Cider Review: Lockhorn Hard Cider Beartooth Bittersweet

The birds are singing out my windows this morning. I’m feeling more hopeful and excited about this summer, and all the cider adventures to come.  I wish this kind of hope for all my cider friends, and safe and gentle spring for apple blossoms. Today’s review is Bear Tooth Bittersweet by Lockhorn Hard Cider.

Lockhorn Hard Cider comes to the world from Bozeman, Montana. The cidery has a taproom, curbside service, a gluten-free food menu  as well as a full line up of innovative ciders. I like this phrase I found on the website for describing the cider, “[T]he first sip of Lockhorn cider has a bite, but the subtle, complex flavors resonate on the tongue, rather like wine.”

I’ve reviewed one Lockhorn Hard Cider before, the Gallatin Grapefruit: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/11/cider-review-lockhorn-hard-ciders.html

You can visit Lockhorn Hard Cider online here: https://www.lockhornhardcider.com/

Here’s how the cidery describes the Beartooth Bittersweet.

This proud cider is crafted from a blend English bittersweet and American varietal apples. With a gentle sweetness akin to Lone Mountain Cider, the Beartooth exhibits the same fruit forward apple appeal with the special bitter tannin that is so very English. The skins of the bittersweet apples impart a black tea like taste that lend a complex and extraordinary palate!

Now for my experience with Beartooth Bittersweet.

Appearance: brilliant, chick fluff yellow,  low hue intensity, no visible bubbles

This cider looks elegant and appealing with it’s brilliance. The color reminds me of baby chicks, but maybe I’ve got spring on the  brain. I don’t see any bubbles when I pour this cider, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t sparkly.

Aromas: pear, white grape, banana, fruity, juicy, powdered sugar

The Beartooth Bittersweet smells freshly juicy! These aroma notes just leap out of the can and glass.  Pear, white grape, and banana smells present themselves clearly and powerfully. I also get notes of powdered sugar. The overall smell impressions are of a tropical fruit dessert.

Sweetness/Dryness: Sweet

This is a sweet cider! I shouldn’t  be surprised because of the sweet in the name, but it’s more a true sweet than a bittersweet.

Flavors and drinking experience: low acid, low-to-medium tannins, fruity, overripe apple, cooked apple, softened leather

The first thing that I notice when I taste the Beartooth Bittersweet is how much lower I find the acid than with most American ciders. The sweetness and relatively low acidity work together to pull the Bittersweet’s profile in the direct of a medium sweet UK cider. It brings low-to-medium tannins which are a bit different from many (not all) UK ciders. The Bittersweet is very much its own cider with its own profile! 

After a few sips, I’m noticing more and more fresh apple juice, overripe apple, and cooked apple notes. The Beartooth Bittersweet offers a mellow mature flavor with a bit of softened leather to it. The finish is gentle and pleasant, but not overlong. The sparkle level is petillant rather than strongly bubbly.

I paired the Beartooth Bittersweet with a pasta dinner, but I think I’d do it differently next time. After trying this cider, I think it would be best paired with an asparagus and goat cheese quiche, maybe accompanied by a cucumber and tomato salad. I’d want to give the rich fruits something toasty and creamy to play against. And I’d like to fill in the acid level with the tomato in the salad. It’s a super Spring-friendly cider, and it would be a waste not use that. Cheers!

Cider Review: Blake’s Fido and Cidersmiths Harry Masters Jersey

I’ve been inundated with enough Thanksgiving messages to last me until 2025, so I suggest we take a break together and enjoy two very different and casual canned ciders before the madness of the holiday weekend begins in earnest.  

Let’s start with Blake’s Hard Cider Company’s Fido. This sample was shared with me for review from the Kinder Ciders line. This line is limited-edition ciders that each raise money for a different nonprofit. The Fido raises money for Pets for Patriots; that’s a charity that helps shelter pets and veterans find one another. (Big swoon for animal rescue charities!)  But first, here’s a little more info about Blake’s Hard Cider.

Blake’s Hard Cider is based on Armada, Michigan. The company is a third-generation family farm business. Now, the company has grown and makes many different ciders in several different lines. I’ve reviewed several Blake’s ciders before; check out earlier reviews for more background about Blake’s. 

Santa Rosa: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/02/cider-review-blakes-hard-ciders-santa.html

Beard Bender: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/11/thanksgiving-ciders-eves-ciderys.html

Apple Lantern: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/10/cider-reviews-blakes-hard-ciders-apple.html

Black Philip: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/04/cider-review-blakes-hard-cider-black.html

The Tonic: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/03/cider-review-blakes-hard-cider-companys.html

El Chavo: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/11/cider-review-blakes-hard-cider-companys.html

Wakefire:
http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/09/cider-review-blakes-hard-cider-companys.html

Snapdragon: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/11/cider-review-blakes-hard-ciders.html

Visit Blake’s online to learn about all of the ciders: https://www.blakeshardcider.com/

FIDO (Latin for faithfulness) is the second release in our #KinderCider series. Enjoy this hopped raspberry and grapefruit hard cider made in support of non-profits that pairs veterans and shelter animals.
6.8% ALC. BY VOL.

Appearance: brilliant, foamy, coral color

The color is almost warm enough to be in rose territory but instead it reminds me more of apricot or coral. It foams mightily when poured, but the head does whisk itself away. 

Aromas: Raspberry, ripe apple, hops, dusty

The Fido smells like fresh raspberry and ripe apples. Secondarily I get notes of hops, herbs and dust. I don't get much of the grapefruit as distinct from hops. 

Dryness/sweetness: Sweet

This is not necessarily sweeter than lots of other cider’s I’ve had and called semi sweet but the uplift of acidity I kept expecting in the finish just didn’t show up. Instead, this cider owns its sweetness and has a unique raspberry-centric finish.

Flavors and drinking experience: medium acid, no tannins, lots of fruit, nice sparkle

Fido fetches low to medium acidity. It would likely taste more like medium acidity depending on what cider you usually drink. Like many american ciders, I couldn’t taste much in the way of tannins, but that’s not really what this cider is going for. Let’s talk about that, because I do think this is a very successful cider at it’s own goals. 

Fido wants to please us with fresh fruit flavors, and it does. This cider is very fruity without ever tasting artificial, syrupy or sticky! Hooray!  I find it oh-so- very pleasantly bubbly. Something about the yeast characteristics feels just a little bit beer influenced, but I could be mis-attributing aroma associations with hops. That’s hard to say because the hops feel subtle and integrated into the overall experience. I'd love more voice for the grapefruit element as it does blend with the hops.  

It’s a gentle, sessionable cider that’s lots of fun. I had mine with extra toasty Cheeze-its, because I’m not always fancy. That was delightful.

Now for Cidersmiths’ Harry Masters Jersey I reached back into my vault of notes for a cider I enjoyed a while ago. 

Cidersmiths is based on Herefordshire (a major world center for cider) and was founded by Will Austin and Phillip Warren. Cidersmiths’ website makes the company’s identity very clear. They even use a numbered list to delineate their priorities. I’ll share them exactly how they appear online. 

At Cidersmiths we believe in three principles, it’s what makes great cider… 

1. Good cider is never made from concentrate, only from juice because it tastes way better. Fact.2. Knowing where our apples come from, what varieties are they, how are they grown?3. Cider should be made in a sustainable way that leaves our beautiful countryside just as we found it.

Visit the company’s site to learn more about all the ciders: http://www.cidersmiths.com/ 

The website also has a great section on tasting cider and language often used to describe cider. I decidedly enjoyed this casual take on a topic near and dear to my heart. 

http://www.cidersmiths.com/tasting-notes

And here’s how the company describes the Harry Masters Jersey: 

Made from the vintage bittersweet cider apple raised originally by Somerset nurseryman Harry Masters in the late 1800s, this is a medium blend cider with a refreshing and distinctive taste. As right for a summer’s day as a night on the tiles. ABV 4.5%

Appearance: bubbly, pale cool straw, brilliant

I honestly expected more color from this cider because of the apples, but it looks like many American ciders with that cool pale straw color, visible bubbles and brilliance. 

Aromas: acetic acid, farmy, funky

As I hoped, this does bring some funk! I enjoy the barn yard aroma at this level of intensity. It’s not a dirty smell, but I’m expecting some character to this cider. I also just a little volatile acidity that leads me to expect some wild tartness.

Dryness/Sweetness: Semi-sweet

This is a semi-sweet to sweet cider. The sweetness does very natural and apple-driven.

Flavors and drinking experience: leather, tea, mushy apple, UK style

There’s no mistaking this cider for something American once you taste it! This has the combination of truly soft apple flavors, sweetness, and worn leather notes that are quintessentially UK cider. It does have more bubble than some, and I love that! Lots of the flavors are fruity with just a hint of farminess. There are berry, grassy, and tropical notes here. 

I might wish for slightly higher tannins and acidity, but what’s here is perfectly pleasing. I had mine a few months ago on the screened in porch while watching my backyard on a summer evening.

Good luck this week, Cider friends!  

Cider Reviews: Blake's Hard Cider's Apple Lantern and Orchard Pig Reveller

It’s nearly Halloween, but I am not done with pumpkins, costumes, and horror movies! And I’m not done drinking autumnal ciders. This week I want to share one extra-seasonal choice and one traditional English cider, just to keep things balanced. I’m starting with my Halloween ready cider from Blake’s Hard Cider.  

I’ve reviewed several Blake’s ciders over the years of this blog. It’s a Michigan cider that makes many different ciders in broadly ranging styles. Here are links to all previous reviews. This range I think best introduces folks to what Blake’s Hard Cider is doing.

I’ve reviewed several Blake’s ciders over the years of this blog.

My first Blake’s cider was the El Chavo (habanero and mango) and it’s still a favorite: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/11/cider-review-blakes-hard-cider-companys.html

After a long wait, I finally got to taste the Black Philip(cranberry and blood orange): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/04/cider-review-blakes-hard-cider-black.html

I paired The Tonic (cucumber & ginger) with a meal of asian-inspired dishes: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/03/cider-review-blakes-hard-cider-companys.html

During Very Perry May 2017, I sampled the Grizzly Pear(pear, prickly pear cactus, & elderflower):
http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/05/very-perry-may-pt-5-e-z-orchards.html

Just about a year ago I shared the Snapdragon (rum raisins): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/11/cider-review-blakes-hard-ciders.html

Most recently, I tried the Wakefire (cider with sour cherries and orange peel): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/09/cider-review-blakes-hard-cider-companys.html

Find out more about the company by following this link to the Blake’s Hard Cider Company website: http://www.blakeshardcider.com/

I’m starting today with the Apple Lantern by Blake’s. Here’s the official description, “It's the season of campfires, sweaters & pumpkin carving. Experience the warming flavor of our handpicked apples balanced with the oven roasted richness of pumpkin. Refreshingly crisp & perfectly spiced our Apple Lantern brings you the taste of autumn that can only come from Blake's Orchard.”

Appearance: mandarin orange, almost still, brilliant

This cider looks very pumpkin indeed! The color is orange like the classic fall vegetable or like the flesh of mandarin orange. The clarity is brilliant. The cider looks like it might have a very low level of sparkle because of how few bubbles I can see.

Aromas: cooked apple, caramel, molasses, tropical fruit, woodsmoke

The Apple Lantern smells just perfect for its’ name in that it smells fruity, warm, and just a hint smoky. The cider smells like cooked apples or a ripe apple dipped in caramel; I think that’s the molasses coming out. My tasting companion smelled oakiness and wood smoke but more sweet than sharp. It definitely reminds me of fall and campfires with aroma notes that range from pineapple to marshmallow.

Sweetness/dryness: Sweet

This is a sweet dessert cider. It doesn’t pretend to be anything else. It’s luscious and confident in it’s sweetness. I think using molasses to provide both body and sweetness has a really lovely effect here.

Flavors and drinking experience: molasses, creamy, petillant

If you are even mildly amenable to sweet ciders, please try this! It isn’t the usual profile of a pumpkin cider; it doesn’t taste like pumpkin pie spices but like richness, vanilla, custard and molasses. The Apple Lantern is intensely pleasing with its long finish and gentle bubbles.

There’s something so seasonal about the notes of burnt sugar and cooked fruit. The roastiness of pumpkin really comes through. It’s not really high acidity or very tannic, but it has a thick mouthfeel; everything about this cider is just creamy and rich. It isn’t cloying, but it’s straight up dessert.

Now, back to my summer trip to Scotland where I was lucky enough to eat dinner at a place serving Orchard Pig cider on Draught. Orchard Pig is a Somerset cider company. Though the company was started in the early 2000s, the affiliated orchard, West Bradley Orchards can trace its history back to the 1850s! To this American, that’s pretty impressive.

I’ve had this cider before, but it was part of a whirlwind of ciders experienced at the Euston Tap, so I only got a mini review: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/06/along-came-cider-goes-to-england-pt-3.html

Read more about Orchard Pig here: https://www.orchardpig.co.uk

Here’s the official description, “Reveller is a celebration of Somerset! The generous
apple aroma draws you into a crisp, refreshing cider with a tangy note
of freshly squeezed lime in the finish. The gentle sparkle enhances the
flavours giving a light, moreish cider – less bubbles means more apples…” 4.5% ABV.

Appearance: brilliant, warm straw, fine visible bubbles

This is a lovely cider. It had a familiar warm straw color though not as orange and intense as some UK ciders get. I don’t seen any cloudiness and only a few bubbles in a ring around the top of the glass and in a little continent on the cider's surface.

Aromas: ripe apples, bready, clean, nectarines

This fresh and bright cider smells like ripe apples and nectarines. It has a warm and clean breadiness to it that’s very friendly and inviting.

Sweetness/dryness: semi-sweet

I’d call this cider semi sweet in a particularly fruity and approachable way. 

Flavors and drinking experience: high acidity, apply, tannic finish

The Reveller tastes as bright and appley as it smelled. The notes of nectarines, grapes and other clean fresh fruits certainly remain. This semi-sweet cider is highly acidic, especially for a Somerset cider. Though I may risk shocking some folks, I would almost call the Reveller influenced by some characteristics of American ciders. It just has that nice tannic finish that comes from cider apples.

The fruity warmth comes through best in big drinks. I enjoy the pleasant, tannic aftertaste, and I’m glad the ABV is only 4.5% because this is easy drinking. I call this cider balanced, approachable, and fun! I had this cider with vegan macaroni and cheese on one of the last nights of my trip and it was perfect with a rich mild dish like a creamy pasta.

I would recommend both of these ciders even though they are sweeter than my usual preference. The Reveller is fun and balanced while the Apple Lantern is just decadent. Yum!

Cider Revew: Kurant Earth and Weston Cider's Stowford Press

We had rain all day today and I loved it. Last week’s heat is gone, and I could even get out in my yard to work on the autumnal clean-up tasks. But enough about that. The real new is that apple season has arrived where I live. I can buy this year’s local fresh apples again! And it means that cider makers are super busy preparing for and starting harvest season. I even joined an apple CSA with a dear friend (from amazing orchard and apple power orchard Black Diamond Farms: https://www.incredapple.com/). As much as I love cider, I also adore eating apples. So, I’m going to enjoy this season wholeheartedly.

And before we get too far into Fall, I want to taste a few more of my hopped ciders including Kurant’s Earth. 

Kurant is a Philadelphia based cidery. I ran across Kurant ciders when I judged the Pennsylvania Farm Show last year. I was able to snag a few cans for review then. 

Read all about the cidery on the website: http://www.kurantcider.com/

You can read a little more background about the company in my first coverage of Kurant. I reviewed Kurant’s Spice back in July: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/07/cider-review-citizen-ciders-wood-and.html

Here’s the official description.

Earth 

We take a crisp blend of fermented apple juice and dry hop it just before packaging using 100% Mosaic hops sourced from the western United States.  The Mosaic hops add a light citrus and melon character on top of the crisp notes found in the juice blend.  The hop character is light and not overpowering.  By using a dry hopping technique, only the hop flavor and aromas are infused into the cider.  Don't be afraid to try Earth even if you aren't usually a hop head. Available in 12oz cans in cases or 4 packs at local retailers.

PAIRINGS:  Grilled White Fish, Sauteed Shrimp, Pulled Pork 

ABV:  5.8%       SWEETNESS:  Dry

Appearance: sunny, hazy, no bubble

This cider has an intensity to its sunny yellow color that I attribute partly to the slight haze in this cider. It isn’t brilliant; most hopped ciders aren’t. I don’t see anything in the way of bubbles though.

Smells freshly appley then clean soapy hops grass grapefruit bubble gum and green pepper

Sweetness/dryness: dry

As promised, this cider is dry.

Flavors and drinking experience: green, bitter, clean

The Earth tastes Bitter, green, and clean. This cider has a light mouthfeel and some notes are cucumber-y. The finish has a fast fade. I find this cider so pleasant. It dodges some of the issues that a hopped cider can have. It’s piney and green without being soapy or sweaty. The Earth is totally confident and enjoyable; it knows exactly how to be a dry, hopped cider. I can appreciate that.

The Earth’s acid is exceedingly well integrated into the overall taste experience. It has low tannins, but I didn’t really expect any. What does linger is an intriguing green pepper note. Overall I find this cider quite refreshing and exhilarating.

You'll have to forgive the thistle wallpaper picture. It was a lovely detail in this pub and getting good cider pictures in pub lighting isn't easy!

Weston’s Cider owns and or makes a number of well-known cider brands in England, but this is my first review of anything by Weston’s. I’m surprised! I’ve been drinking these ciders for years, but I’ve never reviewed: Old Rosie, Mortimer’s Orchard, Henry Westons, or until today Stowford Press. 

Read about all these brands online: https://www.westons-cider.co.uk/ciders/#

I tried the Stowford Press most recently when travelling in Scotland this past July. I had it at a pub in Edinburgh.

Here is a lot of information on the Stowford Press from Westons.

Stowford Press combines century-old traditions with a flavour designed to appeal to more modern tastes.
Stowford Press began its life as one of our traditional cider blends, originally called ‘Vat 53’; the name of the oak vat that the liquid was matured in. It was over 30 years ago that the recipe was carefully crafted into a refreshing medium dry cider and today, Stowford Press is one of our best sellers.

Their descriptions continue with a brief guide

See: Pale straw, bright and luminousSmell: A fruity aroma, developed during the slow maturation periodTaste: A refreshing medium-dry sparkling cider that is bursting with the delicious flavour of crisp cider apples

And then sweetness was represented on a scale of 5 with this being a 2. 

Appearance: brilliant, lacey mousse, straw

The color reminds me more of many American ciders rather than most Englishe ones. The color is more yellow and less orange. It’s a straw color. The cider is brilliant and poured with a lacey mousse.

Aromas: dried fruit, hay, funky, bready

This cider has so many of the smells I really emjoy. The Stowford Press smells leathery, farmy, and funky. Notes include hay, dried fruit (most specifically orange and apple) and bread. This is classic British tannic cider smells. My mouth was watering as soon as I sniffed it.

Dryness/Sweetness: semi-sweet

This could be described by the English category Medium or Medium Sweet, but in the states most folks would cast it as a Semi-sweet.

Flavors and drinking experience: smoky, cooked fruit, tannic, low acid
The Stowford Press stays as true to mainstream English style in flavor as it did in aromas. This cider is low acid, medium high tannins, and petillant rather than strongly sparkling. I got notes of maple, cooked apple, mandarin orange, and smoky bacon. 

Everything about this cider is soft and round. I’m thinking in particular of the low acid and softer tannins when I write that. It has night mouthfeel and the low abv was easy to note. It was also astoundingly easy to drink.  Yum!

Cider Review: Lyme Bay Cider Company's Jack Ratt Vintage Dry

As much as I loved writing up my cider travels in Vermont last week, I'm ready to return even more to my cider roots. For me that means english cider, so today I'm sharing my review of Lyme Bay Cider Company's Jack Ratt Vintage Dry

YOu can find out about all of the ciders and wines made by Lyme Bay Winery on the website here: https://www.lymebaywinery.co.uk/

Here's how Lyme Bay Cider Co. presents the brand: 

The UK has the highest per-capita consumption of cider of any country in the world, so it’s no surprise that here at Lyme Bay we are passionate about keeping the skill of West Country cidermaking alive. 

We use nothing but the freshly pressed juice of locally grown, traditional cider apple varieties such as Dabinett, Kingston Black and Yarlington Mill to produce a quality range of real, full-flavoured ciders. We are very proud that our Jack Ratt Scrumpy Cider, Jack Ratt Vintage Cider and Lyme Bay Sparkling Cider have all won numerous awards.

I admit that when I saw the unusually shaped bottle on a shelf in Lizard in Cornwall, I was more than halfway sold already. That, plus the name, and I knew I had to carry this little bottle back to New York and hope it delivered. I did look up what the company says about this cider, so as to know just a little about my choice. The cider's page on the website describes it as, "Still, full bodied, filtered strong cider in a traditional 1ltr glass flagon. Store upright."

and even more intriguingly they list its awards and put a quote (sadly un-cited) that gave me even higher hopes, "This smells of old fashioned Scrumpy, but it's clearly filtered & has been brought forward with modern techniques. It's just gorgeous- it’s got a lightness a refinement, yet it’s not lost any of it's heritage." High praise indeed, but I wish I knew where it came from! 

Anyhow, enough anticipation. Time for the cider itself. 

Appearance: hazy dark copper red, opaque

I have to note that when we got to the bottom of the bottle, this was maybe the single most opaque cider I’ve ever seen. I hate to call it cloudy because the opacity was so consistent. This cider is deep mahogany red. I saw almost no bubbles.

Aromas: Caramel, Leather, Wood, Raisin

 This cider offers up a soft caramel smell, with a nice round, easy gently sour lactic note. I'm guessing it underwent a malo-lactic fermentation. It also smells highly tannic in a way that suggests both wood and the barest hints of metal.

Dryness/sweetness: semi-dry

This cider defies the sweet/dry spectrum as I typically experience it. The cider is called dry, but it doesn't taste dry, but neither does it taste sweet. You'll have to read on to find how it registers instead.

Flavors and drinking experience: still, highly tannic, low acid

Like many of my favorite english ciders, the Jack Ratt is still and extremely tannic. But that's not all it is. I found this cider very mellow and raisiny with an enjoyable and surprising tongue drying action. The Jack Ratt reminds me of a tea made from leather, sweetened with flowers. It also only brings low levels of acid. The cider is anything but cloying.

Bigger swigs bring out a mineral flavor, a little sourness, and some spiciness! I also taste just a hint of olive brine, but its pretty under control. The cider has a surprisingly clean finish, maybe owing to its not too thick mouthfeel. I like it! A lot! The cider brings many of my favorite qualities of english cider while maintaining enough difference to be distinct.

I found the Jack Ratt extremely enjoyable and more than mildly decadent. It goes well with highly flavored savory food: my cider sharer and I had roasted veggies, sharp cheese, a homemade lemon aoli, and hummus, and it cuts them pretty ideally.