Along Came A Cider Goes To England: Pt 2 "What ciders do you serve here?"

This post documents the ciders I found along my travels mostly without making special side trips just for proper cider. I knew almost nothing about most these ciders before trying them, and I had a wonderful time just asking people about cider wherever we went. Turns out that this is a fantastic ice breaker question with B&B owners, drivers, bar tenders, servers, and pretty much anyone I met. Folks seem universally pleased to recommend ciders and most fancy that Americans have never had cider before. We are evidently a nation to be pitied in this regard.  A few folks also wanted to tell me that American beer is "very poor." I'm afraid news of our craft beverage scenes, either beer or cider, has not hit the mainstream in Cornwall. Alas.

There's a mix of very small orchards and cider companies to very large industrial operations. Most places had one or two cider choices, and I always opted for the cider I had not tried before. When I did have more choices, I consistently aimed for the most local and the driest cider. Here's what I found in the order I found them.
 

 
Northcoast Apple Cider http://ncwine.co.uk/collections/cider

I found this at a tiny wine shop called Moreno Wine Merchants in London because it happened to be across the street from the Air Bnb room we rented. it has the most beautiful label and I wish we'd had more light to capture it properly. 

The Northcoast smells like bruised apple, a little phenolic, sweet. I love the dark copper color. This cider has only very light carbination; the sparkle is barely there and presumably entirely natural. Immediately, I notice tongue-drying tannins, but this cider is not sour. It has very low acid. It tastes sweet, warm, tannic, astringent, a little phenolic, a little acetificed. There's a very small hint of sweaty olive in the phenols I noticed, but not much and not bad. This is how I imagine English craft cider tastes. I especially like the long minerally finish. 4.5% ABV There's quite a big different between sips and quaffs: sips are a distinct, puckering and relaxing with its thornier characteristics, and a big drink brings out the apples more, especially in the aroma—whatever freshness and malic acid seems only available in this way. Not a clean fermentation. Complex while still quite sweet.  Unlike any American cider we've had. Allegedly aged in bourbon barrels, according to the wine store gent, but I can't taste it or smell it.

Healey's Cider Rattler Original http://thecornishcyderfarm.co.uk

I had this cider at a pub in Penzance with a seafood-oriented menu and I had it with whole makerel. I want to note that the Rattler was offered at more places than most other ciders I saw on this trip, and I've learned since that it is more an industrial offering. My tasting notes definitely reflect that. It tastes very sweet and bubbly, far more soda like than most English style ciders. It wasn't bad but goodness is it a sweet one that tastes more like a pear and apple carbonated juice than anything else.

Cornwall Cider Co. Lyonnesse http://cornwallciderco.co.uk

This cider had the best context of any of the entire trip because I found it at a little snack shop about three quarters of the way through one of our first full hiking days. I'd been expecting a nice little afternoon pick me up in the *cough cough* hot english sun of ice cream, but I was able to choose between 4 different ciders instead! The Lyonesse has great deep burnished copper color, and very French-cider-esque aroma with sweetness and darkness. It smells a little soft, like cooked apricots and stones. I was thrilled to find that this cider is indeed a semi-dry! I'm afraid many of the semi-dry ciders I taste on both sides of the Atlantic are more sweet than dry. This one is a little acetic. The bubbles clearly come from force carbonation; the Lyonesse has a higher level of carbonation than most UK ciders. It tastes best to me in larger drinks. I am just endlessly impressed with its bright, high-acid, medium high tannins; this cider is really balanced. It's full mouthfeel is almost oaty while being fruit-oriented and so drinkable. Extremely well balanced with rich mouthfeel. Nice rounded extended finish with hay and tropical fruit notes. The Lyonesse is definitely the best drink of my vacation to that point.

Shane's Cider from the Seven Stars in Penzance (no official website)

I had Shane's Cider at the Seven Stars in Penzance. This is one pub that is decidedly NOT run by regional chain St. Austell. The Seven Stars pub plays a fascinating range of music: the Cult, Giorgio Moroder, Village People, and Christina Aguillera. The decor is similarly eclectic and campy but more homey. Now for the cider. It's colour is light polished brass but distinctly hazy. It is served cold and bubbly with a big head that dissipates quickly. It smells dusty, cheesy, yeasty and subtly perfumed. The first flavors I get are so interesting: bright, pear and peppercorn, zesty green apples. Med to high levels of sparkle, tastes only mildly alcoholic, offers medium tannins, semi-dry, and medium high acid. Overall, the cider strikes me as mild, well balanced, with quick finish a little enjoyable bitterness. I spoke with Shane about his creation and here's what he told me. The apple blend varies on season. It is fermented in oak vats. Shane mixes in something special that he won't reveal! Curious! The ABV is unknown. I really enjoyed this one and stopping in at the Seven Stars was awesome.

Norcott's Cider Original http://www.norcottscider.co.uk

In terms of aromas, this cider offers up yeasty, soft scents with a few sharp notes that strike me as clean, like aftershave, with spice and menthol. The cider is sweet with high acid and medium tannin levels. It reminds me of some French ciders, especially with the honey flavors. One neat note of funk on first impact keeps it from being pedestrian. I do enjoy its clean bright flavor though it could be more distinctive. The Carbonation consists of many small bubbles that are not too intense. The bigger the sip, the faster it all disappears. Take small sips to maximize the funk and interest, since the big sips go so fast. Balanced-ish, but one notch sweeter than is strictly necessary. The ABV is 4.5%. We enjoyed this one with wood-fired pizza.

Thatcher's Gold Draught Cider http://www.thatcherscider.co.uk

On at least one night of vacation in the UK, I have to have fish and chips. This was my cider for fish and chips night because I expected a crisp and bubbly easy drinking semi-sweet cider from Thatchers.  And my expectations weren't far off. The cider smells to me like a dry well powdery, minerally, stones. It smells very little like apple. In terms of taste, the Thatcher's Gold was indeed semi-sweet with a creamy mouthfeel. Comparatively, it isn't very tannic. It reminds me of spicy warm applesauce. Big sips are more like applesauce. Tannins become more apparent if you chew it a bit. I'm also noticing lots of notes of orange juice with a slight malt aftertaste. Not bad with fish and chips but not the most interesting either.

Symond's Founders' Reserve: http://symondscider.co.uk

When I sniff this cider, I smell yeast and mild tannins along with understated fresh apples. The flavors when I taste it are more varied: underripe strawberries, red bell peppers, and nuttiness. The Founders' Reserve offers high levels of acidity and tannins in a very balanced and pleasant way. This cider definitely strikes me as off-dry. Like most of the ciders I've tried on this trip the level of sparkle is gentle and medium to low. This one was a big hit with everyone at the table! It paired well with fish pie, Sunday roast, and pasta with brandy cream sauce.
  
My ciders were varied, but largely tasty. I enjoyed checking out what is easily available when walking the Southwest Coast Path in Cornwall. I wish I could have had car access to visit orchards and cideries, but that will have to wait for another trip. Keep your eyes peeled for my last England post about my trip to the Euston Cider Tap in London. Cheers!

Cider Con 2015: Thursday Clicker Session, Keynote Speakers, Panels and Workshops

So much for March going out like a lamb. It's snowing again! I've become convinced that I'll be reviewing winter friendly ciders for another month. But for today, we're headed back to my coverage of Cider Con 2015!

Thursday morning, I wandered in to a huuuuuuuuge packed room where most folks had picked up what looked like a remote control on their way to round tables. These devices are clickers, and this session was designed to give us real time info from other cideries about many current issues in the field. Wow. Interesting stuff and a good way to start the day.

Here are a few of the assorted results of the clicker survey: 

Most cidermakers buy at least some of their fruit, but most buy it locally. That fact may not sound like much on first read through, but here’s why it matters. There are tons of cideries starting up. Some are brewers, winemakers, home cider makers whose primary passion is for the fermentation of  juices into cider. There are also some orchardists or inheritors of family orchards who see cider (and its massive growth in the past few years) as a way to preserve and enrich their apple growing business. What this fact says to me is that these folks don’t need to all go into business independently and either scrounge for the ability to buy enough good local fruit or to struggle with reinventing the wheel of good fermentation practice, but should probably find each other instead. But that’s just my take from sitting in that room and seeing who was there at CiderCon.

Greg Peck and Carol Miles of University of Virginia ran the session.

After the clicker session, we had two keynote speakers from large successful cider companies, Robert Vail of Angry Orchard and Martin Thatcher of Thatcher’s Cider. I didn’t know quite what to expect, because the attitude within the cider community is not always one of approval of the larger companies. But CiderCon does seem to be a place of coming together for cider as a beverage and a shared love.

Robert Vail began his presentation with a video, an affectionate cider-themed spoof of Field of Dreams; the point of the video being that “If we build it, they will come!” The video was charming and funny, and starting on that foot struck me as extremely intelligent. We had already laughed together before Vail even began speaking.

After the disarming video, Vail offered some fascinating and encouraging information. The rate of cider’s growth in America is fantastic and has been fantastic for a few years now. If we were to consider cider as a beer style (which is not how I think of cider personally, but I’m sharing what Vail presented) style, it would be second only to IPAs in the United States. That’s huge. 

This picture is a map of cider's growth as a category in different regions of the United States.

Vail also talked about the coherent brand message of cider, its heritage, authenticity, and its basis in fruit. He described getting cider’s display in off-premise accounts like grocery stores, beer stores, and wine stores to be further away from fermented malt beverages (the Mike’s Hard Lemonades etc. and those scary beer-fruit-margarita hybrids) and closer to the craft beers. He spoke of this as a way to communicate to consumers and to raise both the perception and the price point of cider. This is important because cider truly does cost more to make than all of the malt beverages and even more than many craft beers. Many folk need this because they are struggling to function as small businesses at the prices that ciders can draw in many settings.

His big takeaway message is that this growth for cider is not yet over and that both craft cider producers and larger companies need to think of the category first and their own brand second. I love that idea. I agree with it. I think that is the best way to grow cider and serve everyone in the long run. But, I do want to acknowledge that I don’t have all of my life savings staked on a cider company, so I have room to feel that way and say that some folks might not. Your mileage my vary and all of that.

Then Martin Thatcher spoke about his experiences and about Thatcher’s Cider. (For those who don't know, Martin Thatcher is the UK National Association of Cider Makers Chair as well as a fourth generation cider maker.) If you want to see the website for Thatcher's, it's here: www.thatcherscider.co.uk

He spoke about the cider market in England over time and my first real take away from that was, “The race to the bottom can really damage a brand and an industry.” He was referring to the drive to make cider cheaper as a method of competition within the cider category in previous decades. The UK cider market has seen periods of growth and decline partially due to severe fluctuation in both cider quality and the public perception of cider. 

He described branding as a window to a company’s values. This is a particularly interesting element for me as a cider reviewer. I agree completely that how a company presents itself develops a cider drinker's expectations about the beverage before we even taste it.

My favorite part of his presentation was the video of Thatcher’s Cider at Glastonbury Festival. This festival is based on music but is simply a huge cultural gathering in Glastonbury that has 94 temporary bars for the duration of the festivities. The video reminded me of summer in the UK which can be magical (yes, I am a blatant Anglophile), but it also showed me one of my favorite things: cider being integrated seamlessly into life and good times. That’s my ideal vision for cider.

Then I visited the Trade Show, which was a fascinating gathering of various vendors and service providers all related to cider production and sales. The most fascinating to me were the glass and packaging design folks, but you could find everything there. Juice sellers, tank makers, fermentation aids, and enough cider related businesses to bemuse and intrigue all comers.

The first session I attended was "The US Cider Market Historical, Current & Projected" by Jeffrey House, of Ace Cider. I learned a ton about the ups and downs of cider's recent history. I was also heartily entertained by what a developed raconteur we had in Jeffrey House. He started not only Ace Cider but the first cider bar, Ace in the Hole in California in 1999! If attendees were taking only one piece of advice from House, it would be to stay local or region and not attempt to take your brand national.

We then had a learning lunch (with great food lots of good options for both meat eaters and vegetarians) followed by the 1st Annual USACM Cider Industry Awards. These awards were given to three individuals for their long service to the cider world: Ben Watson, Alan Shapiro, and Peter Mitchell. I highly recommend looking these fellows up because I cannot do justice to either their achievements or service in the space I have here. Suffice it to say that all of these people have spent years doing important work that allows cider to be where it is today and growing into what it will be in the future.

 

The 2014 US Apple Crop Update & 2015 Outlook with Mark Seetin of US Apple was filled with more and more detailed information about recent and upcoming apple crop issues than I knew existed!

John Hoyos led a panel called "The Honeymoon: Distribution Bliss" but it was more about distribution in general. People were riveted and had more questions than we had time to ask or hear answered. This was definitely one of the most educational sessions of the conference and one with the most motivated listeners.

Then I went to Jeff Cioletti's "From Press to Press, Getting Media Coverage for your Cider Brand" which was very practical nuts and bolts advice about how cider makers can relate to writers and media folks in ways that sidestep common difficulties that make brands less likely to receive media coverage. Attending as a cider writer, I found many commonalities between my experiences and those of both panelists, but I get the distinct feeling that this content was news to most attendees. So very useful.

But the last part of my day was probably my favorite, for silly reasons. I'd been really sad to miss out on the "Cheese and Cider Pairing Method" workshop with Jordan Edwards, but when I showed up to the same room just after to learn about Cider Styles from Eric West there were leftovers of all of the ciders and all of the cheeses! While we were waiting to get started, my whole table of folks did a quick and dirty recap of the previous panel and were thus freshly snacked and ready for West's presentation.

West did a fantastic job introducing to folks (some for the first time) the idea of cider styles and the concept that ciders can best be understood within the context of specific styles. This is something I believe in firmly. He also introduced the 2014 guidelines that the cider category has within the wider world of the BJCP. All really important stuff, presented interestingly.

Last but far from least was a session on cider mixology. As this is another topic dear to my heart, I had to be here. We talked about replacing white wine or champagne in traditional mixes with cider, we also discussed replacing seltzer with super dry super sparkling cider (watch out, this method makes powerful drinks). And we tried a few cider mixes including this beautiful old punch recipe, updated.

It was a glorious, nearly overwhelming day, so I went back to my hosts' adorable apartment and hung out in my pajamas. There were cider happenings all over the city that I missed, but ciderCON wore me out!

My 10 Favorite Ciders of 2013

 2013 has been a huge year for me. I mean it. Huge! And Along Came A Cider has been a big and wonderful part of that, making 2013 my best cider year ever. Meeting cider makers. Going to Cider Days. Actually having cider makers want my feedback! Most of all, I'm just learning so much about cider from this wonderful friendly community. I'm so thrilled and grateful. So, thank you.

That said, I hope it will be a fun thing just to informally share my top ten ciders of the year. The caveat is that I'm not listing more than one cider from any company, and I'm not limiting myself to ciders that have full reviews on the blog. Sorry, but it is really hard to get good photos and complete notes each and every time I sit down (or stand up) with a new cider. Some of these that don't have full reviews now will get them in the coming months. Let's hope anyway.

Anyhow, this is in no way definitive or complete, just a way for me to revisit my year in cider exploration and highlight a few of the very special ciders that really impressed me. Ordering these was really really difficult and completely subjective. Actually, remind me not to do this next year...

Along Came A Cider's Ten Favorite Ciders of 2013

1. Anthem Hopped

Purists are going to hate this choice; I just know it. Oh well. I really enjoy hopped ciders. Their aromas and complexities just bowl me over again and again. And Anthem (whose parent cidermaker is Wandering Aengus) makes the best of the lot. I definitely wish I had a way to get this in Ithaca. You can read the full review here: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/01/cider-review-anthem-with-hops-plus.html

2. Bellwether King Baldwin

I know. I know! I work for Bellwether, so I must be biased. Eh. Probably. But I love our ciders and I think they are truly top notch. Not reviewing them here and shouting their praises from my tiny blog's rooftops is sometimes crazy hard. This cider is just lovely. It has two antique American apple varieties: the Tompkins King and the Baldwin. Pairs really well with all kinds of food. I love its balance of fruit and crispness. When I got to go to a bonfire party back in the fall and recline outdoors with a warm fire and a cold cider, I went to the King Baldwin, and it was perfect. Since I don't have a review, you can read about it in this Edible Finger Lakes review: http://www.ediblefingerlakes.com/wine-of-the-week-bellwether-hard-ciders-king-baldwin

3. West County Reine De Pomme

I absolutely adored this cider and the elegant and educational way in which is is presented both in the bottle and on West County's website. Try this one in a gorgeous big glass because the color is something special to behold. Gotta love the minerality in this one. My review says far more about the experience:  http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/03/cider-review-west-county-cider-reine-de.html

4. Oliver's Gold Rush

Though I don't have a full entry dedicated to just this cider, I give some pretty thorough notes in this writeup of my first visit to The Queen's Kickshaw. http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/06/trying-virtue-and-olivers-ciders-at.html This cider is for fans of highly tannic very British ciders, and since that is exactly what I love, I was pleased beyond words with this cider.

5. Thatcher's Green Goblin

This is the cider that reminded me of how much I like oaked ciders. I also really enjoyed getting to share this with my mom and really show her a cider with enough complexity to really impress. There are many, so I'm just getting started sharing some good ones. My review says more: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/11/cider-review-thatchers-green-goblin.html

 6. Farnum Hill Kingston Black

I really owe this cider a full review of its own. I love so many of Farnum Hill's ciders, and this one particularly stood out to me when I tried it as part of a cheese and cider pairing workshop back in New York City. Here's my entry all about that whole evening: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/06/pairing-ciders-and-cheeses-inspiring.html Hopefully, I can track down a bottle of this so I can focus on it properly soon.

7. Julian Black and Blue

This was a surprise love for me, and one I'd really like to taste again. I am not always super into fruit additions to cider, but I loved the deep bittersweetness of this. Deliriously good. I keep coming back to Julian Cider with very good impressions. http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/09/cider-review-julian-hard-ciders-black.html

8. Distillery Lane Ciderworks Traditional Dry Sparkling Cider

This is one of the most traditional ciders on my list and Distillery Lane does it so well. I loved their Dry Sparkling Cider. It was the first cider I got to enjoy in my Ithaca apartment very very shortly after moving in, so the good memory also helps it to stand out in my mind. http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/08/cider-review-distillery-lane-ciderworks.html

9. Albemarle Pomme Mary

Despite my usual preference for dry ciders, Albemarle won me over with their entire line and most especially with their Pomme Mary. It is a beautifully balanced and truly lovely sweet cider. I reviewed this one on vacation in the Outer Banks which was also just a wonderful experience. Vacations are the best time to catch up on reviewing. http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/09/cider-review-albemarle-ciderworks-pomme.html

10. Arsenal Cider Fightin' Elleck

I have so much affection and respect for Arsenal Cider. Mind you, they are bringing cider to Pittsburgh, and for that alone they deserve some major credit. But not only that, they are making some really neat creative ciders that taste fantastic. I have reviewed a couple of theirs, but the Fighting Elleck made such a good impression, I have to include it here: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/03/cider-review-arsenal-cider-fightin.html

Thanks again everyone. Thanks especially to photographer friends who lend a hand, friends and family who cider hunt for me 24/7, cider sellers (The Cellar D'Or!), cider makers, my fellow Bellwether crew, cider lovers nearby and faraway, all the cider ambassadors on Twitter, and everyone who has ever stopped by Along Came A Cider. You guys have all been a tremendous highlight to my 2013. Thank you.

Cider Review: Thatcher's Green Goblin

 
I usually only review American ciders, but I do enjoy ciders from many different places. My palate doesn't discriminate by region. When I was on a trip home to Kentucky recently, I promised to look at what I could find in terms of local cider selection and write about it. The most interesting thing I found had to be Thatcher's Green Goblin. I got the very last bottle at a Liquor Barn in Louisville KY and I had to climb on the shelves to get. And this wasn't even on Black Friday! In any case, I was thrilled to see something I do not usually see, hence a review of a decidedly English Cider. Hopefully in coming years, I'll see some Kentucky ciders. We do have the apples after all. If you've ever heard of a Kentucky cider, please let me know!

Thatcher's Green Goblin has its own website at http://www.greengoblincider.co.uk/ and for more information, this page has more detail http://www.greengoblincider.co.uk/cider.htm. The promotional copy isn't particularly descriptive, but it does emphasize that the apples are English and that the cider is oaked. Here's how they put it: "The Green Goblin from deep in the wood - 100 year-old oak vats, that is. Made with English apples, and matured in oak vats, Green Goblin cider is a full-flavoured, bittersweet blend, beautifully balanced to give a fresh character with a medium dry finish." When reading about their cider process, they list two apple varieties Somerset Redstreak and Dabinette both grown in the West County region. I know both of those apples from several US ciders that use them for tannins, so I'm even more curious than I had been before.
                                                                                                                                                       

Appearance: brilliant, papaya, no foam

Seriously, the color is deep papaya. I've never seen another cider like it. When poured, this cider had no foam or head. As I hope the photo shows, it has no haziness and is instead clear and brilliant. What a beautiful cider!

Aromas: stone, wood, subtle aura of persimmon

This earthy smell is delightfully cidery but in an unexpected way because it offers almost no apple, and absolutely no yeast. Instead I smelled stone and wood with just a smidge of acidic fruit. Thinking about that fruitiness, ripe persimmon rather captures it.

Sweetness: Fairly dry

While the dryness is not extreme, this cider defnitely comes across more dry than sweet. I think the dryness combines with the tannins to emphasize those elements more than sweetness or fruit.

Flavors and drinking experience: high tannins, low acid, dry. Woody.

I taste tannins most predominantly in the Green Goblin and I love it. The tannins are soft and not overly aggressive because they are balanced with some lovely apple notes and low acidity. The cider tastes very woody in that almost drying way. Some folks don't care for this, but I'm totally into it. I get hints of leather but those are restrained. Some subtle spicy fruits and farminess give character to the apple. The Green Goblin has fairly intense levels of carbonation, but they lighten up what is otherwise a fairly dark-tasting beverage, so I'm not complaining. The finish lingers with more wood and spice, but at this point the farmyard notes have all disappeared, giving it an evolving taste.

This cider strikes me so deeply enjoyable because of its maturity and balance. I shared the Green Goblin with my mother who doesn't usually care for cider, but she loved the complexity and drinkability of the Green Goblin. She's totally right; it is exceptionally good. I can now add oaking to my list of techniques that make a cider more likely to make my list of repeat buys. Nice.

When thinking of food pairings, I can see a few different directions suiting the Green Goblin. In summer, I'd drink this with a capese salad with loads of fresh mozzarella and some aged balsamic vinegar. In winter, pair the Green Goblin with pasta in cream sauce with walnuts and broccoli. In terms of activities, I'd bring this to a gathering full of new people. The cider has so many different nuances that it makes a great conversation starter, and I'm confident most folks who try would find it both enjoyable and interesting. Besides, I'm always looking to use parties as a way to make more drinkers into cider drinkers.