Review of Pierre Huet Poire Demi-Sec, a French perry.  It is my first time trying this, but I have had their Cidre Bouche Brut and AOC Pays D’Auge.

>>This is a review of a sample bottle provided to Cider Says by Beauchamp Imports / French Cider Inc.  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:  Poire Demi-Sec
Cidery:  Pierre Huet
Cidery Location:  Pays d’Auge, Normandy, France
ABV:  2.0%
How Supplied:  750ml corked & caged bottle
Style:  French poire (perry), from dessert & perry pears

 

Availability:  In Washington, through Beauchamp Imports, plus online at their French Cider Inc. website.  In addition to Poire Demi-Sec, they also offer Pierre Huet’s Cidre Bouche Brut, Pays D’Auge Cider, Calvados AOC Pays d’Auge VS, Calvados AOC Pays d’Auge XO, and Pommeau de Normandie AOC.

Cider Description:  This delicious, demi-sec poiré is the perfect combination of four varieties of sweet and bitter pears. Slowly fermented for one to three months before being bottled, it achieves the perfect balance of semi-sweetness and roundness.

Cidery Description:  Pierre Huet is a 5th generation family-owned cidery who has been producing cidre, Calvados, and Pommeau since the 1800s in the Pays d’Auge region of Normandy France.  They grow 25 varieties of apples on 75 acres.

See here for more information on the cider, and here for more information on the cidery.

Price:  n/a (retails for $19.99)
Where Bought:  n/a
Where Drank:  home
How Found:  the importer Joan Harkins contacted me (we met at Cider Summit Seattle 2017)

First Impression:  Dark straw yellow hue.  Low carbonation.  Smells of canned pears.

Tasting Notes:  Semi-sweet.  Medium bodied with a fluffy texture.  Moderate tartness.  Low acidity.  Hints of tannins and funk.  No bitterness or sourness.  Notes of canned pear, dried pear, lemon, and honey.  Moderate length finish.  High pear flavor and sessionability.  Moderate flavor intensity and complexity.

My Opinion:  Great!  I enjoyed the texture most of all – so fluffy and frothy that it made it seem lighter bodied.  It was a bit more tart than most other poires I’ve had, which balanced well with the sweetness.  The pear flavor was really nice too; I like how French perries seem to capture the fruit more than just tasting like an alcoholic pear juice.  I agree with their website that this would be a great mimosa alternative for brunch.

Most Similar to:  Christian Drouin Poire and Cidrerie Daufresne Poire

Closing Notes:  French Cider Inc. has a great lineup of French ciders, poires, calvados, and pommeaux; I look forward to trying more.