Cider Tasting – French, English, Spanish and American

Daufresne Poire Cidre, Chermin de Manerbe, France. 4% ABV

Tastes of fresh pear fruit, hints of melon and citrus, rustic with a clean pure sweetness, balanced by refreshing acidity. Effervescent and easy to like.

 

Le Brun Organic Cidre, Plovan, France. 4% ABV

Slightly sweet, effervescent and refreshing. Its crisp, and lively with a moderate but not unpleasant level of yeasty funkiness

 

Urbitarte Saarte 2014, Atuan, Spain. 7% ABV

From the Basque region of Spain, where they’ve been producing sidra (cider) since the 11th century, this vintage cider is aged like wine, with one year on its lees and an additional year in barrel. Its creamy, tart and full bodied. It needs to shaken before serving.

 

Dunkertons Dry Cider, Herefordshire, England. 6.9% ABV

This is a traditional English cider, with subdued apple flavors and drying tannins. It starts with caramel and a bit of bleu cheese in the nose. Full and crisp with barely noticeable sweetness. It’s quite refreshing with interesting complexity.

 

Virtue Percheron 2015, Fennville, MI. 5.8% ABV

This is a bigger, sweeter style than its European counterparts. It spends a year in French oak, rounding out the acidity. Full, rich and delicious.

 

Virtue Mitten, 2014 Fennville, MI. 6.8% ABV

This cider spends a full year in Bourbon barrels, resulting in added flavors of caramel, vanilla, and maple. Bold, ripe and smooth, this a very much a cider for food, cold nights and a warm fire.