Review of Eve’s Cidery Beckhorn Hollow.  Its the first time I’ve tried their cider.  I was surprised to see it in the store as I didn’t even know they distributed out here (I’ve heard of them online).  We don’t get too many East Coast ciders here in the Pacific Northwest (at least compared to WA & OR ciders).

Cider:  Beckhorn Hollow
Cidery:  Eve’s Cidery
Cidery Location:  Van Etten, New York
ABV:  8.5%
How Supplied:  750 ml corked & caged champagne bottle
Style:  Craft cider made from heirloom apple varieties, methode champenoise style (naturally sparkling)

 

Availability:  Mostly in New York, but also in some other states such as Pennsylvania, Washington DC, Massachusetts, and Delaware (and now, Washington).  They also have an online store (check for shipping availability for states besides New York).  310 cases of this vintage of this cider were produced in 2014.

Cider Description:  This extra dry cider is a blend of American cider apples and English heirloom varieties, with a focus on Golden Russet. The aroma starts off with sour dried apricots and a warm field and moves into something darker like green oak leaves and forest duff. The mouth feel is light and airy, dominated by bubbles and is followed by a burst of juicy acidity which brings out bright fruit in spite of the bone dryness. The finish is long and mouthwatering, reminiscent of limes.

On the nose, sweet aromas of bartlett pear, cream and raw honey. The mid palate is bright and bubbly with succulent fruit flavors of peaches and sour orange.  A tart and juicy finish ends in dry lemon pith. Residual Sugar 0.0%, Alc/Vol 8.9%, Titratable Acidity 9.7g/l, pH 3.5

Apple Varieties: A blend of aromatic, sharp and heirloom apples: Golden Russet, Wealthy, Wixson, Cox Orange Pippin, Northern Spy, Manchurian Crab, Spigold, Idared.

Cidery Description:  Eve’s Cidery is a small family run orchard and cidery located in Van Etten, in the Finger Lakes region of New York State. We grow apples and other tree fruits and ferment artisanal ciders. We believe in nature, art, good food and hard work. These beliefs influence the way we farm, make cider and sell our product. We hope you can taste some of it in the bottle.

All of our sparkling ciders are made using the Champagne Method. We harvest and press our apples as they mature from early September through November. We blend at the press based on harvest dates and pH for a healthy fermentation. After the primary fermentation in the fall, the ciders are racked and left to mature in stainless steel over the winter. In the early spring, we blend to find dynamism and synergy. The cider is then bottled with a liqueur de tirage, yeast and sugar, to initiate a secondary fermentation. In the cool cider barn, the secondary fermentation proceeds slowly, taking nearly 4 months to complete. The slow secondary fermentation is what creates tiny, persistent bubbles of unrivaled elegance which lift aromas out of the glass and impart a lively, creamy mouthfeel. After a period of rest we disgorge, eject the yeast, every bottle by hand and top it up with a dosage of cider.

Price:  $19
Where Bought:  Schilling Cider House in Seattle WA
Where Drank:  home
How Found:  Browsing.  I’ve been wanting to try cider from Eve’s and even considered ordering them online, but this is the first time I’ve seen them in the Seattle area, so it was an easy choice to pick it up.  This is the only Eve’s variety they had in the store.

First Impression:  Medium straw yellow hue.  Moderate carbonation.  Smells mild, acidic, creamy, of citrus, earth, and green apples.

Tasting Notes:  Completely dry.  Medium bodied with a creamy and frothy texture.  Moderate tartness.  High acidity.  Low to moderate tannins.  Low bitterness.  No sourness or funk.  Notes of sharp crabapple bite, citrus (orange), peach, potato starch, honey, mineral, white grape, and yeast.  Moderate length finish.  Low apple flavor.  Low sessionability.  Moderate to high complexity.  Low flavor intensity.

My Opinion:  This is a very well made cider.  However, its not really my favorite type of cider (dry and sharp).  I knew that going into it, and mostly just wanted to give it a try.  I imagine this would be a great wine lovers cider.  My husband really liked it.

Most Similar to:  Snowdrift Semi Dry, Liberty Ciderworks New World Style, and Wandering Aengus Wickson, which are all dry and sharp.

Closing Notes:   I’m glad I got a chance to try this cider.  I’m curious if I’ll be able to find any other varieties from them locally; maybe something slightly sweeter and with bittersweet instead of bittersharp apple varieties (their Darling Creek sounds to my liking).

Have you tried anything from Eve’s Cidery?  What did you think?