Cider Review: Eden Cider's Benjamin and Next Week's Free Zoom Cider Event

A couple of local friends and I get together regularly to work during the evening. We gather in a home after dinner and just slowly get quiet with laptops, notebooks, or craft projects. Dogs mill around the floor; tea is steeped and sipped; the host chooses some background music.  It may not sound like something amazing to write alongside other people who are writing, but it's wonderful. 

Since the long ago days of Dissertation Fridays, I’ve enjoyed taking my writing time alongside friends who also need to be keyboard tappers. This is a good way to get things done. When we’ve all reached a natural resting spot in our work, a bottle of cider, or some other tempting libation makes the rounds. That’s exactly how today’s cider got tasting notes. 

I opened a bottle of Eden Cider’s Benjamin, and I’m so happy to share what we thought.

First, here are my earlier reviews of Eden ciders.

Deep Cut: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/08/cider-review-eden-specialty-ciders-deep.html

Peak Bloom: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/09/cider-review-eden-ciders-peak-bloom-and.html

Ezekiel: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/01/cider-review-eden-specialty-ciders.html

Extra Sec: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/03/cider-review-angry-orchard-super.html

Eden Heritage Cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/06/cider-cans-crush-it-eden-heritage-and.html

Siren Song: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/12/cider-review-eden-ciders-siren-song-and.html

Brut Nature: https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/02/cider-con-2018-pt-1-eden-specialty.html

Imperial 11 Degree Rose: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/03/the-january-2017-cidrbox-and-edens.html

Sparkling Dry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/06/cider-review-eden-sparkling-dry-cider.html

And in 2016 I made the Sparkling Dry part of my Thanksgiving and Birthday celebrations: 

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/11/pick-cider-for-thanksgiving-and-my.html

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/11/happy-to-pickcider-for-thanksgiving.html

Visit Eden Cider's website to learn about all of the ciders: https://www.edenciders.com/

Here’s all the info online that Eden provides for Benjamin.

NEW 100% Estate grown petillant naturel method sparkling cider from the 2020 harvest.

PROFILE: Brightly fruity, lightly sparkling

APPLE VARIETIES: Northern Spy, Golden Russet, Grimes Golden, Esopus Spitzenberg, Michelin, Ashmead’s Kernel, Baldwin, Rhode Island Greening, Egremont Russet, Stembridge Cluster, Blue Pearmain, Binet Rouge, Orleans Reinette, Calville Blanc, Rubinette

HARVEST YEAR: 2020

GROWN BY: Eden Orchards

METHOD: Spontaneous fermentation, bottled in process before finishing. Not disgorged, contains residual lees.

TASTING NOTES: tangerine, white roses and granite

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS: oysters, charcuterie, farro bowl

8% ABV | 0g residual sugar

750 ml | 12/case | 35 cases produced

Appearance: variable opacity, intense color, bronzed ginger

Pouring any Petillant Natural is fun because each glass looks just a bit different. Benjamin begins with intense color and near total clarity, but by the last glass we have substantial cloudiness. The color sings out even before the cider is poured; it strikes me as some shade between ginger and bronze, full of warmth and promise. The bubbles race up to make a crisp white head. 

Aromas: overripe apples, hay, strawberries, tea, spices

The Benjamin smells awesomely like overripe apples and sweet mellow hay. That’s absolutely the primary impression. Secondarily I get notes of tea, spices, and strawberries.

Sweetness/dryness: Dry

This is a solidly dry cider, and that’s exactly what it needs to be.

Flavors and drinking experience: Tannic, high acid, leather, limes, aged parmesan and more

I love a dry, bubbly cider with enough tannins and acidity to keep me excited. This cider offers exactly what I want. The Benjamin is very tart and tannic. I love its notes of leather, limes, hay, aged Parmesan, resin and apricot. There’s just so much going on here. It’s so good!

This complex cider rolls across my palate with great big flavors, but somehow it still leaves room for gentler suggestions. These more delicate notes whisper of lemon, buttery toast crumbs, and some warm roasty element. The flavors include both the restrained and the wild. In terms of mouthfeel, it's crisp and so so bubbly!

Eden Ciders is amazingly consistent; this cidery grows wonderful fruit and crafts beautiful ciders season after season. I’m so grateful.

I want to send out a reminder that next week on Monday evening, I’ll be interviewing Dan Pucci and Craig Cavallo about their new book: American Cider. Join us!

Find out more about the event here!

https://www.buffalostreetbooks.com/event/american-cider-daniel-pucci-and-craig-cavallo-conversation-meredith-collins-and-steve-selin

Cider Review: Union Hill Cider Company's Pink Heart, Plus an upcoming Book Talk with Dan Pucci and Craig Cavallo!

Union Hill Cider Company is a Washington state cider company that began with two roommates making a closet cider back in 2012. I love that the cidery website is very clear that this first batch was inspiring of improvement rather than an instant classic. The first discovery was that in order to make special cider, the makers must start with special apples. There’s no arguing with that wisdom!

Andrew Handley, Matthew, and David Dobbins created this company after starting to plant cider-specific apple varieties! My favorite quote on the website comes from Gene Handley about the orchard.

We decided in 2016 to find old English and French bittersweet and bittersharp varieties to propagate and plant with the same high-density growing systems used in today’s modern orchards.  High-density, high-dwarfing rootstocks meet old heritage varieties with only one purpose, to grow apples only to press for hard cider. We planted Dabinett, Porters Perfection, Kingston Black, Yarlington Mill, Muscat de Lense, Snowdrift Crab, and Red Fleshed apples.  We want to use apples with intention that complement each apple’s unique characteristics.  We want you to be able to identify each variety we use in each of our blends.

You can read all about Union Hill online here: https://www.unionhillciderco.com/

Today I’m writing about the Pink Heart. Here’s how Union Hill describes it. This cider came to me as part of the Northwest Cider Club, which continues to curate some truly tantalizing selections. Read about the club here: https://nwciderclub.com/.

Here's how Union Hill describes the Pink Heart.

A union of our Red Fleshed and Cripps Pink apples finished with Dabinett to round out the blend. This pink hued cider is our most versatile cider, fit for any occasion. Medium bodied with bright notes of red raspberry, rhubarb and grapefruit with a tart finish.

Appearance: peachy pink, brilliant, few visible bubbles

Union Hill knows that they made a beautiful cider, and I’m so glad that they chose a clear bottle for it. The color for the Pink Heart is a refreshingly peachy pink. A few bubbles show up as soon as this cider is poured. 

Aromas: marshmallows, hibiscus, vanilla, tangerine and red currants

The Pink Heart smells like marshmallows and hibiscus. There are other softener notes as well like vanilla, tangerine, and red currants. I get some ripe apple in the mix as well. 

Dryness/sweetness: Semi-dry

This is a semi-dry cider. It's very flexible at this point in the dryness scale in terms of food pairings.

Flavors and drinking experience: very high acid, citrus, tannins, zinger tea

The Pink Heart shows off-the-charts acidity from the very first sip. I love how Union Hill has leaned into the acidity of pink-fleshed apples while taking advantage of tannic possibilities. It comes as no surprise that the acid puts me in mind of zesty citrus like Meyer lemons.  The red fruit and zinger tea notes are like currants and hibiscus with the grip of tannins.

I love how very bubbly this cider feels. It still manages to have a taut body and enough presence to not simply disappear the moment it has been consumed. The Pink Heart is tremendously pleasing. I served it with salmon burgers and sweet potato tots, but one could certainly pair this as casually as I did or dress it up with a pasta primavera or an asparagus and gouda frittata. 

Plus, I am so happy to share that I'll be participating in a talk and tasting with Dan Pucci and Craig Cavallo later this month! Those two wrote the exciting new book: American Cider! This book has been a long time coming, and it has gotten the whole cider world excited with its recent release!

Buffalo St. Books and South Hill Cider have put together this conversation so that folks can hear all about the new book and taste some ciders with its authors and myself.

Here's a link to the event here: https://www.buffalostreetbooks.com/event/american-cider-daniel-pucci-and-craig-cavallo-conversation-meredith-collins-and-steve-selin

I do hope you can join us, and if you do, please join us for the tasting portion as well. Here's the lineup of amazing South Hill Ciders that we'll feature throughout the conversation: https://www.southhillcider.com/american-cider-tasting.

Cider Review: Portland Cider Company's Lemon-Lime Ciderade

We went from ninety-degree days cooking my plants to temperatures in the mid-fifties with rain and blustery breezes. I suppose I shouldn’t be shocked; this is what Spring does. Nonetheless I’m feeling ready for gardening in shorts and sandals! In order to capture the Summer vibes, I had to break out the sunniest cider I have. I was able to bust out Portland Cider Company's Lemon Lime Ciderade

The awesome folks at Portland Cider Co were kind enough to share this new release with me.For a bit more about Portland Cider company you can check out all of my earlier reviews of Portland Cider Co.’s ciders.

Here’s the full list.

Crangerine: https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/12/cider-review-portland-cider-companys.html

Razzberry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/06/cider-review-once-upon-tree-wild-flight.html

Peach Berry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/04/cider-review-portland-cider-companys.html

Kinda Dry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/05/cider-review-portland-cider-company.html

Pineapple: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/02/cider-review-portland-cider-company.html

Cranberry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/03/cider-review-seed-stone-cidery-heritage.html

Pumpkin Spice: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/10/cider-review-portland-cider-co-pumpkin.html

Pineapple Rose: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/07/cider-reviews-portland-cider-cos.html

Check out Portland Cider Company’s website to learn more about all of the ciders and happenings at the tasting room: https://www.portlandcider.com/home

Here’s what I can find out about the Lemon-Lime Ciderade from the Portland Cider Company website, starting with this description: “Rejuvenation & relaxation in a glass! Brightened by freshly squeezed lemons and limes and made with 100% NW apples, this refreshing light cider replenishes you with electrolytes.” The cider has 4% ABV, which makes me wonder exactly how it's made.

Here's the full description.

FRUITS

Northwest apples

Lemon zest & juice

Lime juice

Electrolytes from locally sourced sea salt from Jacobsen Sea Salt Company

TASTING NOTES

Light, citrus, refreshing, tangy

FOOD PAIRINGS

lemon pepper grilled chicken, chipotle lime avocado salad, mozzarella cheese, Mediterranean salad. 

And now for my take on Portland Cider Co.’s Lemon-Lime Ciderade!

Appearance: transparent, few visible bubbles, cool moonglow

Though I expect that this cider is often meant to be crushed straight from the can, it looks lovely in a glass. The color reminds me of a yellow chiffon Petunia. (Don’t judge. Petunias are easy to grow and not toxic to pets.)

Aromas: powdered sugar, lemon, lime, peach, and green apple

The Ciderade smells fun and easy like powdered sugar, lemons, and limes. I also get notes of peaches and green apples. There's a little hint of cooked peanuts as well. 

Sweetness/dryness: Semi-dry

This cider tastes much less sweet than the smell led me to anticipate. It's semi-dry. I thought this would be sweeter, but I’m not at all sad that it’s not. I like semi-dry and dry ciders best, so this is a happy surprise.

Flavors and drinking experience: high acid, some astringence, full body, intense citrus

As one would expect in a citrus-blended cider, this has high acidity. I get something a bit astringent and grippy. Maybe from the lime or something about the level of citric acid? Though the cider has a lower ABV and sweetness level, it still managed to create a medium-full body. The overall effect is very zingy 

I enjoyed this with my first corn-on-the-cob of the year, broccoli slaw, and veggie chicken nuggets. It was fun and easy with this light summery food, but it would also be a fine quencher with salty snacks like popcorn and pretzels.

Cider Review: Rootstock Ciderworks' Ruby Mac

Spring is turning into Summer! I know that the season doesn’t officially shift for almost another month, but I feel like Summer is here already. Perhaps it was two 90 degree plus days in a row that did it, but now the season for watermelon, grilling, and bare feet has arrived! That totally changes my food habits, which in turn affect my cider habits. Welcome to warm weather cider picks!

I’m so excited to share my review of Rootstock Ciderwork’s Ruby Mac. Rootstock Ciderworks is a Rochester-area upstate New York Cidery that’s been around for a little while.  The cidery was kind enough to share a few 2020 specialty releases with me. Today I’m offering my experience with the Ruby Mac. Here’s what Luke had to say about the Ruby Mac, “we produced a single-varietal Ruby Mac, which was a whole-fruit fermentation, and all the residual sugar is from arrested fermentation.”

These facts make this cider extra interesting because the makers doubled-down on doing the more unusual, difficult, and risky thing. Any singe-varietal is risky if you ask me; most apples don't have all of the characteristics necessary to create a fully balanced cider. And arresting fermentation is a wonderfully bold choice. Keeping the naturally occurring sugars means maintaining some amazing fresh fruit flavor notes and delicious sweetness that I prefer to nearly any added sweetness, but it also risks the cider refermenting in the bottle. Anyhow, everything I know about this cider makes me extra excited to try it!

Here are my earlier Rootstock Ciderwork’s reviews.

Legend Barrel Aged: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/01/cider-review-eden-specialty-ciders.html

Rose: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/07/cider-review-shacksbury-dorset-and.html

Belgium: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/06/cider-cans-crush-it-rootstock.html

Hopped: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/10/cider-review-rootstock-ciderworks.html

Now to share the official description from Rootstock, “This single-varietal cider was made entirely from Ruby MacIntosh apples. It is unique from many of our ciders in that it was partially fermented on the mash, pressed, and then arrested with high levels of residual sugar. ABV 5.1%”

Visit Rootstock Ciderworks online to learn about all of the ciders and goings on in the tasting room! https://www.rootstockciderworks.com/

Now for my experience with the Ruby Mac.

Appearance: Brilliant, warm straw, no visible bubbles

This cider looks very much like a white wine in the glass. The clarity is brilliant and I don’t see any bubbles. That doesn’t mean the cider won’t sparkle; I just don’t see it yet. The color reminds me of warm straw on a sunny day.

Aromas: Cooked apple, powdered sugar, sweet orange

The Ruby Mac smells so intensely of apple that it reminds me of cooked apple more than raw apple. I also get strong vibes of powdered sugar and sweet orange. These are luscious sweet smells, so the mention of arrested fermentation makes sense. This is likely to be a sweet cider.

Sweetness/dryness: Sweet

This cider is sweet, and the sweetness is special! It tastes like super-intense ripe apple with perfect balancing acidity. The notes of sweetness remind me of pear juice and honey as well. 

Flavors and drinking experience: full bodied, strong sparkle, super fruity, sweet

Rootstock has succeeded in the risks because the Ruby Mac is tasty! The cider is full-bodied with a strong level of bubble. The cider’s electric acidity balances out the sweetness. All of the pear, overripe apple, honey and powdered sugar notes from the aroma come through when I taste this cider. It’s a celebration!

This isn’t a profile I’d pick up every day or for every meal, but I loved it. I paired the Ruby Mac with a spicy taco salad after a trip to a local plant sale. It was fun, tasty, and satisfying. 

Cider Review: Reveille Ciderworks Serious Black Farmhouse Apricot

I’m writing with good garden dirt under my fingernails this morning. It's finally safe (I hope) for my tomatoes, peppers, basil, bee balm, tomatillos, and other seedlings to make the big leap to the outdoors. It's no coincidence that the time to start enjoying more cider outside has arrived. I’m not thinking about warming big ciders with barrel characteristics right now. I’m stocking my fridge with fruity, herbal, and hopped ciders as well as the classic dry and bubbly ciders that I love all year.  

This is how I chose Reveille Ciderworks Serious Black Farmhouse Apricot. Reveille Ciderworks comes out of Astoria Oregon. I found this cider through the Northwest Cider Club, which has done a great job of sourcing interesting ciders I would never have otherwise found! Double points for also being the first black tea cider I’ve reviewed!

Here’s a snippet from Reveille’s website, describing the cider in broad terms. 

Founded in 2016, Reveille Ciderworks –Astoria’s first and only hard cider manufacturer– opened its flagship taproom and laboratory in beautiful Astoria, Oregon. Reveille delivers an ongoing evolution of pre-prohibition farmhouse and country-style hard ciders that harken back to early American recipes long lost in the annals of history.

Visit the website to learn about all of Reveille’s Ciderworks’ offerings: https://astoriacider.com/

Now onto the Serious Black Farmhouse Apricot. 

Here’s the official description from Reveille Ciderworks.

Our current blend of heritage and table-style Washington apples is slowly fermented using our Belgian saison yeast, lending a bold, earthy front-end that finishes with clove and black pepper. We then fold in apricots to lend a big, fruity and sharp bite, highlighted by a custom blend of black tea leaves with apricot flowers for a gorgeous finish and floral bouquet. 5.8% ABV

Appearance: hazy, warm straw, delicate color

The cider reminds me of creamed honey. It's delicate rather than intense. The Serious Black is hazy and gently tinted the same color as warm straw. Please forgive the very exciting drinking vessel! I brought this cider over to share and sample at a co-working writing night with a few friends.

Aromas: apricot, sweetly fruity, spicy, peppery notes

The Serious Black smells sweet and fruity like apricot. I get plenty of overipe apple notes too. The aromas include bits of spice and pepper too.

Dryness/sweetness: Semi-sweet

This is a semi-sweet cider. Fans of sweeter cider will likely enjoy the Serious Black Farmhouse Apricot.

Flavors and drinking experience: high tannins, citrus, ripe apple, apricot, black tea, spice

The Serious Black is a fun and appealing balance of many different flavor directions.  The tea comes across as tannic, spicy, gently sweaty almost like hops and grippy. The semi-sweet fruitiness feels very directly like apricots and ripe apples. The cider balances that with high acid that’s as much sour as citrusy. 

We enjoyed this cider with fresh homemade bread topped with fancy butter and good company. I predict many more such evenings with seasonal summery ciders, and I can’t wait.

Cider Review: Stefan Vetter Cidre Rurale

I feel so lucky to live in a place that values cider. We have more than one local bottle shop that takes care in curating a consistently interesting cider selection! This week, that means I’m sharing notes on a German cider that I picked up at The Cellar D’Or but would not otherwise have had any opportunity to try. I’m happy to support my local bottle shops, and I know they support me in finding interesting ciders! 

Visit The Cellar D'Or here to learn about their cider, wine, and spirits selection: https://www.thecellardor.com/

This week Stefan Vetter Cidre Rurale is marking this cider maker’s first appearance on the blog. I’m not finding out a lot about this cider, but there are plenty of wine shops talking up Stefan Vetter as a non-traditional or raw wine maker. From what I’m reading I’m guessing this cider would also be made with spontaneous fermentation and no added sulfites, but that’s a guess.

The label does list what apples have gone into this cider: Goldrenette, Blenheim, Winterrambur, Goldparmäne, Bohnapfel. Its ABV is 7%.

Adding to the mystery, I’m not coming up with a website I can send folks to for learning more about the cidery or other projects by Stefan Vetter. If you can find something, please add it in the comments!

Appearance: Explosive, bubbly, hazy, tea orange

We scrambled to pour quickly after the cider was a little bit explosive upon opening! It had been well chilled and stored stably, so it was just over-eager. It was full of bubbles and poured with a head. The Cidre Rurale was hazy with an intense orange shade that reminds me of a strong black tea.

Aromas: ripe apples, minerals, leather, hay, wild rice 

The Cidre Rurale’s smell brough separate notes of ripened apples and clean fresh minerals. I’m anticipating a serious level of acid and just a hint sweetness, basedon what I smell. Phenolic notes reminiscent of English funky ciders are all abundant. I can smell hay, leather, acorns, wild rice and smoky bacon. 

Dryness/sweetness: Dry

I was so wrong! This cider is completely dry!

Flavors and drinking experience: Umami, bay leaf, very high acidity, leather, funk

This cider is shocking! Everyone’s first impression was how very high the acid levels are, both with familiar malic acid and acetic acid notes. The cider makes for some serious saliva gland activation too! It’s leathery and wild. The Cidre Rural brings lots of tannins, very little sugar, and powerful funk. There’s a lot going on, yet this is surprisingly refreshing. 

After repeated sips, I get notes of Umami and savory herbs like bay leaf.  The cider was very good with strong salty foods. Because it’s powerful in multiple registers, it cuts through both creamy mouth coat and the fatigue of salty foods. 

We had this at our first real post-vaccination dinner party with friends. The meal was a lovely vegetarian lasagna made with faux beef crumbles, an exceptionally tasty salad and homemade bread. It was a fun pairing for a delightful meal and simply marvelous evening.

Cider Review: Urban Tree Cidery's Sweet Heat Haze

From spring flowers back to spring showers; that’s the refrain in my head. Some years it feels like we nearly skip over spring straight into early Summer, but this year our cool rainy days are interspersed with amazing blue-sky loveliness. Things are green and mild and springy, so I’m grateful. I may not be grilling veggies every week, but that season will come soon.

Today I’m reviewing Urban Tree Cidery’s Sweet Heat Haze. I chose this one to look ahead to summery days for canned ciders to be consumed outside. Urban Tree Cidery is a cider producer working in Atlanta, Georgia. The apples are grown in the mountainous region of the state. In the city, the cidery has a taproom and event space!

Urban Tree Cidery’s Harvest Apple appeared on the blog back in March: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2021/03/cider-review-urban-tree-hard-cider.html

Visit Urban Tree Hard Cider here to learn about all of the ciders: https://www.urbantreecidery.com/

Today’s review is the Sweet Heat Haze. This is a cider with ginger and habanero!

Here’s The Sweet Heat Haze's official description. 

Medium bodied and perfectly balanced between a refreshing sweet zest and a subtle robust zing.

- Double Gold 2019 Seattle Cider Awards

- Gold 2019 Great Lakes Cider & Perry Competition (GLINTCAP)

I love that the company includes the awards this cider has won! From the can, I can also see that the ABV is 6.5%.

Appearance: hazy, intense butterscotch color, few visible bubbles

The Sweet Heat Haze does  bring just a bit of haze with its nod towards opacity. The cider’s color is warm and intense; it reminds me of butterscotch. I see some bubbles in the glass but not many.

Aromas: spicy peppers, melon, mango, ginger, roasted apple, and honey

This cider not only smells spicy but sniffing it get one a distinct curling prickling sensation in the nose from the spice. There are also notes of melon, honey, ginger and roasted apple. I love the vibrancy of these smells.

Sweetness/Dryness: Sweet

This is a sweet cider, and with its other characteristics that’s necessary. Keep reading to find out more.

Flavors and drinking experience: ginger, zest, high acid, spicy finish

Readers, this cider is spicy, but it’s more than just spicy. The Sweet heat Haze brings high acidity, sweetness, spice and lots of fruity notes to create a powerful and balanced whole. I love how fruity the ginger notes are and how zesty ginger melds with the habanero. The Sweet Heat Haze develops its flavor over time, finishing with a very spicy kick at the finish. Something in the herby and fruity combination reminds me of sweet red peppers as well as ginger. Apple isn’t the point of this cider, but the interplay of flavors is fun and oh-so-drinkable.

I enjoyed this with a simple picnic style dinner of cut raw veggies, a few hummuses and some cheese. Nothing could be simpler, but it was a delicious series of pairings. Each veggie, cheese, and hummus had something to say with this balanced yet complex cider. Yum!