Commercial Hard Ciders
- Thread starter capoeirista13
- Start date
-
Love Gotmead and want to see it grow? Then consider supporting the site and becoming a Patron! If you're logged in, click on your username to the right of the menu to see how as little as $30/year can get you access to the patron areas and the patron Facebook group and to support Gotmead!
-
We now have a Patron-exclusive Facebook group! Patrons my join at The Gotmead Patron Group. You MUST answer the questions, providing your Patron membership, when you request to join so I can verify your Patron membership. If the questions aren't answered, the request will be turned down.
I can't resist trying the sesonal wookchucks. I'll have to look out for the vanilla. I had the blueberry one over the summer. It wasn't bad, but I couldn't get over the blueberry flavor and no change in color.
I thought the blueberry woodchuck was a bit medicinal tasting. If you could ignore that it was enjoyable though.
I just had a visit to Montreal and had the pleasure of visiting a couple of cider mills. In the Monteregie region south and east of Montreal they have been growing apples for about 100 years, but apparently they cider making really started to take off about 20 years ago. The Monteregie cider route (La Route des Cidres) has at least 13 producers scattered around some of the most picturesque countryside you'll ever see (It would make a great bike trip). They are producing some very innovative products including "ice cider" which is like icewine in that the apples are allowed to freeze and are then harvested and juiced (or they do freeze concentration of juice) and then ferment the cider producing high alcohol and/or residual sugar. They are also using Geneva apples which are a tart, red-fleshed apple that produces pink juice and ciders that look like Rose wine. My only complaint was the cost.
Michel Jodoin has a great tasting room with very friendly and reasonably knowledgeable staff. In addition to ciders and sparkling apple juice (the pink one is fun for the kids), they also distill apple brandy which is similar to Calvados. The sparkling ice cider is incredible. It is sweet and rich with sharp acidity, and it is like apple candy that tickles the tongue with a long finish. I found I actually may like it even more when still. It reminds me of some cysers I have tasted.
His Rose Ice Cider has some of the most intense apple aroma I have ever run across, and it is tasty but the acid is a bit too much for my tastes, even though there is still a lot of residual sugar. And it is pink to boot.
His dry sparkling cider made with methode champenoise may be the best dry cider I've had. It ages 15 months, and has a mouthfeel that is not thin. The apple aroma is strong, and the acidity is crisp but it is smooth and far better than most of the commercial ciders I've tasted. I was sipping it with a maple tart and it was really nice.
Cidrerie Fleurs de Pommiers produces "fire cider" which is apple juice that has been heated to concentrate the juice up to a level where it produces a 16.5% ABV sweet cider. It has strong apple aroma and it reminded me more of Bucky's Baked Apple Cyser than anything else (which gives me great hope). The apple, acidity, and sweetness are all good, but the alcohol is overpowering and I think a bottle of this, if aged for 2 or 3 years could be excellent.
The area around Montreal is like cider heaven!
Michel Jodoin has a great tasting room with very friendly and reasonably knowledgeable staff. In addition to ciders and sparkling apple juice (the pink one is fun for the kids), they also distill apple brandy which is similar to Calvados. The sparkling ice cider is incredible. It is sweet and rich with sharp acidity, and it is like apple candy that tickles the tongue with a long finish. I found I actually may like it even more when still. It reminds me of some cysers I have tasted.
His Rose Ice Cider has some of the most intense apple aroma I have ever run across, and it is tasty but the acid is a bit too much for my tastes, even though there is still a lot of residual sugar. And it is pink to boot.
His dry sparkling cider made with methode champenoise may be the best dry cider I've had. It ages 15 months, and has a mouthfeel that is not thin. The apple aroma is strong, and the acidity is crisp but it is smooth and far better than most of the commercial ciders I've tasted. I was sipping it with a maple tart and it was really nice.
Cidrerie Fleurs de Pommiers produces "fire cider" which is apple juice that has been heated to concentrate the juice up to a level where it produces a 16.5% ABV sweet cider. It has strong apple aroma and it reminded me more of Bucky's Baked Apple Cyser than anything else (which gives me great hope). The apple, acidity, and sweetness are all good, but the alcohol is overpowering and I think a bottle of this, if aged for 2 or 3 years could be excellent.
The area around Montreal is like cider heaven!
Did you get a chance to check out Intermiel meadery in Mirabel? (Just outside of Montreal). I've only had a few of their meads, which happened to not be to my personal tastes (take a wiiiilld guees 
) but they seemed very good to me, and Oskaar remarked once that he figured Andre from Intermiel (I'm sorry if I messed up his name, it's been a few months!) was probably one of the best mead makers in the world.
I'm jealous of you! I've never been out to Quebec, I really have to make a point of doing so soon though.
) but they seemed very good to me, and Oskaar remarked once that he figured Andre from Intermiel (I'm sorry if I messed up his name, it's been a few months!) was probably one of the best mead makers in the world. I'm jealous of you! I've never been out to Quebec, I really have to make a point of doing so soon though.
No, I didn't get the chance, though I would have sure liked to. The next time I get up there, I'll make sure to get there.
Huh, right in my own backyard and I had no clue. What else is new... (3 hour drive)... maybe now I actually have a reason to brave Montreal drivers other than martial arts seminars...
A really old thread resurrected!
I have AEppelTreow Cider in 5 gallon disposal kegs on tap. Right now I am drinking a blend of half my own cranberry blossom traditional mead with their bunting (strawberry & raspberry) cider and Red Poll (cranberry) cider. It is really yummy. :-0
AeppelTroew (apple true) is in south eastern Wisconsin and makes some of the best commercial cider I have tasted. I have not been able to make a cider I like more yet. Guess I make too many meads .
I have AEppelTreow Cider in 5 gallon disposal kegs on tap. Right now I am drinking a blend of half my own cranberry blossom traditional mead with their bunting (strawberry & raspberry) cider and Red Poll (cranberry) cider. It is really yummy. :-0
AeppelTroew (apple true) is in south eastern Wisconsin and makes some of the best commercial cider I have tasted. I have not been able to make a cider I like more yet. Guess I make too many meads .
My wife and I went to AeppelTreow a couple of weeks ago. I got the idea from the tastings I did at the WOB festival this year (thanks jkane). I enjoyed the perry and ciders but the peach brandy just blew me away. I do enjoy a good eau de vie or Calvados so Im already biased in that direction. But man was that smooth and had a very nice peach flavor. He says his apple brandy is better and sells out immediately after release, so Im hoping I can try some of that next year (if I remember, ha).
A really old thread resurrected!
I love when that happens! There are some great ancient threads here.
I just had a visit to Montreal and had the pleasure of visiting a couple of cider mills. In the Monteregie region south and east of Montreal they have been growing apples for about 100 years, but apparently they cider making really started to take off about 20 years ago. The Monteregie cider route (La Route des Cidres) has at least 13 producers scattered around some of the most picturesque countryside you'll ever see (It would make a great bike trip). They are producing some very innovative products including "ice cider" which is like icewine in that the apples are allowed to freeze and are then harvested and juiced (or they do freeze concentration of juice) and then ferment the cider producing high alcohol and/or residual sugar. They are also using Geneva apples which are a tart, red-fleshed apple that produces pink juice and ciders that look like Rose wine. My only complaint was the cost.
Michel Jodoin has a great tasting room with very friendly and reasonably knowledgeable staff. In addition to ciders and sparkling apple juice (the pink one is fun for the kids), they also distill apple brandy which is similar to Calvados. The sparkling ice cider is incredible. It is sweet and rich with sharp acidity, and it is like apple candy that tickles the tongue with a long finish. I found I actually may like it even more when still. It reminds me of some cysers I have tasted.
His Rose Ice Cider has some of the most intense apple aroma I have ever run across, and it is tasty but the acid is a bit too much for my tastes, even though there is still a lot of residual sugar. And it is pink to boot.
His dry sparkling cider made with methode champenoise may be the best dry cider I've had. It ages 15 months, and has a mouthfeel that is not thin. The apple aroma is strong, and the acidity is crisp but it is smooth and far better than most of the commercial ciders I've tasted. I was sipping it with a maple tart and it was really nice.
Cidrerie Fleurs de Pommiers produces "fire cider" which is apple juice that has been heated to concentrate the juice up to a level where it produces a 16.5% ABV sweet cider. It has strong apple aroma and it reminded me more of Bucky's Baked Apple Cyser than anything else (which gives me great hope). The apple, acidity, and sweetness are all good, but the alcohol is overpowering and I think a bottle of this, if aged for 2 or 3 years could be excellent.
The area around Montreal is like cider heaven!
I'm jealous. They all sound amazing, and the only cider I can get around here is woodchuck or the stuff I make myself.
