Blackthorn Fermented Cider

This cider was found at the local store and we decided to try an English cider this week. Imported from the West Country of Britain, the cider promises a distinctive crisp yet dry taste. This particular variety would offer an interesting taste, as it is made from fermented apple juice and carbonated water.

Color:
Bailey thought quite highly of the color, which was a bright golden color, with no particles floating around. She also enjoyed the crisp color it offered. Hawke was intrigued by the clear coloration, the golden color is not one that is normally seen in ciders, especially this clear. Suggesting that it has been filtered several times. Bailey: 4/5 Hawke: 5/5

Smell:
Bailey detected more of an alcohol smell rather than apples in the cider. Suggesting a lack of apple flavor in the future. However she noted that the smell wasn't overpowering.  Hawke as well noted a white wine smell, and a distinct lack of apple scent. However, it did have a little sweetness added to it. What he expected coming from the type of bottle, as the bottle is more reminiscent of a wine bottle rather than a cider bottle. Bailey: 2/5 Hawke: 3/5

Taste / Complexity:
Bailey tasted a sweet and sour flavor with little apple taste, and a slight alcohol finish. Which while not impressive, was not bad either. Hawke noted a lack of apple flavor, but otherwise not a harsh taste as with other ciders previously experienced. Bailey: 3/5 Hawke: 3/5

Aftertaste:
Bailey felt a slight sweetness, doesn't last very long. She had really hoped for a longer after taste with this cider. Hawke got a very quick apple flavor, does not linger, not bad, but could be better, surprisingly not bitter after taste. Bailey: 2/5  Hawke: 2/5

Price:
$8-10 Bailey felt that the cider is very good for the price, as it is a middle of the road cider, that isn't great but it is not terrible. Hawke would be considered a starting cider, as it is not overpowering in its flavor, yet is also very sweet compared to some European ciders that have previously sampled. Bailey: 4/5 Hawke: 4/5

Overall:
If you are new to ciders, this one would be a great place to start. It isn't too sweet or bitter, and would give your pallet room to grow.

Bailey gave this a 16/25 or a yellow apple.

 Hawke gave this cider a 17/25 or a yellow apple.

Time out for some food! An interview with Takashi Yagihashi

Good day Cider Press readers! This week we are going to do a post that is a little different from the norm. We were fortunate enough to be invited to a special cooking demonstration and interview with renowned chef Takashi Yagihashi! Hawke and I thought, what pairs better with hard cider than food? So we jumped at the chance.

First off, here's a little info about Mr. Yagihashi for anyone who isn't familiar with him:

- He was born in Mito, Japan and has moved back and fourth between Chicago and Detroit, MI.
- He started cooking as a teenager at a local restaurant, and would try recipes out for his family.
- He opened his first restaurant in Detroit, MI and it was rated a 4-star establishment.
- He now has 2 restaurants in the Chicago area: Takashi and The Slurping Turtle. His culinary style is        Japanese with some French influences.
- He has been featured on Iron Chef America and is a member of the Macy's Culinary Council.

We sat down with Chef Takashi and asked him a few questions about his love for cooking:

Hawke asked where the inspiration for most of his dishes came from. Chef Takashi fondly remembered his days in Japan as a young boy. He told us about how his mother and father worked most of the time and usually would get take out from lots of different places for the family dinner. He was exposed to a lot of different dishes this way. He told us that he never lets himself be afraid to try any combination of ingredients until something great comes of it.

Bailey asked about how and when he decided to pursue professional chef as a career. He smiled as he told me that when he started cooking in Japan, chefs were considered a "lower class of people" back then. After high school he was accepted to an Interior Design school which he attended for awhile, but then decided it wasn't for him and dropped out. After that he returned to working in restaurants and realized that cooking was his passion.

Hawke then remarked that Chef Takashi liked to use Ramen noodles in some of his dishes and asked how he felt about the stigma around them in the U.S as food for poor people and college students. He got a good laugh out of this question and said that was a good point. He told us that it is frustrating sometimes when people come into his restaurant and see Ramen on the menu and think: well that's easy to make. Although dried Ramen noodles have been Americanized, they are an authentic Japanese food. Chef Takashi then told us that he takes great pride in making all his noodles from scratch, sometimes taking 12-16 hours in total preparation time from mixing to drying and cutting.

Bailey wanted to ask a question to tie all of this into the blog's main focus, so she asked him if he was familiar with any hard cider or if it was a popular item in Japan. Unfortunately he was not very familiar with any hard cider and told us that it was not a largely sold item in Japan. Although, he did promise to try some and even add it as an ingredient to some of his dishes!

Overall, Chef Takashi was a wonderful man that clearly puts a lot of pride and passion into his work. We were very lucky to get samples of his dishes during the cooking demonstration and let me tell you....It Was Delicious! I highly suggest that if you find yourself in the Chicago area, do yourself a favor and visit one of his restaurants. Also, you can pick up a copy of his cookbook: Takashi's Noodles which will allow you to make some of his favorites at home.

Sarasola Astigarragako Sagardoa Basque Cider

Sarasola Astigarragako Sagardoa Basque Cider (yes it's a mouthful) was a new addition to our local liquor store, so we decided to give it a try. This cider is traditionally from the Basque region of Spain, which borders France. This cider is not filtered or pasteurized, which promised a unique taste. We were also curious to see how it would compare to the other European ciders that we have tried, including the Dupont cider. We could not find a website for this company.

Color:
Hawke commented that it was a very brilliant bronze tint with a bit of gold. He rates this with a 5/5 apples.
Bailey also really liked this color, it was a very rich gold that looked delicious. She also gives it a 5/5 apples.

Smell:
Bailey could smell some faint sweet apple aroma, but mostly there was a wine or alcohol smell that was overpowering. She rates it with a 3/5 apples. Hawke also felt the wine smell was a bit much, but also detected a sour apple smell. He gives it a 2/5 apples.

Flavor / Complexity:
When Bailey took a sip from her glass, she was very surprised at the texture of this cider. It was somewhat thick with a creamy feeling. Not being used to this in a drink, she was a bit unsure how to feel about it. Next, the sour apple taste set in. This cider will definitely make you pucker. She gives it a 2/5 apples. Hawke was taken aback by the bitter taste this cider gave him, but didn't mind the alcohol taste as much. He rates it with a 3/5 apples.

Aftertaste:
After a few drinks, Bailey just couldn't taste anything but the bitter apples. She was somewhat disappointed  with this cider and ranked it with a 1/5 apples. Hawke agreed that the aftertaste was just a very strong sourness and a bit vinegary. He also gives it a 1/5 apples.

Price:
$10-12. We got about 4 glasses out of it. Bailey thinks that the price of this cider does not match the quality by far. She gives it a 2/5 apples. Hawke was thinking the same thing, giving it a 2/5 apples.

Overall:
In our opinions, this cider was a very low performer compared to some of the others we have rated. However, we realize that there are some liquors out there for people who like sour tastes (pucker comes to mind.) So if you wish you could blend up some sour patch kids and eat them, this might be the cider for you. When it comes to apples, Bailey strongly feels like this cider did not do a good job of representing flavor. Who knows though, maybe this is the flavor they really enjoy in Spain.



Hawke gives this cider 13/25 apples, or a red apple.

Bailey also gives this a 13/25 apples, or a red apple.