Cider Review: Farnum Hill Farmhouse Cider

Apologies for the brief hiatus, cider drinkers! Many things have been afoot in the world of Along Came A Cider. Most exciting to me though is that HQ has moved yet again, and this time for to be settled for a long while. And that is a feeling that goes well with any pleasant beverage.

For the time being though, let me share my most recent adventure with a Farnum Hill cider.

Let us begin with the fact that Farnum Hill is serious about cider and about using cider apples. If you want to see this for yourself, you can find evident all over their website:

http://www.povertylaneorchards.com/farnum-hill-ciders/

On the one hand, I love that. Cider is worthy of being taken seriously. It is a seriously delicious and complex beverage. Different apples make for different ciders, and Farnum Hill has invested in cider apples much to the benefit of their ciders. But to represent that other hand, I have to say that I'm not completely into the tone that their seriousness takes.  For example, "On Farnum Hill, we stick to the true meaning of the word 'cider:' an alcoholic beverage fermented from particular apples, just as 'wine' is fermented from particular grapes." Anyone who starts talking about true this or true that starts to lose me, I must say. There are a lot of ways to do anything, and calling one way true starts to mean calling all other ways false, and that sounds a bit limited and unnecessarily disdainful.

Consider me a rebel, but this seems a bit silly. The cider world has room for many style and even more bottles. I will absolutely line up to taste and try what Farnum Hill offers, but I'm not going to sign up for a "one true way" for cider.

Speaking of my fondness for their actual beverages, I have reviewed one Farnum Hill cider in the past. Find my review of their 2013 summer cider here:

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/09/cider-review-farnum-hill-summer-cider.html

But for tonight, it is all about Farmhouse Cider. 

This is how Farnum Hill introduces this cider:

Farnum Hill ‘Farmhouse’: Alcohol content: 6.5% by volume. Available in 750 ml bottles with mushroom cork & wire hood.

Our most casual cider, pale gold and bubbly, with a stroke of sweetness along with the tart, bitter, and fruity elements that good cider offers: citrus, pineapple, bittersweet apple, and a whiff of good barnyard funk. Farmhouse astringency is nowhere near the extreme, but shows a certain tannic edge. Agreeably versatile, it shares certain flavor elements with both beer and wine. A clean, appetizing finish makes it congenial with many kinds of food, from the snackiest through the meatiest to the whole-grainiest and back.

People fond of English or Irish commercial ciders often like our Farmhouse, though its sweetness is a fraction of theirs. Imagine a fresh-tasting second cousin to Magner’s (alias Bulmer’s Ireland), and subtract the sugar. ‘Farmhouse’ is more of a pub cider than our others. It varies a bit more from batch to batch, shows less complexity less alcohol than our others, and of course is less filling than beer. It and Semi-Dry are the most popular of our regular ciders. ‘Farmhouse’ is blended from a group of real cider apples that ripen earlier than most. So it’s a bit easier to make and less expensive to buy.
The tannins in the Farmhouse Cider taste more bitter and feel more rustic (rough?) than those in our more elegant blends. You who wince at the tannins in Farmhouse might find pleasure in our smoother, more complex Semi-Dry.

(For the ultimate in tannic astringency, journey to certain farmstead operations in the West of England. Any of their serious bittersweet ciders convulse the oral membranes with eerie power. Ageless residents of rural Somerset or Hereford can chat and sip all day, gently propped against barrels, freed by cidrous tannins from time and harm. Or that’s how it looks.)

Whoa. That's a mouthful. Let's dig out a few concrete specifics to use when tasting this cider. I'm guessing this will be an off dry cider (meaning not entirely dry but also drier than a semi-dry) with medium to high tannins. I anticipate some bitterness but not enough to entirely crowd out fruit notes. Sounds enticing enough. I'm curious.

Appearance: deep topaz, not many visible bubbles, brilliant

This is a lovely cider in the glass. That depth of colors supports the description of tannins and heritage fruit, but none of that is a surprise. Though the photo doesn't reveal this, when first poured, I can see that this will be a slightly sparkling cider, but the bubbles calm down quickly.

Aromas: overripe apples, dust, summer storms

Luscious smells. This cider makes my mouth water with that combination of warmed overripe apples and mineral dust. This is my second clue that this cider will taste tannic, so that's consistent with its appearance and description. But now I'm getting in a hurry because it smells so good that I want to taste it absolutely right now.

Sweetness: off dry

This cider, as predicted, tastes more than semi-dry but not completely dry and not at all harsh. This truly is a drinkable off dry.

Flavors: Tannins! Slight bitterness, good structure, woody

The Farmhouse Cider tastes highly tannic, but it balances that out with plenty of fruits and medium acidity. What the tannins contribute are good structure and body with some delightful drops of mild bitterness. My only complaint is purely personal. It has not very strong petillance, meaning it sparkles just a touch on the tongue but I would like perhaps a touch more. This is decidedly an easy drinking cider for the aficionado, and at the same time a beautiful and complex education for the more casual quaffer. I keep noticing the slight levels bitter astringency, but you know that's how I like it.

This cider offers a long woody finish that gets a bit sweeter at the very very end. Friendly.

In terms of pairings, I think I want both some fattiness and some mild sweetness to best highlight what I enjoy about this cider. If I were near the ocean that would mean lobster roll and homemade potato crisps. *swoon* Since I am significantly land-locked, avocados spring to mind. Perhaps an avocado and tomato salad with chickpeas, cucumbers, sesame seeds, and a lemony drizzle. Or roasted corn on the cob with feta cheese and veggie burgers. Lots of summer foods would match this beautifully.

Farnum Hill didn't get their intense reputation by making mediocre cider. This is an elegant and deeply enjoyable experience. I am grateful for the apples and expertise that went into this. If they could relax a tiny bit about themselves, they'd be pretty much perfect.

**Don't forget! If you need my address for any cider-related reason, particularly if you want to send me your delicious cider for review, contact me via email or comment  to get my new address!**

Cider Review: Woodchuck Cellar Series Smoked Apple

Back to the cellar series from Woodchuck! I so enjoyed their Dry Hopped Cider (reviewed here http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/11/cider-review-woodchuck-cellar-series.html) There you can find some background on the company as well as links back to my reviews of Woodchuck's Winter limited release and their Belgian White cider.

Woodchuck now keeps a blog for their cidery business; it hosts recipes that feature a wide variety of their ciders. So, if you like cider recipes or want to read more about Woodchuck, it is definitely something to check out: http://www.woodchuck.com/blog/  The specific entry on the Cellar Series Smoked Apple is really neat because of its rare visual insight into Woodchuck's cider making process. http://www.woodchuck.com/blog/woodchuck-cellar-series-smoked-apple/

 
I'm back with their cider series this evening, reviewing their Smoked Apple cider. Full admission here, I did not pay for this cider. Woodchuck was kind enough to send me a bottle for review. Here's the short version of their official description of the Smoked Apple, "Apple pomace is smoked using a blend of maple and applewood chips. Our original small batch hard cider is run through the smoked pomace. The result is a full-bodied deep amber cider. Strong crisp apple notes with hints of vanilla are balanced on an applewood smoked backdrop." I'd like to just throw in a few background facts. This cider's ABV is 6.5% and it is only available in 22 ounce bottles. This is pretty much the perfect sharing size.

 "After the pomace was smoked using maple and applewood chips it was brought to the Middlebury Cidery. The smoked pomace was then infused into small batch fermented cider. The result is a full bodied deep amber cider. Strong crisp apple notes with hints of vanilla are balanced on an applewood smoked backdrop. A well-balanced, limited run cider that is perfect for the cooler days ahead."

 Appearance: Deep burnished brown red, many many many visible bubbles

I honestly cannot tell if this cider is brilliant, hazy, or cloudy. Between the dark mahogany color and the number of bubbles, it is difficult to see the clarity of the Smoked Apple. I notice the color more than anything else, because it is so unusual. This depth and redness just looks rich and satisfying.

Aromas: leather, fresh apples, hint of smoke

The more I  inhale this deeply and think about it, the more I can scent the smoke. My dear husband Alex gets beer and cranberries. I can see where he is coming from, but the Smoked Apple still smells more like leather to me.

Flavors and drinking experience: Smoke, bacon, apple

As I drink the Smoked Apple, it begins like sweet molasses but then the other flavors take over. Mostly those other flavors are smoke, leather, peat and meatiness. Seriously, this is like bacon cider. Bacon freaks, I know you are out there. Dig in. Whiskey, earth, smokety-smoke smoke. It intensifies in the after flavor. The smoke makes this a beverage for its sensory experience rather than any thirst-quenching properties, but it's uniqueness more than makes up for that. 

Overall, this is a super neat cider. Probably not one I'll buy for myself with any regularity just because of the intense bacon-ness that the smoke calls to my mind. I do heartily recommend it though for fans of smoked beverages. Still though, I'm more than happy to enjoy it with some vegetarian chili or lentil soup. It is super warming and appropriate for these cold dark months. I'd also recommend it for a recuperating after winter outdoor adventures. I've been enjoying giant walks in the snow lately (till our rain melted it all) and this is the perfect kind of cider to enjoy after coming in from the cold. 

Cider Review: Redbyrd 2013 Harvest Cider

So exciting! I'm about to taste my first craft cider bottled from the 2013 harvest. I've had some tasty home brewed ciders, but Redbyrd Orchard Cider introduced their 2013 Harvest Cider more quickly than any other offerings from this year's bumper crop of apples.  

First through a bit about Redbyrd Orchards. They are a very farm and orchard oriented cider company. They are also very small, independent, and locally oriented. All good things in my book. You can read about their ciders, process, and philosophy on their website: http://redbyrdorchardcider.com 

One of the really neat things about Redbyrd is that they have a cider CSA (it stands for Community Supported Agriculture) Their CSA shares are on sale now. What a great concept. They explain how it all works on this page:
http://redbyrdorchardcider.com/2013/12/16/best-holiday-gift-ever-cider-csa-sign-up-begins-today/

Back in the fall, during Cider Week, I did my first review of a Redbyrd Cider, their Starblossom 21012. Feel free to check out that review here: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/10/finger-lakes-cider-week-special-review.html I do a more thorough introduction to Redbyrd in that post. For now though, I'm ready to dive into this exciting new cider.

Luckily for us, Redbyrd Orchard Cider gives extensive and informative notes on all of their releases. I'll let them speak for themselves about the Harvest Cider before going into my own impressions.

2013 Harvest Cider

Tasting Notes:  Harvest Cider 2013 is a blend of our first two pressings of the 2013 harvest season.   It is rich in color with aromas of bittersweet apple, rose hips, and peach skin. In the glass, Harvest Cider is lightly sparkling, or petillant, with a palate that is clean, crisp, and ripe with fresh fruit and minerals. This cider finishes with velvety tannins and racy acidity.

Apples:  20% Browns Apple: early sharp English cider apple, aromatic

                12% Major: early bittersweet English cider apple

                12% Domaines: early bittersweet French cider apple

                8% Dolgo Crab: early Russian crabapple for color and aroma

                48% mixed early heirlooms and early bittersweet drops

Alcohol:  7.7% alc/vol.

Residual Sugar: 0.0%rs.

Production Notes:  Most ciders from the 2013 vintage will not be ready for release until late winter/early spring 2014. After primary fermentation, the cider from the first two pressings naturally clarified much quicker than usual.  Normally we wait for all of our tanks to finish fermentation to find the right blends to create balance and brightness in our ciders. These very first two tanks of cider were surprisingly balanced, aromatic, and bright, and in combination made for an early cider to be released. Racking off the top of the tanks allowed us to take only the clearest cider of each and then blend, force carbonate, and bottle. This cider is unfined and unfiltered.  This is cider in its purest form.

Alrighty, back to Along Came a Cider then. I love that Redbyrd tells us about their specific apple choices in the blend and about the process that allowed this cider to come into its own so early. Fascinating stuff. 

 
Appearance: maple, brilliant, no bubbles

This is a exceptionally dark cider. To me it looks almost like maple syrup in the glass. Perhaps this is because it is both unfined and unfiltered? Or it could have to do with the apple choices. Either way, it is striking to see.

Aromas: wood, tannins, some apple

Not a lot of apple aroma. The scent of this cider is dominated by woodiness. I can detect some minerally almost metallic notes as well. I'm definitely predicting a dry cider based on this aroma.

Sweet to dry: Absolutely bone dry

Dry, and I do mean seriously dry. But with just a tiny hint of more fruitiness in the tasting than I got from smelling the Harvest 2013 cider. If you like sweet ciders, this is not for you.

Flavors and drinking experience: Acidic!

This is just about the most sour cider I've ever tasted. The bright acidity knocks every other element out of the competition to get noticed. Yes I can still taste the woodiness and some citrus and apple fruitiness, but mostly this is an extremely zesty acidic cider. It isn't to my tastes as much as the 2012 Starblossom, honestly. But I can see some cider fans really getting into this style. I like the woodiness, but I wish it were more mellow. I do enjoy the level of carbonation on this.

What I would do though to maximize my enjoyment of this cider is to pair it with the right dish, something that needs some brightness. And believe me, this time of year there are a ton of heavy dishes that could use a pick me up. I think a creamy chowder would complement this cider very well. As for activities, pick this for snowed in night at home with just your nearest and dearest, who are presumably already cider fans. This is an unusual enough cider that you don't want to share it with any new cider converts necessarily. This is more for those who already like the more acidic and dry sides of the beverage.

Cider Review: Thatcher's Green Goblin

 
I usually only review American ciders, but I do enjoy ciders from many different places. My palate doesn't discriminate by region. When I was on a trip home to Kentucky recently, I promised to look at what I could find in terms of local cider selection and write about it. The most interesting thing I found had to be Thatcher's Green Goblin. I got the very last bottle at a Liquor Barn in Louisville KY and I had to climb on the shelves to get. And this wasn't even on Black Friday! In any case, I was thrilled to see something I do not usually see, hence a review of a decidedly English Cider. Hopefully in coming years, I'll see some Kentucky ciders. We do have the apples after all. If you've ever heard of a Kentucky cider, please let me know!

Thatcher's Green Goblin has its own website at http://www.greengoblincider.co.uk/ and for more information, this page has more detail http://www.greengoblincider.co.uk/cider.htm. The promotional copy isn't particularly descriptive, but it does emphasize that the apples are English and that the cider is oaked. Here's how they put it: "The Green Goblin from deep in the wood - 100 year-old oak vats, that is. Made with English apples, and matured in oak vats, Green Goblin cider is a full-flavoured, bittersweet blend, beautifully balanced to give a fresh character with a medium dry finish." When reading about their cider process, they list two apple varieties Somerset Redstreak and Dabinette both grown in the West County region. I know both of those apples from several US ciders that use them for tannins, so I'm even more curious than I had been before.
                                                                                                                                                       

Appearance: brilliant, papaya, no foam

Seriously, the color is deep papaya. I've never seen another cider like it. When poured, this cider had no foam or head. As I hope the photo shows, it has no haziness and is instead clear and brilliant. What a beautiful cider!

Aromas: stone, wood, subtle aura of persimmon

This earthy smell is delightfully cidery but in an unexpected way because it offers almost no apple, and absolutely no yeast. Instead I smelled stone and wood with just a smidge of acidic fruit. Thinking about that fruitiness, ripe persimmon rather captures it.

Sweetness: Fairly dry

While the dryness is not extreme, this cider defnitely comes across more dry than sweet. I think the dryness combines with the tannins to emphasize those elements more than sweetness or fruit.

Flavors and drinking experience: high tannins, low acid, dry. Woody.

I taste tannins most predominantly in the Green Goblin and I love it. The tannins are soft and not overly aggressive because they are balanced with some lovely apple notes and low acidity. The cider tastes very woody in that almost drying way. Some folks don't care for this, but I'm totally into it. I get hints of leather but those are restrained. Some subtle spicy fruits and farminess give character to the apple. The Green Goblin has fairly intense levels of carbonation, but they lighten up what is otherwise a fairly dark-tasting beverage, so I'm not complaining. The finish lingers with more wood and spice, but at this point the farmyard notes have all disappeared, giving it an evolving taste.

This cider strikes me so deeply enjoyable because of its maturity and balance. I shared the Green Goblin with my mother who doesn't usually care for cider, but she loved the complexity and drinkability of the Green Goblin. She's totally right; it is exceptionally good. I can now add oaking to my list of techniques that make a cider more likely to make my list of repeat buys. Nice.

When thinking of food pairings, I can see a few different directions suiting the Green Goblin. In summer, I'd drink this with a capese salad with loads of fresh mozzarella and some aged balsamic vinegar. In winter, pair the Green Goblin with pasta in cream sauce with walnuts and broccoli. In terms of activities, I'd bring this to a gathering full of new people. The cider has so many different nuances that it makes a great conversation starter, and I'm confident most folks who try would find it both enjoyable and interesting. Besides, I'm always looking to use parties as a way to make more drinkers into cider drinkers.

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.

Finger Lakes Cider Week Cider Review: Eve's Cidery's Beckhorn Hollow Dry

 
To get ready for Ithaca's Apple Harvest Festival and Finger Lakes Cider Week, I'm highlighting some excellent regional ciders from where I live, the Finger Lakes region of New York. To start, Eve's Cidery has been running in Van Etten, New York since 2002. You can read all about the people and the ciders on Eve's Cidery website here: http://www.evescidery.com/. It's got a lot of good info, even if a few sections appear to no longer have content. I reviewed their Autumn's Gold cider a few months ago in this post: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/06/cider-review-eves-ciderys-autumns-gold.html. 

The Beckhorn Hollow Dry cider has an ABV of 8%, which is a bit higher than average. I didn't see an official description or promotional copy for the Beckhorn Hollow Dry on their website, but I contacted them through Facebook and asked. I got an excellent description in reply, "Made from a diverse blend of apple varieties including crabs, heirlooms and desserts, this cider is naturally sparkling and bone dry. Tropical fruits and vanilla on the nose give way to a refreshing wild-apple finish. Makes a delightful compliment to Indian curries, chicken pot pie or gourmet farmstead grilled cheese on rustic sourdough." Such an intriguing list of food pairings.

Appearance: brilliant, palest green gold

Pours with lots of activity and bubbles that settle quickly into a brilliant cider. I see the color as the perfect meld of pale green and pale gold.  Apologies for the imperfect capturing of color in this  nighttime photo. I wish I could always be drinking my ciders and photographing them during the golden hour, but that option isn't available frequently enough.

Aroma:  fresh apples, tart green grapes, underripe bananas

I could smell All kind of sappy green fruits like lime and green grapes. Extreme crispness comes to mind when I smell all the tart zingy freshness of the apple in the aromas. I'm defnitely anticipating some bittersharp and dry notes based on the smells.

Sweetness: Dry

This is a lovely lovely dry cider that still has full aromas and flavors. The rawness I smelled comes across more maturely in the woody dryness. This doesn't have high enough levels of tannins to dry out the mouth though, which means it can still be enjoyed casually.

Flavors and Drinking Experience: Woodsy, very fine bubbles, citrus

I get some ethanol bittersweet on the attack, like lemon pith or even a citrus zest, but it smooths out to apple and wood notes quickly. Overall the acidity level isn't particularly high, even lower than the medium tannins. The Beckhorn Hollow Dry shares its sweetest moment in the finish which is a soothing and excellent encouragement.

I'm not sure I'd follow the official recommendation and try it with any curries, but I'd certainly recommend enjoying the Beckhorn Hollow Dry with delicious buttery cooked greens or a rich vegetable au gratin. The dryness could lighten up a rich heavy meal beautifully. For an activity, I'd love to have this cider on hand while doing some of my own cooking and baking. The dryness would be delightfully refreshing in that context.

If you'll be anywhere in the finger lakes region during our Cider Week (October 4-13), come out and see ciders like this one from Eve's Cidery being sampled, paired, mixed, or taught. Eve's Cidery makes some beautiful ciders, and they aren't the only ones in the area.

Also, please come out at see me and the fine folks at The Cellar D'Or next Friday evening October 11th between 5 and 8pm. We'll be pairing all sorts of ciders and cheeses, both regional and international selections.

Cider Review: Millstone Cellars Gingeroot

First, a note, please forgive the picture heaviness of this post. Several pictures turned out, and I am enough of a photo person that I cannot narrow it down to the usual two pics.

 

Millstone Cellars works from the refurbished Monkton Mill in Monkton, Maryland. It is primarily a father son business that has been making cider and mead for more than ten years. They say this about their own processes: "Recreating early America’s libation of choice, our cider is crafted from pressed heirloom cider apples, oak barrel fermented, and aged. Once barreled, we let the ciders chill out as they undergo a long cool fermentation, slowly develop the ciders character and complexity. Each apple varietal is fermented to dryness and aged for 5-12 months before we hand select barrels to blend into our finished cider." They also mention bottle conditioning as the final step in the cider process. You can see some gorgeous pictures and read more about their business on their website: www.millstonecellars.com.

Today, I'm reviewing their Gingeroot. Their official description explains it as, "Cider warmed during the winter months in the barrel with organic baby ginger and infused with raw blueberry honey. A spicy aromatic cider unthawed for the coming of spring." They do list their ingredients in a completely appealing and open way. The back label lists and pictures Summer Rambo and McIntosh as the apples that go into this cider along with organic baby ginger and raw blueberry honey. With all of these various flavors coming together, I anticipate a complex beverage. Final few facts: ABV 8.0%, Residual Sugar 2.5%, Sweetness Semi-Sweet. I'm curious about what I'll be tasting.

Appearance: pale yellow gold and bubbly

The Gingeroot pours fizzily. The beverage quickly forms a very big bubbled mousse with loads of excitement. The head dissipates quickly. Either in the bottle or the glass, this cider has brilliant clarity and very pale yellow gold color.

Aromas: ginger, pear wood, spice

The first thing that I have to share to properly communicate the experience is that this beverage is significantly more aromatic than most ciders. It is beautifully strong smelling, even when fairly cold. The aromas aren't appley though; Alex gets concord grape, but I smell ginger primarily. Beyond the ginger, I could smell pear, wood, and spice. Very exciting.

Flavors: apple, ginger, and spice

I can taste the apple much more than I could smell it, but the ginger comes across just as clearly. The two meld well with a spicy almost punchy taste. Very invigorating. I enjoyed how much the Gingeroot manages to be a zesty and yet fruity cider.

Drinking experience: intense, powerful, a bit slow

This cider is high in tannins, similarly high in acid, and off dry. The honey really is pleasing as a separate but balancing note. The level of carbonation also gives this an aura of champagne. For me, this tastes very much like what would happen if someone clever shaved fresh ginger into a glass of dry champagne.

I chose this cider specifically go with a meal. My darling Alex made zucchini and summer squash cold noodle salad with tofu and peanut teriyaki sauce. Delish. The cider worked with it as I hoped it would. The balance of powerful cider and chilled peanut sauce were especially complementary. I recommend this confidently as an accompaniment to Asian food. In terms of activities, where I live it is still too hot to do very much besides survive. Therefore, I'd recommend the Gingeroot for a calm slow afternoon or evening, reading a book that keeps you on the edge of your seat. This cider can stand up to any chilling tale.

For those interested in reading more, a local paper did a nice write up of the cider here: "Gingerroot to Ciderberry: Making Mead, Cider in Monkton"