Cider Review: Sea Cider Farm and Ciderhouse's Pippins

I don't actually get to taste very many ciders from Canada even though the border isn't that far away. I always get excited about anything new and out of the ordinary, so picking up this bottle of Sea Cider when traveling to San Francisco was an easy choice. I've heard about Sea Cider Farm and Ciderhouse for years, but this is the first time they've been reviewed here. 

For a bit about the cidery, Sea Cider joined the Canadian cider scene in 2007. Sea Cider is a farm and cidery on Vancouver Island, in Western Canada, growing more than 50 varieties of organically-grown heritage apples. They have a tasting room open to share cider and tours year round. I've heard great things, and many of their ciders are covered in medals from GLINTCAP and other cider competitions.

I love that Sea Cider has an explicitly stated mission, “Sociability, sustainability, and community involvement have been the three pillars of Sea Cider’s business philosophy and mission.” And what a lovely one at that.

Here's a link to the website where you can read more about them: http://seacider.ca                         
The official description of Pippins reads, 

Pippins is a “sharp” style cider, thanks to the Yellow Newton Pippin apples we use and cool fermentation from champagne yeast. Off-dry and chapitalized to 9.5%, it is an example of a New England style of cider that was meant to be as strong and robust as North America’s pioneers. Pippins features pineapple and confectionery notes, and is incredibly food friendly. It fits just about every occasion and its crisp bite will pair perfectly with everything from steak and salad to spicy curries. 9.5% ABV.

Let me just draw attention to that higher than usual ABV and suggest pouring this one is a more wine-like serving size.  

Appearance: radiant, bright, jewelers brass

This cider shines. I forget sometimes the difference between a transparent cider and a truly brilliant one until I see something like this. The radiance is enticing. I could see many bubbles in the clarity.

Aromas: overripe apples, vinous, vanilla, spices

This smells dusty, vinous, and apply. Aromas include caramel, baking spices, and vanilla. The overall impression is boozy, barreled, powered overripe apples. Based on the aromas, I anticipate that this cider will be very tart indeed and on the drier side of off-dry.

Sweetness/dryness: Semi dry

I was misled by the tartness in the aroma! This is a semi-dry cider but not as dry as I expected at all. The sweetness is very natural: all apples. There's more going on though than either the sweetness or dryness of this cider.

Flavors and drinking experience: complex, rich, fruity, tart

I found Pippins complex and sweeter than the smell had prepared me for. Though the description doesn't include it, something about both the aromas and the flavors struck me as barrel related. That could be the higher than usual ABV, but more likely the richness, vanilla, and maple notes that accompany the fruit. Pippins offers up high acid, as described but that was less striking to me than the balanced maple finish. 

So much about this cider was warm, pleasant, rich, and more than simple. It reminded me of some white wines in its weight and fermented fruit esters. The mouthfeel was full and satisfying. The texture was crisply bubbly. I so enjoyed drinking it.

I had this cider with fantastic homemade black-bean burritos. Perhaps not the most predictable combination for a Canadian cider, but the sweetness of corn and beans was absolutely delightful with the richness of the cider. I'd absolutely recommend this pairing to anyone. 

Cider Review: Dunkerton's Dry Organic Cider

Today, I miss my times in England, so  I’m sharing my thoughts on Dunkertons Dry Organic Cider. Though I've spent parts of summer, winter, and one whole spring there, I've never seen apple season in Somerset, Herefordshire, or anyplace outside of the United States. I think that comes from spending most of my thinking years thus far in school or heavily involved in U. S. cider seasons. I'll dream of it for a future year, and while I do, I'll break out one of my English Ciders.

For my non-UK readers, I found out some background from their importer Winesellers Limited who were kind enough to share this cider with me:

The Dunkerton Cider Mill is set in the ancient parish of Pembridge, an area of farmland, woods and hedgerows, where medieval half timbered villages meet the stone market towns of Wales. Dunkertons history reaches back to 1980 when Ivor and Susie Dunkerton made the decision to escape London and buy a small holding in Herefordshire. The unique blending method uses traditional varieties of organic cider apples and pears grown on estate owned orchards. Only the finest tasting traditional varieties of certified organic apples and pears are sourced. It is this careful selection of fruit that gives our drinks the delicate and aromatic characteristics required to be award winning.

I have reviewed one beverage by Dunkertons previously. I featured their Organic Perry in week two of Very Perry May: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/05/very-perry-may-pt-2-woodchuck.html

Find out more online at the Dunkertons website: https://www.dunkertonscider.co.uk/

The official description for the Dry Organic reads as follows. 

An offering of a drier, crisper blended cider for the connoisseur, or more adventurous enthusiast. Sharp, crisp and to the point. This cider is definitely one for the cider connoisseur, or more adventurous enthusiast. Sharp, crisp and to the point. Pours with a red hued gold with a very slight haze. This cider is full-bodied with a short-lived fizz from a light carbonation leading to a slightly sparkling drier cider with a rustic cider apple feel. 6.9% ABV.

And a bit more from the importer, “Moderately strong aromas of toffee with hints of farmhouse/blue cheese character. Tannins from the bittersweet varieties balance the fruit flavors of freshly picked apples, honey, and wisps of smoke. Full bodied with a carbonation that makes a strong first impression before finishing with a clean dryness.”

I was also able to find a partial list of apples in the Organic Dry: Brown Snout, Sheeps Nose, Foxwhelp, Kingston Black, Yarlington Mill. The fact sheet describes them as “varieties that are centuries old, many going back to Celtic times.”

Appearance: dark tea, hazy, few visible bubbles

This lovely cider appears very true to style. I don’t see many bubbles and the color is nearly that of a slightly clarified un-fermented cider. Its warm and tea like in hue. The opacity is hazy rather than a full cloudy or transparent.

Aromas: Sweet warmed leather, overripe apples, salt water

What delightful smells. I get sweet warmed leather, overripe apples and something between clean ocean water and salt water taffy. Those richly  warmed overripe apple notes promise richness and tannins ahead.

Sweetness/dryness: dry!

This cider is unmistakably dry! There's more going on, but the dryness is a pronounced presence. 

Flavors and drinking experience: Dry, tannic, medium acid, 

Yowsers! This is so dry and tannic that its level of bitterness provoked one of my co-tasters to call it rude! I'd not go that far, but this is a cheeky cider that swells in the mouth! Unlike many dry english ciders, this one has medium acid to go with those Hiiiiiigh tannins. The aromas bring richness, but this one is not for beginners. The drinking experience like getting mildly whacked in the head but somehow in a nice pleasant way.

The level of sparkle is important to the drinking experience. It isn't an overwhelmingly strong bubble, but it lifts and lightens the flavors pleasantly. The flavors just keep unfurling across my palate! What an experience!

I'd pair this cider with a sturdy creamy soup: leek and carrot or perhaps a sweet corn chowder. It was a lovely bit of brazen cider bravado, and I look forward to drinking it again. 

Cider Review: Doc's Draft Gold Rush Cider and GLINTCAP is open for entries

Good day all. I feel like after some of my cider adventuring, it is time to come back home as it were and review a New York state cider, so I finally got to open up my bottle of Doc's Draft Gold Rush Cider. Also, if you've got any curiousity about cider competitions, after the view, I'll be posting a bit about the largest Cider and Perry competition in the world: GLINTCAP!

Here the website for Warwick Valley Winery and Distillery which not only talks about their cider but also their other beverages and all the happening at their tasting complex: http://www.wvwinery.com/

If you just want to read about cider, you can read about a few of their varieties here: http://www.wvwinery.com/cider/ 

I have actually reviewed six ciders by Doc's Draft before! They make a numver of specialty ciders and interesting fruit blends, and their releases always show up for sale in my area. In case you'd like to see the previous reviews, here's a the full list.

Hard Apple: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/01/cider-review-docs-draft-hard-apple-cider.html

Dry Hopped: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/07/cider-review-docs-draft-hopped-cider.html

Cranberry spice: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/05/cider-review-docs-draft-cranberry-spice.html

Pumpkin: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/10/cider-review-docs-draft-pumpkin-hard.html

Cassis: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/05/cider-review-docs-draft-hard-cassis.html

Peach: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/04/cider-review-docs-draft-peach-hard.html

The Doc's Draft website does not list their Gold Rush Cider. The only information I was able to find came from the back of the bottle. That reads, "Crafted from 100% organic goldrush apples, Doc's Gold rush is fermented using the traditional keeving method which makes a sold cool fermentation over a 6 month period of time. The result is an aromatic flavor with a hint of residual sweetness."

Keeving might be a pretty unfamiliar term, even for some cider lovers. It basically means reducing the nutrients in juice to slow a fermentation down and leave some perceivable sweetness in the cider naturally even after a complete fermentation. If you want to read more about keeving as a fermenation process, I highly recommend checking this page out: http://www.cider.org.uk/keeving.html.

Enough background, time for Doc's Draft Gold Rush Cider!

Appearance: brilliant, plenty of visible bubbles, 

The Gold Rush cider is a true brilliant light straw color that's great for showing off visible bubbles.

Aromas: green grapes, tart fresh apples, wine, and brown paper

The Gold Rush smells like green grapes, wine, tart fresh apples (thin, high fruit acid plus low dusty russet), a hint of brown paper or leather

Sweetness/dryness: off-dry

Huh, I expected more sweetness from a keeved cider. Perhaps I was wrong to expect that, but this cider is off dry in a way that I associate with many other fermentation methods.

Flavors and drinking experience: green fruit, high acid, lingering

At first, it's pleasant and maybe even a little sweet, then it twists into a raw, vegetal, VERY high acid peak. Gold Rush lingers all through the mouth and throat, and the finish surprised me with hints of carrots!  The cider is off dry with medium tannins. I got lots of zesty lime and green twig  flavor.  This plays off of hints of underripe apple and strawberry flavors

The Gold Rush is a summer cider for sure because its so refreshing and tart as to make me feel colder. Small sips give pleasant bright notes with active salivary response.  The whole tasting experience takes about five full seconds to proceed through its stages: a long rise and fall of puckering acidity. 

Texturally, Bubbles are pleasant and small.  At 7.2% ABV it feels boozier than it tastes.  Compared to other ciders by Warwick Valley, this cider almost certainly uses a different yeast strain. Perhaps its this perception that makes the different fermentation choices most clear. This reminds me that I want to learn more about keeving and keeved ciders for sure!

I'd recommend pairing the Gold Rush cider with something heavy, mild, creamy,and not sweet. I enjoyed mine with a tuna and corn chowder. Chowders and dry high acid ciders tend to work tremendously well together.

Now, let's talk about GLINTCAP!  

That GLINTCAP acronym stands for Great Lakes International Cider and Perry Competition. I've judged for the past two years, and I'm thrilled to say that I'm signed up again to judge this year! The competition happens in Grand Rapids, Michigan on the weekend of April 22-24, 2016. 

You can learn about the competition on its website: http://glintcap.org

Judges train and calibrate together, all tastings are served blind, and all ciders and perrys are judged according to specific style guidelines. 

If you are interested in sending some of your ciders (either commercial or non-commercial) this is the page to read. http://glintcap.org/register/

Cider Review: Sonoma Cider The Anvil (Bourbon)

 Though I'm still bursting with excitement over GLINTCAP, I need a bit more time to collect my thoughts and photos. Nonetheless, I've been tasting a ton of ciders lately and didn't want to neglect my review writing just because my cider adventures have been so varied as of late.

So tonight I'm reviewing my first Sonoma Cider out of Healdsburg, California. This is the only cider company I've ever seen with a nod from Forbes Magazine as a particularly promising start up company. Here's the link: http://www.forbes.com/pictures/emjl45himd/sonoma-cider/. Sonoma's homepage and their whole graphic presence is very bold and clear. It is a clean look with a lot of appeal. You can find out a lot more information on the brand and its founders on the website: http://sonomacider.com. I'm also definitely noticing the amount of emphasis I see that these guys are putting on the organic certification of the cider. That is a pretty unusual claim, I can imagine why they are proud of it.

On a recent visit to Kentucky, I scoured several bottle shops in Lousville to check out their cider selections. It has become almost a tradition by this point. This is also why when I saw a new cider brand, Sonoma I had to try their bourbon offering first. When in Kentucky, I simply must honor my home state's patron beverage in some small way. So bourbon cider it will be.

In this highly unusual promotional description, Sonoma Cider owns up to using flavor instead of other more traditional methods give their organic apple cider an aura of bourbon. See for yourself exactly how they spin it.

David and Robert both love bourbon. We mean love bourbon. Maybe that’s why they didn’t beat around the bush here. Sure, you can age subtly in bourbon barrels. And subtlety is sometimes enough. But, with the Anvil, the real spark ignited when we tossed nuance aside and added a healthy measure of our proprietary barrel-proof bourbon flavor. Suddenly, something intense, alive and memorable happened. To our palates, it offers a clean, lively, aromatic presence with a layered smoky finish. It’s truly integrated and rounded, yet vitally distinct. Enjoy.

I actually really appreciate the honesty, but I'm still not sure that I'm on board for this particular method of producing cider. I'll see how it tastes though and let that be my guide.

Appearance: caramel, brilliant, no bubbles

Sonoma's Anvil Cider has a deep dark color, unlike most ciders. It really looks the color of caramel candy or butterscotch. I see no visible bubbles of note either rising through the cider or clinging to the rim of the glass. The clarity is absolutely brilliant; I can read text through it easily though it is an unusually intense color for a cider.

Aromas: ripe ripe apples,

This cider smells so luscious. I really enjoy how much I can smell apples distinctly. Secondarily, The Anvil smells like stones and caramel. I can also just barely find notes that remind me of  freshly cut lumber and underripe blueberries. Really neat smells.

Sweetness: Semi-sweet

This definitely qualifies as semi-sweet. I can taste a few different sweet elements within The Anvil but they are never overwhelming. I think the level of sweetness actually puts this in a more moderate spot than many many ciders which can either veer very sweet or bone dry. Not a bad position at all.

Flavors and drinking experience: faceted, some facets good others weird

Wow! This is totally distinct and oddly faceted. I experience three distinct phases of taste each time I take a drink of this cider. My first impression is immediately of fruit and carbonation. This is the most typical of cider. The second taste is a bit weirder; I can taste more bourbon, smoke and candy. This is where the "bourbon flavor" comes through. Then after the big show, I can taste a slow finish of limestone. The tastes never truly meld; it is always a parade of three impressions. Overall the Anvil is not overly bourbony. I sincerely enjoy the beautiful long finish of minerality. Sadly, the weird second phase actually reminds me of Grape Nerds.

Okay, the jury is still out on an openly flavored cider. It did certainly exceed my expectations. There are some ciders that use or invoke bourbons much too strongly, and this is not one of them. On the other hand, I do enjoy a more holistic experience rather than three distinct tastes that never come together. I really wasn't into the mid-palate of that experience either. Interesing. I can certainly say that this cider is interesting.

Make up your own mind. But I'd suggest making it up by trying it rather than just guessing. That's the lesson I learned from this cider.

Cider Review: Crispin Cider's The Saint

I am surprised at how long Along Came a Cider has been reviewing without including a review of any Crispin Ciders, though I've been drinking their ciders for a couple of years now. The brand has several artisanal reserve ciders that I find consistently interesting. The company has a wider range of cider than many with several distinct varieties that use adventurous choices for yeasts and natural sweeteners. Very neat stuff. Furthermore, they present themselves well. I recommend checking out their website which has loads of information: http://www.crispincider.com/ Here's what Crispin says about their ciders in general, "Crispin Hard Ciders naturally fermented in the USA use fresh pressed apple-juice, not from apple juice concentrate, from a premium blend of US West Coast apples, with no added malt, grape wine or spirit alcohol." The company was formerly based out of Minneapolis and has since moved its headquarters to Colfax, California. They were founded in 2004 by Joe and Lesley Herdon, but are now owned by a very large company, MillerCoors.

What I wish they talked about more are their apple choices. There's not much info about what varieties they use. What can I say? Apples are pretty key to ciders. I was able to find one article online that lists several American dessert varieties as key components in Crispin ciders: Granny Smith, Washington, and Golden.

Tonight I'm reviewing The Saint. Here's a link to Crispin's page on this particular offering. http://www.crispincider.com/cider/products/artisanal-reserves/the-saint/ Their descriptions claim some pretty lofty things about themselves, so I read them with a grain of salt. Here are the useful facts to be gleaned about The Saint. It has 6.9 percent ABV. Crispin uses organic maple syrup in this cider for sweetness and smoothness. Most interesting to me is that this cider uses Belgian Trappist beer yeasts for its fermentation. In terms of awards, this did pick up a Silver in its category in the 2013 GLINTCAP.

Color and appearance: slightly cloudy, green gold

I enjoy cloudy ciders. Surprisingly, the cloudiness was accompanied by lots of visible bubbles. 

Aroma: apple, straw, floral

The main scents that immediately jumped out at me were apple and a bit of hay. Secondarily I noted some floral notes and a hint of the maple syrup to come. Mostly appley though in a very fresh and juicy way.

Sweet-dry scale: sweet

The first impression is apple juice, but then a bit of straw and maple come in. The just-a-touch level of farminess and maple go really well together. I enjoy the type of sweetness in this cider very much. It is notably natural and juicy and has not a hint of stickiness or chemicals. Instead, it is fresh and wet. The acidity likely comes from the inclusion of Granny Smith apples; it is distinct from more tannic pucker from cider apples.

Drinking experience and flavors: caramel, apple juice, maple, pumpkin

The warmth of this cider is astounding. Honestly it might make The Saint more of a winter cider than a spring one, but I enjoyed it. The level of carbonation is neither too weak nor too strong, but instead keeps the cider light and lively.

Finish: toffee and more maple

Is it totally bizarre to say that this cider makes me feel like I have delicious maple breath? It isn't a super clean finish, but it is a pleasant one.

Drinking Notes: drink with goat cheese and other rich flavorful snacks

This is a great cider for a whole range of appetizer type foods. Nibble some nuts, crackers, cheeses, and dried fruits while you share a big bottle of The Saint. I'd not recommend it for out of doors fun this time of year, but it could be great for that in cooler weather. For now, I'd put on some mellow music in the house, set up a savoury and sweet snack tray, and enjoy The Saint with some friends who happen to share your sweet tooth.

 I know I had some interested parties in my little apartment. Sorry Pie May, cider isn't for you.

Cider Review: Anthem Cider

I think of Anthem Cider as the funkier more experimental sibling to the traditional and delicious Wandering Aengus since they are largely made by the same cidermakers in Salem, Oregon. Wandering Aengus uses cider apples, and Anthem uses dessert apples and sometimes additional flavorful ingredients like hops or cherries. You can read more about the company on their website. Anthem made their first ciders relatively recently, in 2010, but they’ve done very well for themselves so far, this cider taking a silver at the Great Lakes Cider & Perry Competition (GLINTCAP) in its category.*

This is how the company describes the Anthem Cider, “Anthem Cider – offers the tart acidity of the apple’s natural malic acid with a clean fruit forward finish. Anthem Cider is the foundation for all the Anthems. Semi-Dry. Medium Tart. 5.0% to 6.5% ABV. GLUTEN FREE.” It doesn’t give very much specific information, but we’ll taste to see if we agree about dryness level, flavors, acidity, and finish. One thing to note is that Anthem ciders are pressed year round with a varying cast of apples, so each batch is somewhat different. This review may show some variance from what may find when you buy your own Anthem Cider. I tried Batch 28, bottled 4/4/12.

ABV: 6.5%

Color and appearance: golden hay

This cider pours with a lovely color, not too pale. It shows small amounts of bubbles, no foam, no head.

Aroma:  Fresh apples, peaches, rock candy

This has an extremely juicy scent. Anthem Cider smells positively mouth-wateringly of apples. The scent offers the cleanness mentioned in the bottle’s description.

Sweet to dry: semi-sweet

The sweetness makes this cider approachable. It is aromatic, balanced, and fresh. My weirdo husband compared this cider to a slightly more warm and caramelly watermelon rind, but what he’s getting at is a simultaneous impression of warmth and freshness. Though I’ve never had this cider before, it drinks like an old friend.

Flavors and drinking experience: balanced, fresh, golden

Drinking this cider brings to mind a very fresh fruit salad and warm bread just out of the oven. This is an indirect way to saying that it is a very foody cider with a substantial mouthfeel. The drinking experience is not slowed by either any sort of imbalance to the flavor or overly aggressive carbonation. Very delightful, but it can slip away almost too quickly and easily. I expected to make my 22oz bottle two separate tasting occasions, but I failed. Oops.

Finish:  finishes with a glow

The finish on this cider isn’t unusually long or short. The flavor goes a bit less fruity and more yeasty but again, in a balanced way. A pleasant finish but not necessarily fruit forward.

Pairs with: I had it with cheese ravioli and faux-chicken with a light tomato sauce (Yes, I confess. I am a pescatarian. Sorry animal eaters, I cannot help you with your pairing suggestions.).

This would be delicious with most anything. It is a flexible, easy-going cider. I could imagine it with bread and cheese, on its own, or with a complete meal. Because I find this cider pleasantly relaxing, I’d feel very comfortable sharing it with new people I’m meeting for the first time, or while watching Game of Thrones. Since that is what we are all doing every Sunday night for the next couple of months, right?

*If you've not looked up GLINTCAP or any other cider competition, I'd suggest giving it a try, that is if you're ready to tempt yourself silly with the number of fabulous sounding ciders you may or may not have heard about before. Try it, but be forewarned.

Cider Review: J. K.'s Northern Neighbor Farmhouse Cider

 

J. K. makes a number of organic ciders and represents the efforts of Almar Orchard in Michigan. Depending on who you ask, the J. K. can either stand for Jim Koan or Jim and Karen, and in either case, it connects the cider maker to the cider. These folks take great pride in what they do and claim a continual cider-pressing tradition dating back to the 1850s, something truly unusual in the United States. Their website is well done and full of interesting information. I must admit though that I do have my doubts about how they use some cider terminology like scrumpy. (Maybe I'm just being an English major.)

This particular J. K. cider is their Saskatoon Cuvee; it is made using a mixture of Michigan Apples and a Canadian prairie apple: the Saskatoon. I wish I could find out more specific information on this particular cider of theirs, but I can say that these apples hail from the region of Saskatchewan. The term Cuvee is not precisely regulated, but usually implies a special blend that is set apart from a maker's usual stock. That certainly seems how it is used in this case.

Color and appearance: red and cloudy

To see this much red in a cider is totally unusual. I cannot believe I forgot to photograph the cider. It is beautiful in the glass and would be perfect for creating some romantic atmosphere for that simultaneously beloved and dreaded upcoming holiday, Valentine's Day.

Aroma: sweetly tangy, red fruits, carrot

Lovely and gentle, slightly tangy. The scent of this cider could be described as slightly vinegary. It makes me very curious to see how it will taste.

Sweet-dry scale: Very Sweet

The sweetness is immediate and palpabale. If you’ve tried any ciders by J. K. Cider you’ll recognize it, because it is characteristic of the brand. All of their ciders are quite sweet. Let that be a litmus test before you decide to try it because sweetness as a quality does so often divide cider drinkers. I think the cider would be better less sweet, but I also know folks who would prefer this.

Drinking experience and flavors: thick fruity start, sweet, fast

Cherry, and lots of fresh red fruits. The level of carbonation is mild. This paired with the sweetness could make this a quick, easy-to-drink cider. I like it, but I can easily see how it would be too sweet and uncomplicated for some cider fans.

Finish: vanilla

Beautifully lingering finish, it is perhaps the best thing about the cider.

Drinking Notes: pair with desserts, could be great for a cider float

The whole picture, a beautiful red cider with loads of sweetness and easy approachable flavors, medium sparkle, and a vanilla finish suggests romance to me. I'd pair it therefore with some sweet baked goods like red velvet cupcakes or milk chocolate. Drink it with a sweetie.

Photo Credit: Original photo by Bruce at J. K. Cider. He helped me out since I forgot to photograph this one at all. Editing by me via Flickr. 

As a bonus/apology. I do feel very sorry for failing to take my usual product photos. What is the best way to apologize in photos? Cat pictures. So, without further ado, here is a picture of all of the cats at Along Came a Cider HQ being lazy.