Review of L’Hermitiére Cidre Brut, a sparkling Farmhouse style cider from Normandy France. It is my first time trying this one, although I’m a fan of French cidre.
Cider: Cidre Brut
Cidery: Cidrerie L’Hermitiére
Cidery Location: Le Theil-sur-Huisne, France
ABV: 5.0%
How Supplied: 750ml corked & caged bottles
Style: French cidre
Availability: semi wide release
Cider Description: Cidrerie L’Hermitière Cidre Brut is lively and complex, with the delicate aroma of ripe apples, leather, and freshly mown hay.
Cidery Description: This cidrerie, which sits among the rolling hills of the Perche region of Normandy, makes only pure juice ciders in the farmhouse style, that ferment naturally and are bottled without any pasteurization or carbonation – a prime example of the ancestral cider-making process.
Price: $7.99
Where Bought: The Cave in Kirkland WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing. I had never seen cider from this cidery.
<sorry the label got soaked when it decided to bubble over!>
First Impression: Medium pumpkin amber hue. Very high carbonation. Smells apple and yeast forward, with some funk and hints of honey.
Tasting Notes: On the sweeter side of semi-dry. Light to medium bodied with a frothy texture and very carbonated mouthfeel. Low tartness, acidity, and tannins. Hints of bitterness and funk. No sourness. Notes of apples, apple pomace, yeast, honey, orange, and butterscotch. Moderate length finish. High apple flavor. Moderate sessionability, flavor intensity, and complexity.
My Opinion: I really enjoyed it, with the flavor of a Normandy France cider without the sourness, and without too much funk, plus the higher carbonation level more typical of Brittany France cider, yet more complexity/depth.
Most Similar to: A milder Normandy France cider.
Closing Notes: I’m a big fan of French cider (as long as it isn’t sour). They can be surprisingly affordable too. Someday I want to go to France and try the less commercial stuff (as I assume that similar to the U.S., the large producers are the ones that have the wider distribution).
Have you tried L’Hermitiére Cidre Brut? What did you think?
Cider Says 