Review of Urban Tree Cidery’s Barrel-Aged variety, described as a premium cider aged in oak rum barrels.  It is my first time trying any of their ciders, and I sampled their current flagship line-up of three ciders all at once.

>>This is a review of a sample bottle provided to Cider Says by Urban Tree.  Although I will take care to treat it the same as any other review, there is always the potential for bias as I received it for free.  The only consideration I knowingly made was pushing this up in my cider review cue.  I love free stuff, especially cider!  Want your cider or cider-related product reviewed here?  Contact me.<<

Cider:  Barrel-Aged
Cidery:  Urban Tree Cidery
Cidery Location:  Atlanta Georgia
ABV:  6.5%
How Supplied:  750ml bottles (and kegs)
Style:  American craft cider, rum barrel aged

  

Availability:  Their tasting room in Atlanta, these locations around Atlanta, and online sales (in Georgia)

Cider Description:  Our hand-pressed apple juice is slowly fermented with champagne yeast, then aged to perfection in Nicaraguan rum barrels. Hints of brown sugar, woody vanilla and oak notes play in this dry, sturdy sip. A perfect complement to those moments you want to slow down a little to soak up the memory.

Cidery Description:  At the core of Georgian pride and Atlanta’s spirit live the seeds of change. A new legacy is rising – challenging the conventions of good taste and fine drink.

Urban Tree was founded by a husband and wife in 2015, opened a tasting room in 2016, and is described as Atlanta’s first cidery.  They use local apples from the Cathey Family Orchard in Mountain City Georgia.

Price:  n/a (retails for $13-16)
Where Bought:  n/a
Where Drank:  home
How Found:  the cidery contacted me

First Impression:  Light golden amber hue.  Low carbonation with some foam.  Smells acidic and slightly sour, with a hint of richness.

Tasting Notes:  On the sweeter side of semi-dry.  Medium bodied.  Low tartness and acidity.  Low tannins.  Hints of sourness, bitterness, and funk.  Notes of caramel, lemon, grapefruit, wood, earth, and nuts.  Moderate length finish.  Low oak influence.  Hints of rum influence.  Moderate apple flavor, sessionability, complexity, and flavor intensity.

My Opinion:  I enjoyed it.  I had been expecting more barrel influence due to the cider’s name, but I perceived it as pretty mild.  However, my husband picked up significantly more oak & rum flavor than me and my friends, likely as he drinks aged spirits more often.  I imagine they were going for approachable, which makes sense.  It was similar to their Original, except with the tang mellowed out a bit, and hints of richness.

Most Similar to:  This was less intense than the rum barrel aged ciders I’ve previously tried, such as Crispin 15 Men, Sea Cider Prohibition / Rum Runner, and Vermont Cider Co. Wassail.  Slightly reminiscent of Montana CiderWorks North Fork Traditional and Moonlight Meadery How Do You Like Them Apples.

Closing Notes:  Next up (and last) is Urban Tree’s Classic cider.

Have you tried cider from Urban Tree?  What did you think?