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If you are like me, there is always another book needed. And if you need more cider info then I have a book recommendation for ya’. It is American Cider by Dan Pucci and Craig Cavallo which gives “a new wave of consumers the tools to taste, talk about, and choose their ciders, along with stories of the many local heroes saving apple culture and producing new varieties.”
I know what you are thinking, first all the gin talk crept into the blog, then bourbon back in September and now brandy? Yes, but this is brandy made here in Los Angeles by Benny Boy.
Let me preface by saying I am by no means a brandy master. What I can do is give you my thoughts on it in comparison to beer, cider and bourbon.
The initial nose is a touch hot but not in an unpleasant clear the sinus way. Then there is a big sweet and juicy apple cider note. You are getting apple brandy for sure. The taste is quite viscous and sweet. Almost asking to be part of a cocktail that can provide a counterpoint. I would have liked a barrel component here or maybe a spice note to counteract the sweet of the apple juice. But maybe with a year or two of age, this might find a sweet spot.
Certain fruits are beer workhorses. Peaches and nectarines are in practically every sour beer. Apples, not so much, so this Saison duet between The Bruery and Cellador Ales looks interesting to me.
It can be easy to get down about the damage being medically and politically done to breweries this year but then you see a beautiful photo like this one from Allagash…
Not only is it cool to see the stained glass reflected in the sort and to read about the different apple varieties but then, thinking long term as to what kind of “coolship” creations will come of this experiment gives me hope for 2021.
If we were to rank fruits best and often used in beers, apples probably would not make the cut. And certainly the aggressively tough Arkansas Black would be too hard to use in a beer. Well, two wild ale maestros disagree with me.
I would side with Jim and Chad and check out this new offering from Barrel Works.
Glad to see that The Bruery still sends out the odd wheatwine-style. And this one sounds like it could be the start of a single apple series of Apfels. Maybe hit up an Opal or Arkansas Black in the future.
Our middle stop is the Naramata Cider Co. where you can fancy big bottles or opt for their pear cider in stubbies.
My taster tray starts with that Okanagan pear cider…
Pear Cider
“Crafted from 100% local pears. Just pears. Fresh pears, tasty pears, not overtly pear, refreshing, delicious.”
CMS – L❤vander
“Pink Lady apples + local Lavender Limited Production. Apple cider falls in ❤, romanced by the rows of beautifully scented lavender that line our orchard edge.”
CMS – Peaches + Cream
“Local Apples fermented with splash of fresh Naramata peaches. Limited Production.
Apple cider kissed with a healthy dose of neighbor and farmer extraordinaire, ‘Super Dave’ Pedersen’s peaches.”
CMS – Gin Botanicals
“Local Apples co-fermented with Legend Distilling’s Gin Botanicals Limited Production. Apple cider co-fermented with locally foraged botanicals used in crafting our neighbor, Legend Distilling’s, Dark Moon Gin.”
When I hear that Pete Brown has a new book out, it goes on my radar to read as soon as I can. He has the ability to be folksy and technical and to cut through the noise surrounding a topic. Be it IPA history or Shakespeare’s Local.
The history of how apples spread across the country is a fascinating one followed by the fascinating topic of how to graft an apple tree to make sure you get the same type of apple, as is re-creating heritage apples and creating new apple varieties.
I mean who amongst us knew that apples basically migrated from Kazakhstan? I liked that the book was structured to follow the growing season and that each chapter had such tidbits of information. Once I grew accustomed to the fact that this was more of a shallow skim across the world of apples with some deeper dives, the book grew on me more and more.
For someone with little knowledge of apples barring a few trips to Oak Glen here in SoCal, this book provides a lot of fun facts.
To drink, well, it’s obvious ain’t it?
Golden State Cider
“Mighty Dry is a champagne-like cider that pairs perfectly with any moment of the day. It’s just dry enough. It’s perfectly balanced, and crispy (if not crispier) as biting into a freshly picked apple.”
101 Cider House
Scrumpy, the flagship cider is their hazy meets barnyard version
Reverend Nat’s
“My newest release is Revival Hard Apple and I couldn’t be more thrilled to share it with you. I start with a secret blend of Washington-grown apples and add piloncillo, dark brown evaporated cane juice, purchased direct from Michoacan, Mexico. I ferment this dark base to all the way to dry using two exotic yeast strains: a beer yeast known for the round mouthfeel in Saisons and a rarely-used secret culture which produces aromas of pineapple, guava and peaches. This cider is brilliantly golden in color and deeply complex while remaining subtly familiar, with just the right amount of sweetness and acidity to be an everyday beverage.”
Coming in September is a fest for the cider fans that are out there in L.A.
LA Cider Fest will focus on cider with beer and mead on the agenda as well on September 19th.
Though I wish there was less beer on the agenda (and the names are a bit hoky), I do appreciate the organization of the ciders by style into different tasting pavilions. I would suggest doing the cider only areas first then move on to mixes with mead as a last stop.