Cider:  Still Bone Dry
Cidery:  Brooklyn Cider House
Cidery Location:  Geneva NY
ABV:  6.8%
How Supplied:  750ml bottles
Style:  American craft still (non-carbonated) bone dry flagship cider

Availability:  Only in New York; see this page of retailers.

Cider Description:  Warning: our Still Bone Dry is not like other ciders. With zero carbonation and zero sugar, it’s the driest cider that has passed our lips. Aged for 12 months on the lees and 6 months more in the bottle–unfiltered–it’s as zesty and racy as a cider can get. Discover why this low-alcohol, high-acid drink is changing people’s perceptions about what is possible for the artisanal cider movement.

Each of their ciders are made from a blend of 7-9 apple varieties, ranging from table apples (like Macintosh and Cortland) to bitter apples and crab apples.  They also make a carbonated version of this cider.  At GLINTCAP 2016 in the “New World Cider – Heritage” category, the Still version won Bronze and the Carbonated version won Silver.

Cidery Description:  All our ciders are born out of traditions from Spain, France, and America. They are made as naturally as possible from apples hand picked in upstate New York. Our apples are simply crushed and their juice left to ferment the same way the traditionalists do it in Europe and the way it used to be done in Brooklyn before the Temperance Movement ended the party.

Like fine wines our ciders are expressions of place, but unlike wine our ciders are meant to be gulped not sipped! Some are bubbly, some are dry, and some have a hint of natural sugar, but all are meant to celebrate the simple pleasures. So join us in a toast to tradition, friendship and, of course, to Brooklyn.

Brooklyn Cider House was started in 2014.  They have an orchard and tasting room in the Hudson Valley in New Paltz New York, Twin Star Orchards.

Price:  $10
Where Bought:  n/a
Where Drank:  home
How Found:  n/a

First Impression:  Light straw yellow hue.  Completely still.  Smells mild, of sour citrus.  I was surprised to see a still cider in such a thick glass bottle (especially compared to them using thinner green glass bottles for the other two ciders I got).

Tasting Notes:  Dry, but in a more approachable way (as it doesn’t have the high tannins or acidity which is often found with bone dry ciders which causes them to be mouth-puckering).  Very light bodied.  Very low tartness and acidity.  No bitterness, sourness, funk, or tannins.  Very low flavor intensity.  Notes of green apple and citrus.  Low apple flavor.  High sessionability.

My Opinion:  I found this to be too bland for my liking (and my three friends and husband agreed).  I think its an ideal cider for food pairing (we had some cheese with it).  I’d also recommend it as a base for cider cocktails or mimosas.  However, I think I’d prefer their carbonated version of this cider.

Most Similar to:  I’ve tried a couple other ciders advertised as bone dry, such as Pirate’s Plank from Alpenfire in Port Townsend WA, which comparatively had some carbonation and more flavor complexity.

Closing Notes:   I think this cider is a great value for a $10 retail price, being that its a craft product made from local fresh-pressed New York apples (and this one was aged a total of 18 months).  I’d recommend it for folks who like a really dry still cider whose flavor won’t overpower food pairings.

Have you tried Brooklyn Cider House ciders?  What did you think?