Cider Review: Stormalong Cider's White Mountain Magic

This past week, we were blanketed in a generous 14-16 inches of snow over the course of a day and a half. I took a day off because snow days barely happen in the world of college campuses and working from home. And once I’d shoveled sidewalks, I made the day an easy one and a cozy one with a cider that reminded me of the season outside. Today, I’m happy to share my notes on Stormalong Cider’s White Mountain Magic.

If you aren’t familiar with Stormalong Cider, it's a Massachusetts-based cidery founded in 2014. Shannon Edgar started this very geographically oriented cidery. Stormalong is all about local apples, local ingredients, and local cider history. I’m extra excited to try this one because I have so many happy memories of visiting Hanover, New Hampshire near those aforementioned White Mountains, plus nothing is better for winter than a little maple.

I recommend learning about Stormalong Cider online on the official website: http://stormalong.com/.

Here are all of my Stormalong reviews from over the years! They’ve added up.

Bittersweet Symphonie: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2021/10/cider-review-stormalongs-bittersweet.html

Wicked Little Wickson: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2021/08/cider-review-stormalongs-wicked-little.html

Winesap: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2021/04/cider-review-stormalong-ciders-winesap.html

Happy Holidays: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/11/cider-review-stormalong-ciders-happy.html

Esopus Spitzenburg: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/08/cider-review-ravens-moon-craft-ciders.html

Ashmead’s Kernel: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/07/cider-review-brannland-just-cider-and.html

Peariful: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/05/cider-review-left-foot-charleys-fortis.html

Legendary Dry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/12/cider-review-stormalongs-legendary-dry.html

Kingston Black: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/08/cider-reviews-ninepin-light-cider.html

Light of the Sun: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/08/cider-review-descendant-cider-company.html

Mass Appeal: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/12/cider-review-prospect-ciderworks.html

Boston Heirloom: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/01/cider-review-stormalong-ciders-boston.html 

Here’s how Stormalong describes the White Mountain Magic.

Our new winter seasonal unfiltered cider, featuring a blend of spices, a hint of New Hampshire maple syrup from Patch Orchards and fresh pressed apples from New Hampshire-based Lull Farm and Alyson's Orchard. This cider has a delicious farmstand apple cider flavor combined with a freshly baked goods vibe. It is savory, yet crisp.

Alcohol 5.20%

Appearance: deep maple brown, cloudy, few visible bubbles

Whoa. This cider looks more like maple syrup than most cider! The color is deep warm maple brown. I don’t see much in the way of bubbles. The cider is also quite cloudy.

Aromas: ripe apples, spicy,maple

The White Mountain Magic smells freshly appley and just a little spicy. The aromas include herb and tea like notes, but the biggest impression beyond apple has to be the maple.

Sweetness/Dryness: sweet

This cider is sweet but with lots more going on in addition to sweetness.

Flavors and drinking experience: spice, maple, cinnamon, tea like

I love how the subtle baking spice is more intense in flavor than aroma. I can still not get enough pie spices in my life. I can definitely taste maple and dandelion but I don't know how to identify chicory as a flavor. The White Mountain Magic charms me with it’s big but more rounded (as opposed to pointed) acidity and dusty minerals. It's subtly cinnamon-like while remaining vibrantly juicy. 

The White Mountain Magic pleases me so much with it’s medium intense bubble and full body. This cider is very fun. The cider tastes leafy, earthy, and tea-like but not green or astringent. It reminds me of mulled cider but not as intensely as if it were actually mulled with brown sugar and spices. 

I like White Mountain Magic tremendously, and it makes a good companion on a snowy night. 

Cider Review: Wyndridge Cider Co.'s Gingerbread Hard Cider

Start the new year in the way you intend to continue it, that’s always been my favorite piece of folk wisdom for the changing of a calendar year. That’s how I chose this week’s cider. I am so excited to review ciders from companies I’ve never tried before. Of course, I want to continue tasting and writing about my favorites, but I really want to try new things and meet new favorites. Over the holiday break, I gave myself a night to do whatever I wanted by myself. I chose and cooked dinner, I picked myself a cider, and I enjoyed a holiday rom com from the comforts of my couch. 

Also, if you missed my round up of favorite ciders from 2021, you can check them out below:

Spots 6-10: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2021/12/5-of-my-favorite-10-ciders-of-2021.html

Top 5: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2021/12/my-favorite-5-ciders-of-2021.html

I chose Wyndridge cider’s Gingerbread cider to accompany Single All the Way after a dinner of savory french toast  (using my own homemade sourdough) with red peppers and chevre. I like to treat me right.

Though this is Wyndridge’s first appearance on the blog, I’ve had the pleasure of tasting a few of their ciders when judging cider over the past few years. The company has been around since 2014 and comes to us from Dallastown, Pennsylvania. On the website, I found a list of orchards that Wyndridge buys from; I love that. Cideries rely on orchards, and places that show love and appreciation to the sources of their fruit make me happy. 

You can visit Wyndridge Cider Co. online here to learn about all of the ciders: https://wyndridge.com/craft-beverages/ciders

Wyndridge Cider Co describes the Gingerbread as follows, “Fresh-pressed ginger root fermented with PA apples, Belgian molasses, and gingerbread spices, this is our winter warmer cider. Cheers!” The ABV is 6%. This is a seasonal release available in November and December, but I’d look for it just a little while longer, just in case. 

Appearance: harvest orange, transparent, no visible bubbles.

I love the intensity of this color. It reminds me of spices in how it looks from the very first moment. I don’t see any bubbles, and it looks transparent rather than either hazy or brilliant.

Aromas: applesauce, cinnamon, nutmeg, and *lots* of ginger

The Gingerbreads smells so spicy. I’m excited for the applesauce, cinnamon, nutmeg and lots of ginger.

Sweetness/dryness: Semi-sweet

Wyndridge Cider Co’s Gingerbread comes across as semi-sweet. It’s a lovely balanced beverage, and one I enjoyed as a post-dinner treat. 

Flavors and drinking experience: molasses, medium acidity, ginger, ripe apples, hints of citrus

What a lovely cider. I wish I had more than one to spread out over these next dark cold months. The Gingerbread has lower acid than anticipated, but it's still a medium level of acidity. The molasse is a definite and delightful presence. The three dominant flavors are ginger, apples and molasses with some hints of citrus in the mix. 

It was wonderful with the light confection of a film that I chose. Sometimes I just need things to be fun and tasty, and this was perfect. Perhaps these nights will have to become more of a regular occurance.

Cider Review Black Diamond's Geneva Tremlett's and Farmhaus Cider's Sweater Weather

Everyone hates on Daylight Savings Time, unless they are hating on Standard Time. I try to avoid the internet on the day after the switch just because I am so tired of seeing the same thing every year. Personally, I’m a fan. I love looking out my windows to see sunset after 7pm, and I know that soon enough the mornings will be bright again. But, I’m here to talk about cider and not just pick fights about things beyond my control.

Black Diamond remains a absolute favorite cidery in home region. And I don’t think the competition for the title of regional favorite gets much more competitive than it is in the Finger Lakes area of New York. For a touch of background, Ian and Jackie Merwin, started as long-term home cidermakers, orchardists, and farmers. Dr. Ian Merwin is a Professor Emeritus at Cornell University in Pomology, specializing in cider. He and Jackie founded their own fruit orchard in the finger lakes, near Trumansburg, New York. They founded Black Diamond in 2014 and use primarily the apples they’ve been growing for years. 

You can read much more about the Merwins and their ciders on Black Diamond Cider's Website: http://blackdiamondcider.com

I’ve reviewed several Black Diamond Ciders before.
Most recently, I checked out the Slatestone: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/11/cider-reviews-big-hill-ciderworks.html

Black Diamond’s award-winning Pommeau made an appearance at the Locavore Birthday pairing dinner in 2017: https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/09/finger-lakes-cider-week-and-birthday.html

I reviewed The Solstice; this cider was my second favorite cider of 2017! http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/08/cider-review-black-diamonds-solstice.html

My first review of a Black Diamond cider is the Rabblerouser: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/09/cider-review-black-diamonds.html

I did receive my bottle of Geneva Tremletts for review just after its release. Full disclosure, many  ciders I review are shared with me for that purpose. I do not promise a review for every cider received, and I certainly do not allow the origin of a bottle to sway my thoughts on it. 

Here’s the background information on the Geneva Tremletts' as provided by Black Diamond Cider. 

Our version of a sour cider  

The identity and origin of Geneva Tremlett’s Bitter is unknown. It was imported from England for the Geneva, NY apple collection in the 1960s, thought to be the English cider apple Tremlett’s Bitter. Whatever its true name may be, Geneva Tremletts has established itself as one of the few bittersharp cider apples that can stand on its own in the bottle. This single variety cider is cold fermented and then bottled conditioned using both wild and cultured yeasts.  

Tasting Notes: Complex and austere with robust tannins and aromas of citrus and spice with a lingering finish. 

Predominant Apples: Geneva Tremletts (80%), Mixed Sharps (20%)

Appearance: warm straw, transparent, bubbly

This looks like a bubbly heritage cider. I see plenty of color in it’s warm straw hue and bubbles in my glass. I’d not call it brilliant, but it is transparent. I apologize for no good picture of the poured cider. Sometimes my photos just don’t turn out, so here’s the cake I paired the cider with.

Aromas: very aromatic, cooked apple, pear

Here’s exactly what I love about Black Diamond ciders. They smells luscious, rich, and intense. The Geneva Tremlett’s smells of apple, particularly cooked apple, pears and baking spices. 

Dryness/sweetness: off dry

I think this cider is an off dry, but I’m fairly confidently it would be perceived as dry by many drinkers. It has both high acidity and high tannins, without a lot of sweetness, pulling it towards a semblance of dryness.

Flavors and drinking experiences: high acid, high tannins, pointed tartness

The pointed tartness of the Geneva Tremlett’s is the most notable feature. Yes, the cider has tannins and some fruit notes. I love some of the mellow fermented flavors. What keeps sparking to the front of my mind though is that tartness on the very of being sour. 

I’m glad this cider isn’t fully dry. The sweetness that’s there does bring out the cider’s fruit notes, namely in a tart tropical fruit direction. The sweetness also helps bring it some heft (though it’s still lithe), just enough to pair with a chocolate spice pound cake. It’s a complex cider; one well worth trying if you ever see a bottle! 

Next up something spiced by Farmhaus Ciders!

Because I knew the spring is coming, I didn’t want to wait any long to enjoy  Farmhaus Ciders’ Sweater Weather. Even so, I’m read to trade in my tights and sweaters for sundresses and sandals!

Farmhaus cider comes from the fifth generation of a Michigan farm family. The ciderywas founded in 2015 in Hudsonville, Michigan. Not far from Grand Rapids you can try Farmhaus Ciders in the tasting room and a cidergarten I met the founders Megan and John at GLINTCAP years ago; it’s been fun to watch their progress. This is a sample shared with me for review. 

Find out all about the company on the website: http://farmhauscider.com/

I’ve reviewed a cider or two by Farmhaus Cider before. 

Last year, I tried the Crushable a canned cider with cucumber: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/09/cider-review-farmhaus-crushable-and.html

My first Farmhaus review is of The Classic: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/06/cider-cans-crush-it-aeppeltreow.html

Here's the official description of Sweater Weather.

Chai. Spice. Cozy.
Throw on your favorite sweater, it’s about to get cozy in here!  Snuggle up and sip on this delicious chai cider.  Unlike anything you’ve tried before,  cardamom, cloves, allspice, cinnamon and ginger meet their soulmate in a blend of sharp and sweet apples.  Not too sweet and not too dry, this is the cider for you.  So settle in, get comfortable and most importantly bundle up – because it’s sweater weather time!

Appearance: morning sunshine, brilliant, mildly bubbly

This cider just shines in the glass! It's color is like a wintry morning sunshine, it's bright but not too warm. I don't expect a strong sparkle based on how it poured out of the can, but I can see some bubbles. 

Aromas: cinnamon, clove, vanilla, nutmeg

Sweater Weather smells just exactly how I want a spiced cider to smell. I get notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and vanilla. I’m hoping for a cider that’s going to balance sweet with spicy and a hint of tartness.

Sweetness/dryness: Sweet
This is a sweet, spicy cider. It doesn’t want to be anything else, and I’m glad for that.

Flavors and drinking experience: full bodied, mildly spicy, acid, sweet

Yes, there’s a lot going on in this cider. Sweater Weather feel full bodied with rich maple heaviness. It’s Mildly spicy and mildly sparkling. Something about this cider reminds me of Chocolate and tea berry gum that I haven’t tasted since high school. What a wave of nostalgia! 


All of the spices that I smells are still present in the flavors of the cider. Sweater Weather brings medium high acidity and some savory and fruity notes as well. I feel most surprised to taste little hints of cherry, concord grapes, black tea and not at all surprised to taste ripe sweet apples in the mix. This cider is just a little bit funky, but not enough to be distracting from the spices.

Cider Review Aeppeltreow Sparrow Spiced Cider and B. Nektar's Cranberry Orange Zest

Winter is going to last a long time. There’s no need to look at the 10 day forecast because it’s all going to vary between cold and very cold. I need to learn to relax into the season, because there are many things about Winter to love. I just need to remember what they are, and I want to share two enticing and richly flavored ciders this week to help me. 

The first is Sparrow Spiced by AeppelTreow.

Aeppeltreow is a Wisconsin cidery, winery, and distillery run by Charles and Milissa McGonegal, founded in 2001. Aeppeltreow partners with Brightonwoods Orchard. More than 200 apple and pear cultivars are grown at Brightonwoods, giving Aeppeltreow access to a rich palette of apples from which to create different cider blends. Charles was kind enough to give me this sample at GLINTCAP this past year.

I’ve enjoyed many different Aeppeltreow ciders. Find the links below.

One of my favorite perries ever, the Orchard Oriole Perry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/05/very-perry-may-aeppeltreows-orchard.html 

For bubble lovers, the Appley Brut: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/09/cider-review-appeltreow-winerys-appley.html 

The Blackbird Berried Cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/06/cider-cans-crush-it-aeppeltreow.html

My favorite might still be the Kinglet Bitter: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/09/cider-review-appletreow-kinglet-bitter.html 

Barnswallow Draft Cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/03/cider-review-appeltreow-barnswallow.html 

I reviewed the Sparkling Perry as part of Very Perry May: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/05/very-perry-may-pt-1-aeppeltreow.html

At my friend El’s birthday dinner, I included the Americana:
http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/09/my-dear-friend-el-just-had-birthday.html

You can read about many of the ciders, fruit wines, and spirits on the AeppelTreow website: http://aeppeltreow.com/ and also now http://appletrue.com

On to the Sparrow Spiced cider

The official description keeps it short and sweet, “Seasonal cider infused with our custom spice blend. Mace, two cinnamons, and more. Pre-mulled, as it were.” 5.5% ABV

Appearance: brilliant, fine bubbles, antique gold

I know using gold as a color descriptor is almost a cheat, but the color of this cider really does remind me of gently patina-ed antique gold. 

Aromas: clove, nutmeg, mace, cooked apples, and cinnamon

This smells so rich and spicy! I can tell that there’s apple in the mix, but I do smell spices in the foreground. Aroma notes include clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, and mace. There’s also something else going on in the aroma that reminds me of nuts or olive oil.

Sweetness/dryness: semi-sweet

This cider is semi-sweet! It needs to be because of the intensity of the spices.

Flavors and drinking experience: medium acidity, lots of spices, cooked apples

The Sparrow Spiced Cider offers up a tidy balanced drink with a strong foundation. That foundation is the counterbalance between medium acid, some sweetness, and mild astringence from lots of classic mulling spices. These characteristics all work together along with the notes of cooked apples to create a tantalizing cider. It’s warming and rich. The bubbles are present but not overpowering. 

I enjoyed this cider with an episode of the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and some popcorn. And I heartily recommend the experience.


Next up: B. Nektar's Cranberry Orange Zest!

I know I’ve tasted several B. Nektar ciders and a few meads before, but none have ever made it into the blog before. I apologize for the omission because B. Nektar makes really adventous beverages: beers, ciders, and meads. The company was founded in 2006 in Michigan by Kerri and Brad Dahlhofer and Paul Zimmerman. 

Visit the meadery and cidery online: http://www.bnektar.com

I apologize for not having the company’s official description on this one. It’s my fault because the review notes have waited way too long. What my online searches turned up is that this is a semi-sweet cider blended with cranberry juice and orange zest. 6% ABV.

Appearance: deep tawny copper, hazy, bubbly

This  Cranberry Orange Zest pours with a bit of bubble that doesn’t stick around long. Looking at pictures of different batches online, the color has varied some, but mine was a deep tawny color somewhere copper meets red. It’s a very pretty cider. 

Aromas: Yeast tart berries and mustard, with a cold funk

Whoa, what interesting aromas. I can definitely smell yeast and tart berries, but that’s not all. The Cranberry orange zest seems to almost include mustard seed note and a hint of funkiness. This smells wild!

Sweetness/Dryness: Semi-Dry/Semi-Sweet 

This cider is right on the line where semi-dry meets semi-sweet. It’s a fruity sweetness balanced nicely by cranberry tartness, but more about that later. I do think it’s probably much sweeter than it perceives as because it is both very bubbly and very high acid.

Flavors and drinking experience: cranberry, high acid, bitter, orange zest, funk

The most forward taste in this cider is the cranberry, in all its bitter tartness. I do get the orange zest in a final note that adds to the puckering tartness. I tastes the sort of mild fruity bitterness that I associate with cranberry but low tannins.  It is semi-sweet but never with a moment of pure sweetness. 

In terms of texture and mouthfeel, the Cranberry Orange Zest is heavily sparkling, perhaps to the degree that it overwhelms the gently rustic funk (which can be smelled but only weakly tasted). This cider seems like an orange zest cider that was then mixed with straight cranberry juice. The apple flavors are there but never featured over cranberry or orange. The whole cider tastes bright, but gets darkly interestingly acidic and closes in the end at the back of the throat. I find it really quite nice and different.

Cider Review: Bantam Cider's Americain and Slyboro Ciderhouse's La Sainte Terre

Alrighty! All of the students are moved into both of the local colleges. I’ve been to the New York State Fair(where I definitely saw people enjoying plenty of New York cider). Apples are starting come into season. Halloween stuff has started appearing in store around. All of these signs tell me that fall is coming. The temperature however has other plans. The weather often does. This time, we’re headed into a brief heat wave just as I’ve been thinking about how to say goodbye to summer. But on my way this week, I’ve enjoyed two forward thinking ciders. 

The first of these comes from Bantam Cider. I found this can when I was travelling and picked it up a few months ago. Bantam Cider hails from Massachusetts. I found this introductory paragraph on the website’s Mission Statement to be an excellent introduction, “We are committed to making creative and distinctive crafted cider using fresh pressed apples and high-quality, all-natural ingredients.”

A long while ago, I had the chance to review Bantam’s Wonderkin: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/01/cider-review-bantam-ciders-wonderkind.html

You can read more about this company and all Bantam ciders on the website: http://www.bantamcider.com/

Today, I’m reviewing the Americain. Here’s it’s official description.

Contrary to popular belief, The Americain was born in the spring, not the fall. It was first made to remind us of the rich and amazing flavors we experienced in our friend’s homemade batch of apple butter. Green Cardamom, Coriander, Clove, Cinnamon and Rose Petals create a rich and aromatic character that is luscious and deliciously edible. And why the French name? Well, anything said in French sound sexier, don’t you agree? And while this cider takes its name from the French, it’s cloudy like English Scrumpy and features traditional Persian spices, its taste is truly American; as American as apple pie.

The Americain is the perfect easy-drinking cider that's just as enjoyable during the dog days of summer as the chilly nights of Autumn. Cheers! 5.2% ABV.

Appearance: cloudy, citrine, no bubbles

This cider looks totally cloudy and very cheerful citrine color. I couldn’t see any bubbles in the glass

Aromas: spicy, ripe red apples, brown sugar, chai

The Americain smells spicy but not quite like apple pie. Instead the spices remind me of Middle Eastern cuisine. Though the palette includes cinnamon the overall effect is still almost savory. But spices aren’t the only part of the story; the cider smells of ripe red apple too. I definitely got a salivary reaction.

Sweetness/dryness: Semi-dry

The lusciousness of the aroma is met with a semi- dry level of sweetness; it’s not too sweet but not to tart either.

Flavors and drinking experience: spicy, caramel, medium high acid

What a fun cider and what a change of pace. I haven’t had anything with this realm of spices for months, and I feel ready for them. I can taste cinnamon, allspice, clove, and cardamom. But in addition to those spicy notes this semi-dry cider is caramelly even as it’s semi dry.

The cider has medium high acidity and lovely tiny bubbles. The whole experince is very balanced. The Americain tastes full of flavor; it’s juicy but mature. And it finishs with a quick lick of brown sugar. I paired it very simply with a movie (The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society) and popcorn. It made for a nice night.

Slyboro Sainte terre

In a lovely hamlet of New York near the Vermont border, Slyboro Ciderhouse makes its home in Hick’s Orchard. I’ve visited the cidery and tasted most of the ciders. Here’s how the website introduces Slyboro.

 Named for the centuries-old hamlet that is home to Hicks Orchard, Slyboro Ciderhouse re-introduces the lost craft of traditional American ciders. Just as grapes are transformed into wine, our ciders are fermented from our own orchard-grown apples; unlocking the full potential of the apple by creatively blending a a distinctive range of delicious, award-winning ciders. 

We at Slyboro Ciderhouse are dedicated to reclaiming cider - "true cider" - as America's favorite drink. We invite you to explore and discover the flavors and delights of Slyboro Ciders. In any season, for special occasions, or to enrich the moment, "consider cider."

Previous review include: 

Most recently, I reviewed the Hidden Star: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/04/cider-review-slyboro-cider-houses.html

Before that I tried the Kingston Black: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/10/cider-review-slyboro-hard-ciders.html

I also used their Ice Cider in my Thanksgiving lineup two years ago: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/11/happy-to-pickcider-for-thanksgiving.html

In 2016, I had the pleasure of visiting Hick’s orchard and the Slyboro tasting room: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-great-vermont-cider-tour-day-3.html

I tried the Black Currant as soon as I found it: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/07/cider-review-slyboros-black-currant.html

My first Slyboro review was the Old Sin: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/06/cider-review-slyboro-ciders-old-sin.html

A late season saunter to a lost corner of the orchard leads to the chance discovery of pomological perfection. La Sainte Terre blends the crisp and floral notes of Golden Russet and MacIntosh with a hint of earthy bittersweet apples and a voluptuous dose of ice harvest ice cider.

La Sainte Terre celebrates our connection to the living world, the unhurried moment, the long 'path which we love to travel in the interior and ideal world,' as Thoreau once said. You must lose yourself before you find your way to La Saint Terre, the Sacred Earth." 8% ABV.

Appearance: dried apricot color, brilliant, no visible bubbles

I'm loving the rich color in this cider, even in a non-traditional glass. The cider is brilliant. I don't see many bubbles. 

Aromas: black pepper, fresh grapes, overripe apple

How very interesting. La Sainte Terre smalls astonishingly of black pepper and grapes. These aren’t notes I’m used to noticing, but I’m intrigued. These aromas are layered with wet cool overripe apple.

Sweetness/dryness: Semi sweet

This cider is unambiguously a semi-sweet cider. The concentration of sweetness of the ice cider used to give it sweetness comes across beautifully. 

Flavors and drinking experience: High acidity, raisins, watermelon

La Sainte Terre has a lot going on. I first noticed that the black pepper aromas were matched with black pepper flavors too. That savory is balanced by golden caramel brown sugar and high acidity and medium-low tannins. There’s some fruit notes as well, notably raisins, watermelon, and more ripe ripe apple. La Sainte Terr simultaneously offers up some fermentation almost barrel-like notes that run the gamut from wood to turpentine. This cider has a thick mouthfeel; its acid mellows out in the finish.

I enjoyed this cider with a feast! My dear friend had a garden party to celebrate the season and the fact that deer can no longer destroy her vegetables and flowers. The caprese salad was an especially nice pairing with this complex delicious cider. 

Cider Review: Citizen Cider's Wood and Kurant Spice

Greetings from Scotland! Hello, cider lovers. I’m writing from Scotland today, because that’s where I’m travelling right now. These ciders however are not Scottish, and all notes were taken before my trip began. Not to worry. I plan to write about some Scottish ciders in the coming weeks hopefully over at Cider Culture.

Let’s start today with my impression of a specialty from The Citizen Cellar, the experimental wing of Citizen Ciders. Citizen Ciders are based out of Burlington, Vermont but are growing in availability all over the eastern portion of the United States. This company has a fantastic local focus even as it grows! Today, it’s Citizen Cellar’s Wood.

As always, you can learn about Citizen Cider on the website: https://www.citizencider.com/

I have several previous reviews of Citizen Ciders. 

Wit’s Up: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/04/cider-review-citizen-ciders-wits-up.htm

Tulsi: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/03/cider-review-fable-farms-greensboro-and.html

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

Brose: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/02/cider-review-citizen-cider-brose.html

Barrel-Aged: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/02/cider-review-citizen-ciders-barrel-aged.html

And I had a fantastic time when I visited them: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-great-vermont-cider-tour-day-2.html

The Citizen Cider Wood’s official description reads, “A dry and bubbly cider made using two unique apples: Esopus Spitzenburg and the bittersweet Dabinett, from our friend Steve Wood at Poverty Lane Orchard in Lebanon, New Hampshire.”

Appearance: slightly hazy, golden topaz, no visible bubble

This cider looks distinct from most of what I’ve seen from Citizen. The usual clarity is replaced in this cider by a gentle haze. The color can easily be described as golden topaz.

Aromas: over-ripe apples, gasoline, dust

The Wood smells like mostly like overripe apples. There’s a warmth and softness to the aroma that’s very appealing. I get some hints of dust and gasoline as well. This is going to be super different from the company’s usual style.

Dyrness/sweetness: Dry

Though the Wood is fruity, this cider is dry.

Flavors and drinking experience: fine bubbles, yeasty, funky 

I love the super fine bubbles in the Wood. The gasoline aroma notes are still present as flavors but they remain muted. This cider offers up a lot of yeast character and tons of acid. It’s dry and fruity as well. This cider is all about the features brought by using bittersweet apples.

I enjoyed this cider at a friend’s house with dinner. We had homemade pasta and red sauce from local tomatoes. I found the cider seemed almost barrel aged because of the gentle funkiness and the bittersweet apple qualities. Very very nice.

Kurant

Kurant is from Pennsylvania, so I don’t ordinarily get any access to these ciders. I did get to judge the PA Farm Show competition last year, and I was able to get some cans on that trip. I know the Spice might not seem super seasonal, but I’ve been wanting to share my notes on a cider by Kurant for some time.

The company describes their inspiration as coming from, “traditional French, English, and Spanish ciders.” The company makes small batch ciders and operates a tasting room and taproom (with food!) in the Fishtown neighborhood of Philadelphia. The ciders are made in Lansdale, Pennsylvania. The company was founded in 2015, as best as my online sleuthing can tell.

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

Today’s review is of the Spice. The cider’s official description reads,

Hints of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice blend perfectly reminding you of your favorite cold weather treats. A touch of brown sugar in the finish adds just a tiny bit of sweetness for balance with notes of molasses and raisins. We let the apples shine as the highlight of Spice by keeping the seasonal additions light but noticeable and not overpowering. Spice is available through the end of the winter season.

PAIRINGS: Roasted Turkey, Graham Cracker Ice Cream ABV: 5.8% SWEETNESS: Off Dry / Semi Sweet

Appearance: hazy, bubbly, dried apricot

The color of this cider reminds me of dried apricots. It’s a warm tone somewhere between orange and gold. The cider looks bubbly and just a bit hazy.

Aromas: spices, homemade apple sauce, cloves,

Purrrr. This particular blend is full of deep dark spicing and warm cooked apples. It doesn’t really smell summery but on this quiet evening, it sure smells nice.

Sweetness/dryness: semi-dry

This is a bright semi-dry. It has plenty of acid and less sweetness than I expect in a spiced cider. And that’s a very good thing in my view.

Flavors and drinking experience: clove, apple pie

The spices of apple pie do come out as I sip the Spice. I get notes of baking spices, especially cloves when tasting this cider. I do like how this is less sweet than you might expect. The sweetness that I can taste here reminds me of very much of raisins. I do get the spice notes more in aromas than in flavors. The spice brings plenty of acidity but no tannins.

The most unexpected feature is that the Spice ends with a very cola-esque finish. I find that totally unexpected but good. I had this cider paired with a “clean out all the vegetables from the fridge” salad, and it was an excellent experience.

Cheers!

Cider Review: Angry Orchard's Spiced Apple

Last posting day, March was roaring into town and since then we've been warmed by the sun, drenched, snow covered, and blow dried. I think of Spring as a season of worry and  hard work tempered by the excitement of change and glimpses of gentleness. I feel like we've already covered that in a week.

There's a nice upside to crazy weather like this if you're a cider lover: beyond even just a good reason to spend evenings indoors with a glass of something delicious. Cider can be a strongly seasonal beverage I've talked about this before on the blog. But getting all the seasons in a week means having very different ciders in closer proximity than usually makes sense. 

It snowed twice unexpectedly in the past week, so I went back to my store of spiced ciders. Tonight I'm sharing the the most recent spiced cider a company has shared with me: Angry Orchard's Spiced Apple. This is one that can found in their Winter Orchard Sampler Variety 12-Pack, but folks were kind enough to send me one in the mail. Thanks! 

Angry Orchard has been developing in multiple directions as the cider market is maturing and changing. They've not grown in 2016 the way they did in previous years, but this is still a company that's making and selling cider on a truly massive scale. Today's review is part of push for more seasonal variety in their 12 ounce bottles. The other direction of change is higher end ciders coming out of their research and development facility in Walden, New York. 

As always, you can find out tons more at Angry Orchard's website: http://www.angryorchard.com/

I have lots of previous reviews of Angry Orchard ciders. I'm only going to share a few of my favorites because there are too many to link back to all of them.

The Stone Dry is a nice reliable cider that's notably drier than most of their offerings: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/10/cider-review-angry-orchard-stone-dry.html

Walden Hollow from the Research and Development facility: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/09/cider-review-angry-orchards-walden.html

Knotty Pear which is a blended perry and cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/06/cider-review-angry-orchards-knotty-pear.html

Back in 2014, I shared a roundup review of a few of their ciders Strawman, The Muse, and Traditional Dry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/05/roundup-of-angry-orchard-reviews.html

These new releases are designed for winter: Tapped Maple and Spiced Apple. You can find these ciders in the Winter Orchard Sampler Variety 12-Pack which is being sold only through April 2017. Today, I'm sharing my thoughts on the spiced apple; you'll see the Tapped Maple in the coming weeks. 

Angry Orchard's official description says this about it.

Angry Orchard Spiced Apple was Inspired by the spices in this classic dessert and connection to the American cider making tradition. This hard cider achieves its balanced profile by combining bright and festive warming spices and a blend of culinary and bittersweet apples. This new limited release style is perfect for evenings with friends and family during the last months of winter.

The coolest part of the description is a list of apples used in this cider: "Braeburn, Fuji, Granny Smith, and Gala French." All dessert apples and relatively familiar varieties that often make for aromatic, mildly high acid ciders without much tannic presence. Though the description hints at cider apples. The ABV is listed at 5%.

Alrighty, on to the cider!

Appearance: brilliant, dark red-orange

There's no denying that this is a pretty cider with a lot of color. Its brilliant and a deep reddish orange. I don't see much bubble.

Aromas: spicy, sweet, apple 

The Spiced Apple smells very much as the name would suggest of spices and apples. The spices are the classic baking or mulling spices with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and clove. It smells sweet.

Sweetness/dryness: sweet.

This is a sweet cider. This makes some sense for a cider that uses dessert spices. There's plenty more going on than just sweetness, but it is there. Don't look here for dry.

Flavors and drinking experience: mellow, baked goods, lactic acid, balanced

Initial taste is sweet followed by one half-hint of bitter and a half-hint of sour. It reminds me of lactic acid. The more sips I take, the more a mellow cinnamon dough impression creeps forward. I keep thinking of a number of pleasant autumnal desserts, cinnamon rolls, apple muffins, etc.

Everything spicy happens in the middle of each drink of this cider. Now that I'm thinking more precisely, it reminds me of Apple Stack Cake, which for me is a special family recipe handed down more than three generations. Definitely notes of brown sugar But there's also some tannin, I can taste that they are now using some cider apples- maybe what I was interpreting as Gala french is Gala apples and a blend of french cider apples. It's not clear. 

The spice isn't hot. it reminds me of apple pie ice cream actually. There's enough acidity to keep things in check but acidity isn't the star of the show. I'd say the star is the long sweet  finish that just keeps rolling across the palate again and again.

 So, March, what's next? Will it be time for the Tapped Maple this week or will I get some time for springy ciders before we visit winter again?

Cider Review: Tieton Ciderworks' Spice Route

I know I get fewer chances to review ciders from the western portion of the country, but this Washington State cider struck me as just the thing recently. Tis the season for spicy ciders. Tonight I'm returning to Tieton Ciderworks to try their Spice Route.

For a little bit of background, Tieton Ciderworks grew out of Harmony Orchards. The company makes it very clear; they make cider because they grow lots and lots of apples; the family has been orcharding in the region since the 1920s. tThey have  been growing cider specific varieties since 2008. Here's the quote I found most interesting online, "We now have the largest acreage of cider apples and Perry pears in the state of Washington with 55 acres." Dreamy to hear, isn't it?

You can find out lots more on the web at: http://tietonciderworks.com

This bottle came from a pleasant and well-stocked bottle shop in Lakewood, Ohio. I found it while visiting friends when a spicy cider was far from in season, so I've been saving this for a bit. 

I've reviewed two of Tieton Ciderworks' offerings previously, both relatively seasonal but very tasty.

Smoked Pumpkin: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/10/cider-review-tieton-ciderworks-smoked.html

Yakima Valley Dry Hopped: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/07/cider-review-tieton-ciderworks-yakima.html

Tieton's official description is short and sweet, "An exotic and fresh cider. Expect a medium straw with hints of cinnamon, vanilla, clove and allspice. Reminiscent of a fresh baked apple pie. 500ml – 6.9% Alcohol."

Appearance: brilliant, big bubbles, bright intense gold color

This cider pleases me so much to look at it. The clarity can only be described as brilliant. I can see lots of big bubbles clinging to all of the inside surfaces of the glass The color reminds me of buttery corn, all freshly shining gold.

Aromas: caramel, clove, apple

This smells like an autumnal dessert. I am so fond of that caramel apple scent, strongly accompanied by clove. I can also get some of the asllspice from the description.

Sweetness/dryness: semi-dry but complicated

I think spiced ciders add a real complication to the basic spectrum of sweet to dry. The spices, especially in this cider, add some sharpness and bitterness that call out for a balance with more sweetness as well. This cider balances that well.

Flavors and drinking experience: low tannin, well balanced, integrated flavors

The first thing I noticed about this cider after the presence of spice was how nicely integrated the acidity feels to the whole experience. There's no real tannin to speak of, but this wouldn't be a cider variation I'd choose for much tannin.

Spice ciders  are really seasonal but this cider is far from the overly sweet "pumpkin spice" trend or even "apple pie spice/" more cold and spicy than that I found this cider pleasing, balanced and full bodied with medium bubble.

I had the Spice Route with macaroni and cheese made from scratch with a mix of bechamel, Vermont white cheddar, and Emmentaler topped with garlicy breadcrumbs. I know a lot of folks will be watching election returns tonight with some sense of urgency. Take care of yourself with something grounding and delicious to eat and cider worth relaxing with while you wait. This might be just the ticket.