Cider Review: Awestruck Premium Hard Cider Hibiscus Ginger

The weekend before Halloween seems like the perfect time to talk about Awestruck Cider because a couple of their ciders are like apples transformed by more than simply fermentation! Today I'm sharing my review of Awestruck Cider's Hibiscus Ginger.

Here are a few things about Awestruck Cider. They are based out of Walton, New York. Awestruck is a relatively young cider company. They use an intelligent tone in their prose and use a cleanly modern graphic design to great effect. This is what I found most worth dissecting a little bit from their description of how they got into the cider world.

 But here’s the truth, we got into this because hard cider is a delicious, confusing mess right now and we wanted to sort it out while bringing some new hotness into the mix.  Really, how can one dry cider contain 8 percent sugar, while yet another dry cider is so completely lacking in sweetness it will suck the teeth from your head?  We don’t think either is bad, its just all a bit unclear.  So we stepped in to help out.  We want to guide you and hold your hand right at the shelf.   In addition to lengthy verbal descriptions, every bottle comes with its own set of slider bars to help you graphically decide if this is the right cider for you. 

It sounds casual and zippy, not unlike a lot of promotion writing in the beverage field, but it also addresses a real issue in the market: clarity. I love that they set themselves apart by identifying a problem and offering a solution: a relative graphical representation of 3 different elements of the cider. Yep. I'm curious at this point.

Awestruck Cider also makes a point that they use New York state apples and name a few  dessert varieties, but they don't seem to base ideology or brand identity on it.

They have a cleanly designed website with good information and no clutter. Find it at:  http://www.awestruckciders.com

The first cider of theirs I'm reviewing is their Hibiscus Ginger; it was sent to me this spring along with their two other varieties: Eastern Dry, and Lavender Hops. Their brief teaser for this cider says, "We crafted Hibiscus Ginger to excite and refresh the  palette." This makes sense when one thinks about either hibiscus or ginger as ingredients.

Here's the full description: 

As a result, inside this bottle you’ll find 750ml of liquid gusto – a delightfully piquant, refreshingly tasty, beautifully rosy-hued, impossible-to-resist hard cider. We tint our cider naturally by steeping it with dried hibiscus calyces and, for a dash of zing, we lightly infuse it with freshly peeled and sliced ginger root.

 This cider is perfect served chilled, garnished with the fresh slice of citrus, and enjoyed with friends.

Appearance: hazy, few visible bubbles, fascinating orange/pink color

I love this color; it reminds me of persimmons, watermelon, and copper. The photo doesn't come close to representing this bewitching shade. You couldn't read text through it, but the cider didn't show sediment. it just wasn't completely clear. A few bubbles appeared but not many.

Aromas: ginger, spicy tropical flowers, apple

The way it smells like both ginger and flowers, its like an exotic mixed drink, a little apple if you're looking for it. The floral notes though are very particular more like plumeria or orchid rather than rose or lavender; plenty of tropical spicy florals.
 
Sweetness/dryness: semi-sweet

I'm not going to mince words. This cider is decidedly a semi-sweet, but it's really a lot of fun with just little bits of bitter and dark to the flavor. This really is a halloween cider!

Flavors and drinking experience: Ginger, spice, bitter, honey, orange, fall berries

Wow! The Hibiscus Ginger has a very aggressive ginger, to the edge of spicy, with a little bitterness; honey and brown sugar sweetness—a lot like molasses.  The overall effect is like a powerful ginger beer or a gingersnap cookie, but more floral than either. The hibuscus is part of the bitter tartness, like a zinger note or an agua fresca: a citrusy bitter edge.  Notes of orange and peach and tart red berries—raspberry and cranberry.  Good for autumn.  The complex notes die away, leaving a dark sweetness.  Lots of little sparkles, but not overly carbonated. It shows higher levels of acid and no tannins. Neither of these fact should be a surprise.

I paired it with my last rhubarb strawberry pie (rather out of season) and it was crazy good. I'd have it again gladly alongside a veggie roast with cauliflower, brussel sprouts and butternut squash.

Cider Review: Angry Orchard Stone Dry

The most common complaint I hear from casual cider drinkers is that there is not a good option for picking up a six pack of dry cider in most grocery stores. I cannot count the number of times I've heard a variation of this comment. I've been suggesting cidermakers fill in this market gap for almost as long as I've had this blog. Several brands have released ciders that approach this idea, but none have yet met the mark. Angry Orchard is the latest attempt, and I'm curious to see what they are offering as a dry six-pack cider.

We're all familiar with the Angry Orchard brand; they sell more cider in the United States than any other. Angry Orchard appears everywhere, so if they could make a dry six pack cider, it would be big news. And with a name like Stone Dry, it sounds like they are trying.

I'll share a link to Angry Orchard's website, so readers can find out about Angry Orchard ciders and their process as well as swag and recipes.

http://angryorchard.com/

Here's a chronological list of my previous Angry Orchard reviews:

My first Angry Orchard review tasted the Elderflower Cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2013/06/cider-review-angry-orchards-elderflower.html

Roundup review of multiple Angry Orchard styles, including Strawman, Traditional Dry, and The Muse: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/05/roundup-of-angry-orchard-reviews.html  

Then I tried the Hop'N'Mad Apple: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/03/cider-review-angry-orchards-hopn-mad.html

Most recently, I reviewed their Summer Honey: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/08/cider-reivew-angry-orchard-summer-honey.html

That makes this review the seventh Angry Orchard cider I'm sharing here. Today's variety won't surprise anyone who has been watching the newest cider releases; Angry Orchard's Stone Dry debuted most recently as an addition to Angry Orchard's cider lineup. 

I got my two bottles of Angry Orchard Stone Dry as a review sample from Angry Orchard. So, thanks guys! They also sent a helpful fact sheet and a note from the new head of Research and Development, Ryan Burk. I'll include as much information as I can to best frame my review.

Here's the official promotional copy describing this cider: "Angry Orchard Stone Dry – the driest cider in Angry Orchard’s core collection – is our twist on traditional English dry ciders. This cider balances the acidity of culinary apples with the tannins of traditional cider making apples, for a cider that is clean, refreshing, and slightly puckering on the finish."

That reads similarly to the fuller description included in my fact sheet, but they aren't identical. 

Angry Orchard Stone Dry-- the driest cider in Angry Orchard's core collection -- is an American interpretation of the traditional English dry cider style. It offers bright apple aroma, juicy flavor, and a clean dry finish, showcasing an intricate balance between the sweetness and acidity of culinary apples and the tannins of traditional cider making apples. The traditional apples chosen by the cider makers are European bittersweet varieties like Dabinett, Binet Rouge and Harry Masters Jersey, which contribute to the cider's high tannic character and dry finish. The result is a refreshing, slightly puckering cider with drying finish, most often felt on the middle of your tongue and the front part of your mouth.

While most of the juice from apples in the cider is fermented, Angry Orchard's cider maker add a bit of non-fermented bittersweet apple juice into the cider during the post fermentation stage to help achieve this cider's balanced, dry taste. This results in Stone Dry's fuller tannic mouthfeel as well as percieved dryness and robust bittersweet aromatic notes -- much like a very ripe apple.

the last few facts I need to include are that the cider has 5.5% ABV, and this will be offered year round, both in six packs and on draft.

Appearance: maple syrup color, ring of bubbles around the top of the glass, clear and uncloudy

Though this color would not strike one as particularly dark for maple syrup, it looks impressively dark for a cider, especially an American cider. I also noticed a persistant bubble ring around the top of my glass. Again, not a usual cider characteristic.

Aromas: yeast, beer-like, fruity with notes of grapes and apples

The first thing I noticed about how this cider smells, is how very beer-like the aromas are. I smell more yeast than fruit. It smells pleasantly cleanly bready. This isn't to say that there aren't fruit notes too. I smell plum, apple and grape in this cider too.

Sweetness/dryness: Off dry

While this isn't strictly dry, it is certainly off dry. That's my second to driest category as I perceive levels of dryness and sweetness. This also has characteristics that will most likely influence folks to think that this cider is completely dry. I'll get into those later.

Flavors and drinking experience: medium tannins, nice acidity, bold first note and mild finish

This cider at first tastes bitter yet then gets distinctly fruity. It tastes dusty, stony, crisp and acidic. This has to be the best Angry Orchard cider I've ever had, hands down. I'm that impressed! I liked some elements of their Elderflower and the Strawman previously, but this is more balanced and enjoyable. Stone Dry offers up a pleasantly fiesty level of fizz. As promised there is some presence of tannins, but they aren't dominant in the experience. And some acidity. And these are the reasons, I think many drinkers will find this cider dry. It offers tannins, bubbles, and acidity without scads of sugar. This will be familiar to most fans of American craft cider, but not necessary to those who haven't found much in the way of tannins or dryness before.

For a distinctly not-beer person, I love the ways in which this cider reminds me of the best parts of beer. I like the yeasty aromas and first bitter edge. But I know a beer aficionado would differ from my opinion, but perhaps like this cider more than other grocery store ciders.

Suggested pairings from the fact sheet include root vegetables, seafood, and charcuterie, but my recommendations will be a bit more everyday. This is a sandwich cider because it is so well balanced. Have it with your hummus and red pepper and sprout wrap if you like, egg and tomato on a croissant, or a veggie burger or even a pile of marinated mushroom with melted provolone on a baguette. 

I mean to show flexibility when I say have this with a sandwich. Beautiful sandwiches come in many forms and flavors, and this cider could accompany many of them! I would also pair this cider with game nights, all the better to share with your friend who haven't had a cider like this before.

Cider Review: Cider Creek Hard Cider's Fall'n'Cherry

 Finger Lakes Cider Week is upon us! This means that those of us lucky to be visiting or dwelling in this region of New York state can enjoy fabulous cider events from now through October 11th. There are more events than their are days between now and the end. It is a cider lover's dream.

To find out about Cider Creek specifically you can find them on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/cidercreekhardcider?fref=ts

Or on their own website:
http://www.cidercreekhardcider.com

I have reviewed Cider Creek Hard Cider before. Here you can read about my wonderful trip to the production facility as well as what I think of the Cascade Hopricot.

http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/06/cider-review-cider-creek-hard-ciders.html

Tonight I'm reviewing Cider Creek's Fall'N'Cherry. This cider is not listed on their official website as it is a short term fall seasonal, but I was able to track down an official description. Here's how Cider Creek writes about this special limited release: "Smoked apple & cherry saison cider aged in Kentucky bourbon barrels." 

They are considering it a fall seasonal with 6.9%ABV and advertising this as an alternative direction for a season than the ubiquitous pumpkin everything. Let's see how it tastes.

Appearance: slightly hazy, carnelian red, very few visible bubbles

This gorgeous deep red color is smoky red with hints of spicy orange more than purple. It isn't cloudy, but neither is it brilliant; the haze makes it look substantive.

Aromas: Cherry, maple, barrel, cinnamon, nutty

The first smell recalls cherry smell, phenolic but not troublingly so. There's also a wave of cinnamon-dusted french toast. This makes the whole cider smell juicy, breakfasty, and sweet. I do not think it will taste as sweet as it smells.

Dryness/sweetness: Off dry

Off dry and extremely complex and taste packed. Whoa! This hits rather harder than most off-dry ciders.

Flavors and drinking experience: ham, cherry, jam, warm apples

The first taste washes over the tongue as a wave of bacon, ham, cherry, and jam. I also get maple, warm apples, bourbon, and sweet corn. The bitterness comes in a brief crest of fizz and yeast. More specifically, this cider high acid, Medium barrel-y tannins, but those characteristics are dwarfed by the plethora of other flavors. They dry the tongue. On draft, the Fall'n'Cherry has medium to gentle carbonation.

Cider Creek has a point; this cider is seasonal but different. I think its impressive in that it's warm but without being either boozy or just based on mulled or cake-like notes. I had this with butterut squash risotto and whipped chevre. I heartily recommend that you do the same.

Even if you can have this cider with that food fabulousness, go find it at Cider Creek's Grand Opening of their tasting room!

http://blog.cidercreekhardcider.com/cider-creek-hard-cider-grand-opening

Saturday, October 10th from 1-10p

6459 Cunningham Creek Rd. Canisteo NY 

This sounds like quite the festive opening with live music, food trucks, cheese pairings, fireworks, as well as other local NY beverages. Speaking of Cider Week Activities. I have a partial list of the events near-ish to my neck of the woods. Please don't treat this list as exhaustive! Find out about the FLX cider events near you!

Tuesday, I'll be helping out with...

Science Cabaret- The Cream and The Crop; Cider, Cheese, and the Perfect Pairing
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6 @ 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM   | FREE
The Space @ Greenstar | 700 W. Buffalo St. Ithaca, NY , 14850
The Science Behind the Perfect Pairing: FLX Hard Cider and FLX Cheese! Join Cornell University’s flavor scientist, Gavin Sacks, cider maker Autumn Stoscheck and cider blogger Meredith Collins for an evening of engaging conversation followed by a walk around tasting of ciders and cheeses like never before.  Cheese and Cider will be available for purchase as well.  This year’s cider based Science Cabaret will be hosted at The Space @GreenstarCoop.

Ithaca’s Science Cabaret was inspired by the Cafe Scientifique movement, which started in Europe in the late 1990’s and has spread rapidly.Cafes Scientifiques are informal talks in bars, cafes and other public venues that give like-minded people a chance to discuss current and sometimes controversial topics in science.  In Ithaca we meet one Tuesday a month. October’s Science Cabaret is jointly produced by Finger Lakes Cider Week.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1627354064220687/

And this weekend...

Saturday Oct. 10
Black Diamond Farms Orchard Tours, 11am and 2pm
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10 @ 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM FREE
Black Diamond Farms | 4675 Seneca Road Trumansburg, NY , 14886

Saturday Oct. 10
Cheese & Cider Saturday!
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM  FREE
Finger Lakes Cider House will be hosting Kenton’s Cheese Co., Keeley’s Cheese Co., and Finger Lakes Dexter and Englebert Farms (11am-6pm)
Bellwether Hard Cider will be serving Side Hill Acres’ Chèvre throughout the day 

Englebert Farms will be hosting the cider producers of the Finger Lakes Cider House 

Muranda Cheese Co. will be hosting South Hill Cider 

Three Brothers’ Winery and Bombshell Cider will be hosting Shtayburne Farm Cheese
Harvest Moon Cidery will be hosting Crosswinds Farm Creamery
Cider Creek Hard Cider will be hosting Heaven Scent Farm Cheese
Sunset View Creamery will be hosting (10am-3pm)
Side Hill Acres will be hosting Eve’s Cidery

And this isn't all of them.

For a complete list: https://www.facebook.com/ciderweekflx

Cider Review: Good Life Cider's Cazenovia Plus their Call to the Barrel Dinner

 Now that we're so close to the start of Finger Lakes Cider Week, I'm reviewing ciders by local participants. This will be my first year living here when I can really participate in cider week as a cider drinker and not just a cider pourer. Though I'll miss getting to see hundreds and hundreds of reactions to quality craft cider in one cider week, I'm excited to experience it more for myself. This leads us to...Good Life Cider!

Good Life Cider hosts and anchors the new Finger Lakes Cider House along with a handful of other Finger Lakes Cideries. Garrett and Jimmy Miller and Melissa Madden create the cider and care for their larger farm enterprises. 

You can read a bit more about their cider here:

http://www.fingerlakesciderhouse.com/good-life-cider

I found only a limited amount of information on this cider online, cobbled together from beer review sites and stores selling the bottles. I do know that it is named for a soil type: one present on the Good Life Farm.

Dry. Champagne style. Austere acidity backed with soft round tannins, coming from European bittersweets; Dabinett and Chisel Jersey. Aromas of ripe pear and caraway. Rich, creamy mouthfeel with a long sparkling finish. (8.3% ABV, 0.3%RS) Secondary fermentation lasted three months in bottle

Aromas of Bosc pear and red apple skin float alongside citrus fruit and distinct minerality.  The palate shows a pleasant tartness with round and rich mouthfeel and persistent sparkling finish.

Appearance: pale lemon, visible bubbles, brilliant

The most striking thing about the appearance of this cider is how the bubbles both gather at the bottom of the glass and race upwards. It's beautifully exciting!

Aroma: spicy, cooked apple, caramel

From the smell, I would expect some inclusion of Russet varieties or Northern Spy or Greenings, but that's far from precise. This cider smells lovely and like it will have both tannic and acidic activity in pleasing levels. That edge of soft spiciness is often a good sign.

Dryness/sweetness: dry to off dry

There's almost no percievable sugar or sweetness in this cider. In my book that makes it dry. What I do get though is enough various fruit notes to round it out and make it more lush than austere. There are dry ciders that feel more aggressive or severe than this. There's so much more to a cider like this than its level of sweetness OR dryness.

Flavors and drinking experience: high acid, medium tannins, strong sparkle,

The high acidity comes across as a bright punch of citrus and pineapple in the mid palate. I'm also getting a lot of cherries and raspberries. The whole experience is taut with acid. Bottle conditioning leads to a high level of sparkle, but not a lot of additional body in this case. Like the smell, the flavors include some on the subtly appley spicy side. 

It's not very yeasty or funky when cold, but hints of farminess became apparent when the cider reaches a cellar temperature rather than the more chilled white wine temperature. When reviewing, I like to taste a cider at both just to see what differences emerge. 

I paired this cider with an evening of relaxing conversation and a Mexico-inspired soup with beans, chickpeas, tortillas, peppers, tomatoes, rice, and avocado. I'd recommend this pairing, or taking it with you on a last picnic before this beautiful mellow fall gets too cool. Enjoy!

And don't forget! Finger Lakes Cider Week is coming up!

This event: Call to the Barrel Dinner will feature Good Life Ciders among others along with tapas inspired dishes and lots of cider toasts! Happening soon: October 6th at 6:30pm. Tickets available online for $50 and include food and drink the whole night through.

http://www.fingerlakesciderhouse.com/calendar/2015/10/5/call-to-the-barrel-dinner-and-cider

Cider Review: Black Diamond's Rabblerouser plus Finger Lakes Cider Week Coming Soon

I have a confession to make. Sometimes I taste a really good cider and yet it takes me far too long to actually turn those notes into a review and post it. I won't make any excuse other than there are far more ciders worth covering than I have time to write. Alas.

 

One of the cideries that has deserved my attention long before now is Black Diamond Cider. Ian and Jackie Merwin, long-term home cidermakers, orchardists, and farmers, founded this company in 2014. They grow their own fruit in the finger lakes region, near Trumansburg, New York.

 

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

 

And more info on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Black-Diamond-Cider-320469094813018/timeline

Tonight's review is their Rabble Rouser. 

 

I gleaned this fabulously complete information about their ciders on the website:

 

RabbleRouser Cider is a unique blend of American heirloom apples, old English bittersweets, and rare red-fleshed apples -Pink Pearl and Redfield -that create its sunset aura and tropical fruit aromas. With a touch of tannins, light carbonation and off-dry sweetness, RabbleRouser is perfect for parties or festive dinners. It tastes best when chilled before serving.                                                                            

Tasting Notes: Tropical fruit, passion fruit, lively warm tannins.  Long lasting slightly sweet finish.

Alcohol: 7.4%   Residual Sugar: 0%    PH: 3.51  TA: 9.1 g/l

European Bittersweets  – 35%  Heirloom Sharps – 55% Red-fleshed – 10%

Do you see how cool this is? Not only do they describe how it will taste and what apples they used, but they even know the cider-making groupings into which those apples fit, giving us a more precise set of expectations for how this cider will taste.

 For a quick bit of context. I enjoyed this cider on draft at The Rongovian Embassy in Trumansburg on a cold spring evening a few months ago. 

Appearance: mellow applesauce color, brilliant, few bubbles

 

This color surprised me; its so gentle. I also noticed tiny ring of visible bubbles around the rim of the glass. Beautifully briliant.

 

Aromas: caramel, stone, banana

 

Wow, what an interesting set of aromas. I got plenty of yummy stuff to sniff from this glass. The caramel and stone tell me to expect some tannins. I cannot wait.

Dryness/sweetness: dry

 

0 residual sugar tells the whole story here. This cider is gorgeously dry, yet full of intense flavors.

Flavors and drinking experience: Fruity, high acid, mid tannins, lovely texture

First off, I get some nice high acid balanced by medium tannins. In terms of more specific flavor notes, I taste: leather, grapefruit, and other tropical fruits This cider strikes me as wildly zesty with great bubble. I think Black Diamond used some fruit oxidation to nice effect to add richness to the cider as well. Overall, it's simply wonderful. I love the mouthfeel and the complexity.

 

I heartily recommend this cider. Because of the nature of Black Diamond's cidermaking, this will vary year to year, but based on everything I've tasted so far that's only going to bring pleasant changes and variations! I had this glass with a fellow cidermaker, vegetarian poutine, and crazy good salad. If you can manage all of those pairings, you're in for a special treat, but generally I'd pair this with rich foods that don't skrimp on the salt. This is a cider that can stand up to that deliciously.

 

The other thing I'd like to talk about in this post: Finger Lakes Cider week! This has to be the best part of fall in the region, and we do fall really really well here. Cider week brings cider sampling, talks, tasting, pairings. But also: orchard tours! Bowling! Cider dinners galore!  

 

You can read about everything FLX Cider Week here: http://www.ciderweekflx.com

 

A few links to some highlights of the upcoming Finger Lakes Cider Week:

Science Cabaret- The Cream and The Crop; Cider, Cheese, and the Perfect Pairing to be held at the classroom space at Greenstar in Ithaca on Tuesday October 6th at 7pm.

http://www.ciderweekflx.com/event/science-kitchen/
 

Cider Dinner with Black Diamond Cider & Good Life Cider on Tuesday, October 13

at 6:30pm. This dinner is being held by Hazelnut Kitchen in Trumansburg.

 

https://www.facebook.com/events/1152630904765459/

 

Cider Dinner at Argos Inn on October 11th at 7pm at the Argos Inn in Ithaca

http://argosinn.com/event/cider-dinner-argos-inn

 

Cider Creek Hard Cider Tasting Room Grand Opening at
6497 Cunningham Creek Road Canisteo, NY 14823 Saturday October 10th 1-10pm

http://www.ciderweekflx.com/event/cider-creek-hard-ciders-tasting-room-grand-opening

Cider Dinner with Black Diamond Cider & Good Life Cider on Tuesday, October 13

at 6:30pm. This dinner is being held by Hazelnut Kitchen in Trumansburg.

 

https://www.facebook.com/events/1152630904765459/

More updates coming soon!

Cider Review: AppelTreow Winery's Appley Brut Sparkling Cider

Finally the hot spell has broken! Today I'm celebrating the imminent arrival of autumn with something tremendously champage like. Since autumn is my favorite of all of the seasons, I wanted to choose something that I had great faith would be as delicious as this crisp cool air. I choose Aeppeltreow's Appely Brut.

Appeltreow Winery and Distillery makes very specialized fruit ciders, perries, and spirits from apples and pears. They use their own fruit grown in Wisconsin, including some very special varietals. This is orchard cider, artisan cider, and very clean cider.

Visit the website to learn about all of their ciders, perries, spirits, the tasting room and inventory level of some beverages: http://aeppeltreow.com

This isn't my first bottle by AeppelTreow. Here you can find my previous reviews with more background information on Aeppeltreow:

My first encounter with a cider by AeppelTreow was their Barnswallow
http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/03/cider-review-appeltreow-barnswallow.html

But my favorite to this point has been the richly complex Kinglet Bitter (we'll see if this bottle changes that):
http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/09/cider-review-appletreow-kinglet-bitter.html

Here's the information I found in a few places about the Appely Brut Sparkling Cider. From the Appeltreow website, there's some very helpful facts, measurements, and suggestions:

Champagne Method ‘Hard’ Cider
Really dry, crisp, mineral, austere

• Body: Medium
• Sweetness: 0
• Tartness: 4
• Alcohol: 7
• Apples: Gold Del, Jonathan, Russets
• Pairings: Grilled Shrimp, Regiano, Gorgonzola

 On another ratings website, I found another official description: "Appely Brut it is just off-dry, floral, with earthy tannins. It is inspired by French Country Ciders, and crafted from a blend of modern and heirloom apple varieties." 7.5% ABV

Finally, time to break out the Aeppeltreow Appely Brut! 

 
Appearance: brilliant, warm shimmering gold, bubbly

This pours with a delicate and quickly vanishing mousse. The color is warmer than many ciders but still delicately gold. I see no haze or cloudiness. What I can see though is the fabulous level of sparkle implied by the number of bubbles everywhere!

Aromas: sweet soft smell, crisp, but warm

I am surprised by how soft and sweet this cider smells! It really has some characteristics of a keeved French style cider in its aromas. I find the applesauce aroma really nice. This also offers far more intense aroma than many many ciders.
 
Dryness/sweetness: Dry 

Do not be fooled by the aromas, this is distinctly dry! At the same time, this cider remains fruity and rich. This dryness isn't harsh, but rather warm and bright.
 
Flavors and drinking experience: high acid, very clean, medium tannins; surprisingly fruity

The fruit notes abound right after sipping, but they fade quickly—for a brut. This cider offers warmth, and tastes almost oaky in the mid-palate. VERY sparkling! It's called brut and fermened in champgne style, so this is not a surprise. The sparkle pushes some of the boozier notes into seeming brightness.  This cider is not farmy at all; the fermentation tastes notably  clean and balanced. I'm tremendously impressed.

Beyond fruit, I can taste walnut skin and almonds. The cider is lively and medium bodied, with a fair bit of apple in the fruit notes, no berry, only a tiny bit of tropical fruit. One really nice part of the experience is coming back to the smell while drinking it. The smell is so sweet and contributes a pronounced counterpoint to all the flavors. Lovely lovely lovely!

How do I recommend this cider? So long as its cold and you have a glass that allows you to enjoy the aroma, I don't want to place many limitations. It's that wonderful. I had it with my husband and best friend and simple good food. 

I can also see enjoying it with a porch and a book. 

If I were planning my next bottle to be enjoyed ideally though, I'd pair this with a slice of dark dark chocolate cake with milkier hazelnut chocolate icing. The dry plus fruity plus nutty combination would make it the perfect dry cider to go with a ridiculously rich but not too sweet dessert.

Cider Review: Square Mile's Spur and Vine Hopped Apple Cider

I can see fall around me, but I can only feel summer because of the heat. Leaves are falling to nearly dry creek beds. Every morning, I can sit on my porch reminded of the cool humid mornings of summer camp in the mountains. I suppose I should press that luck while I have it and keep reviewing the ciders that have some connection to summer and warm weather. It won't last forever.

 
Square Mile's slogan is the bold imperative, "Stake your claim" which strikes a rustic, frontiersman, note. This makes sense to me because of their identity as an Oregon cider company whose frontier days are not as historically distant as those nearer here. The packaging, brand name and product names create a more understated image, though not one that necessarily undercuts the slogan.

This is the bulk of the introductory copy on their website.

Inspired by the pioneering spirit of those who traveled the Oregon Trail in the pursuit of a dream, we offer Square Mile Hard Cider.  We set out to reinvigorate an enduringly classic American beverage with a blend of apples hand-selected for the perfect balance of sweet and tart.  Our hard cider pays homage to the fortitude and perseverance of the original pioneers.

You can see their ciders, find where they are sold (mostly west coast), and see the brands' Tumblr all on their website:

http://squaremilecider.com

It's a visually appealing website with great photo imagery and clean design. It's both very modern and very nostalgic with that Instagram photo filter vibe.

Square Mile sent me a sampling of both of their ciders, and tonight I'm reviewing the Spur and Vine Hopped Apple Cider. Many thanks to them for these! Since I'm sticking with summery ciders while the warm weather holds, I thought starting with a hopped cider makes sense.

Here's how Square Mile introduces their Spur and Vine:

Spur & Vine puts a Northwest twist on our classic American hard cider.  Starting with the same apples and yeast as The Original, we added a generous amount of Galaxy hops during cold conditioning.  Since no heat is applied to the hops, our cider takes on flavors and aromas of peach, melon and honeysuckle but none of the traditional hop bitterness.  Spur & Vine is best served straight up to allow the complexities of this cider to shine.

Looking to their Original's description, those apples are eating apples: Red Delicious, Yellow Delicious and Jonagolds, all from Oregon. The yeast is a beer lager yeast, which is going to affect the flavor in a major way. 6.7% ABV for the Spur and Vine, making it stand out from the vast vast majority of ciders sold in 12oz bottles.

Appearance: Dark popcorn gold, brilliant, very few visible bubbles


As the photo shows, this has tons and tons of color. I like how the warm depths of color remind me of smooth kernels of unpopped popping corn. This cider shows brilliance and very few visible bubbles with no mousse at all when poured.

Aromas: hoppy in a very cool green herbal way, soapy. stony, grassy

Yum! Though they sell you this cider in a bottle, please pour in a glass to enjoy it! The smells are too good to lose. I like how green it smells, how soapy, piney, and grassy come together.

Sweet/dry: off dry

Here's where the beer yeast comes in! This cider has bitter notes that change the perception of sweetness. I cannot tell exactly where this falls in terms of its residual sugar in the semi-dry to off dry range, but it tastes off dry. This is a very neat thing to be doing in a hopped cider!

Flavors and drinking experience: hoppy, beery, balanced, not too bubbly


Summery! I'm glad that this timing worked out so well. This cider presents a beautifully balanced drinking experience that really doubles down on exploring the similar possibilities available to beer and cider. I like the hoppy aroma, gently bitter notes, dryness, and mild carbonation. Although if you want it to taste more fruity and cidery and less beer like, consume in a glass rather than straight from the bottle. I tried one each way, and I can see the benefits to both.


This is a genuinely enjoyable off dry cider sold in a 12 oz bottle. This is a nearly unique combination of taste and packaging. I wish this was sold in New York state, though we have cideries a plenty there really isn't anything filling this particular niche. Great job, Square Mile!