ACE Hard Pumpkin Cider

Tasted Tuesday evening in an attempt to use some internet, as my new house has yet to have it installed. Tasted after 8th St. Grill's Pumpkin tapping last Friday. Several of the taps still remain so Doug persuaded me to give this a try.

Appearance: Brilliant and golden with an absolute clarity. There is no head whatsoever, and something to be expected from a cider. Some carbonated bubbles occasionally rise to the surface from within, but overall, the liquid remains quite still.
Aroma: Immediately, all spice and notes of the nutmeg permeate the nostrils, later complimented with the expected hints of pumpkin and obvious apple tartness.
Taste: Initially, the tartness from the apples bites the tongue and clenches the jaw. The most dominant characteristic in this beverage is the easily distinguishable flavor of Macintosh apples. Personally, I think the spice is neutralized in the flavor, while the pumpkin makes for a more prominent factor. All characteristics are extremely subtle against the rich, tart flavor from the apples.
Mouthfeel: Light and spritzy, though the carbonation comes off very fine, but bellows in the back of the throat as it expands. Very dry. And tart.
Overall Impression: I enjoy the fact that this cider maintains the essence of pumpkin if you think about it, but can easily be consumed without much notice. Nutmeg allspice and cinnamon parallel the faint undertones of pumpkin.

Brewery (Cidery) Review: Vander Mill - Spring Lake, MI

Vander Mill's Cidery (and now, Brewery!)

Jen and I happened upon this place while browsing the "Michigan: The Great Beer State" Magazine. I had been to Spring Lake last weekend while visiting Odd Side Ales and Old Boys Brewhouse on my bike. However, upon my return, I found that I was less than a mile away from another fermentation based establishment. We found this place after spending an afternoon walking around Grand Haven. This is what they had to try:


Apple Cider - Turbid yellow and unfiltered. No head. Served cold as a condensation rapidly accumulates on the sides of the plastic cup. Tart, but still with an undertone of earthy apple fruit and a crisp finish. Not as tart as other hard crafted ciders. The carbonation provides a bite that in a way parallels the crispness that hops would induce on a beer. Light body, crisp, drying and leaving behind a cloying feel on the roof of the mouth.

THE apple Cider

 Totally Roasted - An opaque appearance that holds the look of an inside of a pear. Kind of white, but with a haze to add to an otherwise non-existant color. The aroma is fruity...of apples obviously, but with a faint hint of roasted nuts and caramelized sugar. The body is light and the finish is earthy. Carbonation is extremely low.
Ginger Peach - Another opaque, cloudy looking liquid. The scent perfumes fresh ginger. The flavor again exemplifies ginger, but in more of a faint manner. I find a candy base leaves a sweetness in the foretaste while the ginger and a peach skin taste is left on the tongue.
Half Pint Amber Lager - Just that, a light amber color with a very strong head and lacing to follow. Very clear. Faint hops are present against a brief biscuit malt based. The flavor reminds me definitely of a cream ale. Man, it sure does. Smooth creamy, but with that cream soda flavor. Big malt base and soothing dryness to the finish. Very clean tasting.
Apple Raspberry - Appearance is similar to that of a berry based lemonade. A foamy white ring coats the sides of the glass. Some sour pungence and berry tartness. Aromatics are limited. Still, a similar apple base but with the added addition of fruit. 

A scenic view of the establishment

The atmosphere is similar to a Wisconsin cheese shop. Simple, spacious but with a country/vintage look. Nevertheless the place is very clean and modern. The outside takes the appearance of a red barn house, surrounded by a gravel lot, a child playground, and outside seating with a white picket fenced in patio. Internally, half the room is divided with seating - the tables are supported by oak barrels - and the other half has stands, displaying product, beverage utensils, and other food/beverage related to the business. The Cidery itself is also a "micro" ice cream parlor, and it serves food (donuts too!).  We didn't get a chance to sample any of it, but the menu did look very unique and inventive. Only just recently did they start producing beer! (I cannot wait to see where that takes them). There is a unused corner bar and even barrels in fermentation in front of the entrance. Jen and I sat at the table by the door. The place had maybe five curious customers perusing the shelves, asking for samples or sitting at a the tables drinking pints of cider. It was a hot, sunny afternoon, but the cool atmosphere and the refreshing bite from the cider was a pleasant reward. Samples were unlimited because a tasting flight hadn't exactly been put into a finite option. So we tasted as much as we could, and also ordered a couple ($3.50/pint!) pints to at least become respected paying customers. The place also made "liquours" from berry based ciders they produced. I didn't get a chance to taste any of them, that's for the next trip. Vander Mill is also still in the developing stages, and I'm looking forward to seeing where they go.
To be continued...

Pacific Pear Cider

This has been in my  fridge for a while and I really needed something refreshing after a 16 mile day of running and working.

Appearance: Bright and sparkling with a brilliant golden color. Extremely clear as enlarged bubbles can be seen accumulating on the sides of the glass. No head.

Aroma: Light apricot and pear tartness with a background of acetylaldehyde or green apple. However it remains a bit mellow with even a bit of a white grape undertone to it.

Taste: Flavor is tart, but not overbearing. The light acidic sourness at the end adds a nice refreshing tartness. Light fruit and Apple/Pear and grape characteristics. Mild green apple skin flavor puckers the mouth, but is balanced by the subtle sweetness from the pear.
Mouthfeel: Carbonation isn't what was expected from the appearance. The beer nevertheless remains light in body, yet full of flavor. Left behind is a cloying stickiness in the back of the throat.
Overall Impression: Tasty and certainly not leaving everything to apples. I believe this is what most consider to be called a "perry" and I'd be interesting in discovering more. Tart, but not too much, more on the mellow side and well balanced, while leaving a lot of the taste to a mellowed canned pear like flavor at the end and in the after breath.


82/100

Sutliff Hard Cider

This is my first Cider Review. Though some may not feel it's appropriate for a beer blog, I see it not only as a beverage part of the forgotten hand crafted art behind fermentation, but also something that holds an enormous contributive history to beer itself. Therefore I will begin having a Cider label, within the beer list, and I will do my best to pick out what I taste. I have no experience tasting Ciders, yet have made several that I consider very drinkable. Recieved a bottle from Scott who was in the booth/spot next to us at the Des Moine Beer Festival last weekend. I was extremely intrigued with this beverage and must have consumed at least a pint in tastes over the long festival. My last cider was at Schwartz's Brewery in Sydney - which as I remember was fantastic!

Appearance: Brilliant in clarity with a large bubble accumulation on the sides, even more at the base of the glass. Pale champaign yellow, and like I said very clear, which I'm amazed at. No head

Aroma: I get primarily macintosh apples in the smell. Tartness is subdued by this mellowed sweetness. Very aromatic and perfumy.

Taste: This is where the tartness emerges from the other apple additions. Each apple contributes a different characteristic for their purpose. The sweetness takes an undertone while the tart apple rind rounds out the finish. Crisp and drying, yet leaving an aftertaste of apples. There is no spicing so the emphasis is the potential that the apple varieties have to offer. Alcohol is masked well under the soured flavor.

Mouthfeel: The effervescence of this drink lead me to think the carbonation would leave a big spike on the tongue, but rather the carbonation was just a light, yet prominent fizz that complemented the drink perfectly. Feel and texture were very light, yet still boasts a huge flavor. Body is as light as it gets which gets a crisp finish, not from the dryness, but just from the tart and light body. I find it more drinkable than water!
Overall Impression: Carbonation is maintained well after the pour. Sweet and tart leaving a very refreshing taste. Aroma is rich with natural apples and the aftertaste is mellowed and prolonged. I see myself seeking crafted Ciders like this more often. Totally worth it.