Anone had any good domestic ciders?

B

Brian C

Brian Campbell
I mean like along the lines of Dupont in Normandy or Eric Bordelet. Looking for inspiration on an ongoing cider project. Anyone visited the above?
Much like in Normandy, vinifera grapes don't do anything inspiring here so cidermaking it is...
Brian C.
 
Well, nothing quite like Bordelet. I do like West County in middle mass---quite a lot.

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Unfortunately Terry died this winter. I would imagine his son Field will take over.
 
If you're ever in the South Bay Area, visit these guys:

Rabbit's Foot Meadery

They have several good ciders and some interesting meads. I don't think they ship anywhere. I understand they discontinued thier dry meads and ciders because they didn't sell well, but if you like a little sweetness they have some good stuff.

Regards,

John
 
originally posted by Jeff Grossman:
Scrumpy's is good, if a bit sweet. Available at supermarkets.

Eve's Cidery not so much. Available at greenmarkets.
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Scrumpys seems like it belongs to the soft drink school of ciders. They do appear to use fresh juice as opposed to concentrate for which I give them credit.

My understanding is that many of the commercial ciders here chaptalize like crazy to make a high alcohol apple wine, cut it with unfermented juice, sulpher it to stop any further fermentation and carbonate it at bottling.

All the domestic, fermented to dryness, bottle conditioned sparkling ciders I have had come off as rather thin, shrill things (my own included). I think yeasting is a problem as is availability (in commercial quantities) of good cider varieties. But there also seems to be a style, ala Bordelet and many Normandy ciders I've had, that results in a very full, rich, and aromatic though dry cider.

Also, excuse my ignorance on this one but how do you make a sparkling wine or cider with RS? Wouldn't the yeast continue to convert the remaining sugars as it conditions in the bottle?

Brian C
 
originally posted by Jeff Grossman:
Scrumpy's is good, if a bit sweet. Available at supermarkets.

Eve's Cidery not so much. Available at greenmarkets.
Click to expand...

Scrumpys seems like it belongs to the soft drink school of ciders. They do appear to use fresh juice as opposed to concentrate for which I give them credit.

My understanding is that many of the commercial ciders here chaptalize like crazy to make a high alcohol apple wine, cut it with unfermented juice, sulpher it to stop any further fermentation and carbonate it at bottling.

All the domestic, fermented to dryness, bottle conditioned sparkling ciders I have had come off as rather thin, shrill things (my own included). I think yeasting is a problem as is availability (in commercial quantities) of good cider varieties. But there also seems to be a style, ala Bordelet and many Normandy ciders I've had, that results in a very full, rich, and aromatic though dry cider.

Also, excuse my ignorance on this one but how do you make a sparkling wine or cider with RS? Wouldn't the yeast continue to convert the remaining sugars as it conditions in the bottle?

Brian C
 
I like Farnum Hills ciders out of New Hampshire. I recently enjoyed their Summer Cider (apple) which was quite nice. These are always quite dry and his inspiration is traditional Basque cider.
 
FH makes one semi-dry sparkler, but the rest are more (the varietal bottlings, the extra-dry) or less (everything else) as dry as they can get them.

I'm eager to try the Ashmead's Kernel, which sounds enticing.
 
I tried one at Apple Hill in El Dorado County about six years ago and thought it was excellent. Sadly, I don't remember who made it.

The Apple Hill Growers Association lists three here who make hard cider and two who make apple wine. It would be a good lead.
 
I hear tofurky's cider is pretty much tops for domestic.

All the kids are drinking it, but I'm still stuck on the waiting list.

Anyone have an allocation to share?
 
originally posted by slaton:
I hear tofurky's cider is pretty much tops for domestic.

All the kids are drinking it, but I'm still stuck on the waiting list.

Anyone have an allocation to share?
Click to expand...

??
 
originally posted by Brian C:
Anone had any good domestic ciders?I mean like along the lines of Dupont in Normandy or Eric Bordelet. Looking for inspiration on an ongoing cider project. Anyone visited the above?
Much like in Normandy, vinifera grapes don't do anything inspiring here so cidermaking it is...
Brian C.
Click to expand...
I love the Bates & Schmitt in Philo California.
 
Tried J.K's Scrumpy Hard Cider...very fresh and pure tasting...perhaps a bit sweet but not excessively....I will revisit this..
 
Best domestic I've had yet. Wildfire Cider "semi-sweet ember" out of Port Townsend, WA. This was wicked. Full rich flavor, fierce tannin, plenty of character. A revelation in the domestic sphere...
 
About a month ago, a few people organized a fairly large cider tasting in Detroit that I was able to make it to. Of all the domestic ciders that we tried the Farnum Hill ones were easily the best and most impressive. There was at least one from Scrumpys and others from MI, but to me they all seemed way too sweet, much like you call 'soft drink style' Brian; a hangover just waiting to happen. The ones from Bellweather in NY were appreciated by most as well (I didn't care as much for them). It was the ones from Europe that were best received. A really great one from Reisetbauer in Austria and a sparkling Asturian version were my favorites. As well as the one from Dupont. Here's a link to the notes one of the guys who helped put that tasting together posted.
 
originally posted by lars makie:
Should've done a search for this a while ago.About a month ago, a few people organized a fairly large cider tasting in Detroit that I was able to make it to. Of all the domestic ciders that we tried the Farnum Hill ones were easily the best and most impressive. There was at least one from Scrumpys and others from MI, but to me they all seemed way too sweet, much like you call 'soft drink style' Brian; a hangover just waiting to happen. The ones from Bellweather in NY were appreciated by most as well (I didn't care as much for them). It was the ones from Europe that were best received. A really great one from Reisetbauer in Austria and a sparkling Asturian version were my favorites. As well as the one from Dupont. Here's a link to the notes one of the guys who helped put that tasting together posted.
Click to expand...

The Dupont reserve bottling is fantastic, probably my favorite to date.
 
Hey Brian, I'll have to give you the lowdown on a guy named John Hunt in Kirkland. He used to go to abandoned homestead orchards on the Westside and make cider from it. He figured out varietals, etc. I don't think he does it anymore and probably would be willing to share what he knows...
 
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