Pick Cider Ideas for Thanksgiving 2018

November 19, 2018November 19, 2018 cidersays 2 Towns, AEppelTreow, Alpenfire, Bertolinos, Dan Armor, Domaine de la Minotiere, Eden, Eric Bordelet, Eve's Cidery, Kystin, La Chouette, L’Hermitiére, Liberty, Manoir de Grandouet, Pierre Huet, review, Slyboro, Snowdrift, Tilted Shed, Wandering Aengus, Whitewood cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, pick cider, pickcider, thanksgiving, thanksgiving cider

I actually remembered to do a Thanksgiving cider article this year, so here it goes! A list of some suggestions (at least for folks who can get these in their area) for Thanksgiving-dinner friendly ciders. Besides pairing with a variety of foods, I think the ideal holiday cider will appeal to a wide audience (presuming you will share it with the table). However, these selections will of course sway towards my personal tastes.

French ciders – French ciders are inherently food-friendly, and have a wide appeal, typically being mid-level sweetness and apple-forward, but often having surprising complexity. Its fun to share something unique (imported) with guests too. Plus, they have a lower ABV, which can be ideal for meals earlier in the day. Some of my favorites are from Domaine de la Minotiere, Eric Bordelet, Kystin, La Chouette, L’Hermitiére, Manoir de Grandouet, and Pierre Huet. I recently picked up a 5L mini keg of Bordelet, but I’m saving that for Christmas. The easiest French cider to find for some may be Dan Armor, sold at Trader Joe’s, and at only $5 / 750ml, its an excellent value, and something I wouldn’t hesitate to serve at my house. My top American-made French-style cider pick is 2 Towns Cidre Bouche.

AeppelTreow Appely Doux – This Wisconsin methode champenoise (naturally sparkling) selection is mid-level sweetness with a flavor profile of citrus, green apple, honey, and floral. It would make a nice champagne alternative anytime.

Alpenfire Spark! – This Washington cider is a great introduction to heritage ciders, with some rich notes of apple pomace, honey, orange, and leather, but remaining mid-level sweetness and clean.

Bertolinos Hard Cider – This Italian cider is mid-level sweetness, has some good fizz, and notes of honey, pineapple, and grapefruit. Especially wide crowd appeal from my experience.

Eden Specialty Ciders – This Vermont cidery may have started with ice ciders (which I cover later), but they make some amazing regular ciders with wide appeal, such as their super complex Sparkling Semi-Dry, rich Guinevere’s Pearls, or new canned Heritage cider, which has to be the highest quality cider I’ve ever seen in a can.

Eve’s Rustica – This New York mid-sweetness cider has some unique notes of honey, cream/vanilla, and fruit, all expertly crafted just from the apples and yeast.

Liberty Kingston Black – This Washington single varietal is made only from the iconic Kingston Black apples, yet I think it would have a wide appeal, as it retains some sweetness (semi-dry), is flavorful, and doesn’t cross over into funky/sour/bitter territory.

Slyboro Old Sin – This New York semi-dry cider has some rich tannic flavor reminiscent of English cider, with notes of butterscotch, caramel, and tropical fruit, and is another selection which would make a great introductory heritage cider. Lovely color to it too!

Snowdrift – This Washington cidery has several Thanksgiving-worthy crowd-pleasing cider selections, such as their Cidermaker’s Reserve (semi-dry, sparkling, fruity, and complex), Seckel Perry (mid-level sweetness, made only from Seckel pears), and Cliffbreaks Blend (semi-sweet, tart, and fruity).

Tilted Shed Smoked – This dry cider hails from California, and is unique, nuanced, oaky, and slightly smokey. Probably a bit less likely to be widely appealing, but I think it would be appreciated by certain audiences, and to me seems uniquely suited to Thanksgiving dinner.

Wandering Aengus Bloom – This Washington cider is mid-level sweetness and made from heirloom apples, but has widely appealing familiar notes of honey, green apple, and tropical fruit.

Whitewood Jonathan – This Washington cider is a single-varietal of Jonathan apples, and dry to semi-dry, but super approachable, being apple-forward with notes of citrus and honey.

ice cider – For a special treat with dessert, try ice cider. It is made from naturally concentrating apple juice using cold to increase the sugar content before fermenting, resulting in a higher ABV sweet dessert cider bursting with flavor. One of my favorites is Eden Brandy Barrel Aged Heirloom.

Pommeau – Also, Pommeau (cider + apple brandy) is another great dessert cider option. It is made by fortifying cider (either fermented or unfermented juice) with distilled apple juice (brandy). Like ice cider, it is a nice sipping option, although it is available in a wide range of sweetness. Some of my favorites are from 2 Towns, Etienne Dupont, EZ Orchards, Herout, and Wandering Aengus.

Visit the Pick Cider campaign website for lots more great info, and try your local fine bottle shop or online, such as through Cider in Love or VinoShipper. No matter which cider/s you choose, I’d encourage you to pick up some extra bottles, as a good cider can easily turn even those who have sworn off cider into cider lovers, holidays are holidays, and plus with the lower ABV, a bottle doesn’t go as far as wine.

Slyboro Night Pasture

December 22, 2017December 20, 2017 cidersays review, Slyboro cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Hicks Orchard, New York, Night Pasture, Slyboro, tasting notes

Review of Slyboro’s Night Pasture. It is my first time trying this, but I have had their Old Sin and Hidden Star.

Cider: Night Pasture
Cidery: Slyboro
Cidery Location: Granville NY
ABV: 8.0%
How Supplied: 750ml corked bottles
Style: American artisan cider from heirloom & cider apple varieties, still, dry

Availability: Currently sold out for the year, but typically sold year-round, in limited markets

Cider Description: Subtly complex, dry, with hints of spice and caramel, made from Golden Delicious, English Bittersweet varieties and Northern Spy apples. Named after our oldest orchard, where earlier farmers once turned out their livestock at the end of the workday. Now a favorite spot for painters, dancers, apple pickers, skiers and red foxes.

Cidery Description: Named for the centuries-old hamlet that is home to Hicks Orchard, Slyboro Ciderhouse re-introduces the lost craft of traditional American ciders. Just as grapes are transformed into wine, our ciders are fermented from our own orchard-grown apples; unlocking the full potential of the apple by creatively blending a a distinctive range of delicious, award-winning ciders. We at Slyboro Ciderhouse are dedicated to reclaiming cider – “true cider” – as America’s favorite drink. We invite you to explore and discover the flavors and delights of Slyboro Ciders. In any season, for special occasions, or to enrich the moment, “consider cider.”

Slyboro has a tasting room open seasonally, July through Christmas.

Price: $10 (50% off of $20, although the cidery lists it for $11.99, now sold out)
Where Bought: Downtown Spirits in Seattle WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing. I visited the store for a cider class taught by Rev Nat during WA Cider Week 2017, and stocked up on all the awesome ciders on their 50% off shelf. Unfortunately the higher end ciders from cider apples can sell slowly even where cider is popular, such as here in the Seattle area.

First Impression: Dark straw yellow hue, with some particulates. Still (no carbonation). Smells mild, of rich caramel and earth.

Tasting Notes: On the sweeter side of dry (but that was just perceived, likely due to the ‘juiciness’, as their website says 0% residual sugar). Light bodied. Low to moderate tartness. Moderate acidity. Low tannins. Hints of bitterness and funk. No sourness. Notes of caramel, earth, smoke, wax, cork, lemon, and a hint of herbs. Long slightly warming acidic finish. Low to moderate apple flavor, flavor intensity, and sessionability. Moderate to high complexity.

My Opinion: I liked it. This was much more doable for me than many of the other dry East Coast ciders I’ve tried, which tend to be much more acidic and less intense in flavor than the Washington ciders I am used to. This would be very food friendly, and likely appeal to wine lovers as well. It had a really unique flavor profile.

Most Similar to: Understood in Motion 02 and Farnum Hill Kingston Black

Closing Notes: My favorite from Slyboro remains their Old Sin, due to its higher flavor intensity, richness, and sweetness.

Have you tried Slyboro Night Pasture? What did you think?

Slyboro Hidden Star

September 2, 2016August 29, 2016 cidersays review, Slyboro cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Hidden Star, New York, Slyboro, tasting notes

Review of Slyboro Hidden Star, from New York. I’ve previously only tried their Old Sin cider.

Cider: Hidden Star
Cidery: Slyboro
Cidery Location: Granville NY
ABV: 6.9%
Residual Sugar: 2.5%
How Supplied: 750ml bottles
Style: American craft cider made from heirloom apple varieties

Availability: Year round in limited markets

Cider Description: Discover the secret in the apple! Cider from historic, hearty Northern Spy apples blended with ecologically grown Liberty apples, brings a deeply rooted American tradition to the modern table for your enjoyment.
Made from apples grown at Hicks Orchard, a family farm in the Adirondack foothills and New York?s oldest U-Pick orchard. Clean, crisp, aromatic and refreshingly smooth, like a ripe apple just picked from a tree. Hidden Star pairs well with Summer barbeques, Autumn picnics, Winter festivities, and Spring frolics.

We at Slyboro Ciderhouse are dedicated to reclaiming cider – “true cider” – as America’s favorite drink. We invite you to explore and discover the flavors and delights of Slyboro Ciders. In any season, for special occasions, or to enrich the moment, “consider cider.”

Slyboro has a tasting room open seasonally, July through Christmas.

Price: $17 (which is apparently $5 more than the going price in New York)
Where Bought: Schilling Cider House in Seattle WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing. I previously tried and enjoyed their Old Sin, so I was game to try something else from Slyboro.

First Impression: Medium straw yellow. Smells fruity, of stone fruit and pineapple.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry. Medium bodied. Moderate carbonation, tiny bubbles. Moderate tartness and acidity. Mild tannins. Hints of bitterness and funk. No sourness. Notes of honey, peach, pineapple, mineral, green apples, and a slight metallic flavor. Long finish with some sharpness and warming (tasting higher than 6.9% ABV). Moderate apple flavor. Moderate flavor intensity. Moderate complexity. Low sessionability.

My Opinion: I enjoyed it, although I prefer their Old Sin (which is richer). This is a nice summery cider in flavor, although not sessionable.

Most Similar to: Eve’s Beckhorn Hollow (although Hidden Star is sweeter and more fruity). It even reminded me a bit of ciders which used some crabapples (such as Raven’s Moon and Dragon’s Head Columbia Crab), as it had a sharp flavor. It also seemed a bit boozy, especially in the finish, like something Sea Cider or Eaglemount would make.

Closing Notes: I look forward to trying more from Slyboro, and the East Coast / New York in general. I have seen two more varieties from them locally.

Have you tried Slyboro Hidden Star? What did you think?

Slyboro Ciderhouse Old Sin

January 8, 2016January 7, 2016 cidersays review, Slyboro cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, New York, Old Sin, Slyboro

Review of Slyboro Ciderhouse’s Old Sin, from Granville NY. This is the first cider I’ve tried from Slyboro. We don’t get too many East Coast ciders here, so I’ve only tried a handful.

Cider: Old Sin
Cidery: Slyboro Ciderhouse
Cidery Location: Granville NY
ABV: 8.0%
How Supplied: 750ml bottle
Style: American dry sparkling cider made with McIntosh and Russet apples

Availability: Year round in limited markets

Cider Description: Deliciously dry! A pure apple temptation from the intertwined flavors of delicately floral McIntosh, spicy aromatic Russets with a splash of warm, richly fruited Ice Harvest Cider…1.5% residual sugar.

This is described as a sparkling cider; however, as the bottle didn’t have the thick glass indicative of a true sparkling beverage, I knew not to expect too much carbonation (which is forced not natural in this case). Slyboro made this cider using apples from their own Hicks Orchard. Also of note is that 1.5% residual sugar would typically be defined as semi-dry, not dry.

Slyboro has a tasting room open seasonally, July through Christmas.

Price: $19.99 (which appears to be significantly marked up from what it would cost in NY)
Where Bought: Total Wine
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing. I’ve been wanting to try more East Coast ciders, and this sounded like a great one to try. I had read Meredith’s reviews of Slyboro ciders at Along Came a Cider.

First Impression: Very light gold amber. Light carbonation. Smells of rich sweet apples, caramel, butterscotch, and spice.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry. Mild tartness. Moderate tannins and acidity. A hint of bitterness. No sourness or funk. Butterscotch, caramel, and tropical fruit notes. Medium bodied. Long finish with lingering warmth. Rich and full-flavored. Moderate apple flavor. Low sessionability. High flavor complexity.

My Opinion: Yum! This is reminiscent of English cider, but has some additional fruitiness. This cider’s smell was especially amazing.

Most Similar to: Semi-dry full-flavored fruity ciders with moderate tannins. Two semi-dry ciders that come to mind are Eaglemount Quince (very fruity, although I didn’t detect significant tannins) and Alpenfire Ember (which had less fruitiness and a very strong level of tannins). One that I found to have a lot of fruitiness but more sweetness (semi-sweet) is Snowdrift Cliffbreaks Blend.

Closing Notes: This cider was very enjoyable, and I look forward to trying more of Slyboro’s line-up. I’ve also seen Hidden Star, Night Pasture, and Ice Harvest from their line-up.

Have you tried Slyboro Ciderhouse Old Sin? What did you think?

Cider Says

A cider enthusiast blog focusing on cider reviews, based in Seattle WA.

Slyboro

Pick Cider Ideas for Thanksgiving 2018

Slyboro Night Pasture

Slyboro Hidden Star

Slyboro Ciderhouse Old Sin

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