Cider Review: Redbyrd Orchard Cider's 2021 Baldwin - Brown Snout - Kingston Black

I’ve gone more than a full week wearing a boot and treating my right foot as though I’m healing a break. Thankfully the boot works and eliminates pain while walking around the house, so I will not complain about it. I do look forward to being able to resume my normal habits of walking miles a day and getting outside whenever the weather is pleasing and often when it's not. But I certainly don’t mind sitting on my porch on these late summer mornings and evenings.

But I did make it out of the house briefly this weekend to celebrate a wonderful friend, and I brought Redbyrd Orchard Cider's 2021 Baldwin- Brown Snout- Kingston Black to taste and share. I picked up this Redbyrd Orchard Cider from Ithaca’s Farmer’s Market earlier in the Summer. In case you’re ever travelling this way, do not overlook the Farmer’s Market as a place to sample and buy local ciders. Our selection is really astounding!

One of the local gems in the Finger Lakes has to be Redbyrd Orchard Ciders. The cidery is based on a small biodynamic farm near Trumansburg, York. I’ve reviewed several of their ciders since first encountering them in 2014. You can find more background in earlier reviews. Here's the full rundown of my earlier Redbyrd Orchard Cider reviews, including one from earlier this year. 

Biodynamic Cloudsplitter Extra Brut: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2023/04/cider-review-redbyrd-orchard-cyders.html

Tompkins King/Stoke Red (my #6 favorite cider of 2022): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2022/07/cider-review-redbyrd-orchard-ciders.html

Black is Gold (a collaboration with Black Diamond Cider and my #1 cider of 2021): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2021/11/cider-review-black-diamond-farm-and.html

Celeste Sur Lie 2015: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/10/redbyrd-orchard-ciders-celeste-sur-lie.html

The Andromeda Crab: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/01/cider-review-redbyrd-orchard-ciders.html

Their presence at an all FLX pairing dinner: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/09/finger-lakes-cider-week-and-birthday.html

The North Star: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/01/cider-review-redbyrd-orchard-ciders.html

The Starblossom: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/10/finger-lakes-cider-week-special-review.html

The Dry Harvest Cider 2013: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/12/cider-review-reddbyrd-2013-harvest-cider.html

The Wild Pippin (my #1 cider of 2014, the Wild Pippin): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/12/cider-review-redbyrd-orchard-ciders.html

And I encourage folks to visit Redbyrd Orchard Cider online to learn more about the current cider lineup: https://redbyrdorchardcider.com/.

Here’s what I learned about the 2021 Baldwin- Brown Snout- Kingston Black from the folks at Redbyrd.  

Alcohol 8%

A beautiful dry cider made from these three apples: Baldwin, Brown Snout, Kingston Black

Certified Biodynamic® by Demeter

pressed rack and cloth with secondary fermentation in bottle, sediment natural

all grown, fermented and bottled at Redbyrd Orchard

22 cases produced

notes of chocolate mint, cinnamon, peppercorn, bittersweet apple

Appearance: intense brass color, brilliant, bubbly

Apologies for the action shot; I’m having issues with my camera lately. Still, it’s apparent that this cider shimmers with a beautifully intense brass color. It’s brilliant with bubbles as well. 

Aromas: oranges, autumnal, overripe apples, rubber

The Baldwin- Brown Snout- Kingston Black  causes an immediate salivary reaction for me! This is going to be a wonderfully exciting cider. The first aroma notes I can identify are overripe apple, oranges, and wet autumn leaves. The scents are mellow and a touch oxidized. I expect deep autumnal acid and apple flavors in this one. Yum.

Sweetness/dryness: fully dry

I love the total dryness of this cider. It’s austere and yet filled with flavor. 

Flavors and drinking experience: actively tannic, fine bubbles, funky, acid but round

The Baldwin- Brown Snout- Kingston Black tastes actively tannic, even a bit fiery and aggressive. I love its champagne-style bubbles from the cider’s second in the bottle fermentation. That crisp sophistication is made beautifully complex with some funky and metallic notes and big round acids. The mouthfeel is full, with a long blocky tannic finish. This cider goes best with salty foods. It’s big, fun, and challenging. These are wonderfully interesting apples, and I’m so glad that Redbyrd Orchard Cider made the most of them.

Cider Review: Bellwether's Liberty Spy (and blog news!)

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Tonight I’m happy to be reviewing a cider I’ve enjoyed the few chances I’ve had to taste it. The Liberty Spy is created by Bellwether Hard Cider. It is a cidery that has been in business since 1999: located in Trumansburg, a small hamlet outside of Ithaca, New York. The company produces ten distinct ciders. Bellwether is part of a larger cider scene in the Finger Lakes Region of Upstate New York. Since I will be moving to Ithaca in a few months, this is a cider scene I’m definitely planning on joining. If you're from there, please say hi!

Within the cadre of Bellwether ciders, the Liberty Spy is described as semi-dry/semi-sweet. Its apple components are listed as Liberty and Northern Spy, hence the name. They sell it as a cider to bring to people not yet familiar with ciders. That’s partly why I chose it to be my first Bellwether review, an introduction of sorts. It comes in a 750ml bottle, a good sharing size.

ABV: 6.8%

Color and appearance: Quite pale

If feeling romantic, I’d almost call this color moonglow. It hints at springtime with its paleness just on the verge of yellow and green.

Aroma: floral, honey, yet tart

The scent plays between a few different notes not uncommon in a semi-sweet cider, including a sort of floral honey mélange and a lightly sharper element reminiscent of green fruits.

Sweet to dry: semi-sweet

Though Bellwether calls this a semi-dry/semi-sweet, I think it falls a bit more into the semi-sweet category. It opens with sweetness that dissipates quickly. It is anything but cloying; the refreshing zest of this cider is wedded to its light amount of sweetness.

Flavors and drinking experience: green apples

I immediately understand why this is described as an introductory cider. It shows off the pleasant and lively side of cider with ease and power. Perhaps that sounds a bit odd, but the carbonation level is just right. It sets the drinking pace and showcases the cider’s flavors well. The mouthfeel is what gives the impression of power because it is not a thin cider, instead it feels rich on the palate.

Finish: Surprisingly quick

For such a mouthfeel, I was surprised by short the finish is on this cider.

Pairs with: asparagus, nuts, mushrooms

Because of this cider’s balance and effervescence, I’d choose foods with bitter elements and play up the contrast. It could easily be served with appetizers including nuts and cheeses or a meal including asparagus or mushrooms (especially if cooked with butter). The substance of this cider can stand up to buttery highly flavored dishes, but the range is far wider than these descriptions. Socially speaking, I’d choose this cider for a vintage-style listening party. Give everyone a plate of nibbles, a glass of the Liberty Spy, and get lost in whatever music calls to you. 

  

I’m very excited about trying this cider again once the weather is more genuinely spring-like. Even more exciting to me is the notion of expanding my knowledge of Bellwether’s offerings. The upcoming move to Ithaca should make that easy. In the meantime, I heartily recommend tasting the Liberty Spy and sharing your impressions with me in the comments. I’m all ears!