any season, for special occasions, or to enrich the moment, "consider cider."

You can see some additional information at their website: http://www.slyboro.com

My most completely previous review of one of their ciders is of a drier one no longer listed on their website, the Old Sin: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/06/cider-review-slyboro-ciders-old-sin.html

Today I'm reviewing their Black Currant Hard Cider. It strikes me as perfect for summer time, and July has really been cranking out the warm days and thunderstorms. This is summer, and I like to enjoy my sweeter fruit blended ciders ice cold on hot days to best show off their refreshing capabilities.

Skyboro's official description of the Black Currant Hard Cider reads, "A semi-sweet hard cider with Black Currants added after fermentation. It's purple, it's bubbly, with a nice black currant complexity. It's the New Black!"

Let me share now (as if it will surprise anyone) that I am not a cider purist. Gasp worthy, I know. I love the cider purists, and I frequently love the ciders that they love, but while I love apple and only apple beverages, I don't think shutting out blended, fruited, spiced, or spiked ciders is actually in the best interest of the cider drinker or the cider world. I tend to veer on the side of inclusion and open minded (empty glassed?) consideration most of the time. And one of the most common fruit blended styles I like to find and try are black currant ciders. Partly because I think black currant is a lovely fruit and partly because I learned to enjoy any drinks at all by drinking Snakebite and Blacks at the university pub in Norwich, England. I do want to own my biases and my happy memories.

Here's a previous review of a black currant cider, Doc's Draft Hard Cassis Cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/05/cider-review-docs-draft-hard-cassis.html

Appearance: clear, deeply colored, no visible bubbles

The color appears cranberry. Very vampire blood—if a SyFy Channel vampire show runs low on props for the banquet scene, this'll do nicely. Also, I'm finally getting around to the last season of True Blood, so I've got deep rich reds like this on my brain.

Aromas: currant, black berry, cherry

I can smell immediately the black currant, blackberry,  fruit punch, and cherry. From the smell, I'm guessing the cider will be both astringent and sweet. Even just sniffing it activates my salivary glands. Beyond this, I'm noticing hints of red wine. Again, this strikes me as both rich and fruity.

Sweetness/dryness: sweet

The sweetness reminds me of fruit punch and cane sugar. It is a very direct sort of sweet.

Flavors and drinking experience:  fruity, foxy, sweet, bubbly

I get a sweet kick at beginning, lots of bubbles, and a long black currant finish. The fruit notes are very currant jam, Welch's grape and fruit punch. After a while, I can taste notes of burnt sugar and fascinatingly foxy grapes. Sometimes that's how black currant comes across to me: tangy, wild, and almost gamey.

 I taste this cider in the middle of the tongue.  The alcohol taste is mild and gentle, but with a slightly boozy lingering sensation. It offers plenty of natural acids, mostly malic but a bit of citric. One of the fun things about black currant, tannins are inherently tannic, so these ciders come at tannins in a totally different way, yet some tannic qualities are decidedly recognizable. I love that.  Maybe I'd  even call the tannins surprisingly medium high. I get some banana notes in the finish, but berries still dominate.

This isn't a cider for all of the time, but when the mood strikes, I can see this as quite satisfying. It does go well with feta and watermelon salad, baguette, and fabulously trashy TV. If you've not tried a black currant cider before, seek one out. They are fun and different! This is a great one to try.

Cider Review: Blackbird Ciders' Orchardist's Reserve

So, one of my goals for Finger Lakes Craft Cider Week was to try as many of the unfamiliar cideries as I could. While I didn't make it out to all of the Cider Week events, I did what I could to try new things and this is my first review from that process. I got my hands on some Black Bird Cider Works' Orchardist's Reserve. But before I dive right into the cider, let's learn a bit about the folks who make it.

This is how Black Bird Cider Works introduces themselves on their website (which you can visit here http://blackbirdciders.com):

BlackBird Cider Works is proud to be Niagara County’s sole craft hard cider producer. Nestled on a beautiful farm overlooking Lake Ontario, we produce hard ciders made from apples grown in our own orchard. We boast a variety of ciders ranging from dry to sweet, including some made from certified organic apples. Our on-property tasting room is open seven days a week, offering samples of our current craft cider selection, as well as bottle sales. Stop by the cidery for a tasting, grab some BlackBird merchandise, and discover why we’re Western New York’s premier craft cider producer.

 Their exact location is Barker, New York and one of the really cool things about Black Bird Cider Works is that the cidery and orchard are all part of one location. Black Bird grows all of their own fruit, including both cider varieties of apples and organic apples. Both fairly rare situations and quite special.

I love that Black Bird Cider Works has a tasting room. Perhaps I've become partial over the months I've been involved with one, but there's really something wonderful to say about both seeing the premises for the beverage you are trying and about seeing how customers respond to your ciders.

Now onto Black Bird Cider Works' Orchardist's Reserve!

As I often do, I think it is useful to begin with the cidermaker's official description: "A Blend of six varieties of apples including New York State favorites like the Empire, Cortland & Jonagold apples. With an apple essence on the nose & a light refreshing taste, this cider has a clean finish." To me, this just gives me a good baseline for what to expect so that I approach the cider on its own terms.

Appearance: lots of color, no visible  bubbles, brilliant

This cider shows great color, a deep autumnal gold with hidden hints of green. As the photo shows, there are simply no visible bubbles or haze. It looks so unbubbly that there might not be any sparkle in this cider at all. We'll see.

Aromas: warmed apples, wood, booze

This smells immediately of warm overripe apples, yum. I can get notes of wood shavings, things that remind me of both beer and wine, so I guess I'm just smelling a more notable than usual booziness to the bouquet. Somehow the smell also makes me think of dusty hot slow afternoons in an attic or a barn. Perhaps thats more memory than smell though.

Sweetness/Dryness: Semi-sweet

I know the bottle tells me that this cider will be semi-dry, but I don't get that at all. Semi-sweet is my official recommendation even taking into account that my personal palate is calibrated with some real sensitivity to sweetness. 

Flavors and drinking experience: petillant, fruity, green, sweet finish

As the appearance suggested, this cider is just slightly petillant. In terms of flavor, what I notice most is the fruity mid-palate. At that moment, I can taste tangerines, cucumber, all kinds of summer fruit backed with hints of green ultrafresh bitterness. Pleasantly complex. Somehow this just tastes so much like summer. Perhaps it is the hits of lake water minerality. Or somehow the combination of tannins and a sweet powdered sugar finish. I'm not entirely sure. My only real critique has to be in mouthfeel. I prefer a crisper feel with real acid but the Orchardist's Reserve offers more of a soft giving mouthfeel, especially after the initial burst of texture and flavor.

As for pairing, I'd put this with one last summery salad. Even up here in upstate New York, I can still get really good bell peppers and greens. So, I'd chop up every fresh crisp vegetable in the house into a grand finale of a salad, add a good splash of lemon and feta dressing, then drink up this cider right with it.

Cider in the Summer: Along Came A Cider’s Guide

   

I used to live in Florida, so complaining about hot weather in upstate New York feels almost a like joke. Almost. I say almost though because almost nowhere around here has A/C and the predicted heat index for yesterday was 101 degrees Farenheit. These are the days when I begin my morning with iced coffee, slowly transition to cold cold water (with more ice), iced tea, cold cold sparkling water (usually with ice), and eventually cider (although I do intend to eventually try one of these bad boys: http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2014/06/limonada-de-coco/)

Cold beverages really are how I deal with excessive heat, well those and afternoon naps on days that allow for them. But I cannot just clock out of life for two hours in the afternoon most of the time, so we’re back to relying on cold beverages.

Important Tangent: The Ice Issue

Ordinarily, I wouldn’t even think of spending time on the idea of ice. It seems obvious. If you like cider, you shouldn’t add ice, because it will dilute the beverage.  Mind you, there has been a concerted marketing push from some of the industrial cider companies (especially in the UK) to serve and drink cider over ice. I get it. They are trying to make cider a specifically summer drink  and iced drinks are summery.

My opinion? Don’t do it. There are more other ways to keep a beverage cold than I can readily try or evaluate, everything from beer koozies to whiskey stones and high tech gadgets. I’m partial to using a marble wine bottle cooler, myself. Try any of these techniques or toys you like, but mostly I recommend just chilling your cider well before serving it. If you’re going to transport it, chill it well and pack it well. Good luck.  

I’ve talked about the beverages suited better or worse to hot weather a few times before. Reaching back, I can definitely pick out a few ciders that pair well with ridiculous temperatures.

A few good ciders for summer: 

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/08/cider-review-distillery-lane-ciderworks.html

This because of its wonderful balance of dryness and effervescence. I think this is the quintessential profile for a hot weather cider

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/06/cider-review-eves-ciderys-autumns-gold.html

This cider has actually really grown on me since I first reviewed it. I liked it fairly well then, but I really love it now. This also achieves that perfect bubbly crispness and zesty acidity for a summer cider.

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/07/and-now-for-something-completely.html

I can particularly recommend two other avenues for exploration. The first being semi-dry and dry perries. Ideally, I’d find one even more ephemeral and dry than this, but  that’s not always easy to find.

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

I think the other specialty cider best suited for summer is hopped cider. Here’s just one choice. I’ve reviewed a number of hopped ciders, and though they are far from equal many many of them are delicious. The aroma and citrusy notes just perfect the summer beverage in my book.

Mostly if I cannot say something good, I say something descriptive, or nothing at all. But for summer there are some ciders that just don’t work, even if the cider is otherwise interesting or tasty. 

Save these for later:

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/05/cider-review-docs-draft-cranberry-spice.html I think the cranberry spice combo says it all here. It is a lovely beverage, but is the exact opposite of cooling.

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/03/cider-review-ace-cider-apple-honey.html Anything with sweet notes of honey just doesn’t fly for me once it gets genuinely hot. There is a warm quality to honey that just doesn’t go away at any temperature.

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/12/cider-review-woodchuck-cellar-series.html Do you know what’s hot? Fire and smoke. That’s why a smoked cider just seems roasty, toasty, and hot. Pass on this one till October or so.

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/08/cider-review-mckenzies-lazy-lemon.html Sticky. Cider shandy should be good for cold because lemonade can be radically perfect on a hot afternoon. But this is so sticky sweet that I cannot recommend it, again except for as a float with gelato or sorbet. That summer drink dessert might just work.

 For me, summer is the time for tremendously bubbly dry cider served quite cold. This works with food, with friends, in sun, in shade, amidst chaos or quiet. Or there are the delicate perries or bold hopped ciders. All good choices.

In any case, cheers to summer. Let's enjoy it.

Cider Review: Farnum Hill Summer Cider

I cannot believe I've been keeping a cider blog for nine whole months without talking about any Farnum Hill Ciders. This is a grievous error on my part not only because they have played such a pivotal role in America's cider renaissance (which they undoubtedly have), but also because they were one of my early cider life-lines when I came back to the United States after trying and enjoying ciders during my study abroad at the University of East Anglia. (Here's my mostly unrelated shout out with affection to my nefarious guides to the wonderful world of pubs and cider, the UEA Games Soc.) Anyhow, I've been enjoying their ciders for almost ten years, so this review should have come earlier.

Farnum Hill Ciders come from Poverty Lane Orchards in Lebanon, New Hampshire. They make many ciders and sell apples, including unusual varieties of apples that are otherwise hard to come by. You can visit their fabulously informative website at: http://www.povertylaneorchards.com. Stephen M. Wood and Louisa D. Spencer have run and owned Poverty Lane Orchards since its start in 2000. These folks are serious about apples, science, and cider. I highly recommend checking out their Cider Facts page to learn some interesting things about apples and climate and also to get a good feel for the brand's unique personality. http://www.povertylaneorchards.com/farnum-hill-ciders/farnum-hill-cider-basics/  Fascinating stuff; I certainly didn't know anything about "Dosage" before reading about it there.

Before summer ends, I want to review Farnum Hill Summer Cider.  This cider has an ABV of 7.8% and like all Farnum Hill Ciders prides itself on using carefully chosen blended and cider apples. Rather than list their entire three paragraph orientation to the cider, I'll point my readers to it here: http://www.povertylaneorchards.com/farnum-hill-ciders/the-ciders/summercider/
and quote a bit about the cider itself. The folks at Farnum Hill say this, "Farnum Hill Summer Cider is golden and gently sparkling, blended to remind people in the States that good ciders make ideal summer “wines,” something the wider world never forgot. So in this one we go for prominent fruit and keen acid, soft-pedaling the tannic, earthy notes common to the other FHC blends. In Summer Cider the fruits are rich, the citrusy notes are strong, with gentle sweetness in the background. It’s a bit like whiskey sours, without the alcoholic whack."I'm not quite sure the digs at both United States drinkers and whiskey sours need to be there, but I'll be on the lookout for the acidity and lightness specifically.

Appearance: brilliant, cool blonde

Please forgive me for thinking of this cider's color as one of Alfred Hitchcock's leading ladies (specifically Tippi Hedron in The Birds), but that's always what cool blonde says to me. This Summer Cider has visible bubbles, most dissipate fast, but small fine streams continue through the liquid. Beautiful brilliance as well.

Aromas: fresh apples, banana, cake

Apple smells definitely come through first and foremost. The secondary fruits I sense most are banana and blueberry.  I could also detect bits of cake and walnut. This smells like a complex and lovely buffet of sweet flavors, but we'll see if the cider is as fruity and sweet as it smells.

Sweetness: Semi-dry to Off-dry

Actually separating the sweetness from other elements of enjoying this cider is fairly difficult. I can smell sweet fruits, but the taste is far more bright and acidic. It is definitely not bone dry, but it isn't a semi-sweet either. I'll say a gentle off dry or a more hardcore semi-dry. Hopefully that's not too confusing.

Flavors and Drinking Experience: high acidity, low to medium tannins, off-dry 

The Summer Cider tastes good to sip, but it tastes even better in big drinks. The flavors come in two distinct waves: first sweet, bright, second is dark, bitter, plummy flavor at the mid-back of the tongue.  Clean finish. The acidity is what makes it summery, and it contributes to the sense of  near dryness while also offering some enjoyable fruitiness. This is one of the lightest bodied ciders they make, perhaps the Summer Cider is giving a nod to the Spanish cider tradition.

I can definitely recommend this cider with all sorts of light summery foods and activities. Try the Summer Cider with bruschetta and fresh corn or lobster rolls. Bring a glass to a hammock, sneak a bottle into your canoe, eat a few more dinners outside with this cider before the weather gets too cold. Fall is coming soon, and I think Farnum Hill is more than right to think of this cider as uniquely suited to summertime. Whatever version they make each year, they attempt to make it available May through September where their other ciders are sold.  If you see this one, give it a try.

Cider Review: McKenzie's Lazy Lemon

McKenzies Hard Cider is produced in New York State south of Buffalo in West Seneca. I reviewed the flagship cider from this brand earlier in the summer. You can can see a more complete brand intro and how that cider fared here. You can also find out some information about the brand from their own website.

Here's what they say about themselves, "McKenzie’s Hard Cider was founded in 2011 by Lenny Ciolek in Buffalo, New York. Lenny played a crucial role in the success of the Mike’s Hard Lemonade brand and was able to secure distribution for McKenzie’s utilizing existing relationships and a grassroots method of marketing. McKenzie’s currently produces 5 different varieties of hard cider; Original, Black Cherry, Green Apple, Seasonal Reserve (cinnamon and nutmeg) and Lazy Lemon (lemonade blend). Its varieties have received several awards including Double Gold Medal for Black Cherry, and Silver Medals for Original and Green Apple at the 2012 New York Wine & Food Classic. McKenzie’s can be found at a bar near you, or at Wegmans and Tops grocery stores, where it is the best‐selling hard cider." Now that I live in Ithaca, that Wegmans reference has a whole new meaning for me. It is the grocery chain of the region and much beloved. (For my Florida friends, people here love Wegmans as much as Floridians love Publix.)

Today I'm reviewing McKenzie's Lazy Lemon. This is definitely the first lemon cider I've seen for sale, but many ciders have citrus notes, so the pairing is fairly logical. Furthermore, I've enjoyed shandies, a mix of beer and lemonade served ice cold, and this could well be the cider answer to a shandy. Informed by these two associations, I have hope that this will surpass many of the six-pack ciders I've tried lately.

Their product description is more playful than informative, but I'll share it here since it has disappeared from the official website for the year. "Pucker up! You're going to love this little tart. Lazy Lemon has a burst of citrus without the acidic bite, giving long carefree days a zesty punch of refreshing flavor. Serve Chilled. Kick back and enjoy often."

Color and Appearance: Brilliant, fresh corn

When poured I see almost no visible bubbles in the Lazy Lemon. It has a lovely pale color, almost like fresh corn on the cob. The clarity, as the picture suggests is brilliant. You could read text through this easily.

Aromas: musty, lemon, minerals

The cider gives off a genuinely intriguing aroma. It smells very pleasantly rocky and citrusy. Rather like some white wines. So far, my hopes are not disappointed.

Sweetness: Sweet!

The Lazy Lemon is sweet like lemonade. It left my mouth a bit sticky like lemonade also.

Flavors: Boozy lemon soda

I'm tempted to just leave it at that. It doesn't taste like apple or cider. The Lazy Lemon is easy on the carbonation, which is a plus. It has some mild tartness that cuts the sweetness pleasantly, but that could be stronger. It really does taste like a slightly boozy sparkling lemonade.

Drinking Experience: Needs ice

Ice actually helps mend the level of sweetness, so I'd say break the traditional cider rules. Pour this one on ice if you want to enjoy a the Lazy Lemon at its best. It isn't very cidery, so I'm not sure the rules really apply.

The other two things you could do are either add a scoop of super tart sorbet or gelato and just turn it into a float or get a lager and make a shandy-esque lemon + cider + beer blend. If anyone tries either of these, please comment and let me know.