A Flowery Song

Background: Made from a blend of local Massachusetts apples including McIntosh.

Nose: Floral apples and earthy wet leaves.

Taste: Clean appley taste, light acidity and a hint of sweetness.

Overall: I like it.

Background: Yes, it’s another cider from the folks that brought you Newton’s Folly. According to the website, this is made from a blend of Granny Smith and European cider apples.

Nose: Slightly appley.

Taste: Lightly effervescent, fairly dry with a nice malic tartness and decent apple flavour.

Overall: Light and refreshing, but there’s not much to it.

Background: Brewed by HomeBrewTalk member ScubaSteve, received as part of the 08/08/08 RIS swap. Based on EdWort's Apfelwein with honey added.

Appearance: Golden yellow, a slight haze.

Nose: Apples and alcohol.

Taste: Funky, apple-y, and dry. Some rubber and yeast notes.

Mouthfeel: Dry, some hot alcohol.

Overall: Definitely could do with some age (whoops, my bad). Though I try not to get tetchy about such things it's also way out of style for an apfelwein, being carbonated and much too strong.

Background: Sparkling apple cider made at Black Star Farms in Leelanau County, Michigan from a blend of eight different cider apple varieties.

Appearance: Very light gold body, nice perlage.

Nose: Dry acidic apple. Lemon and musky floral notes.

Taste: Tart and acidic with a light sweetness. Clean, crisp apple. Long finish with some Riesling-like diesel character.

Overall: Nice acidity, decent complexity, and a great finish. Highly recommended.

Background: From American Hard Cider Co. in Vermont. A sparkling cider.

Appearance: Crystal-clear body coloured a deep coppery orange.

Nose: Acidic apple character displays some mustiness.

Taste: Lightly sweet front, mild tannins and medium acidity heading into the finish. Slight fruity esters and a mild generic apple taste.

Mouthfeel: Light and crisp with medium carbonation. A bit of astringency on the finish.

Overall: Not bad at all. Very refreshing, with a good balance of sweetness and tart acidity. Straightforward and well executed.

Milljag Shee
25A Cyser

Recipe and Session Notes

Background: Organic farmhouse cider produced by Koan Family Orchards in Flushing, Michigan.

Presentation: Brown 22oz bomber with a crown cap. Pours a clear light amber. 6% ABV

Nose: Earthy apple aroma with perhaps a hint of acetic acid and yeast.

Taste: Sweet and tart with a mild acidity, a mildly funky earthiness and some bready yeast notes.

Overall: A bit on the sweet side, but the complexity and acidity balance that nicely.

Background: Varietal cider from Vermont.

Presentation: Green stubbie, pours a slightly green-tinted clear. 5% ABV.

Nose: Green apple and a light earthiness.

Taste: Slightly sweet; crisp granny smith flavour with mild tartness.

Overall: Clean, light cider. As a cider it's not very impressive, but it's certainly quite refreshing.

Background: Produced at Black Star Farms in (surprise, surprise) Leelanau County in northern Michigan. Apple wine, fortified with aged apple brandy and sweetened with maple syrup.

Presentation: Tall, 375 mL clear glass bottle. Spirit-style cork, rather than the typical wine cork. 16% ABV, pours a medium tan.

Nose: Apples and maple syrup. Hint of raisins and…tar?

Taste: Nice flavour profile. Nutty maple syrup with a background of apples. Definite raisin notes in the middle and a short, caramel finish. A bit too sweet.

Overall: Drinkable. Slightly unbalanced, but might be nice with soft to semi-hard savoury cheeses. I wouldn't pair it with anything sweet.

Background: Apfelwein is the German form of cider. Possmann makes a couple different apfelweins; this particular one is spiced, sweetened and intended to be served hot.

Presentation: 1 liter brown glass bottle with a screwtop.

Appearance: Pours very clear; light amber colour.

Nose: Apples and cinnamon with citrus (lemon?) notes.

Taste: Fairly sweet, with a light apple pie flavour. Definite lemon undertones. Long cinnamon finish, with some “earthy” tones.

Overall: Clean, simple taste; very nice in a warm mug on a cold winter night.