Review of Pierre Huet AOC Pays D’Auge Cidre.  It is my first time trying this, but I have had Pierre Huet’s Cidre Bouche Brut, as well as many other French cidres.

By the way, AOC means “Appellation of Origin Control”, which is a certification distinction guaranteeing the individual product is produced in a unique way, and comes from a clearly defined place of origin.  It began with wine, but is also used for a variety of other products.  Pierre Huet is an old cidre AOC in France, and the original M. Pierre Huet was instrumental in getting the AOC recognized after WWII, in 1944.  Also, AOP, or “Appellation d’Origine Protégée”, is the EU version of an AOC.  Therefore some ciders can even have both.

>>This is a review of a sample bottle provided to Cider Says by Beauchamp Imports / French Cider Inc.  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:  Pays D’Auge Cidre
Cidery:  Pierre Huet AOC
Cidery Location:  Pays d’Auge, Normandy, France
ABV:  3.5%
How Supplied:  750ml corked & caged bottles
Style:  French cidre, from cider apples, demi-sec, bottle conditioned

Availability:  In Washington, through Beauchamp Imports, plus online at their French Cider Inc. website.  In addition to Pays D’Auge Cider, they also offer Pierre Huet’s Poire Demi-Sec, Cidre Bouche Brut, Calvados AOC Pays d’Auge VS, and Calvados AOC Pays d’Auge XO.

Cider Description:  This Cidre AOP Pays D’Auge is an unpasteurized demi-sec cidre from the appellation d’origine protégée in the Pays d’Auge region of Normandy. It is a traditional French cidre produced using the time-honored methods required by the Pays D’Auge . The 100% pure apple juice is fermented between one to four months to achieve the perfect semi-sweet flavor before being bottled. The second fermentation occurs naturally in the bottle.

See here for more information on the cider.

Cidery Description:  Pierre Huet is a 5th generation family-owned cidery who has been producing cidre, Calvados, and Pommeau since the 1800s in the Pays d’Auge region of Normandy France.  They grow 25 varieties of apples on 75 acres.

See here for more information on the cidery.

Price:  n/a (retails for $19.99)
Where Bought:  n/a
Where Drank:  home
How Found:  the importer Joan Harkins contacted me (we met at Cider Summit Seattle 2017)

First Impression:  Light orange amber.  Moderate carbonation and foam.  Smells of ripe apple, funk, and orange.

Tasting Notes:  On the sweeter side of semi-dry.  Light bodied with a lovely frothy fluffy texture.  Low tartness.  Low to moderate acidity.  Low tannins.  Hints of bitterness.  Low funk.  No sourness.  Notes of ripe apples, pomace, orange, caramel, and leather.  Moderate to high apple flavor.  High sessionability.  Moderate flavor intensity and complexity.

My Opinion:  Great!  I especially enjoyed the texture and flavor of this cider.  It has some definite Normandy cidre characteristics, but with low funk and no sourness, it remains more beginner friendly.  Plus, with the low ABV, it made a great cider to sip on during the day of Thanksgiving!  It would also be ideal for brunch and the like.  However, it is a tad more pricey than some other French ciders which I thought were of a similar flavor and quality.

Most Similar to:  Manoir de Grandouet AOP Pays d’Auge Cidre, Manoir de Grandouet Cidre Fermier Brut,  L’Hermitiére Cidre Brut, Manoir De Montreuil Cambremer, and Christian Drouin Pays d’Auge.

Closing Notes:  I will also be reviewing two other imports from French Cider Inc., Hérout Cotentin Extra-Brut and Lefevre Winter Cidre.

Have you tried Pierre Huet cidre?  What did you think?