Apfelwein

Possmann Frankfurter Applewine

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Review of Possmann’s Frankfurter Applewine.  Its the second time I’ve had German cider; the first was Possmann’s Pure Cider.

 

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Cider:  Frankfurter Applewine
Cidery:  Possmann
Cidery Location:  Frankfurt Germany
ABV:  5.5%
How Supplied:  1 liter twist top bottles
Style:  commercial German Applewine (Apfelwein)

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Availability:  wide release (see here)

Cider Description: Possmanns flagship product that has made the company the most recognized apple wine producer in Germany.  The Frankfurter Apple Wine is a crisp, clear wine with the distinct harmony of a tart wine with the fruit flavor of the apple.  Fully fermented with 5.5% alcohol by volume, the apple wine contains no additives.  It is extremely low on sugar, (recommended for diabetics), as well as very low on calories.  With the natural fruit acids, the wine is very soothing and enhances digestion.

Cidery Description:  For over 125 years, the Possmann family has made traditional German apple wine and apple juice in the manner first handed down by Phillipp Possmann in 1881. Today, Possmann holds true to a spirit of Old World craftsmanship and a dedication to quality.

Price:  $12.50
Where Bought:  Full Throttle Bottles in Seattle WA
Where Drank:  home
How Found:  Browsing

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First Impression:  Light amber.  Still (no carbonation).  Smells of apple juice, yeast, and must.

Tasting Notes:  Semi-dry.  Light to medium bodied.  Flat tasting.  Low tartness.  Moderate acidity.  Low bitterness.  Hints of tannins and funk.  No sourness.  Notes of apple juice, yeast, honey, orange, and must.  Low complexity.  Low to moderate flavor complexity.  Moderate apple flavor.  High sessionability.

My Opinion:  I thought this was average.  Easy to drink, but not impressive.  I think some carbonation would have helped, but in general, I just like more flavor.  I did however like it better than their Pure Cider, which I found to have fake overly appley flavor.  This cider appears to be more natural than the Pure Cider.

Most Similar to:  Commercial light English cider (except with less tannins) and French cider (due to the yeast-forward flavor, except with less richness).

Closing Notes:   I’d be curious to get my hands on some higher quality / craft German Apfelwein, but I don’t remember seeing anything else locally.

Have you tried German Applewine?  What did you think?

Freyeisen Apfelwein German Cider

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Review of Freyeisen Apfelwein, a german “apple wine”, and the first cider I’ve tried from Germany.

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Cider:  Freyeisen Apfelwein German Cider
Cidery:  Freyeisen
Cidery Location:  Frankfurt Germany (Hessen-Rhine-Main)
ABV:  5.5%
How Supplied:  single 330ml bottles (which is a format you don’t see often)
Style:  German Apfelwein

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Availability:  Unknown

Cider Description:  Produced in the hills near Frankfurt, from the region of Hessen which has centuries of cider culture and tradition. Freyeisen uses a unique blend of local apple varieties, crushed and fermented using traditional methods only. Fine soft carbonation. Fresh, crisp and full of ripe fruits. Scents of honey, orange blossom, apple tree and almonds.

Note that I couldn’t find much info on this cider besides a few reviews online…even the cidery’s website wasn’t working.

Price:  $4 or $5?
Where Bought:  Schilling Cider House in Seattle WA
Where Drank:  home
How Found:  Browsing.  Both my husband and I are of German heritage (my husband moreso), so I was quite curious to try a cider from Germany.  This was the most affordable German cider they had (the others were larger format bottles), so I thought I’d start with it.

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First Impression:  Medium amber hue.  Low carbonation.  Smells of bittersweet apples, yeast, honey, spice, and oak.

Tasting Notes:  Semi-dry.  Moderate tartness and acidity.  Mild tannins and bitterness.  No sourness or funk.  I picked up the same notes as the scent, except add vanilla & citrus and subtract spice.  It had a warming effect (tasted like it had a higher ABV than indicated).  Well balanced and crisp flavors tending towards apple-forward.  Medium bodied. Moderate flavor intensity. Moderate length finish.

My Opinion:  Pretty tasty, definitely well above average, but not spectacular.  Its an easily likable cider as long as someone isn’t expecting something significantly sweeter.  I found its sessionability to be moderate (not higher mostly due to it tasting like the ABV was on the high end due to a warming effect).

Most Similar to:  It seemed to have characteristics in between that which I’d associate with English & French (Brittany not Normandy) ciders.  I don’t however have any other apfelwein experience to compare to.

Closing Notes:   I’m curious to try other apfelweins!

Have you tried any ciders from Germany?  What did you think?