Review of Eve’s Cidery’s Albee Hill, their Still & Dry cider.  It is my first time trying this, but I have had their Beckhorn Hollow, Autumn’s Gold, Kingston Black, Rustica, and Scatterseed.

Cider:  Albee Hill (2015 harvest, 2016 release)
Cidery:  Eve’s Cidery
Cidery Location:  Van Etten, NY
ABV:  6.9%
How Supplied:  750ml corked bottles
Style:  American craft orchard-based heritage cider from heirloom, cider, & dessert apple varieties, Still (no carbonation), Dry (not sweet)

 

Availability:  Mostly in New York, but also in some other states, such as Pennsylvania, Washington DC, Massachusetts, Delaware, and Washington; see this page for detailed info on distribution.  However, the easiest spot is at the cidery and their online store (check for shipping availability for states besides New York).

Cider Description:  Sweet on the nose, with honey, flowers and lychee but balanced with darker aromas like damp wood and coffee. Flavors of citrus peel and quinine hang off a taut tannic frame in the mid-palate. The finish has plenty of dusty brown tannin and bittersweet apple skin.  This dry, tannic cider should be served at cellar temperature : ~55 degrees. Pair with nutty cheeses like cave aged cheddar, savory meats like Merguez sausage, and all manner of vegetables, especially grilled.

See their page for this cider for even more info; I love that they publish specific apple varietal percentages, residual sugar & acid content, fermentation type, batch size, etc.

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.

Their official tasting room is at the Finger Lakes Cider House in Interlaken New York.

Price:  $16
Where Bought:  the cidery’s online store
Where Drank:  home
How Found:  A free shipping deal in December (2017?).  This may have sat in my cider fridge awhile.)

First Impression:  Lovely medium caramel amber hue.  No carbonation.  Smells amazingly rich, dry but with sweet flavors like caramel, and tannins.

Tasting Notes:  On the sweeter side of Dry.  Light bodied.  Low tartness.  Moderate acidity and tannins.  Hints of bitterness.  No sourness or funk.  Notes of caramel and leather, with hints of brown sugar, orange, and earth.  Moderate length tannic finish.  High complexity.  Moderate to high flavor intensity.  Moderate sessionability and apple flavor.

My Opinion:  I enjoyed this; the flavor profile was awesome.  However, I would have preferred a bit of sweetness and carbonation.  I’d recommend this cider, especially to folks who like dry and tannic grape wine.

Most Similar to:  Eve’s Kingston Black SV, which I also found to be still and with a similar profile of “sweet” flavors, yet in a dry cider

Closing Notes:  There aren’t too many truly Still ciders out there.  I think they let the qualities of the cider apples shine even more, although many (like me) aren’t really accustomed to them.

Have you tried Eve’s cider?  What did you think?