Cider Review: Tandem Cider's Bee's Dream

2016 has been cozy and enjoyable thus far, but a bit gray. I've seen far more spitting snow than hints of sunshine. So, I knew I wanted my first cider review of the year to be something cheering and bright. Luckily, my dad shared with me a bottle by Tandem Ciders. Plus, I know folks have been wanting more coverage of Michigan ciders. I do what I can ;).

You can visit Tandem Ciders on online at their website: http://www.tandemciders.com/welcome-to-tandem-ciders.html

Or go see their tasting room in Sutton's Bay, Michigan, perhaps getting to say hello to founders Nikki and Dan.

A unique stop on the Leelanau wine trail, Tandem Ciders specializes in artisanal hard ciders. In the major apple growing regions of Europe, a culture has developed around the enjoyment and deep appreciation of cider, of both the traditional production processes as well as the apples themselves. Cider plays an important role in these areas by helping create a healthy, relaxing lifestyle that revolves around a profound connection to the land and its offerings

When I met some of the folks from Tandem this past spring, they were kind enough to share a couple of bottles with me. I reviewed the Smackintosh here: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/05/cider-review-tandem-ciders-smackintosh.html

This find however wasn't from them. I am lucky enough to have many wonderful cider hunters in my life, and when they travel I sometimes get new ciders that I wouldn't ordinarily be able to find. The Bee's Dream is just such an acquisition; thanks Dad!

I found two official descriptions.

From the web:
Summer days... a bee’s dream. From apple blossoms to harvest time we bring to you a cider that celebrates the fleeting season of northern Michigan. Radiant and golden, Bee’s Dream is touched with a hint of sweetness - the perfect drink for hitting Good Harbor Beach or cookout in the backyard. Bee’s Dream is the one to don the party hat, so you can dress her up with an ice cube, a sprig of mint, or even a few cherries off the tree.

While on the bottle it says: "Bee's Dream Fermented with honey from Julia Kularik's hard workin' hives, this cider sips smoothand finishes with a bright hint o'honey. What do busy bees daydream about while filing their 500 mile lifetime pollen pursuit. Ponder that as your lap up the fruit of their time."

Appearance: Brilliant, very few visible bubbles, mellow blond

Apologies for such...atmospheric photos. It was a warm and cozy night by the fire in Lousville which is perhaps better for drinking cider than photographing it. The color was lovely, a mellow shade blonde, easy to see because of the brilliance of the cider.

Aromas: Honey, minerals, stone, maple, wet apple

We have honey! This cider smells like honey and wet apples but in the cleanest way possible. Sometimes honey can be musky, but this smells the opposite, very floral and fresh and fruity. I anticipate a cider with plenty of fruity sweetness and brightness.

Sweetness/dryness: Sweet!

Though the descriptions don't tell us, this could be back-sweetened with honey and fresh juice. That's what the qualities of the sweetness suggest.

Flavors and drinking experience: Petillant, sweet, fruity, balanced

Texturally, the Bee's Dream is very lightly sparkling—more a tickle than bubbles. Though it is sweet, there's nothing cloying, nor is there any bitterness. The cider has a nice light body with pleasant brightness. I taste medium acidity and no tannins. Tandem has created a surprisingly balanced sweet honeyed cider. 

I like its genuine apple notes,  because its not too mushy or too much malic acid. Somehow this reminds me of lemon curd with a tiny shade of blueberry. The bright flavors linger and dark ones fade. This cider is so drinkable even brunch friendly. Drink with big fluffy fruit-topped pancakes. Yes, I give my blessing to cider with breakfast, at least everyone once in a while on the weekend. After all, we've got a long way to go till spring.

Cider Review: Tandem Cider's Smackintosh

I love that Tandem Ciders has a section on their website labelled "Cidery Philosophy." That's something I want to know from every cidermaker I encounter, but usually I find it by bits and pieces gleaned through reading their histories, cider descriptions, about sections and social media presence. Usually it is gleaned between the lines as much as by direct statements. But Tandem is making it easy for me, which says to me that they care about having and sharing a cider philosophy. Here's the opening sentence, "The intention at Tandem Ciders is to produce ciders that reflect the beauty of the apple." Very direct and bold. Much of the following section is a loving paen to apples and their mythos, but the last paragraph begins to get specific, and I love that.

Here's what Tandem Ciders say about their cider philosophy.

As with any craftsman, the ability to transform raw materials into a composition requires patience, passion, and a little elbow grease. With these ideals in mind, Tandem Ciders strives for culinary artistry in its ciders. Our products will begin with superior apples that will echo farmers’ time and hard work. Each small batch of fruit will be turned into juice with a traditional rack and cloth press. The juice will then be fermented using standard styles, and the resulting cider will be bottled ‘straight’ or blended with a little Leelanau County imagination. As we keep on fermenting, we hope to keep on improving with each passing season.

You can read much more about them at: http://www.tandemciders.com

I was given a bottle of the Smackintosh at GLINTCAP with only the context that it is one o their sweeter and more popular ciders. Fair enough, but I wanted to know more, so I found their official description.

POW! Right in the Kisser

McIntosh, Rhode Island Greening, and Northern Spy. Everything's better with a little Smack. This crowd pleaser is sweet and tart with full apple flavor.

Apple Growers: Smith-Omena Heights Farm, Steimel Brothers, Christmas Cove Farm, & Schultz Orchards

These apples are classic varieties. Northern Spy have been popular for pies and baking for decades, and Rhode Island Greening has been a sauce apple for longer than most of us have been alive. The McIntosh serves as a fantastic apple in a number of contexts: raw, cooking, and processing. There's so much neat history there that I recommend reading the Wikipedia article about it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McIntosh_%28apple%29

What I can surmise though is that this blend of apples will offer more sweetness and less acidity and virtually no tannins. I'm curious about what "full apple flavor" means in this context, but I'm hoping for a nice rich mouthfeel. The ABV for this cider is listed as an unusually low 4.5%. 

Appearance: straw, tiny visible bubbles in the glass, clear

This cider looks lovely with its mellow straw color and unusually tiny bubbles. It appears clear rather than brilliant.

Aromas: fresh apple all the way

Just smells exactly, almost freakishly, like an apple. The aroma is so fresh that it seems luscious and wet.  How a smell can seem wet, I don't really know, but that's how it was.

Sweetness/dryness: sweet

This is going to get repetitive, but I must emphasize how much like eating a fresh apple this cider tastes. The sweetness is the sweetness of fresh pressed juice, and there's plenty of that sweetness present.

Flavors and drinking experience: apple, apple, and more apple and relatively low level of carbonation

The Smackintosh tastes like a dessert apple, rather specifically like a McIntosh or a Golden Delicious. It's nearly goofy to me how much this tastes like an apple; partly I attribute this to halted fermentation and a relatively low ABV.  It tastes great with pieces of real apple. The taste feels low in the mouth in a way that reminds me of many French ciders. The mouthfeel is not super crisp or tart but rather soft and mellow. The cider is juicy iwth low acid, making it not bright but nicely minerally. Very low level of sparkle. I find it very pleasant and natural for its type of a cider: arrested fermentation, low abv, and sweet. 

I enjoyed this cider with a little picnic on my porch: fresh mozzerella, lemon and raw garlic hummus, cucumbers, carrots, grape tomatoes, apples, and fresh brown bread. Perfect balance for the sweetness.

Last blog post before England! I've stored a few entries and set the blog to post them automatically, but I still feel like I'll miss this (and all of you) while I'm gone. Drink some tasty ciders for me! I promise that's what I'll be doing in London and Cornwall.