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.

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:  $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?