Cider Review: Oyster River Winegrower's Hoboken Station Cider (including bonus cat + cider picture)

This cider showed up my collection recently after my husband went to our local cider store without me. I'd never heard of Oyster River Winegrowers, much less their Hoboken Station Cider. A cider from Maine! This is a first for me. Exciting! When I tried to find out a bit more about Oyster River Winegrowers, I used their Facebook page because their website does not appear to be current or operational. Oyster River Winegrowers' Facebook page however is full of interesting and useful information. They appear to be a small vineyard winery, farm, and cidery in Warren, Maine.  They say this about themselves, "We are a Maine vineyard and winery focusing on farming with draft horses and without the use of synthetic chemicals." And yes, the FB page has pictures of their horses. Too cute.

About this particular cider, their Hoboken Station Cider. I'll be piecing together information from a few different sources. The bottle says, "Produced in Warren, Maine from a variety of mostly esoteric apples chosen for superior cider quality. Dry and bottle conditioned." Bottle conditioned means that a second fermentation takes place over time in the bottle, allowing the cider to become naturally sparkling, in this case they use organic cane sugar for the bottle conditioning. One post on Oyster River Winegrower's Facebook page says this about the Hoboken Station Cider, "This Cider is dry, native yeast fermented from a blend of obscure more cider specific apples ( Golden Russet, Dabinett, Esopus Spitzenberg, Calville Blanc d'Hiver, Blushing Granny, Ida Red, and Golden Delicious) with heavier tannin content and high sugar content giving us 9% alcohol. It is a sipper, but surprisingly easy with wine like, or perhaps Belgian beer-like complexity and just a small amount, not so much to be distracting, of carbonation from a natural bottle fermentation."Let me add that the cider has a hefty 9% ABV; cider by winemakers, indeed!

Hoboken Cider with curious cat Amelia

Appearance: hazy,  intense mango

The color is more deep than with many ciders. When I look at my glass, I can see lots of still bubbles cling to all sides of the glass. A few move to the top almost by turns. This isn't a totally brilliant cider which comes as no surprise as it is unfiltered.

Aromas: ripe apples, dust, minerals

Primarily, I smell ripe apples that communicate a bit vinously. Slightly winey apples warmed in the sun. The secondary scent reminds me of mineral dust mingled with and followed by a hint of sweetness.

Sweet to dry: Semi-dry

Though this cider is plenty fruity, I'd cal it semi-dry. I really dig the level of tannins that balance out the fruits as I take my second and third sips. I can see the comparisons to both wine and Belgian beer. It does sort taste in waves and an early wine like wave of flavor is followed by a one that reminds me of yeasty slightly sour Belgian beer. This is pretty tasty, though I rather miss the smoothness that complex ciders can have.

Flavors and Drinking experience: apple, stone fruits, honey, hints of yeast

At first this cider tastes fruit forward and light. Winey notes bite the mid-palate a bit roughly.Honey whispers through the long finish. Pleasant amount of fine-bubbled carbonation. It feels warming because of the higher than average ABV. 

I'd pair this with heavier foods but nothing too spicy. Actually this would be a perfect cider to have with shepherds pie or a layered vegetable lasagna. This is also a great sharing cider. Invite people over and make this your pot luck cider of choice. Though everyone is putting out Thanksgiving recommendations, I'll add this one to the list as well. I think it's strength of flavor could really remain present and enjoyable through many of this holiday's big big flavors.

Cider Review: Wandering Aengus Dry Oaked

 
It has been far too long since I've reviewed anything by Wandering Aengus Ciderworks out of Washington State. The last time I reviewed one of their cider, I took a look at the Bloom cider. You can check out my review here: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/01/cider-review-wander-aengus-bloom.html.  Their website appears to be undergoing a certain degree of transition right now, but you can still read about their ciders. http://www.wanderingaengus.com/wordpress/

Tonight I'm reviewing their Dry Oaked Cider. I can provide the official stats and description as offered by Wandering Aengus:

Orchards: Hood River, OR & Lebanon, NH
Dry and spicy
“mild clove bite”
Pairings: Salami or Stinky Cheese
ABV 6.8% (2009) 8.4% (2011)
Available in 16.9oz and draft
1/2 & 1/6 barrel kegs – Limited Run Vintage 2011

It's very neat that they share where they sourced the apples, in this case from Hood River, Oregon and Lebanon, New Hampshire. I wish the description gave a bit more in the way of apple varieties or tasting notes, but this is still a nice amount of information. Let's see how this goes.

Appearance: Brilliant, Gamboge, almost no bubbles

Looking at the Dry Oaked cider, I had to find some webpages that list different shades of orange. This thrills me because I have so often referred to shades of yellow, but this is the first time I've gotten to refer to shades of orange. After delightfully thorough consideration, I'd say the color is Gamboge. That word was a new one to me; it refers to the deep orange/yellow pigment used to dye Buddhist monks' robes. What a wonderful excuse to learn new things.The cider is brilliant and pours with Belgian lace

Aromas: wood, fresh apples, light pear and honey notes playing in the background

What a delightful smell! At first the wood just dominates but after a moment and a few repeated sniffs, I could detect the apples, pears, and honey.

Drinking Experience and Flavors: Dry, tannic, acidic, woody

This dry cider tastes so cleanly farmy, which sounds odd because often farminess and gamey flavors go together with funk. But this remarkably different. The Dry Oaked cider gets it farm notes from the combination of acidity and tannins. So much wood! This enchants me because of how well the balance works. The cider gets its liveliness from the acidity, depth from tannins, and restraint from the dryness. Gosh, I'm impressed. I love love the woodiness. It tastes like almost sucking on a barn beam in a way.

Though the cider has some natural sparkle, it isn't at all distracting or overpowering. The finish lingers smoothly. Overall, this is a remarkably drinkable cider for one with real complexity, dryness, and body.

I recommend cooking with this and drinking it at the same time. My husband used it with some good butter to saute mushrooms. This brings out the farminess and earthiness beautifully. We then used those mushrooms on top of pasta with basil pesto and sun-dried tomatoes (from my father's garden). Yeah. It worked out amazingly well for something fairly improvised.

 If you don't want to cook your own meal while drinking this cider, I don't blame you. Wandering Aengus' Dry Oaked cider serves up enough complexity to deserve its own focus. Perhaps then drink it while someone else is cooking something earthy, rich, and marvelous. Cooking is an excellent spectator sport afterall and this cider can keep anyone entertained.

Cider Review: Harvest Moon Heritage Hops Hard Cider

I'm reviewing Harvest Moon Cidery's Heritage Hops Hard Cider. This is a relatively new company that just started selling hard cider in 2011, but they've already accrued awards for a few of their ciders. The Harvest Moon Cidery is a small farm winery in Cazenovia, in central New York run by the husband and wife team of Matthew and Juanita, Critz. They currently make eight different ciders, mostly blended after fermentation with various natural flavors and sweeteners like honey or raspberries. Their website has a ton of great information: http://harvestmooncidery.com. The most interesting facts I found is that Harvest Moon uses one of the last functional four screw cider presses in the State, a machine that was originally made in the 1890s, not far away in Syracuse. How cool is that?

The Heritage Hops Hard cider is dry- hopped. It's ABV comes to 6.75%. I wasn't able to find a tremendous amount of information on this cider, but what I did find does shed some light on the cider. The description from Harvest Moon Cidery says, "Our Heritage Hops Cider is a tribute to the early hop growing history of Madison County, dating back to the mid 1800s. Using a strain of locally grown hops, propagated from those originally grown nearby, we 'dry hop' the cider after fermentation. It is aged for several months, then lightly carbonated." I'm glad to know about the type of hops and that the carbonation is forced. Let's see how it tastes.

 Color and appearance: unripe straw, yellow-green

The Heritage Hops looks light and bright in the glass. The color is straw with a hint of melon green. A ring of bubbles formed at first pour and again after a few minutes in the glass. Tremendous numbers of visible bubbles.

Aroma: farmy, yeasty wild, fruity

The scent strikes me as a bit vinous. You can definitely smell the hops. They come through as  lemon and Citrus notes. As usual, when I smell a bit of farminess, I get excited.

Sweet-dry scale: off-dry

This cider offers a very wet off dry. That sounds strange, but I'm trying to describe a wet raw tartness that isn't very sweet, but also isn't drying.

Drinking experience and flavors: Hops, bright acidity, herbaceous 

The predominant flavor is capital h Hops! Then the cider expresses a fairly aggressive acidity. Almost too much acidity for my preferences. I can also taste minerals. The last big impression from the Harvest hops is springy, sappy, greenness. It makes it herby or almost vegetal in a super refreshing way. The tartness and acidity make this a slow drinking cider.

Finish: almost tannic and puckery, zingy

Very lively cider that finishes with a tiny zingy bite.

Drinking Notes: best with bready foods

Drink this cider when you have buttered bread and time. I'd choose it for a leisurely picnic cider, for a canoe ride, or for the indoor folks, set yourself up with the new season of Arrested Development or some other large-scale undertaking. It is a very tasty cider for those who enjoy the tart side of the beverage. I'd not use this as an introduction to cider though because the hops change the drinking experience so completely.

I was very curious to try this cider because of the one other hopped cider I've tried, Anthem with Hops. The two are substantially different, but both very pleasant. The dry hopping of cider seems to be something I quite like for flavor and depth. I look forward to trying another of the Harvest Moon Cidery's offerings soon.

Cider Review: Arsenal Cider Cannoneers Bone Dry Sour Cherry and a Cider Event!

Today, I’m sharing my review for another cider from Pittsburgh’s Arsenal Cider and Wine Bar , The Cannoneers Bone Dry Sour Cherry. I previously reviewed their signature cider, the Fightin’ Elleck which has since gotten a silver medal at the 2013 Finger Lakes International Wine Competition. If you want to find information about their current offerings, rather than using their website, I’d suggest going to their frequently updated Facebook page. This Pittsburgh cidery sells by the 1 litre refillable growler, and their local tap list grows by the week.  

At first I was skittish about even trying a free sample of the Cannoneers Bone Dry Sour Cherry  because I tend to dislike most cherry flavors. Even most varieties of cherries themselves. Once encouraged, I will try most ciders, and this one was full of surprises.
 
The ABV clocks in at a whopping 11.5% which means that our 1 litre growler is a pretty potent sell. I had some very interesting tasting help from my husband and our good friend Aaron (who is usually a scotch or beer drinker). Arsenal ciders are carbonated right at the bar, so I was curious how this one would do after waiting unopened for about five weeks.  On to the review!
 
Color and appearance: deep pink, a few visible bubbles, no cloudiness
I tend to love the ciders with deep naturally occurring color. This one is beautiful. It looks like a sparkling rose in the in the glass.
Aroma: Funky, farmy, fruity
 
The Sour Cherry doesn’t actually smell very much like cherry. Its dominant impression is resinous and funky. The fruit comes through more as apple core and red currants. Some of our tasters noticed some mineral elements that reminded them of shellac, but for me this has a very pleasant farmy barnyard smell. Many of my favorite English ciders have aromas in this family.
 
Sweet-dry scale: off dry
 
Though Arsenal calls it bone dry, I’d call it pleasantly off dry. It is too fruity to taste completely dry, but it could not be called sweet.
 
Drinking experience and flavors: Carbonized cherry crumble, Chestnut, pulp
 
Between all three tasters, we got associations and impressions in a few different directions. We each tasted the cherry more than we had smelled it, but between the carbonation (which remained good and strong in the unopened growler) and the dryness, the cider does not taste like fresh cherries. It has a pastry quality, more like a cherry crumble. We also agreed on a warm nuttiness that probably connects to the fairly full and oily mouthfeel. I love a robust mouthfeel in my ciders! I also tasted hints of wet paper pulp amidst the green pear and slight tannic puckering. The Sour Cherry is a cider that is better than the sum of its parts, some of which are a bit weird. The overall experience, however, is truly enjoyable.

Finish:  Salt, lime, well water
 
For Aaron, the finish reminded him of the saltiness of Islay Scotch, but for me it was all citrus and minerals. That’s how I understand tasting salt and lime.
 
Drinking Notes: The added carbonation remained strong in the unopened growler quite well for more than a month. I’ve been drinking the cider little by little and the carbonation has waned understandably after the growler has been opened.
 
The Cannoneers Bone Dry Sour Cherry pairs very well with potatoes. I'd be more specific, but I think this cider shows real flexibility in terms of food accompaniment. I'd love to drink the Sour Cherry with an au gratin or with garlic mashed potatoes or even with fries and a sandwich. I'd stick with savoury pairings, but within that category, you can go nuts.
 
The cider is available in house and at some local Pittsburgh bars and restaurants. I can heartily recommend Arsenal's Sour Cherry Cider to folks who enjoy the funkier side of the beverage. It singlehandedly changed my mind about cherry ciders.
 
Also, Arsenal is organizing a Pittsburgh Cider and Mead Festival for April 27th!

Check out the info on their handy dandy flier.

Cider Review: West County Cider, Reine de Pomme

West County Ciders hail from Colrain, Massachusetts where they have been made by cidermaker Judith Maloney and her family since 1984. They mention hailing previously from California’s wine making traditions which they have blended with New England cider making and blending techniques. They only use pressed apples and no concentrate. Their website has much more information.

As a varietal intro I mostly want to share what West County says about their own cider. The story comes from their discovery of “a classic French bittersweet apple” described as having strong tannins, complexity, a note of iron. Their blurb says, “Reine de Pomme is an archaic French Apple. We found it in the Geneva Reference Orchard. In 1987, in France, the only reference to it we found was a listing in a nursery catalog from the 1920’s at an apple museum in Normandy.” And this is just the apple. When described the cider as they have created, cellared, and blended it, they say, “As a cider it has a deep, dark-fruit, honeyed taste. We blended it with our Dabinet to round out the tannins, and Redfield to add bright fruit and to balance the bitter-sweets. Though blended, Reine de Pomme leads the taste, and the Dabinet and Redfield fall in nicely as supports. It is the fullest-bodied cider we have made. And the closest in taste to a French Cider.”

ABV: 7.3%

Color and appearance: Deep glowing apricot

The appearance of this cider is truly unique. Its color is glorious. When we cannot stand a moment more of grey winter, pouring a glass of the Reine de Pomme can temporarily transport us to sunnier days. This cider also shows tremendous levels  of bubbles. So many active bubbles. A bright white head formed when I poured my first glass, and then vanished quickly.

Aroma:  candied citrus, nectarine, and dusty granite?

As crazy as this may sound, the end of the each sniff of this cider brought strong grey rock in the sun to my mind. As an inveterate basker and lounger who would always prefer to sit or lay on the ground, I’ve smelled rocks aplenty and the Reine de Pomme smells like a sun-warmed rock. It also smells like fruit and sugar with a citrus pinch.

Sweet to dry: Off dry

The bottle describes the cider as dry, and for many cider drinkers it would be quite dry. For those more attuned to independent, small-batch ciders though, the range is wider and dryer than that made up only of more widely available ciders, making the Reine de Pomme a very pleasant off dry. This an ideal level of sweetness and dryness in my mind.

Flavors and drinking experience: tannic, heavy, creamy mouthfeel,

The citrus from the scent develops fully when I taste this cider. I can taste the mineral element from the smell also, but it fuses with the fruit notes more, almost adding a shadow of depth behind the brighter notes.

Finish:  slow but still creamy with residual flavors of lemon

The finish is luscious, less dry than the initial taste. It dallies and gives a second impression of creaminess united with lemon or sweetish citrus.    

Pairs with: a full meal with strong flavors, maybe a risotto or shepherd’s pie.

The unusual mouthfeel would allow drinkers to pair this with something usually less available for cider pairings. Maybe even something with more than a hint of spiciness. Alternately, the cider drinkly beautifully on its own. I’d take this particular drink sunbathing, maybe because of the aroma. Still, I think the Reine de Pomme would be a lovely companion for unwinding in the out of doors. Quite a fascinating cider, especially for one so drinkable.

Cider Review: Newtown Pippin

 

This is my first review of a cider by Original Sin; they are a New York cider maker that has been around since 1997. Here's their website. They are more known for their Garden of Eden inspired style (including some beautiful nearly-naughty posters) and six pack ciders than special offerings.  I must say their premium cider is readily available, quite drinkable (I promise I’ll review it before too long), and regularly the winner of cider awards. This only makes me more excited to try their more adventurous attempts.

Tonight I want to drink and talk about their Newtown Pippin. Like almost every cider, it is gluten free. The Newtown Pippin is named after its apple. Apple singular, meaning that we have a single-apple varietal cider on our hands! Not just any tasty apple, the Newtown Pippin is one with a long history as both a dessert apple and a cider apple. You can read more about it here.

Color and appearance: lightest yellow green topaz

This cider is greenish yellow and on the pale side. No visible bubbles. Totally clear

Aroma: apple, citrus, zing

Not a very strong smell. A bit winey.

Sweet-dry scale: Semi-semi-dry

Newtown Pippin falls slightly more on the tart and raw side. I found it very hard to decide if this is sweet or dry. I’d rather call it semi-semi than anything else really.

Drinking experience and flavors: loads of tart green apple and lemon flavor

The flavor is not quite sour, but definitely on the acidic side. It almost reminds me of crab apples in terms of pucker, which again makes sense when reading about the apple used. When drinking this cider, I noticed how carbonated it is. I like that quality because it forces a leisurely pace on the cider drinker. With some ciders it is too easily to enjoy them all too quickly and a hearty amount of sparkle can help.

Finish: bright and a bit rough

My husband said, “You can taste it all the way down.” That’s fairly apt because the finish isn’t super smooth. I think this is another distinct aspect of a single varietal cider.

Drinking Notes: goes well with beans and potatoes

Tastes better and more balanced with food than solo. I enjoyed it twice and the heartier bean and potato dish suited it better. The flavors also come out much more beautifully when it isn’t straight out of the fridge and closer to room temperature. As far as occasions, I’d actually make this part of a cider tasting night because it showcases some interesting differences from most ciders.

I’m very glad I’ve gotten to experience a single varietal cider. I enjoyed it. The cider is tasty, good, and interesting. Very appley. What it is not, and I suspect what most single apple ciders cannot be is balanced or smooth. If for no other reason, and there are other reasons, I’d suggest trying this for palate education and development.

Cider Review: Anthem with Hops (plus Cider News)

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All the Anthem Ciders are created by Wandering Aengus Ciderworks out of Salem, Oregon. These appear under a different label because these cider makers use different apples, including many dessert varieties, whereas any cider under the Wandering Aengus label only uses heirloom cider apple varieties. For more information, I highly recommend checking out the line’s FAQ here.

The Anthem Cider with Hops is a cider I’ve been really excited to try. Hops are an ingredient very common to beers but not at all common in ciders. According to Anthem, these are Cascade Hops from Oregon. I have no idea how the flavor will come out in a cider. The ABV comes to 5.5% which doesn’t give me many clues since so many ciders have similar ABV percentages. The Anthem Cider with Hops sells in a 22oz. bottle for about seventeen dollars a bottle in New York City. It looks like the price varies a lot by location based on what I can see online.

Color and appearance: dark amber

This cider has a notably rich color. This isn’t a golden cider, but rather it looks more like maple syrup or deep amber. When pouring, this cider creates no visible bubbles. It looks entirely still.

Aroma: whiskey mash or wine, fermenty, reminiscent of barrels

The aromas are undeniably boozy but they wander between being vinously fruity or more like the cereal smells of a distillery and the woodsy smell of bourbon barrels. The smell makes me wonder about the listed ABV, which doesn’t usually smell this, potent. The scent is almost three-dimensional; it feels like the kind of super yummy smell I’d like to fall into entirely. Cidery, rich, and deep.

Sweet-dry scale: semi-sweet

In describing the particular sweetness of this cider, I can only use words like dark, rich, and caramel. It offers a mature sweetness that more refined and less fruity than most. Wonderful. The sweetness comes across as understated.

Drinking experience and flavors: smoky and amazing

I was surprised by Anthem’s slight tangy sparkle because the bubbles are 100% invisible. Sweet basket of kittens, this is good. This has a truly unusual rich mouthfeel.  As I drink it, I can discern a bit of lemon but nothing too tart. This is a filling and satisfying cider.

Finish: citrusy, woodsy, and long

I think the hops really contribute to how the finish lingers in the nose. Very pleasant.

Drinking Notes: I want to drink this with everything. Cheese

In an effort to be more helpful and descriptive, this is a cider that really could be enjoyed with a wide variety of foods and experiences. During this cold snap, I’d drink it with chili or a casserole. It could also go beautifully with a fondue or other rich foods. As for recommended experiences, this is the cider to convert a beer snob. Seriously. Invite one over for something appropriately tempting and share this cider.

  

The Anthem Cider with Hops tastes perfect for winter. But I tell you I’ll be trying it again in Spring, Summer, and Fall. This has to be one of the most delicious complex and yet balanced ciders I’ve ever tasted.

Also in truly fantastic cider news, I've been hearing about a very special get together for cider fans in Chicago, Portland, and Seattle. Please take a peek at the Cider Summit.

Cider Review: Cliffton Dry

 

Cliffton Dry Premium Cider comes from New York state and New York state apples. The cider has an abv of 5.5%. Their website unfortunately appears to be in flux and currently unable to give much additional information. One interesting note gleaned from their Facebook page is that the company claims to use the same fermentation process for their cider as for their wines.

Color and appearance: very very pale almost green

The bottle is clear, something rare in ciders, and its shows off the Cliffton Dry’s unusual lack of color. In the glass, it looks even more translucent, if such a thing is possible. The bubbles rise slowly in columns to the top rather like a sleepy champagne.

Aroma: winelike, acidic, red currants

The smell reminds me more of grapes and wine rather than cider. This could be because of the fruity and acidic notes in the aromas. Even mild spring beans with their green fresh qualities come to mind.

Sweet-dry scale: a true semi-dry

This has some aspects of sweetness and others of dryness. I could certainly call this cider vinous, which might be the fermentation process showing. It isn’t too drying but nearly so. Semi-dry is an apt description.

Drinking experience and flavors: tart, nippy, green

The Cliffton Dry has a raw quality to it. The cider should definitely be paired with foods. Because of the tartness, it drinks slowly. Lots of carbonation further slows the cider down. This compromises its enjoyability, because it isn’t very satisfying little sip after little sip.

Finish: lingering and citrusy

This cider is particularly fresh tasting at the finish.  Though it is undeniably sour, that could be refreshing under the right circumstances. It reminds me of spring days and mown grass.

Drinking Notes: Pasta salad, potatoes, or other starchy foods

This is a picnic cider. It is very Summer friendly. The cider and I didn’t get along perfectly, but I blame the circumstances rather than personal failings from either of us.

In conclusion, I’d suggest that fans of lighter but not sweeter ciders consider trying it. It is available in New York City Whole Foods locations at approximately five dollars for a small bottle. I might give it another while come June, but for winter, it simply isn’t the cider for me.

Cider Review: Prima Most

Tonight I’m reviewing something quite special and unusual. Prima Ciders come from Long Grove, Illinois, near Chicago. Prima has spent over 30 years on their cider-making process, though their labors have only been available to the public for a fraction of that time. Only six liquor stores in the United States sell their locally beloved ciders. While visiting Chicago over the weekend, I purchased a 750 ml bottle for 18.50; this would be a bit steep for ordinary cider, but tasting the Prima Most really is a rare opportunity.

The Most cider, one of their three varieties, contains 7% abv. The special methods Pima uses for the Most cider include cold-cellar fermentation and bottle or cask conditioning. They refrain from filtering their ciders for a farmhouse cider taste, look, and experience.

Color: cloudy light blonde

Immediately after pouring, this cider gives the glass an almost frosted appearance because of its color and cloudiness. The Most cider makes a tremendous fizz in the glass, but the bubbles dissipate quickly rather than forming a head. The choice to share this cider unfiltered supports its claim of being farmhouse style, at least in appearance. Let’s find out how it smells.

Aroma: sour and fruity, red currants, hints of funky fermentation

The smell is sharply unlike most American ciders in its bold earthiness. It harkens to English farmhouse ciders of the rough and rustic sort. The cider’s aroma reminds me of The Black Rat, a Somerset cider, but with less horsiness.  

Flavors and drinking experience: lemon zest, grapefruit, lots of carbonation 

The Prima Most gives a first impression of a citrus bitternessness that is tremendously refreshing. This smoothly transitions into a crab apple bite that makes me feel just a bit of tannic pucker in my cheeks and jaw. For a farmhouse cider, it is aggressively effervescent. Wonderfully balanced.

Sweet to dry: dry

 The combination of a more sparkle with true dryness and fruit notes is a surprising and satisfying combination. I love how dry it is, but I expect that it will surprise some cider drinkers who haven’t had any small batch dry ciders before. The American cidery with the most in common with this quality of dryness has to be Farnum Hill. Good company to be in.

Finish: Extra lemon on the back, minerals

It has some of the mineral qualities of a dry white wine, but the citrus farmy notes definitely give the last impression.

Pairs with: salad, many cheeses, and whole grain breads

At the risk of sounding stereotypical, this farm-style cider goes well with simple foods. A heavily-grained bread like oatmeal bread or a dense wheat would be a delightful counterpoint. To bring out the light fruitiness of the cider, it could also be paired with salads. Like many many many ciders, it enhances a whole spectrum of cheeses delightfully. Since this cider is relatively hard to come by, I'd not suggest pairing it with any activity at all. Let the Most be your entertainment.

This cider makes me sad to leave Chicago, despite the terrible weather. The Prima Most shocks me with how good it is. This cider has some of the best characteristics of English and American cider traditions. The aromas tantalize; the flavor satisfies; the bubbles add zip. What a wonderful beverage. I hope someday to be able to try their other two varieties.