Eden Brut Rosé

Review of Eden’s Brut Rosé. It is my first time trying this, but I have had most of their line-up (see here). It’s also my first review in quite awhile – a combination of laziness, drinking less, and not trying as many new ciders.

>>This is a review of a sample can provided to Cider Says by Eden. 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: Brut Rosé
Cidery:  Eden Specialty Ciders
Cidery Location:  Newport, Vermont
ABV:  6.9%
How Supplied: four pack of 12oz cans
Style: American craft heritage cider, from heirloom apples, with red currant juice

Availability: soon, limited plus online

Cider Description: ‘Brut Rosé’ tastes of bright red berry and apple flavors balanced by light earthy tannin and lingering crispness. It is filtered, infused with red currants and superbly crushable, with only 5g of residual sugar per can. 15 heirloom apple varieties, 100% locally grown (Eden Orchards, Scott Farm, Sunrise Orchards, Windfall Orchard). 15 g/L residual sugar from arrested fermentation. 6 g/L malic acidity, medium tannn.

Cidery Description: Our mission is to support small local orchards who grow special apple varieties using environmentally sustainable practices. Together we grow a fascinating array of varieties to use in our ciders – old New England heirlooms like Blue Pearmain and Roxbury Russet, iconic sweets and sharps like Hudson’s Gem and Esopus Spitzenburg, zingy crabapples like Dolgo, Kerr and Wickson, and historic tannic varieties, including bittersweet and bittersharp varieties that originated in France and England. We press once per year after harvest, using the natural winter cold at our farm to concentrate the flavors and sugars of the apples before fermentation. We don’t use sugar, colorings, acids, or industrial flavorings, and all of our ciders are naturally gluten-free and vegan friendly. Welcome to cider from a wine point of view!

Price: n/a (retails for ~ $39 / 12 cans)
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: it showed up

First Impression: Medium red hue. Very low carbonation. Smells tart and mildly fruity.

Tasting Notes: On the drier side of semi-dry. Light bodied. Moderate tartness and acidity. Hints of tannins and bitterness. No sourness or funk. Notes of sharp heirloom and tart green apple with red currant and a hint of strawberry. Moderate length tart finish. Low apple flavor. Moderate overall flavor intensity and complexity. High sessionability.

My Opinion: I liked it. Super sessionable with the lower sugar, and a nice fruitiness, plus just sweet enough for my personal preferences.

Most Similar to: A more sessionable version of Eden’s Imperial 11 Rosé, or a purely current and heirloom apple version of 2 Towns Cosmic Currant or 2 Towns Dark Currant.

Closing Notes: I like seeing these higher quality canned options, for when I want good cider, but the option to have just 1 can (vs. a bottle), or have it be more portable.

Have you tried Eden Brut Rosé? What did you think?

Eden Beeflustered

February 1, 2021 cidersays Eden, review Beeflustered, cider, cider review, cider tasting, Eden, Eden Ice Cider, Eden Specialty Ciders, hard cider, ice cider, tasting notes

Review of Eden Beeflustered, ice cider aged in Superstition cherry mead barrels. It is my first time trying this, but I have had much of Eden’s line-up (see here). I’m a fan of both Eden‘s ice ciders and Superstition‘s meads (see here for mead tasting notes from my 2015 visit), so this was an easy choice. Ice cider is made using apple juice which has been concentrated by cold temperatures, resulting in a sweeter higher alcohol dessert cider.

Cider: Beeflustered
Cidery:  Eden Specialty Ciders
Cidery Location:  Newport VT
ABV:  13.0%
How Supplied: 375ml bottles
Style: American craft ice cider from heirloom apple varieties, 2014 harvest, aged 6 months in Superstition cherry mead barrels (originally used for rye whiskey)

Availability: online only; see here

Cider Description: Naturally cold-concentrated before fermentation in our Vermont winter weather. Arrested fermentation leaves residual sweetness. Ice cider made from heirloom apple varieties and aged 6 months in 2 barrels from Superstition Meadery – originally rye whiskey barrels that they used to aged their cherry mead.
See here for complete info.

Price: $35
Where Bought: their online store
Where Drank: home
How Found: e-mail notification about new releases (sign up here)

First Impression: Amber-red hue. No carbonation. Smells sweet and rich.

Tasting Notes: Full bodied. Very sweet. Moderate tartness. Low acidity. No bitterness, sourness, or funk. Hints of tannins. Notes of baked apple, cherry, and rich brown sugar, with hints of oak and vanilla. Long tart alcohol-forward finish. High complexity and overall flavor intensity. Moderate apple flavor. Low to moderate cherry flavor. Very low sessionability.

My Opinion: I liked it. I was surprised how much cherry flavor was present just from aging in barrels previously used for cherry mead.

Most Similar to: Eden’s heirloom ice cider, except with tart cherry and a hint of oak

Closing Notes: Another awesome ice cider from Eden!

Have you tried ice cider? What did you think?

Eden Specialty Ciders Cellar Series #2 The Falstaff

November 20, 2017November 20, 2017 cidersays Eden, review barrel aged, cider, cider review, cider tasting, Eden, Eden Ice Cider, Eden Specialty Cider, Falstaff, ice cider, Vermont

Review of Eden Specialty Ciders Cellar Series #2, The Falstaff, a seven-year barrel-aged ice cider! It is my first time trying this, although I’ve tried Eden’s Sparkling Dry, Cinderella’s Slipper, Heirloom Ice Cider, Sparkling Semi-Dry, Northern Spy Ice Cider, Honeycrisp Ice Cider, Imperial 11 Rosé, Heirloom Brandy Barrel Aged Ice Cider, Guinevere’s Pearls, Windfall Orchard Ice Cider, and Two Ellies (collaboration with Tilted Shed).

>>This is a review of a sample bottle provided to Cider Says by Eden. 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: Cellar Series #2, The Falstaff
Cidery: Eden Specialty Ciders
Cidery Location: Newport Vermont
ABV: 10%
Residual Sugar: 15%
How Supplied: 375ml bottles
Style: American artisan ice cider from Vermont apples, aged for 7 years in a single oak barrel

Availability: Now sold out. This was an early batch of their ice cider, aged in a single oak barrel from 2008-2015, put into 600 bottles, and sold to their cider club members in 2015 & 2016.

However, in general, their ciders are at least sold in AK, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, IL, MA, MD, ME, MI, NC, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OR, SC, VT, WA, and British Columbia. Eden also offers online sales when allowed by state.

Cider Description: Rare single-barrel ice cider aged for 7 years in used French oak. It is elegantly oxidized and sweet, like a rich oloroso without fortification. Dark and warm, it still has beautiful acidity, along with notes of golden raisin, caramelized sugar, apricot and fig.

won Chairman’s Award / Best Wood-Aged Cider: Dan Berger Cider Competition 2016

Cidery Description: Eden Orchards and Eden Ice Cider began on a trip to Montreal in 2006 when we first tasted ice cider and wondered why nobody was making it on our side of the border. We had dreamed for years of working together on a farm in the Northeast Kingdom; it was a dream that had vague outlines including an apple orchard, cider, and fermentation of some sort. That night we looked at each other and knew ice cider was it. In April 2007, we bought an abandoned dairy farm in West Charleston, Vermont and got to work. Since then we have planted over 1,000 apple trees, created 5 vintages of Eden Vermont Ice Ciders, and have introduced a new line of Orleans Apertif Ciders. Out goals are to create healthy soils and trees in our own orchard, to support out Vermont apple orchard partners who do the same, to minimize our carbon footprint, to contribute to the economic and environmental health of our employees and our Northeast Kingdom community, and most of all to make world-class unique ciders that truly reflect our Vermont terroir.

They have a tasting bar on the main floor of the Northeast Kingdom Tasting Center in downtown Newport Vermont. Their current product line includes ice ciders, Aperitif ciders, sparkling ciders, and Cellar Series releases.

Price: n/a (retails for $50)
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: I read about this online, but it was cider club only, then sold out. I got lucky and a rep from Eden saw it on my Wish List and contacted me.

First Impression: Deep caramel amber hue. Still (no carbonation). Smells amazing and enticing – very rich, sweet, and boozy, of concentrated apple juice, molasses, and so much more.

Tasting Notes: Sweet. Full bodied. Moderate tartness and acidity. Low tannins. No bitterness, sourness, or funk. Notes of molasses, caramel, raisin, ripe baked apple, tart raw green apple, lemon, brown sugar, caramelized sugar, pie spices, and even more! Long finish length. High apple flavor and flavor intensity. Very high complexity. Very low sessionability. More aged than oaky.

My Opinion: Amazing!! Probably tied with Alpenfire Smoke for most complex cider I’ve ever drank. The tartness and acidity was higher than their other ice ciders, but that helped balance the sweetness, and added to the flavor complexity. It was a unique mix of rich, sweet, tart, savory, and more. I recommend serving this an ounce or two at a time, very cold, and to slowly savor in tiny sips.

Most Similar to: This is a more complex, tart & acidic, and aged version of their other ice ciders, probably closest to Eden’s Brandy Barrel Aged Heirloom ice cider (which was my favorite ice cider until I tried this one).

Closing Notes: I’m so lucky to have been able to try this! I look forward to enjoying the rest of this bottle over the next couple weeks, including on Thanksgiving. Hopefully I won’t have to share it with anyone.

Have you tried any ice cider from Eden? What did you think?

Eden Specialty Ciders & Tilted Shed Collaboration, Two Ellies

September 18, 2017September 18, 2017 cidersays Eden, review, Tilted Shed cider, cider review, cider tasting, Eden Ice Cider, Eden Specialty Cider, hard cider, tasting notes, Tilted Shed, Two Ellies

Review of Two Ellies: An East Meets West American Cider Story, a collaboration between Eleanor Leger of Eden Specialty Ciders in Vermont and Ellen Cavalli of Tilted Shed Ciderworks in California. It is my first time trying this, although I’ve tried Tilted Shed’s Lost Orchard, Barred Rock, & Smoked, and Eden’s Sparkling Dry, Cinderella’s Slipper, Heirloom Ice Cider, Sparkling Semi-Dry, Northern Spy Ice Cider, Honeycrisp Ice Cider, Imperial 11 Rosé, Heirloom Brandy Barrel Aged Ice Cider, Guinevere’s Pearls, & Windfall Orchard Ice Cider.

>>This is a review of a sample bottle provided to Cider Says by Eden Specialty Ciders (the cidermaker Eleanor brought it to me in her suitcase!). 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: Two Ellies: An East Meets West American Cider Story
Cidery: Eden Specialty Ciders & Tilted Shed Ciderworks
Cidery Location: Newport VT & Windsor CA (bottle says made at Eden in Vermont)
ABV: 7.5%
How Supplied: 750ml bottles
Style: American artisan cider from Gravenstein apples from Tilted Shed in California and Esopus Spitzenburg apples from Eden in Vermont (both heirloom varieties), naturally sparkling, dry

Availability: Very limited (likely only in parts of CA & VT), released September 2017

Cider Description: This special cider is a cross-country collaboration between the two Ellies of American fine cider – Eleanor Leger of Vermont’s Eden Specialty Ciders and Ellen Cavalli of Sonoma Country’s Tilted Shed Ciderworks – who each contributed an hierloom apple variety particular to their terroir to showcase their mutual passion for traditional cidermaking.

A bit on terroir: The term is most commonly used in the wine world, and describes the impact of the region (soil, topography, climate, etc) on a product. Even ciders made from the same type of apples & yeast using the methods can vary widely region-to-region as the apples are different due to the environmental variance. For example, the same variety of apple from the NE will commonly be significantly higher in acid than those from the NW.

Price: n/a (and unknown)
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: n/a

First Impression: Dark straw yellow hue. High carbonation (natural, from secondary fermentation in the bottle). Smells of funk, acidity, must, and citrus.

Tasting Notes: Dry. Light bodied. Moderate tartness. High acidity. Low bitterness. Low to moderate tannins. Hints of sourness. Low funk. Notes of lemon, yeast, funk, wood, honey, and must. Long acidic fizzy tannic finish. Low apple flavor and sessionability. Moderate complexity and flavor intensity.

My Opinion: I liked but didn’t love this, but that was anticipated, as my personal preference isn’t typically for dry acidic ciders. However, it was expertly crafted. I enjoyed this cider more at close to room temperature, as that cut the sharp acidity and let the fizz settle down. My husband was a huge fan, as expected, as dry sparkling cider is his favorite. It had a surprising amount of tannins for being made with heirloom (not cider) apple varieties, which I enjoyed. I’d recommend Two Ellies for lovers of dry, acidic, highly carbonated ciders.

Most Similar to: This reminded me of Tilted Shed Lost Orchard & Understood in Motion 02 (but both of those were nearly still), and Eve’s Beckhorn Hollow (except that had some different flavor notes).

Closing Notes: Even though this isn’t a personal favorite, I’m glad I got the opportunity to try it and share about it.

Side Note: Eden has previously collaborated with Angry Orchard (see my review of Understood in Motion 01), and also recently released a budget-friendly cider made with Québec dessert apple varieties, called Border Buster (see this article). Tilted Shed has also been staying busy, with multiple new releases, as announced on their Facebook page.

Have you tried any ciders from Eden or Tilted Shed? What did you think?

Windfall Orchard Ice Cider

July 21, 2017July 16, 2017 cidersays review, Windfall Orchard cider, cider review, Eden, Eden Ice Cider, Eden Specialty Cider, hard cider, ice cider, tasting notes, Vermont, Windfall Orchard

Review of Windfall Orchard Ice Cider, made by Eden Specialty Ciders. Ice cider is made by using apple juice which has been naturally concentrated by cold, creating a very high sugar fuller bodied juice syrup which is then fermented. It is my first time trying this, but I’ve tried most everything else Eden has made – Sparkling Dry, Cellar Series Cinderella’s Slipper, Heirloom Blend Ice Cider, Sparkling Semi-Dry, Northern Spy (Barrel Aged) Ice Cider, Honeycrisp Ice Cider, Imperial 11 Rosé, and Heirloom Blend Apple Brandy Barrel Aged Ice Cider.

Cider: Ice Cider
Cidery: Windfall Orchard (made by Eden Specialty Ciders)
Cidery Location: Newport VT
ABV: 9.0%
How Supplied: 187 & 375 ml bottles
Style: American craft ice cider from heirloom apples from Cornwall VT

Availability: Their ciders are at least sold in AK, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, IL, MA, MD, ME, MI, NC, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OR, SC, VT, WA, and British Columbia Canada, although this one likely has less distribution. Eden also offers online sales when allowed by state.

Cider Description: Ice cider made from a blend of apples grown at Windfall Orchard in Cornwall, Vermont. This small-batch ice cider is made from apples grown by Chef Brad Koehler on the farm he shares with his wife Amy Trubek, UVM Professor and author of “The Taste of Place”. There are about 200 trees in Brad’s orchard, and among them he has over 80 varieties. Over thirty of them are used to make this light, smooth and extremely elegant ice cider.

They have a tasting bar on the main floor of the Northeast Kingdom Tasting Center in downtown Newport VT.

Price: $17 / 187ml or $27 / 375ml
Where Bought: Eden’s online store
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing; it was the only ice cider variety from Eden I hadn’t tried

First Impression: Dark amber hue. Still (no carbonation). Smells of caramelized apple syrup.

Tasting Notes: Very sweet. Full bodied. Low to moderate tartness and acidity. No bitterness, sourness, or funk. Low tannins. Concentrated notes of rich ripe baked apple, caramelized sugar, honey, stone fruit, and floral. Moderate length finish. High apple flavor and flavor intensity. Moderate to high complexity. Low sessionability.

My Opinion: I really enjoyed it; Eden has never disappointed. This was a bit more fruity than rich, and slightly less complex than some of their others. A lovely sipping beverage to have with dessert.

Most Similar to: All of Eden’s other ice ciders. It also reminded me a bit of Tieton Frost.

Closing Notes: My favorite Eden ice cider remains their Heirloom Blend Apple Brandy Barrel Aged Ice Cider, but they are all awesome.

Have you tried ice cider? What did you think?

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: