#PickCider Review: Austin Eastciders' Blood Orange

Bonus review this week just to help us count down to July 4th! I want to highlight as many summer ciders as possible, so we can all #pickcider for the upcoming holiday.

Here are my previous special Summer #PickCider reviews.

Citizen Cider's Companion: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/06/pickcider-review-citizen-ciders.html

Mainiac Blueberry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/06/pickcider-review-of-rickers-hard-cider.html

Gumption's Citrus Freak: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/06/pickcider-review-of-gumption-hard.htmlToday's review is Austin Eastciders' Blood Orange. 

This review marks my first taste of Austin Eastciders, and my first experience of cider with orange included, so I'm pretty excited to taste something doubly new. Again, an aside, This was shared with me as a review sample. This doesn't ever change how I interpret a cider.

https://austineastciders.com/

The official description reads, "We blended blood oranges from Italy with bittersweet heirloom apples to create a cider with a zesty twist. With just the right amount of sweet and citrus flavors, our Blood Orange Cider is sure to brighten your day." 5% ABV

The other fascinating feature on the page about this cider is a simple mixed drink recipe designed to use this exact cider. It's called The Bigger Better Cider and its worth a trip to the website just to check this out. 

https://austineastciders.com/products/blood-orange-cider

I took a can of this cider to a casual wedding reception, just so I could get in a review with some awesome summer party food pairings. Congrats again Sarah and Mara! The beautiful table decorations were a bonus.

Appearance: Cloudy, sunny orange, ring of small bubbles

This is one of the more cloudy ciders I've seen from the United States. As the photo shows, the color is a fun sunny orange and the only visible bubbles ring the glass at the cider's surface.

Aromas: champagne, mimosa, orange, wood

The Blood Orange smells like apple, orange, wood. Not like orange juice, but instead with a slightly champagne-esque note. Pleasant.

Sweetness/dryness: sweet but after an initial zing of bitter

I love the action in this sweetness curve. The Blood Orange pops with a gentle hit of citrusy bitter that soon mellows into easy honeyed sweetness.

Flavors and drinking experience: sweet, peppery, lots of orange, fruity

The first note is bitter and black peppery, and that quickly gives way to sweetness that lingers pleasantly. High acid but the acid is citric, not malic. My tongue puckers a bit. A long aftertastes that reminds me of Orangina.No tannins, despite the bitterness. Manages to be both crisp and warm in its taste. 

This cider is only mildly bubbly. I'm starting to think this is a feature of ciders in cans. Can other canned cider drinkers weigh in on this? 

Overall,  my impressions centered around this cider as sweet, very blood orange and pleasantly complicated by the hint of  bitter and peppery spice.

For pairings, I had this with so many good foods! I had pesto pasta, fresh green salad with pomegranate seeds, Thai-style summer rolls, brie and watermelon. And then cinnamon sugar popcorn and wedding cake. There were so many amazing summer party foods at this wedding potluck! Of those, I really liked the Blood Orange with the summer roll and peanut dipping sauce. Something about sweet citrus plus rice paper, tofu and veggies was out of this world!

As an aside, I feel like I have to share a funny video inspired by my friend Jonathan Honefinger. He makes sommeliers try Malort and captures their reactions. At this reception, I spied a bottle of Malort. Curiousity won the day. Or perhaps the Malort did.

Watch and see...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYFz4pKclyA

Cider Review: Craigies Irish Cider Dalliance 2012

The time has come in my cider calendar to seek out the ciders I think will taste darker, richer, and more tannic. Though technically it is still fall, and our weather in Ithaca has been suspiciously mild, once we're past Thanksgiving to my my mind winter is here. So, to the winter ciders I go. For the most part between now and spring I'll go looking for the many ways a cider can suit this darker colder time of year.

That means that tonight I'm sharing my notes on something by Craigies Irish Cider. I found their Dalliance 2012 locally.

I had not heard anything about the company before seeing the bottle, so before opening it, I found their website: http://www.craigiescider.ie/

 

In my reading there, I found out a few things about the company. This seems to be their primary introduction, very focused on place and apples, "7 varieties, 6 growers, 5 counties: 100% Irish. From seed to tree and from soil to season our aim is to express the unique characteristics of Ireland’s magnificent apple orchards. No added water, no added sugar, just pure apple juice, passionately crafted into fine, complex ciders." I have no argument with either their method or their resulting goal of ciders with character and complexity. 

Looking deeper, I was able to find more specifics on Craigies goals and practices.

Craigies only use Irish apples, sourced from dedicated growers in counties Waterford, Tipperary, Cork and Kilkenny. The team at Craigies believe that Irish cider achieves its greatest complexity and expression as a blend and that each apple should reflect its regional origins as well as its specific fruit characteristics. Craigies also strongly believe that their ciders should reflect the year in which the fruit was grown and so only produce vintage ciders. Over the years Craigie have developed close links with the apple growers and select from individually chosen orchards.

I love the notion of cider vintages, and I wish current United States regulations allowed the listing of vintages on ciders. Interestingly, Craigies makes a point to describe their ciders as not only gluten free (which is typical) but also vegan. Hey! Animal free people rejoice! 

 

What charms me most on the website is the individual descriptions of many of the individuals involved in the compny, their relevant backgrounds (frequently in the wine world) and their current role with the company. This kind of detail gives the impression that they appreciate the skills and talents of these folks which makes me more inclined to think well of them as a company. Simple but true.

 

The cider of theirs I'm reviewing is their Dalliance from 2012. On the bottle, it describes a secret three apple blend. Intringuing indeed, but a little digging online revealed that blend to be: 60% Falstaff, 30% Elstar, and 10% Jonagold. I only know Jonagold of the three, so I'm pretty excited to taste apples I don't know. 

 

This same source of detailed information also describes the vintage information: "2012 was a very difficult vintage with a wet spring resulting in a very poor flowering. Summer continued to be cool and wet although conditions improved in the month of September."

 

And the process of production, 

Each variety was harvested separately, brought to the farm and then milled. The pulp was pressed and the resulting juice was allowed to settle for 24 hour before being racked into fermenting tanks. Alcoholic fermentation lasted for three weeks with malolactic fermentation taking place in spring 2013. The ciders were then allowed to rest on their fine lees for 15 months before being blended and bottled in 2014.

Finally, after all of this preparation and context Craigies gives some tasting notes, "Dalliance is pale straw in color with aromas of fresh green and red apples and fennel. It is light bodied and has refreshing acidity. The finish is very long and the overall impression is more like a sparkling white wine than a cider." 

 

Hrm, I love some wine like characteristics in my ciders, but that seems awfully vague. Sparkling white wines can take on as many forms as a cider.

 

Appearance: hazy, the color of home cooked applesauce, no bubbles

 

To look at this cider in the glass is to immediately separate it from most North American ciders. It looks so much more still and hazy than most ciders made near here. I do not see almost any visible bubbles. Instead this appearance is far more about soft richness implied by the haze applesauce color.

 

Aromas: green apples, pear, stone, grapefruit, very bright and sweet

Oh my goodness, I love how this smells! I get apples and pears and peaches all over the place. It also has citrus notes like grapefruit. My one worry based on the bright fruitiness of this smell is that this might taste more sweet than I like. There's an easy way to find that out!

Dryness/sweetness: Semi-dry/semi-sweet

This cider is not as sweet as its aromas implied to me. And I am so pleased! There are a lot of flavors in the cider beyond the fruit notes apparent in the aromas. Yet it isn't dry or bitter or astringent either. I'd call this a fairly sweet semi-dry, or a fairly dry semi-sweet. Very moderate in terms of sweetness.

Flavors and drinking experience: powdery, citrus, leather, mild and balanced

Whoa. The aromas did not adequately prepare me! Complex indeed. It tastes  powdery, leathery and very citrusy. I'd say its not bourbon-y or barrel-y in its leatheryness, but I find it pleasantly and calmly musky. I get sparkles of bright pear and grapefruit that taste like they're floating above the leathery taste. The Dalliance offers gentle bubbles; more petillant than truly sparkling. When I take bigger sips, the ciders gives cocoa notes. 

This tastes really lovely, but subdued despite its high acidity. It is not really like a lot of British isles cider, but a little like Shane's in Penzance. I love how the malo-lactic fermentation brings in a creamy mouthfeel and hints of fresh mozzerella. Craigies rounds out in a gentle lingering finish.

I'd have this with a mushroom tart or fisherman's pie. Bring in richness to  balance the acid with whatever you choose to pair it with and you'll not go wrong. This is a lovely cider; consider me impressed. I look forward to trying the 2013 vintage when I see it. I wonder how different they will be. 

Cider Review: Original Sin Hard Cider's Premium Apple Cider

Lately, I've been a very social creature, and this means going out to restaurants and bars with friends for conversation and merriment. Fun, yes? Yes! But, this isn't always easy for the dedicated cider drinker. I don't always have any cider option at all, or if I do there will be between one and three very familiar choices. For two of my recent escapades, I've had the option of Original Sin Cider and I've chosen it. It amazes me actually that I've not yet reviewed their flagship cider because it is frequently my favorite option when I go out. A restaurant served it to me in a bottle and a local institution of a bar poured mine from their tap. So, my notes for this particular review come from both bottled and draft versions of Original Sin Cider.

Original Sin's official Brand Description gives the briefest of overviews of their history and priorities as a company, "Original Sin is a critically acclaimed cider launched in 1997. From day one we’ve been committed to producing premium quality cider using the finest ingredients. Original Sin contains no artificial flavors or colors allowing the natural qualities of the apple to speak for itself."  What this does not detail is the really interesting New York City and New York State connections of the company or its unique brand identity largely shaped by the graphic design by R. Black. You can read more about these elements and other at Original Sin's website: http://www.origsin.com/.

A while ago I did review their Newtown Pippin: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/02/cider-review-newtown-pippin.html and their Elderberry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/09/cider-review-original-sin-elderberry.html It feels like an oversight at this point not to have reviewed a cider that I drink regularly and that is far more available than many of the ciders I try. Folks can buy Original Sin in more than 30 states in the U.S.

I do with that Original Sin's official cider description gave me a bit more to work with, but here's what it says, "Dry Traditional cider, fermented with two types of Champagne yeast." I'm glad to hear about the yeast varieties. Traditional is not really a useful term at this point in American cider. Anyhow, on the review!

Appearance: brilliant, straw, lots of fairly active bubbles

I can't see it very well when this cider is served in the bottle, so I saved my photos for its appearance on tap. The color is a classic pale straw. Completely brilliant. Plenty of bubbles that are fairly fine and very active in the glass.

Aroma: cooked apples, sweetness, yeast, vanilla

What I can smell most strongly is exactly baked apple. Secondarily I can detect a blendy smell of yeast and vanilla. The overall impression is very much like a bakery! On some sniffs I could detect a tiny chemical after smell, Alex thought a touch vinegar, but to me it was a bit more bleachy. Overall definitely a sweet smell.

Sweetness: Semi-sweet to sweet

Much less sweet than the smell would imply. Oddly enough the sweetness of this cider seemed to vary for me based on vessel from which I quaffed it. From the bottle, I'd call it a semi-sweet but from a pint glass it tasted more sweet. Perhaps that could also have to do with having the bottled Original Sin with fish and chips or with super salty popcorn which was how I enjoyed my pint glass. I also totally acknowledge that my tastes have gone pretty extreme in terms of finding nearly everything either sweet or semi-sweet. It is a flaw in my personal calibration. Oh well.

Flavors and drinking experience: clean, balanced, low tannins, low acidity, green walnuts

This is a mass-market cider which means that crazy levels of tannins or acidity are just not part of the picture. What's great about it though is that this cider is smooth and balanced and clean. I also love that the smell and the taste offer two very  It somehow reminds me of greenness and pleasantly under-ripe fruit. It has a freshness like that to it. Very clean finish with hints of bitter apple skins, most of the sweetness is on the initial taste after which it backs off. I am reminded of green grapes and green walnuts, but nothing too sharp.

As if it wasn't apparent by now, this is my preferred bar cider. I don't really buy it to drink at home; that's where I imbibe my rare and exotic pretties. But, this is my top choice when I'm out and meeting friends, playing games, or eating salty bar snacks. That is exactly what this cider was designed for, and it does the job very very well.

Cider Review: Naked Flock Original (and a link)

Naked Flock is Jonathan Hull’s small line of Hudson Valley ciders. The company uses only local apples from the Hudson Valley region of New York State.  The ciders come 3 varieties Original, Draft and Pumpkin. I’ve seen Original and Draft, but sadly I’ve het to see the Pumpkin in stores.  A quote from Hull on the website makes his priorities apparent: "We don't add water or grape spirits, flavorings or colorants and that's why when you open it and you smell it you get a big Apple nose. It gives it a look and feel that sets it apart from the competition." What also sets the cider apart in my mind is their very unique cartoon bottle art, featuring barrel-clad fowl and a confused minister along with the more typical apple-laden trees. The website tells the full story behind the name and the art.

Here’s the official description of the Original, the cider that I’m reviewing today, “The Original Cider is fermented with Champagne yeast and sweetened with a touch of local honey.” I’ve tasted several ciders that use honey at this point, and it isn’t always my favorite source of sweetness, but we’ll see. The ABV is listed as 6.8%.

Color and appearance: almost greenish yellow, just off clear, no visible bubbles

Though this cider isn’t perfectly clear, it isn’t near to cloudiness. No head, no sediment. The color is bright and light and sunny.

Aroma: grape, minerals, flour

Very gentle smell. The Naked Flock Orginal’s predominant aroma is white grapes. The flour and minerals combine easily with the grape smell to remind me of slightly dusty green grapes. Pleasant, but not strong.

Sweet-dry scale: sweet

The Naked Flock Original tastes sweet in a decidedly apple-y way. It tastes light and bright along with the sweetness. That keeps this cider from becoming sticky or heavy. Grapes, apples, and very wet fruits characterize the sweetness. Even so, it may be too sweet for some fans of craft ciders.

Drinking experience and flavors: bread, apples, easy

The most dominant element of the experience for me is how easy drinking it is. The cider is only lightly carbonated. The flavors are well balanced though not challenging. As the cider maker describes his own beverage, apples are the predominant flavor.

Finish:  sweet fruits and peanut

The finish surprises me more than any other facet of this cider in that a full two seconds after the drinking is done, I am reminded of the deep south delicacy boiled peanuts. It is earthy, tasty, and unusual. Frankly, I’m glad because otherwise this cider might suffer a bit from a lack of strong characteristics.

Pairs with: pancakes or waffles

At the risk of sounding strange, I want to call this a breakfast cider. Mind you, I didn’t have mine first thing in the morning, but I could easily see it tasting delicious with many breakfast foods. Drink it with pancakes and cooked apples, yoghurt and granola, or even a savoury omlette. It is a light cider in a way that seems more right for breakfast foods more than pastas or casseroles. Make of that what you will.

The cider comes in 22oz bottles, a good size for sharing. Whether or not you decide to take up ciders with breakfast, this is a tasty sweet cider. I’m curious to try the draft since it is described as drier, but this one certainly has its place in the cider world. 

 

Last but not least, I really want to share a link to one of my Twitter friends: American Hard Cider. This website is a really nicely put together directory of American cider makers and cideries with clear indications of their locations. If you want to go cider exploring in the states, this is a great starting place: American Hard Cider Directory.

Cider Review Commonwealth Cider Traditional Dry

 

Based out of Philadelphia, the Commonwealth Cider Traditional Dry is a relatively new cider attempt from the Philadelphia Brewing Company. I got to taste it because I have good friends in Philadelphia who want to share local things with me, and I'm quite grateful.

This is my review of their Traditional Dry. Their website describes it as “a very dry, crisp, easy drinking and delicately balanced cider.  It is wonderfully tart and effervescent with a light apple fragrance.” We’ll see how it tastes to me. I'm always curious about how different companies interpret their own ciders on the sweet/dry scale.

ABV: 5%

Color: clear topaz

Some steady thin streams of bubbles. No head but a ring of bubbles formed around the edges of the glass.

Aroma: bread, yeast, raisins with apple

The scent is sweeter than the taste. The scent is not unlike that of the Doc's Draft, with an aura of pastry.

Flavors: beer-like cider, mineral notes

In some ways this Commonwealth Cider is like a more intense Strongbow. Like how I remember it tasting, rather than how it tastes to me now. It is a bit textural. Not quite rough.  It is a perfectly satisfying semi-dry beer-inspired cider.

Drinking experience: This cider has loads of carbonation.

It keeps reminding me of beer! The carbonation levels are indeed strong, and the mineral notes dominate any fruitiness. A summery beverage.

Sweet to dry: semi-dry to dry

Not the most outstanding flavor profile, but a when the company promises crisp and effervescent, they deliver.  I can imagine that this works well in warm weather or when someone wants to enjoy a beverage that will not distract from a meal. For Strongbow fans, it is a clear winner.