tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22594373369465721612024-02-18T20:41:21.385-08:00Cider PressA blog dedicated to tasting and reviewing hard ciders.Cider Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01868394173309379685noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2259437336946572161.post-49597476428561551672014-03-08T12:28:00.000-08:002014-03-08T12:29:24.440-08:00Cider Summit Chicago Part 2Now here it is, Part 2 of the Cider Summit Review. This time we feature Hawke's favorite ciders. Now, as Bailey had noted the apple crop this year has been poor due to the weather. As such ciders this year have been mostly on the bitter side. However, there are still some standouts that should be mentioned.<br />
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Hawke's Top 4:</div>
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<u>#1. Mad Bark - Cider Boys of Wisconsin</u></div>
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<a href="http://www.ciderboys.com/">http://www.ciderboys.com/</a></div>
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It is not surprising that this cider is #1. Cider boys has been making some excellent ciders and this is no exception. The cider combines the apple flavor with that of cinnamon for a unique taste. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxEiLB1fx9fPTFZUqpz7z6GWtJXIzlueHdsKFS8Yq85yYUDq4ROBC4DARbV0GWJaD5hiORNzcurxdb48c9U5c8CPS_YP4o0ioU8fX8HVv4F65jLuJcUI36fLL6Ib09Edr-3wFErkDC6Po/s1600/Cider+Boys.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxEiLB1fx9fPTFZUqpz7z6GWtJXIzlueHdsKFS8Yq85yYUDq4ROBC4DARbV0GWJaD5hiORNzcurxdb48c9U5c8CPS_YP4o0ioU8fX8HVv4F65jLuJcUI36fLL6Ib09Edr-3wFErkDC6Po/s1600/Cider+Boys.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<u>Color: </u></div>
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Dark yellow, very clear with no particulate. Few few bubbles present. 5/5</div>
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<u>Smell:</u></div>
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The cider has a sweet smell, a hint of apples and a dash of cinnamon. Almost smells like cinnamon toast crunch. 5/5</div>
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<u>Taste: </u></div>
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Sweet, cinnamon sugar flavor. It's not overwhelmingly, but is quite smooth. 5/5</div>
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<u>Aftertaste:</u></div>
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Very mild yet quick aftertaste. Had a slight cinnamon flavor. 5/5</div>
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<u>Overall: </u></div>
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This is a good occasional cider to have. The flavor is fairly unique. The cider is readily available at some of the better stocked stores and the price is $8-10 a six pack. This cider gets a 20/20<br />
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<u>#2 Smackintosh - Tandem Ciders of Michigan</u></div>
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We found this cider to be one of the more unique ciders. While on the surface it seems quite ordinary, it is full of surprises. </div>
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<u><a href="http://www.tandemciders.com/">http://www.tandemciders.com/</a></u><br />
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<u>Color:</u></div>
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This is a pale yellow color, with a few bubbles. 4/5</div>
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<u>Smell:</u></div>
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This cider smells surprisingly sweet, and full of apples. Bailey gives this cider the best smell award. 5/5</div>
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<u>Taste: </u></div>
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A very strong mackintosh apple flavor. Very crisp. 5/5</div>
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<u>Aftertaste:</u></div>
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This cider has a slightly sweet finish to it, It did not linger.</div>
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<u>Overall: </u></div>
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This cider is very good, It surprised both Hawke and Bailey that the mackintosh flavor was so strong, Especially in the smell. Overall: 19/20<br />
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<u>Blood Orange - Two Rivers Cider of California</u><br />
A different cider that promises a citrus taste.<br />
<a href="http://www.tworiverscider.com/" style="text-decoration: underline;">http://www.tworiverscider.com/</a><br />
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<u>Color:</u></div>
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This cider was very red, almost blood red. It remained very clear, with few bubbles. 5/5</div>
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<u>Smell:</u><br />
This cider has a sweet smell too it, but it was not overwhelming. It also featured some citrus smells. 4/5</div>
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<u>Taste: </u><br />
A subtle flavor of citrus, with a slightly bitter taste 4/5</div>
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<u>Aftertaste:</u><br />
A decent aftertaste that had an orange flavor. It was surprisingly full flavored, but with a decent linger time. 5/5</div>
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<u>Overall: </u><br />
This cider is another unique cider that has its namesake present in the taste, but it does not overwhelm the senses. Overall: 18/20<br />
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<u>Sweet Knockers from Apple Knockers of Illinois</u></div>
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This is a more traditional cider. We were interested to try it as there are not many ciders from Illinois. </div>
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<a href="http://www.appleknockerhardcider.com/">http://www.appleknockerhardcider.com/</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHyi63jNVLLwv7L3WBfvwlyvCB3FfybeNcQ_imP9z6q05LU2_ZySAsp2MZwEN_u8jog3lL-nrIYdO3H2czHf3-j9GJ74QxdBYLhl3m3bZbPjMMmoP2OWivW8RXz7IM8bMg3iVOL2-HwDQ/s1600/Sweet+Knockers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHyi63jNVLLwv7L3WBfvwlyvCB3FfybeNcQ_imP9z6q05LU2_ZySAsp2MZwEN_u8jog3lL-nrIYdO3H2czHf3-j9GJ74QxdBYLhl3m3bZbPjMMmoP2OWivW8RXz7IM8bMg3iVOL2-HwDQ/s1600/Sweet+Knockers.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<u>Color:</u></div>
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A very bright clear cider, with many bubbles. 4/5</div>
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<u>Smell:</u></div>
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A very sweet smelling cider, with some, but not a lot, of apple smell. 3/5</div>
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<u>Taste:</u></div>
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A very sharp taste that is very sweet. Full of apple flavor. 4/5</div>
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<u>Aftertaste:</u></div>
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A very light after taste, but still had some pleasant apple flavor to it. 4/5</div>
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<u>Overall:</u></div>
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A solid traditional cider that offers a strong apple taste. It may still be a little sweet for some people. </div>
Overall: 15/20<br />
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This year was a good year for ciders. There were many unique varieties and flavors. Hopefully next year will bring out even more good ciders!</div>
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Cider Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01868394173309379685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2259437336946572161.post-3205926592742025472014-03-08T11:43:00.000-08:002014-03-08T11:43:16.409-08:00Cider Summit Chicago 2014Greetings readers! We hope the weather hasn't broken your spirit yet. We are (hopefully) almost out of the woods and on our way to spring. Also, if you were in the Chicago area, we sincerely hope you attended the Chicago Cider Summit 2014! If not, have no fear, we are going to bring you our top ciders from the festival. Overall, this was a year of bitter ciders! We talked to several of the growers in the midwest and east coast areas and were informed it was a dry growing season the previous year. Unfortunately that means a more tart and bitter crop. The cider itself was not a lower quality by any means, but it will appeal to people who enjoy bitter flavors more than sweet ones. If you are looking for ciders on the sweeter side, you should probably consider companies that are based out west.<br />
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Bailey's Top 5:<br />
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<u>#1 McIntosh Cellars Iced Cider (Limited Production)</u><br />
<a href="http://www.mcintoshorchards.com/winery.html" target="_blank">http://www.mcintoshorchards.com/winery.html</a><br />
Keeping with tradition, Bailey picked the sweetest cider she could find for her favorite. This is more of a dessert cider and is better for sipping. It has a thicker consistency than regular cider.<br />
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<u>Color:</u><br />
Rich amber color, very clear with no carbonation. Gorgeous! 5/5 apples<br />
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<u>Smell: </u><br />
Very powerful sweet apple smell. Really packs a punch, almost has a syrupy smell to it. 5/5 apples<br />
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<u>Taste:</u><br />
Robust apple flavors, VERY sweet, thick consistency, flavor really stays with you. 5/5 apples<br />
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<u>Aftertaste:</u><br />
The powerful apple flavor carries into the aftertaste with a little bit of sour apple. A really great finish. 5/5 apples.<br />
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<u>Overall:</u><br />
Not an everyday cider, but perfect for sipping on a chilly night. This one is definitely for people with a palette for sweetness. Bailey gives it a 20/20 apples, or a green apple.<br />
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<u>#2 Sonoma Cider "Hatchet"</u><br />
This cider is organic, which was a huge positive for Bailey.<br />
<a href="http://sonomacider.com/ciders/" target="_blank">http://sonomacider.com/ciders/</a><br />
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<u>Color: </u></div>
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A pale yellow cider that is very clear. This does have slight carbonation. 5/5 apples</div>
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<u>Smell: </u></div>
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A pleasant sweet smell with apple and floral notes. Very aromatic. 5/5 apples.</div>
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<u>Taste: </u></div>
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A light acidic sweet apple flavor. Almost has a floral honey taste to it that is mellow, very interesting and refreshing. 5/5 apples</div>
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<u>Aftertaste:</u></div>
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Mild aftertaste of the floral honey flavor. Does last for awhile. 4/5 apples</div>
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<u>Overall:</u></div>
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Bailey really enjoyed the flavor of this cider, it is something different from the norm. She thinks this would be a great summer cider. 19/20 apples, or a green apple.</div>
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<u>#3 California Cider Company - Ace Apple Honey</u></div>
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Apple and Honey in the name? Bailey is so there! She also heard several people that were walking around the festival talking about this one. You should definitely check this one out!</div>
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<a href="http://www.acecider.com/" target="_blank">http://www.acecider.com/</a></div>
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<u>Color: </u></div>
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A light golden color and very clear. This cider does have some carbonation. 5/5 apples</div>
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<u>Smell:</u></div>
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This cider has a very lightly sweet smell. Not much boldness to it, very pleasant though. 3/5 apples</div>
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<u>Taste:</u></div>
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The smell definitely tricks you into thinking this cider will have a mild flavor, Wrong! This cider has a very bold apple flavor which is slightly sweet. This is a very smooth and crisp cider. Fantastic! 5/5 apples</div>
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<u>Aftertaste:</u></div>
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Sweet and sour aftertaste that is quickly fleeting. 3/5 apples</div>
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<u>Overall:</u></div>
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This is a great cider with bold flavor. Bailey would have liked if there were more of an aftertaste, but great nonetheless. She gives it a 16/20 apples, or a yellow apple.</div>
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<u>#4 Virtue Cider - The Mitten</u></div>
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Bailey has discovered that she really likes an "woodsy" flavor in her cider. This one has notes of vanilla, oak, and caramel.</div>
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<a href="http://virtuecider.com/our-ciders/" target="_blank">http://virtuecider.com/our-ciders/</a></div>
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<u>Color:</u></div>
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A light golden color, very clear. No carbonation in this one. 5/5 apples</div>
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<u>Smell:</u></div>
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A bold smell of earthy wood aroma mixed with a slight bourbon smell. The apples take a back seat to the other powerful notes. 4/5 apples</div>
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<u>Taste:</u></div>
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This cider has a lot of flavors to offer. There is a slight sour apple flavor at the beginning. Others include; mild spice, bold bourbon, and oak/woodsy flavor. There is a great smoothness to this cider. 5/5 apples</div>
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<u>Aftertaste:</u></div>
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This cider offers a slightly sour apple mixed with bourbon aftertaste. 4/5 apples</div>
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<u>Overall:</u></div>
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This is a great cider for fall. The flavors are great for whiskey lovers. Bailey gives this a 18/20 apples, or a green apple.</div>
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<u>#5 Urban Farm Fermentory - Hopped Cidah</u></div>
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This cider comes from a unique company in Maine. They not only make hard cider, but also ferment Kombucha! They locally source as many ingredients as they can to give you an authentic taste from Maine. You can check out their products here: </div>
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<a href="http://www.urbanfarmfermentory.com/products/" target="_blank">http://www.urbanfarmfermentory.com/products/</a></div>
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<u>Color:</u></div>
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This cider presents with a strong yellow hue. It is moderately cloudy with just a few bubbles. Bailey gives it a 5/5 apples.</div>
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<u>Smell:</u></div>
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It has a light sweet apple aroma with a bit of alcohol smell mixed in. The smell is not very powerful, but it is pleasant. Bailey rates it as a 3/5 apples.</div>
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<u>Taste:</u></div>
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The taste is full of sour apple with a clear note of hops at the end. Overall it's a very mellow and somewhat smooth taste. Even though she is not a huge fan of beer, the hops are light enough that it's just the right amount of flavor. She gives it a 4/5 apples.</div>
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<u>Aftertaste:</u></div>
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The aftertaste was a little bitter apple flavor that vanished rather quickly. Bailey gives it a 2/5 apples.</div>
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<u>Overall:</u></div>
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This cider is a good middle of the road cider. It would be great for someone who likes beer and it looking to transition to cider. It has a nice mellow flavor that isn't too powerful one way or the other. Overall, Bailey gave it a 14/20 apples, or a yellow apple.</div>
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Thanks so much for reading! Hopefully you will be able to find some of these ciders to try in your local markets soon. And by all means, if you have the opportunity to attend one of the cider summits please do! It's a wonderful experience to talk to all of the producers and really find out what goes into their products.</div>
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Stay warm friends, spring is almost here!</div>
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<br />Cider Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01868394173309379685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2259437336946572161.post-66147795143918163952014-01-21T06:50:00.000-08:002014-01-27T09:10:30.511-08:00Thatcher's Green GoblinAfter a holiday hiatus we're back!<br />
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A new cider that has appeared in the local stores in Chicago is Green Goblin. Upon spotting this cider, Bailey was instantly intrigued by its label art. Upon reading the label, she declared that 'this was the next one to sample.' This is an oak aged English cider made with Somerset apples and matured in 100 year old oak vats. It has an ABV of 6%. It promises full flavor and a bittersweet dry finish.<br />
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Color: Upon pouring, Bailey was immediately taken by the color from the cider. She enjoys the dark amber color, which is very clear with few bubbles. She comments that this one of her favorite cider colors. Hawke felt that this is a rich gold color. Very unexpected for english cider, as many of the english ciders we've seen have been pale. Bailey: 5/5 Hawke: 5/5<br />
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Smell: Bailey detected a slightly sour smell mixed with a sweet apple/woodsy finish. She decided that this was a good scent, but it was not the best smell she has sampled. Hawke felt, upon smelling, that this was a very sweetly sour smell, that was almost overwhelming. He did not detect any apple flavor in the scent unfortunately. Bailey:4/5 Hawke: 3/5<br />
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Taste: Bailey enjoyed this flavor upon sampling it. She described it as a pleasant sour with slightly bitter tones. The oak barrels give it a bold flavor. She decided that this is a good cider for beer lovers in her opinion as it is not very sweet. Upon tasting this cider, Hawke detected a sour flavor that was strong but not overwhelming. This flavor started off strong, then became relatively mild after. He also did not really feel any apple flavor, which surprised him. Bailey: 5/5 Hawke: 4/5<br />
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Aftertaste: Bailey detected the woodsy flavor dissipating quickly, to a mix of sour and sweet apple flavor. She was quite pleased with the aftertaste. The aftertaste was a good sweet flavor according to Hawke. It has minor notes of apple with a hint of woodsy flavor. The after taste was slightly dry, but not overwhelmingly dry as some ciders have been, as well the aftertaste did not linger as much as it could have. Bailey:4/5 Hawke: 4/5<br />
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Price: 3-5 Bailey likes the price of the cider. It is a very fair price in her opinion. Especially considering that a 12oz bottle of Woodchuck or Angry Orchard is ~6 at a bar. Hawke agrees with this, as the price is very good. It surprised both of them that the cider was good for the price, as many times low cost ciders tend to have strange or strong flavors that come with them. The quality to price is quite good. Bailey: 5/5 Hawke: 5/5<br />
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Overall: Bailey enjoyed this cider. The flavor, color and price made this cider very atractive to her. She plans to get more of this cider next time it is available. Bailey gave this cider a 23/25 or a green apple.<br />
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Hawke also liked this cider, but not as much as Bailey. It would definitely be a cider that he does not turn down. Hawke gave this cider a 21/25 or a green apple.<br />
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Cider Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01868394173309379685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2259437336946572161.post-9526569297521352022013-12-10T10:21:00.000-08:002013-12-10T10:21:26.853-08:00Make a Wish at Macy's on State StreetGreetings readers! Tis the season for eating, drinking, and celebration. This week Bailey traveled downtown to Macy's on State Street for another cooking demonstration with Marcus Samuelsson. This was a very special demonstration because the <a href="http://wish.org/" target="_blank">Make A Wish Foundation</a> was also there to help a very special teenage girl.<br />
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First of all, who is Marcus Samuelsson? You may have seen him as a guest judge on the T.V show <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/chopped/index.html?vty=/chopped/" target="_blank">Chopped</a>, but do you know about his very interesting background? He was born in Ethiopia, but at the age of 3 he was adopted by a Swedish family. He was drawn to cooking after watching his adopted grandmother in the kitchen. He attended the Culinary Institute in Gothenburg and moved to the U.S in 1991. He soon became a head chef at one restaurant and started another at a young age. He now owns several restaurants in Chicago and New York and has received several awards for his food. He has also prepared food for President Barack Obama at a state dinner. He is a an adviser to the Institute of Culinary Education in New York and also serves on the Macy's Culinary Council.<br />
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Now a little bit about the special girl that received her wish. Her name is Sara Opsenica and she is a Chicago native. She is only 17 years old, but she has already had a great accomplishment: her Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma is in remission. Sara is very interested in becoming a chef herself one day and her wish was to be able to cook with one. Thanks to the Make A Wish Foundation, she was able to spend a whole day cooking with chef Marcus. She was his sous chef during the demonstration and she was also able to tour his Mac Burger restaurant. On to the review!<br />
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The first course was a couscous paella. This is chef Marcus' ethnic spin on traditional paella recipes. Normally paella is made with rice and can take a long time to make. This recipe is a quick alternative that doesn't skimp on flavor. The couscous had a very creamy texture, while the veggies and shrimp added some chewiness. There was also some chorizo that added a nice spice without making it too hot. Bailey thought that it was somewhat like gumbo with a creamier texture to it. Very delicious! This is a dish that you could curl up with on a cold day. The best part is that is only takes about 30 mins to make.<br />
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Cider pairing for paella: This dish has a bit of spice to it so you could go one of two ways with a cider. You could play it safe and drink a cider like <a href="http://ciderpressblog.blogspot.com/2013/04/tieton-cider-works-yakima-valley-dry.html" target="_blank">Yakima Valley Dry Hopped Cider</a>. This is a smooth cider that isn't going to butt heads with the flavors in this dish and may help level out the spice. You could also throw a party in your mouth and go for something that will complement the bold flavors in this dish with <a href="http://ciderpressblog.blogspot.com/2013/07/ciderboys-peach-country.html" target="_blank">Peach Country</a>. This is a sweet peach cider, but any cider with one bold fruit flavor would go nicely with the paella.<br />
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The second course was Swedish meatballs with carrot and apple mashed potatoes. This is one of the recipes that chef Marcus' grandmother used to make. It's a very authentic old country recipe that will stick to your ribs. The meatballs are glazed with BBQ sauce and you can use any kind you like. This way you can change the flavor a bit depending on the kind you use. The meatballs also have a nice texture because they are very soft and have other elements such as onion and breadcrumbs. The mashed potatoes offer a nice kick with fresh horseradish and apples. They are definitely not your everyday mashed potatoes and they are a great side for the meatballs. There are several really nice flavors that pop in these potatoes.<br />
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Cider pairing for the Swedish meatballs and mashed potatoes: Since this dish is a bit sweet, you will want to pair it with something light and crisp. Bailey suggests either <a href="http://ciderpressblog.blogspot.com/2013/03/cider-summit-chicago-part-2.html" target="_blank">Unified Press</a> or <a href="http://ciderpressblog.blogspot.com/2013/03/cider-summit-chicago-part-2.html" target="_blank">Uncle John's Draught Cider</a>.<br />
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The last course was a Korean style beef short rib. This is a very simply recipe that allows the meat to marinate and soak up all the flavors before cooking. They are served with a piece of lettuce for a wrap which makes this a great finger food if desired. You can also serve them with kimchi for an extra flavor kick. The meat was very tender and the Asian style flavors were very vibrant within the meat. It does have a bit of heat in the flavor, but the lettuce does a good job of cooling it down. This recipe would be great as an appetizer for a party or as a main dish for dinner.<br />
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Cider pairing for the short ribs: If you want an extra zing and really love the flavor of ginger you could pair this dish with <a href="http://angryorchard.com/#!/apple-ginger/" target="_blank">Angry Orchard Apple Ginger</a>. However, Bailey would normally want something a little sweet such as <a href="http://www.woodchuck.com/cider/styles.html" target="_blank">Woodchuck Amber</a> to balance out the spice.<br />
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So there you have it! Bailey was very happy she could make it to this event at Macy's on State Street to see a wish come true for a very brave Chicago teen. The food was also amazing and all of the recipes in this review can be found in Marcus Samuelsson's book: <a href="http://www.marcussamuelsson.com/" target="_blank">Yes,Chef</a>. We hope you enjoyed this review and have a great holiday filled with family and food. In our next post, we will be looking back at a great summer cider as we wish for warmer weather here in Chicago.<br />
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Disclosure: I am a member of Everywhere Society and Everywhere provided me with the compensation for this post about Macy's Culinary Council. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed herein are my own.<br />
<br />Cider Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01868394173309379685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2259437336946572161.post-31120432135408913502013-11-19T18:39:00.002-08:002013-11-19T18:39:44.852-08:00Cider Boys Cranberry RoadWith the fall season upon us, we start to look at some of the more seasonal ciders that appear. Last time we reviewed a cider that brought the spices of the season. This time we review a cider that promises some of the flavors of the season: cranberries. Hawke has confessed that he has a love-hate relationship with cranberries. He generally cannot drink their juice by itself as it is too bitter for him. Cider Boys brings us their cider as part of the expanding line up. This cider promised to tone down the bitterness and merge it with a good apple flavor.<br />
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Color: Upon pouring the glass, Bailey had noticed that it was a very golden cider. It has a pleasant color to it, that it quite clear. Conversely, Hawke noted that the cider did not appear to have even the slightest tinge of red to it. Both were disappointed as cranberries are a main ingredient. This aside, there was not much to take away from its color and clarity. Hawke: 4/5 Bailey: 5/5<br />
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Smell: Bringing the glass up to her nose, Bailey inhaled a sweet almost citrus flavor. There was no cranberry smell, but there was still a little bit of apple that she detected. Hawke smelled a decidedly sweet smell, with some bitterness accompanying. He surmises that the bitterness is from the cranberries. However, he could not detect them or the apples in the smell. Hawke: 3/5 Bailey: 3/5<br />
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Taste: Trying out the cider, Hawke tasted a sweet flavor, with the slightest hint of cranberry. Along with the cranberry flavor, there was also some bitterness. Hawke expected this, but it was not as strong as he expected it. Upon drinking the cider, Bailey enjoyed the sweet apple flavor. She also felt some bitter flavors, and a small hint of cranberry. Both were expecting more cranberry flavor to be present in the cider. Hawke: 3/5 Bailey: 3/5<br />
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Aftertaste: Hawke felt that the aftertaste was very short. It was mostly sweet, was a slight bitterness and really no flavors carried over to the cider. Bailey however got mostly bitter flavor, with a little sweetness. She also felt that the aftertaste was very short. This was overall, slightly disappointing as our two had thought that the cranberry flavor might appear more present here, but it sadly did not. Hawke: 4/5 Bailey 3/5<br />
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Price: 8-10. Bailey feels that this cider is good for its price, as the quality is good and there is only one main detractor from the cider. Hawke likewise felt that the cider was decent, but that there is still room for improvement. Hawke: 5/5 Bailey: 4/5<br />
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Overall: Both agreed that this cider is a decent cider. Bailey liked it, but was disappointed that there was not more cranberry flavor. Especially considering that this cider is marked as having such. She thinks that this would be a good cider for holiday dinners. Bailey does admit that she feels that this is more a sweet or seasonal cider rather than a cranberry specific cider, and that if there was more cranberry flavor present she would of rated this cider higher. Hawke feels that this cider is good, but really lacking the flavors it should have. The cider does seem to balance the sweet and bitter flavors very well however.<br />
Hawke: 19/25 or a yellow apple<br />
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Bailey: 19/25 or a yellow apple<br />
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<br />Cider Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01868394173309379685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2259437336946572161.post-13027648584533503222013-10-13T20:10:00.000-07:002013-10-13T20:10:10.880-07:00McKenzie's Hard Cider Seasonal Reserve Greeting readers! The fall season in Chicago has been lovely this year, but one thing has been missing: the perfect seasonal cider. Look no further, because Bailey and Hawke have found it! We were browsing our local Binny's store when we came across <a href="http://www.mckenziesbeverages.com/" target="_blank">McKenzie's Hard Cider Seasonal Reserve</a> and Bailey was curious, so she purchased it. She had never heard of this company before and was very excited for a chance to try something completely new to her palate. This cider boasts a mulled spiciness for the fall season. Flavors include nutmeg, cinnamon, and apple goodness, Oh My! This cider has a 5% ABV and is sold in six pack bottles. It is bottled in Seneca, NY, but doesn't specify where the apples are grown or what variety they are. We are going to assume they are also grown in New York. On with the review!<br />
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<u>Color:</u></div>
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Bailey thought this cider had a nice light gold hue and was very clear. It also had a few bubbles, but was otherwise unblemished. She rates it with a 5/5 apples. </div>
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Hawke agreed that it was a brilliant gold and was very clear. He also gives it a 5/5 apples.</div>
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<u>Smell:</u></div>
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Bailey took one whiff of this cider and summed it up in one word: Spices! This cider will make you think that your Grandmother is in the immediate area baking pumpkin pies. She easily detected the cloves at the forefront, then the nutmeg with its' somewhat sweet aroma, and the cinnamon was also present. All together it was lovely and she couldn't wait to drink it. She gives it a 5/5 apples.</div>
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Hawke was very surprised by the spiciness, but only because it was so wonderfully fragrant. He smelled mostly cinnamon with some clove, but not much apple aroma. Although the spices are very pungent, they are not overwhelming. He rates it with a 5/5 apples as well. </div>
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<u>Taste / Complexity:</u></div>
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Bailey eagerly took a sip and instantly started daydreaming about sitting in front of a fireplace with some nice fuzzy slippers on. There is some sweet apple flavor that complements the spices very well and keeps them from being too much, but definitely takes the back seat. All the spices are perfectly blended and it is deliciously smooth. She quickly rates this cider with a 5/5 apples.</div>
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Hawke thought that the cinnamon was the strongest flavor but the clove and apple were also there. He agreed that this cider was incredibly smooth and that the quality was very high. He also gives it a 5/5 apples.</div>
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<u>Aftertaste:</u></div>
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Bailey found that the spices lighten up a bit in the aftertaste, but still hang around. She also tasted a bit of sour apple on the back of her tongue that went quite nicely with the spices. The aftertaste definitely left her wanting another drink. She rates it with a 5/5 apples.</div>
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Hawke tasted mostly the nutmeg with a good transition to a little apple flavor. He also commented that the aftertaste lingers for a decent amount of time before diminishing. He also gives it a 5/5 apples.</div>
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<u>Price:</u></div>
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$8-10</div>
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Bailey was very please with this price as it was sold in a six pack of bottles. She thought that the quality of this cider was amazing and that is was totally worth it. She is planning on going back and getting a few more six packs to save for Christmas time. She rates it with a 5/5 apples for the price. </div>
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Hawke also thought this was a very fair price especially because it is a seasonal limited release. This price is competitive with most other brands that are sold in six packs. He also gives it a 5/5 apples. </div>
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<u>Overall:</u></div>
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Bailey thinks that this cider will really please anyone who loves mulled cider in the fall, but it will also be perfect for whiskey drinkers. It has a "darker" smooth flavor that will quench the palate of a bourbon lover. The spices in this cider blend very well and the quality is fantastic. Overall she rates this cider with 25/25 apples, or a green apple!</div>
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Hawke thought that this is a cider that is more about tasting the season and not having the apples at the forefront, but he very much enjoyed it. This is the first variety of cider we have tried from this company and it was so good he can't wait to try more. He also rates it with a perfect 25/25 apples, or a green apple!</div>
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And there you have it! The first perfect score of the fall season. We were very impressed with this cider and we hope you will be too. As always, thanks for reading and enjoy your cider!</div>
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<br />Cider Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01868394173309379685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2259437336946572161.post-65009759282562030022013-09-17T18:56:00.000-07:002013-09-29T08:18:41.086-07:00Food Review: Chicken and Waffles of Evanston<div style="line-height: 0.2in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<span style="color: black; line-height: 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Droid Sans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Unfortunately, Hawke and Bailey don't spend all of their days sitting around drinking cider. They
occasionally sample food as well. This time they were invited to
</span></span></span><a href="http://www.chicagoschickenandwaffles.com/" style="line-height: 0.2in;">Chicken
and Waffles</a><span style="color: black; line-height: 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Droid Sans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">
a restaurant that specializes in chicken, waffles, catfish and other southern home style recipes.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Droid Sans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">The
Evanston location is their newest location (there are two more Chicago locations in Oak Park and the South Side) and the building itself is
beautiful. Inside and out is covered with gorgeous brickwork
that both Hawke and Bailey loved. Inside the restaurant there is a
soft lighting and rich color. Live jazz plays on Thursday nights, but
the house music was also soft and really helped complete the dinning
experience. </span></span></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2-9_KYfVFGDSgLUQIIF-vxVXW2h3RgR9vtQ05iDtKBwXdTJnSiy68-uWjxsVHks-8Spg8PSU5mYBJDwZ9PtqoMCaZyr6vKcqp6XgGPSX9TJCkIWcyPnETBw5GM2xO_ebA_1NHLTWUNo4/s1600/IMG_20130912_185320_054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2-9_KYfVFGDSgLUQIIF-vxVXW2h3RgR9vtQ05iDtKBwXdTJnSiy68-uWjxsVHks-8Spg8PSU5mYBJDwZ9PtqoMCaZyr6vKcqp6XgGPSX9TJCkIWcyPnETBw5GM2xO_ebA_1NHLTWUNo4/s320/IMG_20130912_185320_054.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div style="line-height: 0.2in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Droid Sans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Hawke
and Bailey were promptly seated and a very friendly waitress came over. Looking
over the menu, the waitress pointed out some of the popular items: The Saint which is a quarter of white or dark meat fried chicken with
2 waffles and Tonya's choice, which is 3 wings and a choice of one
waffle, potato salad, or fries. Hawke opted to try The Saint with
dark meat, while Bailey ordered Kisha's Creation. This is 2 fried or
grilled catfish filets with a choice of waffle, grits, or rice, as
well as 2 eggs done in any style. Bailey chose the fried
catfish, scrambled eggs and a buckwheat waffle. She also opted to get
a side of gravy.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Droid Sans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Food
arriving quickly, they surveyed the meals. Hawke's was served up with two large traditional waffles and two pieces of chicken, all on one plate with
a heap of butter and two containers of syrup. Baileys was served on
three plates with surprisingly large pieces
of catfish and a large thick buckwheat waffle. A large portion of
rice and eggs were also given, and the gravy was separate. The portions here are definitely worth the money.</span></span></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOFbhfU4UdMei5q0hz_xppki5nLrU94axHPpFvv8jL1-uDEBtwwB_l3H2qp1x8I0JZWMvsVAmsE3_kOyKmuzVj9IcMqBc97pQON6lMz7keb7IQj7rI4ns_Io9Rm5aPkW2T8Rr5I3ua88g/s1600/IMG_20130912_190628_284.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOFbhfU4UdMei5q0hz_xppki5nLrU94axHPpFvv8jL1-uDEBtwwB_l3H2qp1x8I0JZWMvsVAmsE3_kOyKmuzVj9IcMqBc97pQON6lMz7keb7IQj7rI4ns_Io9Rm5aPkW2T8Rr5I3ua88g/s320/IMG_20130912_190628_284.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Saint</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="line-height: 0.2in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Digging
into the meal Hawke found the waffles were sweet but not
overwhelmingly so. They were crispy without being overdone and
were not soggy at all. It went well with the syrup provided, which had a very nice maple flavor. The
chicken was also very good, cooked just right. It is a traditional
pairing of chicken and waffles, so it can come as no surprise that
the syrup goes well on the chicken, but hot sauce is also an option.
Surprisingly, there was no grease or oil that was on the chicken,
despite being fried. Both the meat and the skin were done just right.
Reaching over he did dip some of the chicken in the gravy that Bailey
had gotten and found that the pairing was delicious. There are many
different cider pairings that can be done with this meal. It is very
earthy and</span> </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 0.2in;">one
may want to stick with that. Hawke decided that the </span><a href="http://ciderpressblog.blogspot.com/2013/02/cider-summit-chicago-part-1.html" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 0.2in;">Grasshopp-ah
Cider</a><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 0.2in;"> from the Colorado Cider Works would be a good pairing. As
well, the </span><a href="http://ciderpressblog.blogspot.com/2013/04/tieton-cider-works-yakima-valley-dry.html" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 0.2in;">Tieton
Yakima Valley Dry Hopped Cider</a><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 0.2in;"> would also be good cider to try
with this meal. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.2in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWW3TfEL1kXPw38PE7v9nBKhpMS8ALU2HPidXo0K4z-62dQ0ANnhRHLZh7KwKKc8PnOXMO6eKS1bsM1ktF71tq_LMR9AJI6hDjdNBwCehF0S-gxESc-gkNzGKD7vZ8RCCi4Z8EyGXgzLI/s1600/IMG_20130912_190856_850.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWW3TfEL1kXPw38PE7v9nBKhpMS8ALU2HPidXo0K4z-62dQ0ANnhRHLZh7KwKKc8PnOXMO6eKS1bsM1ktF71tq_LMR9AJI6hDjdNBwCehF0S-gxESc-gkNzGKD7vZ8RCCi4Z8EyGXgzLI/s320/IMG_20130912_190856_850.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kishas' Creation</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOJ3SrKMEZ5FCTUMPXTMMj0yveT4Ai21rWK_QAw4ipaakVAcOAZ2Nk6t4z09QZcsMz_f_iEOIob-VCQT0Pbu0U6bOjaWzETSPumEsvBvk5NnW6V9b3VpJ1Hcm_WNJM87afUXeyXrFIpd0/s1600/IMG_20130912_190924_135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOJ3SrKMEZ5FCTUMPXTMMj0yveT4Ai21rWK_QAw4ipaakVAcOAZ2Nk6t4z09QZcsMz_f_iEOIob-VCQT0Pbu0U6bOjaWzETSPumEsvBvk5NnW6V9b3VpJ1Hcm_WNJM87afUXeyXrFIpd0/s320/IMG_20130912_190924_135.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sides</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="line-height: 0.2in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Droid Sans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Baileys'
meal was almost overwhelming in the amount of food that was
presented. She first tried the eggs, which she really liked. They were cooked perfectly and had just the right amount of seasoning to them.
The waffle was also quite good. It was very thick which Bailey
almost had mistaken for two waffles, and almost had a cake-like texture to
it. Despite its' size, the texture was very light, something she did not
expect. Switching to the catfish, she found it to be crispy, with a rich buttery taste. Realizing that the crust was
breadcrumbs and not flour, she also discovered that the catfish was
not greasy at all. She was also quite a fan of the gravy. The gravy
is homemade from their chicken. It is not greasy,
but thick and creamy. It had a sweet peppery flavor to it. It pretty
much went well with everything that was on the table. The rice was moist with a bit of stickiness to it that made it easy to dip in the gravy.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Droid Sans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 0.2in;">An ideal cider pairing for this meal would probably be the </span></span><a href="http://www.woodchuck.com/" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 0.2in;">Woodchuck
Amber</a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 0.2in;"> or </span></span><a href="http://ciderpressblog.blogspot.com/2012/09/woodpecker-premium-cider.html" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 0.2in;">Woodpecker Cider.</a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 0.2in;">
Both are very standard ciders, and do not offer a lot of complex
flavors. Covering up or worse, clashing flavors with a meal like this,
especially the gravy, might confuse your </span><span style="line-height: 19.1875px;">pallet.</span><span style="line-height: 0.2in;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.2in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBnDx4fJiKICzpw0JmFr1FMp-omJFaun-ijOS_HBK-x1K6uWRBJkx60z8xAVNxjyW3qYsAEOegI3XjoJxnoTGJv0fPNGu8BKKuBUbUxBg8LGzhN7akxGZqwc-RVb78pWi_4hSaMIERqws/s1600/IMG_20130912_195010_030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBnDx4fJiKICzpw0JmFr1FMp-omJFaun-ijOS_HBK-x1K6uWRBJkx60z8xAVNxjyW3qYsAEOegI3XjoJxnoTGJv0fPNGu8BKKuBUbUxBg8LGzhN7akxGZqwc-RVb78pWi_4hSaMIERqws/s320/IMG_20130912_195010_030.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peach Cobbler</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="line-height: 0.2in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Droid Sans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Lastly,
dessert came around. This was a peach cobbler. Bailey and Hawke both
found this to be delicious. It was not overly sweet as many cobblers can be. Instead it had an effective balance between
sweet and tart, and was eaten very quickly.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.2in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvbeU61SDpCW9iBaXehEcsIpjQChal_uOp8ANMHlUEB_jjes2oeTav7_4-7CO_kXZXZ1dXNJSCC-EnDW6lAT-yRVqIjCcvfN7izAxTAVV3JyY48QdawU81xLPGi19fLEIRShG0FYmqQrA/s1600/IMG_20130912_195428_747.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; line-height: 0.2in; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvbeU61SDpCW9iBaXehEcsIpjQChal_uOp8ANMHlUEB_jjes2oeTav7_4-7CO_kXZXZ1dXNJSCC-EnDW6lAT-yRVqIjCcvfN7izAxTAVV3JyY48QdawU81xLPGi19fLEIRShG0FYmqQrA/s320/IMG_20130912_195428_747.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Droid Sans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 0.2in;">Chicken
and Waffles Restaurant offers a variety of different options while
sticking to their roots. You can tell that the owners care about what comes out of the kitchen, and serving food that everyone can eat. The </span><span style="line-height: 19.1875px;">waitress told us that they focus on not over-seasoning or making things too greasy so that their more elderly patrons don't have to worry about diet restrictions.</span><span style="line-height: 0.2in;"> Price for all the
dishes was very reasonable for the </span><span style="line-height: 19.1875px;">quantity and quality</span><span style="line-height: 0.2in;"> of food served.</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 0.2in;"> Hawke and Bailey will definitely be eating there again, or at least getting carry out
in the future. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.2in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Droid Sans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
Cider Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01868394173309379685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2259437336946572161.post-50371584204964134242013-09-15T19:11:00.001-07:002013-09-15T19:11:11.535-07:00Food Review: Lunchtime With Takashi Yagihashi (And Cider Pairings)Greetings readers! Summer is winding down here in Chicago, which means trying to find more indoor activities. This week, we were invited back to Macy's on State Street to review a lunch that chef Takashi created. We were so happy with the first round of lunch that we attended, we couldn't say no. For some basic info on Chef Takashi, his restaurants, and an earlier interview with him, please refer to this post: <a href="http://ciderpressblog.blogspot.com/2012/05/time-out-for-some-food-interview-with.html" target="_blank">An Interview With Takashi Yagihashi</a> All of the following recipes are in the cookbook titled "Takashi's Noodles."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIZV3ECOoxA_CykLPyALm9PNb5A1T9TXhIbk6bY7wL-Gs8SRCneVGdcjv5LoF0MmxlZOa50us4qLV_70Ic6j3WEe-ZDXlPJQ__iM8SMkZtJ62AmpqGiDLWVMYVvfVBAxGgMN29I_9TqSA/s1600/CIMG0862.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIZV3ECOoxA_CykLPyALm9PNb5A1T9TXhIbk6bY7wL-Gs8SRCneVGdcjv5LoF0MmxlZOa50us4qLV_70Ic6j3WEe-ZDXlPJQ__iM8SMkZtJ62AmpqGiDLWVMYVvfVBAxGgMN29I_9TqSA/s320/CIMG0862.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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For our appetizer, Chef Takashi created his version of shrimp shumai. This dish is normally enjoyed in Japanese culture as a snack or side dish. He also informed us that you can prepare shumai ahead of time and freeze them prior to cooking for a party or family gathering. They should hold up in the freezer for about a month. There are several ways to cook shumai: by frying, steaming, or baking them. These shumai were amazing! Usually when you find shumai on the menu, they come as a "envelope" with the filling concealed inside a wonton wrapper. Takashi's version is an open packet with the filling visible, which was a nice surprise. His shumai are packed with flavors of soy, ginger, and mustard. The flavors were all distinguishable and blended very well together. These shumai were cooked using a stove-top steamer set on top of a pan with boiling water and cooked very quickly. He served them with steamed bok choy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEietbSHiupnYk_KydGwkypIs15SkJkIDHaD4cGMDpm4oBEhCtI_UY5BaCB1hFvEJyLm6E4xPoa7_FTUEEIj65U2E4rUEhrqscDjFMFfMpuQJZPLdZOI6745uqC14aB8Gq2j4hZYBTdch4w/s1600/CIMG0864.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEietbSHiupnYk_KydGwkypIs15SkJkIDHaD4cGMDpm4oBEhCtI_UY5BaCB1hFvEJyLm6E4xPoa7_FTUEEIj65U2E4rUEhrqscDjFMFfMpuQJZPLdZOI6745uqC14aB8Gq2j4hZYBTdch4w/s400/CIMG0864.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Next up was the Chicken Yakitori. This is a very popular Japanese comfort food. These skewers are meant to be cooked very slowly to allow the meat and the sauce coating it to caramelize. Chef Takashi recommends making this dish for parties, picnics, or for watching football. They cook well on a stove-top grill or on an outdoor grill. You can even please the vegetarians by substituting tofu for the meat. There are few words to describe how tender this chicken was. It literally fell off the skewer as Bailey was trying to eat it. The lemon and ginger juices that go into this sauce create a perfect flavor combination for comfort food, and the shiitake mushrooms add a very good savory contrast to the sweet sauce. This is a great Asian version of the good old meat and veggie skewer. </div>
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Chef Takashi saved his best for last, Chicken Tatsuta-Age. This is his version of fried chicken, and we had heard stories about how tasty it was the last time we attended his cooking demonstration. This fried chicken is first marinated with traditional Japanese flavors and served with a savory asian slaw. Because the meat is marinated, it keeps very well as leftovers. You can also cut up the leftovers and turn it into a sandwich, this dish is very versatile! The asian slaw was very crisp and refreshing and added a nice crunchy side for the chicken. This dish is definitely not your grandma's fried chicken. It's bursting with bright flavors and the potato starch coating offers a really light alternative to the traditional American heavy batters. This also means that the coating for the chicken is gluten free. </div>
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Throughout the demonstration, Chef Takashi was very personable and informative. He took the time to pass around some of the ingredients being used in the dishes, so that the crowd could touch, smell, and sample them. He also made sure that in between each dish anyone who had a question could ask it. If you are ever in the Chicago area, I highly recommend going to Macy's on State Street if there is a cooking demo happening. The chefs on their culinary council are amazing and it is a great opportunity to get some great tips and tricks from the professionals. </div>
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Whew! Ok, so Hawke and I wanted to make some suggestions for cider that would go with these lovely dishes. The shrimp shumai has great flavor that would demand a light and crisp cider. You wouldn't want anything to overpower this dish. We think that <a href="http://ciderpressblog.blogspot.com/2013/03/cider-summit-chicago-part-2.html" target="_blank">Citizen Cider's Unified Press</a> would be a good choice. You could also go with<a href="http://ciderpressblog.blogspot.com/2013/03/cider-summit-chicago-part-2.html" target="_blank"> Uncle John's Draught Cider</a> for this one. Both of these ciders are very crisp and clean without bold flavors that would clash.<br />
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For the Chicken Yakitori, you will want a cider that complements the bold flavor of the ginger and lemon. We would suggest <a href="http://ciderpressblog.blogspot.com/2013/04/tieton-cider-works-yakima-valley-dry.html" target="_blank">Tieton Cider Works: Yakima Valley Dry Hopped Cider</a>. This cider has an earthy taste that would offer a good contrast. The fact that it is a dryer cider could help contrast the acidity. If you wanted to add to the bold flavors, you could go with <a href="http://ciderpressblog.blogspot.com/2012/04/woodchuck-private-reserve-belgian-white.html" target="_blank">Woodchuck Private Reserve Belgian White</a>. This cider has some hoppy-ness to it with a great burst of orange flavor. This cider is also only available in summer when all those great outdoor cookouts are happening.<br />
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Finally, for the Chicken Tatsuta-Age, you could go with a great ginger cider to really complement the great Asian flavors. We suggest Angry Orchard's <a href="http://angryorchard.com/#!" target="_blank">Apple Ginger</a> or <a href="http://ciderpressblog.blogspot.com/2012/04/fox-barrel-ginger-and-blackcurrant-pear.html" target="_blank">Fox Barrel's Ginger and Black Currant Pear Cider</a>.<br />
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Disclosure: I am a member of Everywhere Society and Everywhere provided me with the compensation for this post about Macy's Culinary Council. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed herein are my own.Cider Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01868394173309379685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2259437336946572161.post-38183425937365919462013-09-07T19:37:00.000-07:002013-09-07T19:37:34.752-07:00Bar on Buena/Uncle John's CiderThis being summer time in Chicago, it is a good time to get out and explore what the city has to offer. After being couped up for awhile due to an injury, Bailey and Hawke decided to go down to an eatery that they had both heard about. That night was also important because Uncle John's Cider was also there with some of their signature ciders. For this event Hawke and Bailey elected to try a different cider each and give a review on that one.<br />
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<a href="http://www.baronbuena.com/" target="_blank">The Bar On Buena </a>is a small eatery just off of Broadway that offers a fine selection of foods. If you are just going for an appetizer and a beer, their bruschesta is highly recommended by both Hawke and Bailey. Their burgers are also worth the trip. But, that's not why were here, on to the ciders!<br />
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<a href="http://www.ujcidermill.com/" target="_blank">Uncle John's Cider Mill</a> is a cidery out of St. Johns Michigan that offers several different types of cider to choose from. Seasonal ciders include a Cinnamon Apple, Cranberry Apple, and Apple Blueberry, as well as several others.<br />
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Bailey elected to get a Apple Apricot cider. It comes in at 6.7% ABV.<br />
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Color: Bailey found this cider to have a dark gold with some carbonation, which she liked. Not exactly what she was expected though, but very pleasing to the eye. Bailey: 5/5<br />
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Smell: Bringing it to her nose she detected a mostly overwhelmingly sweet smell which seemed to cover most of the other smells. She also detected some apple, but even less apricot. Bailey: 4/5<br />
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Taste: Bailey said the flavor of this cider was that of sweet alcohol, which again seemed to overwhelm the other flavors that were in the cider. She said that apricot is a background flavor in this cider, while the apple was a little heavier. Bailey: 3/5<br />
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Aftertaste: The aftertaste on this cider mostly consisted of a sour apple flavor. Bailey found this to be a good aftertaste as she found it to be boldly sour, while not being overwhelmingly sour as we've seen with other cider brands. Bailey: 4/5<br />
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Overall: Bailey found this to be a good cider, as the flavors were present while not being overwhelming. She does wish that the apricot flavor was more at the forefront of the cider rather than a background player.<br />Bailey's total: 17/20 or a green apple.<br />
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Hawke opted to try Uncle John's Apple Cranberry Cider.<br />
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Color: Hawke was pleased to find that this cider comes out a deep red, with little or no carbonation present. Hawke: 5/5<br />
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Smell: Upon smelling, Hawke detected a little alcohol smell that was at the front of the cider, beyond that, there was some cranberry and some very slight apple smell present. 4/5<br />
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Taste: The initial taste was very sharp and sour, as expected with a cranberry cider, but the cranberry flavor was very light. There was some apple flavor as well, but it was almost undetectable. Hawke: 4/5<br />
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Aftertaste: The final lingering flavors were subtle, with nothing particularly overwhelming. The main flavor that stuck around was the sour flavor, with the cranberry and apple almost nonexistent. Hawke: 3/5<br />
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Overall: This cider was about what Hawke expected it to be. It was decent, but lacking a little in the flavors of apple and cranberry. Hawke's Total: 16/20 or a green apple.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Droid Sans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.984375px;">Note: As Hawke and Bailey were at a bar, they did not take price into consideration. A Search at their local liquor store puts the prices between 10-13 dollars which they both found a little high. </span></span><br />
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<br />Cider Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01868394173309379685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2259437336946572161.post-39825448535650528092013-07-19T20:44:00.000-07:002013-07-19T20:45:05.649-07:0025 Degrees Restaurant: A Drink Review<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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25 Degrees Restaurant,
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731 N. Clark Street Chicago, IL </div>
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http://25degreesrestaurant.com/chicago/</div>
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Here at Cider Press we mainly like to
keep our focus on cider, however an offer came by from Brandy, of the <a href="http://bunnyandbrandy.com/" target="_blank">Bunny and Brandy Blog</a>, to come along to a redone menu at 25 Degrees
we had to go. Unfortunately, Bailey had fallen ill with the flu, so
it was up to Hawke to go for both of them. Just off of the Chicago
and State Red Line Stop, Hawke met with Bunny and Brandy and they
entered into a restaurant that was slightly dark, with wood paneling
and red fabric along the walls.
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This being Chicago Summer, the place
was also open to the street with cafe dining on the sidewalk. Opting
to eat inside, they were quickly given a table and a waitress came by
to get their orders. Bunny and Brandy both opted to start with spiked
lemonade drinks. Bunny got a traditional lemonade made with vodka,
while Brandy opted for the summer blend, also mixed with vodka. After
receiving their drinks, they sampled each others and decided to
switch. Claiming that the lemonade was a little too tart for Bunny,
whereas the Summer Blend was a little sweet for Brandy. The Summer
Blend is actually watermelon, but it was not posted on the sign on
the table. There was also a pomegranate drink, but Hawke did not wish
to try it, citing a previous bad experience with pomegranate juice.
Both Bunny and Brandy really enjoyed their drinks.</div>
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Initially, Hawke could not decide on a
drink to get, as the list of drinks was quite extensive. After
placing their initial order of food, which is detailed at Bunny and
Brandys blog, Hawke decided on a drink called the Beam and Beer. A
classic root beer float with a twist. The base of the drink was made
with Jim Beam whiskey, with vanilla ice cream, then IBC root beer was
poured over the top. Served on a hot Chicago day, the ice cream began
to melt quickly, this was not a disappointment however as it served
to better mix the float. Upon consuming the float, Hawke quickly
discovered that the bottom of the float was mostly Jim Beam. The
flavors do mesh well together, and provided relief from the hot
Chicago weather.</div>
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Brandy, after having eaten her fill of
food, had opted to try a Salty Caramel. Made with Maker's Mark,
vanilla ice cream, mixed with butterscotch and topped Hawaiian red
sea salt. This was a drink that made Brandy's eyes light up. Salted
caramel is one of, if not her favorite treats. Upon tasting she
quickly commented that the bottom of the drink was pure Maker's Mark.
This did not dissuade her, and she eagerly consumed the entire drink.
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Overall, 25 Degrees boasts an excellent
drink variety, for a reasonable price for Chicago. If you are in the
area, it is worth while to check out and see if you can find a new
favorite drink on their menu. </div>
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*Cider Press Blog was given their meal and drinks free of charge in exchange for an honest review. </div>
Cider Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01868394173309379685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2259437336946572161.post-16380908352371557722013-07-11T13:19:00.001-07:002013-07-11T13:19:11.351-07:00CiderBoys: Peach CountryGreetings readers! We hope that you have been enjoying your summer and taking advantage of all the festivals this year. Bailey and Hawke headed up to Milwaukee, Wisconsin for Summerfest this past weekend and decided to make a special stop to pick up CiderBoys hard cider. We have heard a lot of good things about this cider, but we have not been able to purchase it in the Chicago area yet. Slowly but surely it seems to be trickling down to some places in the Illinois market now. <br />
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This cider is produced locally in Wisconsin and mixes the flavors of apple with peach! It has a ABV of 5% and comes in a six pack of bottles. You can find all of their exciting varieties here: <a href="http://www.ciderboys.com/">http://www.ciderboys.com/</a><br />
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<u>Color:</u><br />
Bailey liked the golden yellow coloration of this cider and thought it was very clear with slight carbonation. She rates it with a 5/5 apples.<br />
Hawke also liked the light yellow hue of this cider and thought that it was very well filtered with some bubbles. He also gives it 5/5 apples.<br />
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<u>Smell:</u><br />
Bailey fell in love with the great peach smell of this cider. The aroma was a very powerful sweet peach with the slightest hint of apple. Just smelling this cider made Bailey want to buy some peaches to bite into. She easily gives this cider a 5/5 for smell.<br />
Hawke was a little apprehensive after taking a whiff. He couldn't deny the sweet peach smell, but was afraid that the taste would be way too sweet for him. He rates the smell with a 4/5 apples.<br />
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<u>Taste / Complexity:</u><br />
Bailey thought the flavor of this cider was amazing! The powerful sweet peach flavor was not too overwhelming for her, and the overall mouth feel was very light. She also felt a slight fizzy feeling on her tongue after taking a sip. This cider was very crisp and refreshing. Usually, Bailey would have been disappointed with the lack of apple flavor, but the quality of the peach flavor was so good, she can't say anything bad about it. She rates it with a 5/5 apples.<br />
Hawke also enjoyed the strong peach flavor and was surprised that it was not too sweet for his liking. He also commented on the lack of apple flavor, but agreed that the quality was very good. He also rates this cider with 5/5 apples for flavor.<br />
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<u>Aftertaste:</u><br />
Bailiey detected that the sweet peach flavor lingered, but not very long. It was hard to discern if there was any apple flavor in the aftertaste because it could have mixed in with the sweetness. Bailey gives this cider a 4/5 apples for aftertaste.<br />
Hawke agreed that he tasted the sweet peach flavor but not for very long. There was also a lasting sweetness, but he couldn't detect the apple flavor either. He also rates it with a 4/5 apples.<br />
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<u>Price:</u><br />
$7-10 for a six pack of bottles. This cider is currently mostly available in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin and northern Illinois areas. With the quality of this cider, Bailey feels this price is very reasonable and hopes that CiderBoys will spread to the rest of the country. She rates this cider with a 5/5 apples for price.<br />
Hawke was very impressed with this cider and feels that the price is very reasonable for the six pack. He would definitely buy this cider again and gives it a 5/5 apples.<br />
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<u>Overall:</u><br />
Bailey believes that even though this cider is a little lacking in apple flavor, the quality is very good and it is delicious. Peach lovers will instantly love this cider. It is not too sweet and the alcohol doesn't even play a part in the flavor. Overall, Bailey rates this cider with a 24/25 apples, or a green apple.<br />
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Hawke was very surprised at how much he liked this cider, as he is not a huge fan of peaches. He admitted that of all the fruit flavored ciders we have tried, this was probably his favorite. The quality is great, the flavor is delicious, and this cider is great for summer. Overall, Hawke rates this cider with a 23/25 apples, or a green apple. </div>
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Keep on a lookout for our review of CiderBoys First Press hard cider. Keep enjoying your summer and thanks for reading!</div>
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<br />Cider Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01868394173309379685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2259437336946572161.post-21040050097249835252013-07-02T20:31:00.000-07:002013-07-02T20:31:44.568-07:00Food Shout-out: Garden GrillGreetings readers! Every once in a while we like to give a shout-out to some local Chicago restaurants, because what goes better with cider than food? Recently we were invited to the grand opening of Garden Grill to check out what they had to offer. They are located at 3129 W. Armitage Avenue in Chicago. You can find their website here: <a href="http://gardengrillmexicancuisine.com/">http://gardengrillmexicancuisine.com/</a><br />
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The Garden Grill is nestled into the back corner of a small shopping center, which adds to it's modest charm. Upon entering the restaurant, Bailey and Hawke both agreed that the layout was intelligently designed. The ordering counter is located right next to the door, along with some bench seating in case you are waiting for carry-out. There are some tables along the wall in the front area and booths towards the back of the restaurant which opens up into a larger dining area. While waiting for a table to open up, we enjoyed some margaritas and catered finger food provided for the grand opening party (not on the menu) and listened to the live Mariachi band that was singing their hearts out for all the guests.<br />
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For dinner, Hawke set his eye on a corned beef hash skillet. It arrived in an actual skillet while still sizzling. His mouth watered as he waited for it to cool down. Hawke loved this dish. The eggs were light and cooked just enough so that they weren't runny. The potatoes were soft and nicely seasoned. The corned beef and cheese brought this dish together nicely and made everything melt in his mouth. The corned beef was very juicy and was not tough at all. Hawke definitely would order this dish again. </div>
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Bailey opted for some good old fashioned tacos. She selected from several options for meat and seasonings for the taco plates, which come with rice and re-fried beans like every taco plate should. Bailey chose the a carne asada taco and a pork taco. Each taco came with 2 flour tortillas for extra folding capacity. The meat was very tender with a good amount of spice to it. Bailey could also taste the cilantro in the tacos, which usually fades into the other flavors. All the toppings were very fresh and delicious. The re-fried beans and rice were also very good and not too dry, meaning they weren't overcooked. Bailey was also very happy with her dinner and would order it again. </div>
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Overall, Hawke and Bailey would recommend Garden Grill for a very affordable casual meal spot. The people are very friendly and the food is very well prepared. It also allows you to see a new neighborhood if you aren't familiar with the Logan Square area. It is accessible from the Kimball bus, or it is a short walk west of some of the Logan Square blue line stops. We thank Garden Grill for the opportunity to come out and review the food, and we wish them good luck! </div>
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Cider Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01868394173309379685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2259437336946572161.post-66292651181815815272013-06-02T16:23:00.002-07:002013-06-02T16:23:39.675-07:00Wandering Aengus Golden Russet CiderGreetings readers! So sorry for the delay between ciders! Bailey had an unfortunate injury but has now recovered enough to continue rating ciders. This week, we tried one from Wandering Aengus. This cider company was at the Cider Summit this spring but had some issues with shipping, so we didn't get to sample any. We were very excited to finally see all of their varieties at our local beverage depot. The apples used for the golden russet cider are grown in Ashland and Salem Oregon. It is slightly dry and boasts fruit and honey aromas and flavors. It also packs a whopping 9.8% ABV per bottle. You can find all of their ciders and where to buy them here: <a href="http://www.wanderingaengus.com/wordpress/?page_id=12">http://www.wanderingaengus.com/wordpress/?page_id=12</a><br />
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On with it!<br />
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<u>Color:</u></div>
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Hawke was impressed with the brilliant bronze color of this cider. He commented that it was very clear with a little carbonation present. He rated it with a 5/5 apples.</div>
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Bailey was also fond of the beautiful golden amber hue of this cider. She also thought it was very clear which means it has been filtered. There were a few bubbles to be seen, but not overly carbonated. She also ranks this cider with a 5/5 apples for color.</div>
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<u>Smell:</u></div>
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Hawke took a whiff and stated that the smell was a little overwhelmingly sweet for him. He could detect apple and alcohol notes, but they were blended and neither one stood out over the other. Hawke isn't one that typically likes overly sweet things, but he did like the aroma of this cider. He gives it a 4/5 apples.</div>
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Bailey, having the sweet tooth that she does, fell in love with the smell. It promises good quality because of the sweet and slightly spicy smell of properly fermented apples. She also could smell the alcohol, but it wasn't strong enough to take away from the apples. She rates this cider with a 5/5 apples.</div>
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<u>Taste / Complexity:</u></div>
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If you can imagine the face of someone who has bitten into a lemon, then you can imagine how Hawke's face looked after taking a sip. He was very surprised to find that this cider is very bitter. He could also feel the slight dryness that the cider left on his tongue. Hawke did say that the apple flavors were present, but the bitterness overtook them. He rates the taste with a 3/5 apples.</div>
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Bailey was cautious after seeing the face that was made, but knew that she had a job to do. The first sip was the most harsh because it was quite bitter. After that, she slowly swished the cider around a few times to let her taste buds get used to it. She concluded that this cider is very smooth, and the bitter apple and alcohol flavors mix well with each other. She also commented that this might be a great cider for Beer lovers because it could be considered a "manly" cider because of the bold flavor. She rates it with a 4/5 apples.</div>
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<u>Aftertaste:</u></div>
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Hawke continued to be unimpressed as he could only taste bitterness in the aftertaste. The dry feeling on the tongue also lingered for him. He gives this cider a 2/5 apples. </div>
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Bailey felt that the aftertaste was bitter and sour flavors mixed together. This cider also gave her a nice warm feeling down the throat, close to what whiskey might feel like. She rates it with a 3/5 apples. </div>
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<u>Price:</u></div>
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$8-10 for 500 ml. This cider has a 9.8% ABV.</div>
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Hawke feels that because of the ABV, this cider is not a bad value for the price. Clearly this was not his cup of tea but he feels that the price is fair for the amount you will get. He rates the price with a 4/5 apples.</div>
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Bailey feels that the price is a bit high for the amount. The ABV is high, but the flavor may only suit a select amount of people's palates. She gives this a 4/5 also.</div>
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<u>Overall:</u></div>
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Hawke and Bailey agree that this might be another great cider for the Beer lovers who are also cider lovers, or who need some convincing. This may also be for cider lovers who are looking for more than a dominate apple flavor. Another thought is that this cider may work better with food than drinking it alone.</div>
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Overall, Hawke rates this cider with a 18/25 apples, or a yellow apple.</div>
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Overall, Bailey rates this cider with a 21/25 apples, or a green apple.</div>
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Thanks so much for your patience in between posts, and for being loyal readers! Hope you have a great week, we will be on the lookout for the next cider worthy of judging!</div>
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<br />Cider Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01868394173309379685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2259437336946572161.post-13244971970984682442013-04-07T19:10:00.000-07:002013-04-07T19:10:44.433-07:00Tieton Cider Works: Yakima Valley Dry Hopped CiderGreetings readers! Hope you are enjoying some of the spring weather this week along with your favorite cider. This week we continue with another Tieton Cider variety. This one not only contains apples grown in the Yakima Valley, but hops that are grown in the very same region. This cider is a 100 percent authentic Washington state cider. It has a 6.9% ABV and is described as having nutty and fruity citrus notes. You can find all of their varieties here: <a href="http://www.tietonciderworks.com/tieton/tieton-our-cider">http://www.tietonciderworks.com/tieton/tieton-our-cider</a><br />
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<u>Color:</u></div>
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Bailey noticed that this cider had a lot of carbonation in it. However, she likes bubbles and thought that they made it pretty. Otherwise, it had a very nice clear golden yellow color. She rated it with a 5/5 apples right out of the gate. </div>
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Hawke thought that it was a very bright, clear yellow cider with lots of bubbles. He also ranked it with a 5/5 apples. </div>
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<u>Smell:</u><br />
Bailey picked up on the aroma of the hops right away. There were hints of apple in there that added a sweet pleasant smell. Although they were a background player, they compliment the hops well. She gave this cider a 4/5 apples.<br />
Hawke detected a strong earthy scent from the hops with apples adding a sweetness to it. He also rates this with a 4/5 apples.<br />
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<u>Taste / Complexity:</u><br />
After taking a sip, Bailey was surprised that the apples come through as very crisp and clean, but not sweet. This cider has a very nice earthy taste to it that is not affected by the carbonation (such as bubbles on the tongue.) She enjoyed this cider very much and gave it a 5/5 apples.<br />
Hawke felt some of the dryness after taking a drink, but said that it wasn't overly dry. He felt this cider has a very smooth earthy hops taste that is complimented very well by the crisp apple flavor. He also felt that this cider was blended extremely well. He also rated it with a 5/5 apples.<br />
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<u>Aftertaste:</u><br />
Bailey felt that the aftertaste was slightly sour. This sour flavor hit the back of her tongue for a second and then was gone. She was forced to rate the aftertaste with a 2/5.<br />
Hawke also was disappointed with the lack of lingering flavor for the aftertaste. He felt that this cider was very smooth and crisp, but just did not have an aftertaste. He rated it with a 1/5 apples.<br />
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<u>Price:</u><br />
We are not rating this section because this cider is not currently in our market area. The hopeful release for this cider is Spring or Summer of 2013.<br />
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<u>Overall:</u><br />
Bailey felt that this cider was of really great quality. Other than the aftertaste, this cider is not lacking anything. She thought that this would make a really good late summer or fall cider. Overall, she gave it a 16/20 apples, or a green apple.<br />
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Hawke thought that this cider offers a very smooth, subtle, and unique flavor. This may be the cider to introduce your beer drinking friends to. It is blended very well, and is a quality cider. Overall, he gave it a </div>
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15/20 apples, or a green apple! </div>
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<br />Cider Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01868394173309379685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2259437336946572161.post-46066865760737665562013-03-29T20:21:00.000-07:002013-03-29T20:21:16.119-07:00Tieton Cider Works: Apricot CiderGreeting readers! This week we are reviewing a cider from Tieton Cider Works. We first caught wind of this company from the Chicago Cider Summit. Bailey has been complaining since we started this blog that there were no apricot ciders available on the market. I think it went something like: "There are several fruit infused ciders, how could they possibly overlook the apricot to be paired with hard cider?" Anyway, Bailey was over the moon to learn that Tieton Cider Works had produced that very combination. Unfortunately, Tieton had a mix up with the cider delivery, and there was no cider to be tasted at the Summit. Bailey's hopes were crushed until she went up to their table and spoke with the very friendly representatives. They offered to send us a sample to review, so here we go!<br />
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This cider is Semi-Dry and has an ABV of 6.9%<br />
All of the ciders produced by Tieton Cider Works are made from apples grown in the beautiful <a href="http://www.harmonyorchards.com/">Harmony Orchards</a> located in Tieton, Washington. You can find all of their ciders here: <a href="http://www.tietonciderworks.com/tieton/tieton-our-cider">http://www.tietonciderworks.com/tieton/tieton-our-cider</a><br />
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<u>Color:</u><br />
Bailey thinks this cider has a gorgeous peach-golden hue with slight carbonation. She gives it a 5/5 apples.<br />
Hawke's take was a brassy orange color and also rates it with a 5/5 apples.<br />
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<u>Smell:</u><br />
Bailey loves that the sweet apricots packed a powerful punch in the aroma. There is also a faint sour apple smell that blends in nicely to the bouquet. She quickly rates this with another 5/5 apples.<br />
Hawke's usually doesn't go for sweet things, unless it's a bag of pretzel M&M's. However he does very much enjoy the fresh apricot and apple smell. He gives this cider a 4/5 apples.<br />
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<u>Taste / Complexity:</u><br />
Bailey is in apricot heaven with this one (if you couldn't already tell.) The apples offer a sweetness that is a perfect compliment to the very tart apricots. It makes you want to smack your lips after taking a drink. The carbonation makes it very light and enjoyable. Bailey gives it a 5/5 apples!<br />
Hawke thinks that the apricots were a bit too tart for his liking, but still thought it was a solid cider. He detected the semi-dryness on his tongue after drinking. Hawke gives this cider a 4/5 apples.<br />
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<u>Aftertaste:</u><br />
Bailey feels that the tartness lingers into the aftertaste, and the sweet flavors change to sour. The carbonation can still slightly be felt and the aftertaste is very pleasant. She gives another 5/5 apples.<br />
Hawke's taste buds differed a little in that he still tasted sweetness with a slight tart flavor. The dryness continued into the aftertaste for him. He rates it with a 5/5 apples.<br />
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<u>Price:</u><br />
We will be skipping this section as we are not sure how much it is selling for. When we talked to the representatives at the Cider Summit, they were hoping for an April release into the market.<br />
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<u>Overall:</u><br />
Bailey loves this cider and wouldn't change a thing. It's a great summer cider infused with some powerful yet delicious fruit. If you are a fan of apricots, you need to get your mitts on this cider! Overall, Bailey rates this cider with a 20/20 apples, or a green apple!<br />
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Hawke thinks this cider is very good and offers a very unique taste for the hard cider lovers. This cider would be great for a seasoned veteran of the cider world, or a beginner wanted to branch out from the norm. Overall, Hawke rates this cider with a 18/20 apples, or a green apple!</div>
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<br />Cider Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01868394173309379685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2259437336946572161.post-25031472210163895502013-03-04T09:57:00.000-08:002013-03-04T09:57:04.625-08:00Cider Summit Chicago (Part 2)<br />
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Greetings readers! It's time to unveil some of Bailey's favorites from the Chicago Cider Summit festival.<br />
We are still reeling from what a great time was had at the festival. It was so wonderful to see so many people enjoying (and possibly discovering) hard cider. This week we are going to be reviewing Bailey's top 4 ciders.<br />
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<u>#1 Eden Ice Cider Company - "Heirloom Blend"</u><br />
This cider is made from Macintosh, Empire, and Russet apples. It is pretty strong with an ABV of 10%. Ice ciders are used as a "desert wine" because of their sweetness. The winter cold helps to concentrate the juice before it is processed. You can read all about it and find different varieties here: <a href="http://www.edenicecider.com/index.html">http://www.edenicecider.com/index.html</a><br />
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<u>Color:</u></div>
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This cider has a very nice golden color with a hint of orange. It is also very clear and free of carbonation. Bailey gives it a 5/5 apples.</div>
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<u>Smell:</u></div>
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The aroma of this cider is very balanced. It has sour and sweet notes of fermented apple and is very pleasing indeed! Bailey rates this with another 5/5 apples. </div>
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<u>Taste / Complexity:</u></div>
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Upon sipping, Bailey noticed that this cider seems to have a thicker viscosity than normal ciders. It certainly isn't like drinking syrup, but you will notice it is thicker than a normal hard cider. The taste is very sweet with sour undertones. If you don't enjoy sweet things, this might not be for you. Bailey however, loved it and rates it with a 5/5 apples.</div>
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<u>Aftertaste:</u></div>
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Surprisingly, all of the sweet and sour flavors linger in the aftertaste. Nothing seems to change, but it does leave you wanting another sip. Bailey was very impressed and gives it yet another 5/5 apples. </div>
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<u>Overall:</u></div>
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If you have a sweet tooth, this cider will satisfy the craving. There is a little sour to offset the sweetness so as not to make it overpowering. The flavors of the different apple varieties are nominally present and blend together well. The thickness makes this cider one more for sipping in Bailey's opinion, but one definitely worth trying! Overall, this cider scored a 20/20 apples, or a green apple!</div>
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<u>#2 Orchard Gate - "J.K Scrumpy Orchard Gate Gold"</u><br />
This cider is organic and boasts only two ingredients: apple juice and yeast. This cider is fermented for six months and hand bottled. Their hard work pays off in Bailey's opinion. You can find all of their varieties here: <a href="http://organicscrumpy.com/">http://organicscrumpy.com/</a><br />
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<u>Color:</u></div>
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This cider is a beautiful golden orange, which is slightly cloudy. The true color is not perfectly represented by the picture because of the lighting. Bailey gives the color a 5/5 apples.</div>
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<u>Smell:</u></div>
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This is what fermented apples should smell like! Slightly spicy and a perfect combination of sweet and sour. This smell will visit you in your dreams later. She rates it with a 5/5 apples.</div>
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<u>Taste / Complexity:</u></div>
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The taste is somewhat like Grandma's apple pie. It has a very slight spice to it that reminds you of nutmeg or clove. It has a very good balance between sweet and bitter flavors. Bailey also gives the taste a 5/5 apples.</div>
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<u>Aftertaste:</u></div>
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The aftertaste is a bit sour, but does not linger very long. Mostly, you just want to take another drink to bring back the flavor. Bailey gives this a 4/5 apples.</div>
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<u>Overall:</u></div>
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Bailey was in love with this cider. This would make a perfect cider to sip by a campfire in summer or autumn. She highly recommends trying this one! Overall, this cider scored a 19/20 apples, or a green apple!</div>
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<u>#4 Citizen Cider - "Unified Press"</u></div>
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This cider is made from a staggering 10 different varieties of apples grown all in Vermont. It is described as off-dry, clean and crisp and has a ABV of 6.8%. You can find a list of their ciders here: <a href="http://new.citizencider.com/">http://new.citizencider.com/</a></div>
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<u>Color:</u></div>
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The color of this cider is a very light lemon yellow. It has some carbonation, but is very clear. Bailey gives it a 5/5 apples. </div>
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<u>Smell:</u></div>
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The smell is somewhat faint but has a sweet aroma with some alcohol mixed in. Since the apples take a back seat to the alcohol, Bailey rates this with a 3/5 apples. </div>
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<u>Taste / Complexity:</u></div>
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It was somewhat difficult to come up with the words for a description of the taste. This cider is very crisp and clean. It gives you a refreshed feeling after drinking it and also has a hint of sweetness. It also has some acidity to it. Bailey really enjoyed it and rates it with a 5/5 apples. </div>
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<u>Aftertaste:</u></div>
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Because the taste is so light, the aftertaste doesn't have much power. You will get a slight sour taste on the back of the tongue, but not much more. Bailey also gives this a 3/5 apples. </div>
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<u>Overall:</u></div>
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This would be a great starter cider for someone who isn't feeling adventurous quite yet. It would also be a great summer cider that will quench a thirst on a hot day. This cider's flavor doesn't pack a punch, but the crispness makes it a good one to try. Overall, Bailey rates this cider with a 16/20 apples, or a green apple. </div>
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#3 Uncle John's - "Draught Cider"</div>
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This cider is made from Michigan grown apples and comes in a can with some carbonation. Their cider mill has quite a history to it as you can read about here: <a href="http://www.ujcidermill.com/cidermill.htm">http://www.ujcidermill.com/cidermill.htm</a> </div>
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They have several varieties of cider which you can find here:</div>
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<a href="http://www.fruithousewinery.com/hardcider.html">http://www.fruithousewinery.com/hardcider.html</a></div>
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<u>Color:</u></div>
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This cider was surprisingly light. It almost had a clear-white color with the tiniest bit of yellow tint. It was very clear with some carbonation. Bailey gives this cider a 5/5 apples for color. </div>
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<u>Smell:</u></div>
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The smell was not as powerful as she was expecting. It was a little bit of sour mixed with bitter aromas. She rates this with a 3/5 apples. </div>
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<u>Taste / Complexity:</u></div>
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This cider was very crisp, almost like biting into a juicy apple. It has what Bailey would describe as a golden apple flavor. It was slightly acidic with bitter flavors mixed in. The flavor is not overpowering, but it will quench a thirst. Bailey gives this cider a 4/5 apples.</div>
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<u>Aftertaste:</u></div>
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The bitter and sour flavors continue into the aftertaste, but they are pleasant. The acidity fades out and leaves you feeling refreshed. She gives the aftertaste a 3/5 apples.</div>
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<u>Overall:</u></div>
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This is definitely a summer cider. Bailey was very surprised at how this cider left you feeling very refreshed and cooler somehow. It's hard to explain, but you will just have to try it for yourself. The flavors are not very powerful, but the crispness and overall lightness of this cider places it in Bailey's top four. Overall, she rates this cider with a 15/20 apples, or a yellow apple. </div>
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We finally made it! There were plenty of other ciders at the festival and we will be reviewing those from time to time. Next time, we will be rating some cider from Tieton Cider Works. If you are a fruit lover, they make an apricot cider that is going to knock your socks off! Stay tuned and have a great week!</div>
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Cider Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01868394173309379685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2259437336946572161.post-30869564207558239732013-02-12T21:45:00.000-08:002013-02-12T21:45:50.912-08:00Cider Summit Chicago (Part 1)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Greetings readers! This past weekend was slightly momentous. Hawke and Bailey were lucky enough to attend the first ever Cider Summit held in Chicago IL. This heavenly hard cider festival was held in the Lakeview Terrace room of Navy Pier (one of Bailey's favorite places in the whole city.) There had been several days of snow and freezing rain leading up to the event, however the weather decided to give us a break and even let the sun shine for a few hours. All in all, there were 26 different cider producers showcasing their artisanal ciders for all the thirsty patrons to taste. As soon as we walked into the room, we were hit with a wave of sweet and sour apple aroma that started our taste-buds watering. At first, we were a little skeptical on how many people would actually turn up to a hard cider tasting event, as the market is just starting to get a foothold. Even in a city as big as Chicago, it is still quite hard to find hard ciders on tap (though not impossible) and there are still so many people that have never tried it. Luckily we arrived at just the right time. There were enough people already there to form small lines for each of the vendors, and more attendants were pouring in behind us. Throughout the day, we were lucky enough to chat with some of the vendors and fellow cider lovers alike and spread the word about the blog! There were so many great ciders that we decided to review all of the varieties that we sampled. This means that we will have to do several segments to fit them all in. To simplify the process and keep everything organized in a state of compromised constitution, only one of us will be reviewing each cider with the other chiming in at certain points. Also, we are not including price because many of the ciders will not be hitting the shelves for another few months. To start the first segment, we will go over Hawke's favorites.<br />
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<u>#1 The Colorado Cider Company - "Grasshopp-ah Cider"</u><br />
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Bailey commented that this is the closest you can get to beer without actually having to drink the wretched stuff. You can find their website and other cider varieties here: <a href="http://www.coloradocider.com/">http://www.coloradocider.com/</a><br />
This cider comes from a blend of lemongrass and hops and is gluten free.<br />
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<u>Color:</u><br />
This ciders has a very pale yellow color that was very pleasing to Hawke's eyes. It also had slight carbonation to it. Hawke wasted no time in giving this cider a 5/5 apples.<br />
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<u>Smell:</u><br />
Bringing the cup to his nose brought an array of different smells. There was a slight alcohol odor present, but not too much. The robust bouquet was mostly an earthy smell of lemongrass and hops, which was very promising indeed. He also rates this category with a 5/5 apples.<br />
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<u>Taste / Complexity:</u><br />
This cider provides a strong and smooth apple flavor. It was both sweet and bitter, but it was the perfect amount of both. The hops and lemon flavors were to follow, but everything blended very well. This cider also scored a 5/5 apples for taste.<br />
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<u>Aftertaste:</u><br />
The aftertaste was slightly bitter but very smooth. It didn't linger too long, and left a pleasant tingle on the back of the tongue. Hawke also gives this a 5/5 apples.<br />
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<u>Overall:</u><br />
This cider was all that is promised and more! Beer lovers and cider lovers alike will love it! It will no doubt be a staple for a hot summer evening on the porch. This cider scored a perfect 15/15 apples, or a green apple!<br />
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<u>#2 Julian Hard Cider - "Julian Cherry Bomb" 6.9% ABV</u></div>
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If you love cherries, or a hair band from the 80's called Warrant, this cider will be for you!</div>
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Made with Montmorency cherries, this cider definitely packs a flavor punch. </div>
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You can check out their website here: <a href="http://julianhardcider.biz/">http://julianhardcider.biz/</a></div>
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<u>Color:</u></div>
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Hawke loved this gorgeous display of color. This cider is mostly red with a hint of orange when the light hits it and is very clear. He took no hesitation in giving it a 5/5 apples.</div>
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<u>Smell:</u></div>
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The aroma was surprisingly mostly alcohol. There was a hint of cherry mixed in there somewhere, but it was very subtle. He gives it a 3/5 apples. </div>
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<u>Taste / Complexity:</u></div>
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At first you will find a smooth apple taste with this cider....then POW! While definitely containing that familiar tartness of cherries, it is not overpowering. The flavors were very balanced and smooth together. Hawke gives it a 4/5 apples. </div>
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<u>Aftertaste:</u></div>
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The cherries stick around for an encore, drowning out the apple flavors. It is still a very enjoyable aftertaste though. He rates this with a 4/5 apples. </div>
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<u>Overall:</u></div>
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This cider will leave you licking your lips and longing for cherry stems to tie together. It would be great on a hot summer day. This cider gets a 16/20 apples, or a green apple!</div>
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<u>#3 Farnum Hills Cider - "F.H Xtra Dry" 7.5% ABV</u></div>
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This cider is made from late harvest apple varieties and boasts an acidic profile. </div>
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You can find all of their ciders here: <a href="http://www.povertylaneorchards.com/">http://www.povertylaneorchards.com/</a> </div>
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<u>Color:</u></div>
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Hawke commented that this cider had a very eye pleasing golden-orange color to it. It was also very clear with a few bubbles. He rates it with a 5/5 apples. </div>
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<u>Smell:</u></div>
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He was a bit contemplative when asked how this cider smelled. He finally settled on saying that it smelled bitter, with a slight alcohol tinge to it. It was pleasant, yet mild. Hawke gives this cider a 3/5 apples for smell.</div>
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<u>Taste / Complexity:</u></div>
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This is where things get interesting. There is a mild bitter flavor with some acidity to it, followed by a wooden and earthy bouquet. Hawke said he had never tasted anything like it. He also explained that this cider made his tongue feel very dry. He gives this cider a 4/5 apples.</div>
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<u>Aftertaste:</u></div>
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The aftertaste is a continuation and evolution of the earthy / barrel flavor. If you like savory flavors, you might enjoy this quite a bit. Hawke gives it a 4/5 apples. </div>
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<u>Overall:</u></div>
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If you are looking to get a little adventurous, this cider will take you there. The website tells us that this cider will stand up to some spicy dishes and we believe it. Also, if you don't mind the dry mouth feel, this cider might go pretty well with a cigar. Hawke's overall rating for this cider is a 16/20 apples, or a green apple!</div>
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<u>#4 Vander Mill - "Totally Roasted Cider"</u></div>
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A limited edition that would be great for fall or winter drinking, this cider uses a wide array of ingredients. From cinnamon roasted pecans to whole vanilla beans, it will definitely bring something unique to the table. </div>
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You can more information here: <a href="http://www.vandermill.com/index.html">http://www.vandermill.com/index.html</a> </div>
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<u>Color:</u></div>
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Hawke really liked the pale yellow color of this curious cider. It is slightly cloudy with some carbonation. This specific sample was also on tap. He gives it a 4/5 apples.</div>
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<u>Smell:</u></div>
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The aroma of this cider is delicate. It hints at sweet apples and cinnamon and is very attractive, but leaves you wanting something a little more powerful because of all the ingredients. He gives this cider a 3/5 apples for smell. </div>
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<u>Taste / Complexity:</u></div>
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This cider is somewhat of a kaleidoscope of flavors. Sweet apples are present in the beginning and shifts to cinnamon, and finally pecan. The apples get somewhat muted as the other more powerful ones take over. Hawke rates this with a 4/5 apples.</div>
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<u>Aftertaste:</u></div>
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The pecan flavor gets fairly strong and usurps the aftertaste experience. There is also a slightly thick texture left on the tongue. He also gives this category a 4/5 apples.</div>
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<u>Overall:</u></div>
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This is a cider to drink while wrapped up in a blanket next to the fireplace. It would also make a great drink around the holiday season. Since they do soak the pecans in the cider, anyone who has a nut allergy is advised to stay away from this one. Overall, Hawke rates this cider with 15/20 apples, or a yellow apple!</div>
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Whew! That was only the first round? There are still so many to review! The next post will be a list of Bailey's top favorites (none repeated.) Have a great week and stay warm out there!</div>
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<u><br /></u>Cider Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01868394173309379685noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2259437336946572161.post-60165619618898285072013-01-22T21:28:00.003-08:002013-01-22T21:28:40.275-08:00Superbowl Recipes and Hard Cider Recommendations Greetings everyone! We here at Ciderpress hope that everyone is staying warm through this cold weather that is sweeping some of the country. How many of you are ready for Superbowl Sunday? It's a great time of the year to curl up on the couch and watch some football, and you can't do that without food. It's pretty much a scientific law that Superbowl Sunday is only second to Thanksgiving when it comes to comfort food. Hawke and I have come up with some of our favorite football food recipes to share with you. But this post wouldn't be complete without pairing those goodies with hard cider! Since some of us are trying to be healthy this time of year we thought it would be fitting to offer some options to these recipes to make them more diet friendly....where it's possible.<br />
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#1 <u>Curried Ground Pork Chili (Vegetarian Option)</u><br />
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1/2 cup Quinoa (rinsed) + 1 cup of water<br />
1-2 pounds of ground pork<br />
1 med onion, chopped<br />
2 cloves of garlic, minced (add more if you want more spice)<br />
2 stalks of celery, chopped<br />
2 bell peppers, chopped (combine different colors for more flavor)<br />
1 zucchini, peeled and chopped<br />
1 large carrot, chopped<br />
3 cans of chili beans, drain half way<br />
3 cans of diced tomatoes (with juice)<br />
2 cans of tomato sauce<br />
Use salt, pepper, chili powder, and a pinch or two of sugar depending on taste.<br />
2 Tablespoons of ground Cumin<br />
3 Tablespoons of Curry Powder<br />
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**For the Vegetarian option, just remove the pork from the recipe!<br />
Top with sour cream, (or greek yogurt) shredded cheese, or even corn chips!<br />
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First, combine the Quinoa and water, cover with lid and cook about 10-15 mins (you may need to add a little additional water)<br />
Brown the ground pork in a skillet with the chopped onion, you can drain the fat or add it for flavor<br />
Combine pork and onions with the rest of the chopped veggies, adding the beans (with half the juice) and diced tomatoes.<br />
Stir everything together and add Cumin and Curry Powder. Bring to a simmer and let cook for 15 mins. Taste, and then season as desired. Simmer for another 15 mins.<br />
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The Curry adds a great new flavor to an old favorite, and the great thing about this recipe is that it will feed a crowd! Depending on the size of all the vegetables, it will serve 7-8 people.<br />
For this chili, we suggest a mild hard cider so as not to take away from the bold flavors. Aspall English Demi Sec would be a good selection, or possibly Woodpecker.<br />
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#2 <u>Slow-Cooker Hot Wings </u><br />
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One 4-5 pound bad of chicken wings<br />
1 1/2 cups honey<br />
1 stick of melted butter (or margarine)<br />
1 12 oz bottle of your favorite hot sauce (we used Frank's Red Hot)<br />
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**For the cider lovers, add 1 bottle of Woodchuck Amber or Angry Orchard Crisp to the sauce mix before pouring into the slow cooker. The sauce will be thinner, but the cider flavor will cook into the chicken.<br />
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Melt the butter in the microwave and combine with the hot sauce and honey in a big mixing bowl.<br />
Arrange the chicken wings so that they comfortably fit in the slow cooker.<br />
Pour the hot sauce mixture evenly over the wings and cover.<br />
Cook 6-8 hours on low. Periodically (every 2 hours) rotate and baste the wings in the sauce.<br />
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Coincidentally, we suggest drinking Woodchuck Amber with this recipe. Blackthorn Cider might also be a good flavor pairing.<br />
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#3 <u>Hawke's (Not So Secret Anymore) Pork Pot Stickers</u><br />
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Your in luck readers! After much pleading and bribery, I have convinced Hawke to give up his most valued secret recipe. I have personally witnessed 50 of these bad boys disappear in a matter of minutes. True story bro!<br />
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1 pound ground pork (or substitute tofu)<br />
1 cup chopped kimchi (add more for extra spice)<br />
1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, minced<br />
1 large garlic clove, minced<br />
1 egg, beaten<br />
1 teaspoon kosher salt<br />
1/4 cup vegetable oil<br />
1 package of wanton wrappers<br />
1 Tablespoon of honey<br />
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**To make the kimchi more uniform and easy to work with, pulse it in a food processor.<br />
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In a large bowl, combine by hand: ground pork (or tofu,) kimchi, honey, ginger, garlic, egg and salt.<br />
Use a large plate to prepare the wanton wrappers and have a small bowl of water handy.<br />
Spoon a teaspoon of the mixture into the middle of one wanton wrapper. Dip your finger into the bowl of water and trace the edges of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper and pinch the edges to seal.<br />
In a non-stick skillet, heat a few teaspoon of the vegetable oil. Cook each batch about 2 mins until lightly browned on the bottom. Add 1/2 cup of water to the batch and cover, cook 6 mins or until the filling is cooked through. Serve with soy sauce or sweet and sour sauce.<br />
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For the pot stickers we recommend trying a ginger hard cider such as Angry Orchard Ginger. This variety of cider has become somewhat of a fad in the market, so there are several companies that now make ginger hard cider.<br />
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As always, thank you for reading and enjoy the recipes! Feel free to post comments on our Facebook page if you like them.<br />
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<br />Cider Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01868394173309379685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2259437336946572161.post-34392680912790508482013-01-19T18:29:00.001-08:002013-01-19T18:29:22.591-08:00Aspall English Demi-Sec Draft CiderGreetings readers! We hope all of you had a great holiday season and that the reality of returning to work hasn't hit you too hard. But if it has, we have a new cider to recommend to take the edge off! We received this cider as a Christmas present from one of Bailey's roommates (and we are very thankful.) Let's get this rolling!<br />
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Aspall English Demi-Sec Draft Cider is made in Suffolk, England. It has an ABV of 6.8% and take it from us, it packs a punch! This company makes a few different varieties of cider, but sadly the website was not working properly when we tried to access it. We will list it for you anyway and hope you have better luck.<br />
<a href="http://www.aspall.co.uk/">http://www.aspall.co.uk/</a><br />
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<u>Color:</u><br />
Bailey really loved the color of this cider. It is a very crisp light gold that is very clear. She rates it with a 5/5 apples.<br />
Hawke also enjoyed the color, however he has become a fan of the more unfiltered ciders as they seem to have richer flavors. He rates this one with a 4/5 apples.<br />
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<u>Smell:</u><br />
Bailey started to feel a bit let down after taking a whiff. She felt there is an overbearing smell of alcohol with a faint sour apple aroma. She rates this with a 2/5 apples for this category.<br />
Hawke also felt that the apple smell was there, but it definitely took a back seat to the wine / alcohol. He gives it a 3/5 apples.<br />
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<u>Taste / Complexity:</u><br />
You will understand then, when Bailey took a cautious sip and loved it! She feels that this cider is very crisp, with a slightly sour apple flavor. The alcohol flavor is also very present, but it seems to complement and balance with the apples. The flavor is very mellow, but enjoyable. She rates this with a 3/5 apples.<br />
Hawke got the alcohol flavor right away, but also detected a bittersweet apple flavor that left a tingle in the back of his throat. He felt that there were no extremely bold flavors here, but also enjoyed it. He rates it with a 4/5 apples.<br />
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<u>Aftertaste:</u><br />
The mellow taste continues as Bailey felt this cider has a sweet (but not too sweet) aftertaste. It is a very simple and clean aftertaste. She rates it with a 3/5 apples. Hawke felt that the aftertaste was very fleeting, but it was somewhat sweet. He rates it with a 2/5 apples.<br />
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<u>Price:</u><br />
$8-10 for a pint bottle. Bailey feels that this is a very nice cider and feel that the price is reasonable for a pint. She gives it a 4/5 apples for price.<br />
Hawke definitely agrees that the price is reasonable considering that it is an imported cider. He feels like that it is a solid cider. He gives it a 4/5 apples.<br />
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<u>Overall:</u><br />
We have to say, out of all the English ciders we have tried so far, this one ranks pretty high. Usually we feel that they are very bitter or that the taste of alcohol is just too overpowering to enjoy. We feel this cider would be great for a spring or summer evening possibly paired with a seafood dish. Hawke also commented that he could definitely see this cider being served with a basket of fish and chips at the local pub. This is a great mellow cider for someone who doesn't want or need big bold flavors in their drink of choice.<br />
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Overall Bailey rates this cider with a 17/ 25 apples or a yellow apple.<br />
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Overall Hawke rates this cider with a 17/25 apples or a yellow apple.</div>
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<br />Cider Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01868394173309379685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2259437336946572161.post-72718651694967663792012-11-30T07:11:00.000-08:002012-11-30T07:34:30.180-08:00An Afternoon With Tom Douglas (Time Out For Some Food Part 2)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's the Holiday season! That means spending time with family and friends... around mountains of delicious food. Although this blog is mostly dedicated to hard cider, we do try to spend some time on libation's perfect partner. This week Bailey was lucky enough to be a part of Tom Douglas's cooking demonstration at Macy's on State Street in Chicago!<br />
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I will start by giving you some basic info on this amazing chef. Tom Douglas was born in Delaware and moved to Seattle in 1977. He never attended any type of formal culinary school. Instead, he climbed his way up the ropes by working in restaurant kitchens around Seattle. He currently owns a whopping 13 restaurants in the Seattle area and cultivates an array of ingredients used in their kitchens on his farm in Prosser, WA. He also produces a line of seasonings called "Rub With Love." As if all this wasn't enough to keep him busy, he also co-hosts a weekly radio show called "In the Kitchen with Tom and Thierry."<br />
His website can be found here, and there is also a link directly to the shop containing the "Rub With Love" seasoning line:<br />
<a href="http://tomdouglas.com/">http://tomdouglas.com/</a><br />
<a href="http://store.tomdouglas.com/storefront.aspx">http://store.tomdouglas.com/storefront.aspx</a><br />
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On to the show!<br />
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Upon arriving to the lovely and festively decorated lower level of the Macy's on State Street, I was greeted by the always friendly staff and ushered to my seat. I couldn't help buy notice the Christmas music playing in the background and the upbeat attitude in the air. Chef Douglas was setting up his cooking area and was dancing to the beat of "Run Run Rudolph" and I couldn't help but chuckle. Throughout the entire cooking demo it was easy to see that he was enjoying himself and really wanted to be there with everyone in the crowd.<br />
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The first course was a variation of his recipe for Coffee-Bean Turkey with Sweet Onion Gravy. In this variation he used prime rib instead of turkey to spare us from our post Thanksgiving nightmares of having to eat more roasted gobble-gobblers. He had a few general tips for cooking meat in your kitchen. Most importantly he stressed using a meat thermometer to judge when meats are done instead of relying on time. Secondly, he suggested buying a thermometer to place in your oven to make sure that the heat runs true to the digital (or dial) display. I personally never attempt to cook prime rib or any meat with a fat cap on it because the one occasion I did, it came out very dry and left me disappointed. Luckily Chef Douglas debunked a common misconception for these type of meats. He suggested trimming most of the fat cap off because it does not baste the meat, but melts and sits in the bottom of the pan with no purpose. He prepared a rub for the prime rib made out of ground coffee (for a smokey flavor,) salt, pepper, fennel seeds, and coriander. Then he did something genius by placing the sliced onions underneath the slab of prime rib on the baking sheet so they could brown while cooking the meat. The gravy was a very simple process of using the browned onions with a few sprinkles of flour and adding in turkey (or chicken) stock. To complement the meat, he then mixed together some stuffing made with dried cherries, hazelnuts, and oyster mushrooms. Luckily, I was able to sample all of this and it was amazing. The flavors meshed so well together but they also contrasted one another. I like to use the example of an everlasting gobstopper, and this is a perfect time to use that analogy. The stuffing was very moist and the cherries brought a very bold flavor to the bread chunks used for the base. The hazelnuts were not overpowering, but added another subtle layer to the overall flavors. The prime rib was seasoned very well and I was surprised that the coffee flavor did not overtake the other spices. The gravy was the blandest of all, but it was very savory and complimented the other flavors.<br />
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For the second course Chef Douglas prepared Pear Tarts with Dreamy Caramel Sauce. They were pretty dreamy. He first poached halved pears in syrup. He then mixed together a filling made from almond paste, sugar, butter, and egg yolk. The tarts were then assembled on a puff pastry and baked to a golden brown. I was sitting in the audience thinking this could not get any better when Chef Douglas made a caramel sauce to drizzle on the top. These tarts do not leave anything to be desired (no pun intended.) These were served in about 3" squares that were small enough to be considered finger food. They would definitely disappear at a holiday party.<br />
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Sadly, that was the end of the cooking demonstration, but the Chef did stick around to answer various kitchen questions from the audience. He also signed copies of his new cookbook entitled "The Dahlia Bakery Cookbook." Overall this was a great experience, and I would recommend going to Macy's on State Street for one of their many cooking demonstrations that happen throughout the year.<br />
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Disclosure:<br />
<b>I am a member of the Everywhere Society and Everywhere provided me with the compensation for this post about Macy's Culinary Council. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed herein are my own.</b>Cider Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01868394173309379685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2259437336946572161.post-78851720181648989662012-11-13T19:10:00.002-08:002012-11-13T19:10:35.950-08:00Gold Rush Hard CiderThis week Hawke and Bailey selected Gold Rush Hard Cider. This cider boasts using over 20 different varieties of somerset cider apples. It is 6.8% ABV and it is made in the UK. The quaint company website can be found here: <a href="https://www.sites.google.com/site/goldrushcider/contact">https://www.sites.google.com/site/goldrushcider/contact</a><br />
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Here we go!<br />
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Color:<br />
Bailey loves the light caramel color of this cider. It is very clear and appears to have a few bubbles after opening. She rates it with a 4/5 apples. Hawke also enjoys the light golden color and crisp appearance. He also gives it a 4/5 apples.<br />
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Smell:<br />
Hawke gets a very bitter smell from this cider and also a heavy wine smell. He does not detect much apple aroma. He sadly gives 2/5 apples for smell. Bailey detects a powerful sour and alcohol smell. The apples are there for her, but faintly. She did not enjoy the experience, 1/5 apples.<br />
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Flavor / Complexity:<br />
Hawke taste buds were bombarded with an extremely bitter flavor. He did find some apple in the complexity, but was not overly impressed. He gives it a 2/5 apples. Bailey thinks this cider is all over the map. She found it to be bitter, sour apple, and mostly alcoholic in flavor. She also felt that her mouth felt like it was "coated" after drinking this cider. She also gives this cider a 2/5 apples.<br />
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Aftertaste:<br />
Hawke sadly did not get much of an aftertaste from this cider. He said it felt more like a bitter sensation. He rates this portion with a 2/5 apples. Bailey detects a bubbly sensation at the back of her throat and mostly just taste the alcohol even stronger in the aftertaste. She gives this cider a 1/5 apples.<br />
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Price:<br />
$7-9 for 500ml or 16.9 fluid oz. Bailey thinks that even though this is a cheap option for cider, the flavor quality is very poor. She rates it with a 2/5 apples. Hawke agrees and was very disappointed by this cider. The color was very attractive, but everything else fell flat. He gives it a 2/5 apples.<br />
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Overall:<br />
This cider is definitely for people who enjoy bitter or sour flavors and need a cheap option for cider. We realize that our tastes lean toward sweeter ciders and apologize if this is one of your favorites. That being said, we still feel that this cider should have way more apple flavor considering apples are pretty much the only ingredient.<br />
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Overall Bailey rates this cider with a 10/25 apples, or a red apple.<br />
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Overall Hawke rates this cider with 12/25 apples, or a yellow apple.</div>
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<br />Cider Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01868394173309379685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2259437336946572161.post-84439121665310260072012-09-19T21:00:00.002-07:002012-09-19T21:00:49.633-07:00Woodpecker Premium Cider<br />
This cider has been a staple at the local liquor store for sometime, and today Bailey and Hawke finally give it a try. This is a simple cider. In fact the brand only makes one variety of cider. With a relatively low alcohol rating of 4.2% abv, this cider can offer a different flavor.<br />
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Color:<br />
Hawke found to be very clear with a bright golden yellow color and a few air bubbles scattered around the glass. Likewise, Bailey was interested in the crisp champagne color but also felt there was a slight carbonation to the cider. Bailey: 4/5 Hawke: 4/5<br />
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Smell:<br />
Bailey detected a very slight sour apple smell, it was almost nonexistent. As well, she felt there was a subtle alcohol smell. Hawke felt there was some wine/alcohol smell but he also felt there was no smell of of apples at all. Hawke: 2/5 Bailey: 2/5<br />
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Taste:<br />
Hawke thought that there was a very subtle apple flavor, minor alcohol flavor, but not as overpowering as the smell. It was a little surprisingly, but disappointing in that the flavor was not more pronounced. Bailey got a very bubbly flavor with a slight sweetness. It was also very crisp with nothing offensive about it to note. Hawke: 4/5 Bailey: 4/5<br />
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Aftertaste:<br />
Hawke did not detect any aftertaste. If it did occur it happened really fast. Bailey felt more of a tingle in the back of the throat than a flavor, maybe a very slight sour flavor. Bailey: 2/5 Hawke: 1/5<br />
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Price:<br />
8-10 for a six pack. Hawke thinks that the price for a six pack is very reasonable, the cider is enjoyable for the price. Bailey thought that this price is very good for the quality. It's not an over-the-top quality cider, but it is good. Bailey: 5/5 Hawke: 4/5<br />
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Overall:<br />
Hawke felt that this was a decent cider that is inoffensive because of lack of harsh flavors.<br />
Bailey thinks that this cider is another good starter cider. The flavor is very light, crisp, and clean. This would be a great cider for summer, and to pair with foods that are bursting with flavor.<br />
Overall Bailey gave this cider a 17/25 or a yellow apple.<br />
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Overall Hawke gave this cider a 15/25 or a yellow apple.<br />
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Cider Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01868394173309379685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2259437336946572161.post-16184586370234211952012-08-21T20:37:00.001-07:002012-08-21T20:37:48.013-07:00Bean Blossom Strawberry Hard CiderThis week's cider was a gift from a friend, picked up on their vacation in Tennessee! Bean Blossom Hard Cider comes from Oliver winery in Indiana. It is 8% ABV, which is high for a cider. All of their ciders come in aluminum bottles or cans. Their full line of ciders can be shipped to most U.S States and can be found here: <a href="http://www.oliverwinery.com/ciderstore?orderby=PXPC.DisplayOrder%20Asc,%20P.ProductName%20ASC&startrow=1">http://www.oliverwinery.com/ciderstore?orderby=PXPC.DisplayOrder%20Asc,%20P.ProductName%20ASC&startrow=1</a><br />
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Color: <br />
We were both surprised that this cider boasts a very light golden color. No traces of red can be found. This cider is very clear and slightly carbonated. Hawke rates the color with a 5/5 apples. Bailey also gives it a 5/5 apples.<br />
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Smell:<br />
Hawke commented that the odor of this cider is overwhelmingly strawberry. He could not detect any apple smell, but it was very pleasant. He rates it with a 4/5 apples. Bailey loves the smell of this cider. It is very sweet, most definitely all strawberry, and all together pleasing to the senses. She gives it a 5/5 apples.<br />
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Flavor / Complexity:<br />
Bailey was a bit disappointed that this cider was very sour to her palate. Because the apple and strawberry flavors had mixed completely, it tasted more like an ambiguous berry. She was hoping that the two flavors would stand alone from each other. She rates the taste with a 3/5 apples. Hawke thought this cider was very bitter. He tasted mostly strawberry with a tiny bit of apple, but all together the taste was a bit off-putting. He also rates it with a 3/5 apples.<br />
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Aftertaste:<br />
Bailey didn't get much of an aftertaste from this cider. There is some of the berry flavor that lingers, but only for a second. She gives it a 2/5 apples. Hawke did not get an aftertaste either, but the bitter flavor did remain on his tongue. He rates it with a 1/5 apples.<br />
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Price:<br />
$7-9. Hawke thinks that this cider is of a low quality for the price. The smell is very promising, but the flavor does not deliver. He gives it a 2/5 apples. Bailey also feels that the quality of this cider is a bit low, although you do get a decent amount of cider per bottle. She gives it a 3/5 apples.<br />
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Overall:<br />
Hawke does admit that the smell of this cider is tantalizing, but it was much too bitter for his tastes. If you do enjoy bitter or sour flavors, this cider is for you. Bailey felt that either they could have done a better job of balancing the flavors, or they just do not mix well together. She also wonders if this cider is allowed to age to maturity or if it is rushed by the presence of sulfates.<br />
Overall Hawke gives this cider 15/25 apples or a yellow apple.<br />
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Bailey gives this cider 18/25 apples overall, or a yellow apple.</div>
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<br />Cider Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01868394173309379685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2259437336946572161.post-72503167125186784212012-08-02T20:59:00.000-07:002012-08-02T20:59:17.095-07:00Woodchuck Farmhouse Select<br />
This particular Woodchuck Cider came to us as a surprise. As we had not seen it on the local shops until recent. Then Hawke researched it and found it was available year round. The cider promises a taste of the original Woodchuck Cider back when it was first made. They use Vermont apples and Belgian beer yeast to produce the flavor. Information about this and other Woodchuck ciders can be found at : <a href="http://www.woodchuck.com/">www.woodchuck.com</a><br />
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Color:<br />
Bailey thought highly of the champagne gold color. Not quite the usual tinge we have seen from the other Woodchuck products. She rates it with a 4/5 apples. Hawke was delighted by the slight yellow tinge and slight cloudiness of the drink. He gives it 4/5 apples.<br />
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Smell:<br />
Bailey detected a smell of sweet apples, but it was very faint. It was almost masked completely by a more alcohol smell. The smell was however very crisp. She gives this cider a 2/5 apples for lack of a pleasing smell. Hawke smelled the alcohol that was strong but not quite overpowering. Under this was a slight apple smell, but it wasn't very prominent. Hawke wished the apple smell was more present. He rates it with a 3/5 apples.<br />
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Taste:<br />
Bailey felt that this was a very light cider. She delighted in a sweet apple taste, with the alcohol taste not overpowering. This cider doesn't have a jaw-dropping powerful flavor, but Bailey did like it. She gives it a 4/5 apples. Hawke found the flavor extremely light filled with a mix of apples and alcohol. He also gives it a 4/5 apples.<br />
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Aftertaste:<br />
Bailey detected a strong sour apple aftertaste. It reminded Bailey of fermenting apples, yet it did not linger for a long time. She very much enjoyed the short lived sour contrast to the sweet flavor. She gives it a 4/5 apples. Hawke felt a sweet aftertaste that does not linger but a minor alcohol flavor accompanying it. He rated it with a 3/5 apples.<br />
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Price:<br />
$11-13. This bottle contains 750ml, the same as a wine bottle. Bailey felt one would get 4 generous glasses worth of cider. For the price it is a good quality cider.She gives the price a 4/5 apples. Hawke thought that it was a decent cider. He thought it was reasonable for those that want a change from the usual Amber cider. He rates it with a 4/5 apples.<br />
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Overall:<br />
It is a good cider for summer or spring. The flavors are not necessarily as robust as the other ciders that have been sampled thus far, but it is still a high quality cider. Also, because it is so light, it can be paired well with a lot of different food.<br />
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Overall, Hawke gives this 18/25 apples or a yellow apple!<br />
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Bailey also gives this cider 18/25 or a yellow apple!<br />
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<br /></div>Cider Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01868394173309379685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2259437336946572161.post-88527281661074141902012-07-17T21:41:00.000-07:002012-07-17T21:45:00.798-07:00Angry Orchard Apple Ginger Hard CiderThis week Hawke and Bailey try Angry Orchard Apple Ginger Hard Cider! We have tasted a few of the other varieties from this company and were eager to try their newest addition. Their website can be found here: <a href="http://angryorchard.com/">http://angryorchard.com/</a> and it's a pretty awesome website (if we may say so.) This company is very creative, using bittersweet apples from France, and culinary apples from Italy which are sweet and acidic. This cider is 5% ABV. Here we go!<br />
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Color:<br />
Hawke was a little apprehensive as soon as we poured this cider out. It is extremely clear, which can mean one of two things: it's over filtered and lacks taste, or the producers actually know what they are doing and made a quality product. On looks alone however, Hawke gives this cider a 4/5 apples. Bailey loves this golden color giving it a 5/5 apples.<br />
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Smell:<br />
Bailey took one whiff of this cider and was in love. She immediately detected sweet apples (her favorite apples for flavoring cider.) She did comment however that there was no trace of ginger in the smell. She gives it a 3/5 apples for the lack of ginger. Hawke did detect ginger with his olfactory sensors, but not much of the apples. Instead he could smell the alcohol. He did enjoy the smell though, and gave it a 4/5 apples.<br />
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Flavor / Complexity:<br />
When Hawke sampled this cider, he tasted sweet apples and alcohol. The ginger was not prominent for him. He did comment that the quality of the cider (even without the ginger taste) was very good. He gives this a 3/5 apples for lacking ginger taste. Bailey did get a very sharp ginger flavor, but that wasn't the first thing she tasted. What stood out for her the most was the very crisp, sweet apples. It was like biting into the juiciest apple ever! The ginger taste was there for her, but it was short lived and did not stand out as much as she would have liked. She rates this cider with a 4/5 apples because the taste was great either way.<br />
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Aftertaste:<br />
And...cue the ginger. Both of us found the sharp ginger in the aftertaste. It didn't last very long, but it was definitely there. Hawke rates this with a 4/5 apples. Bailey really enjoyed the aftertaste because for her, ginger can sometimes taste very spicy and be overpowering. In this cider, it is enjoyable, but doesn't knock you out of your seat. She rates it with a 4/5 apples also.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #f9cb9c;">Price:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f9cb9c;">$7-10</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f9cb9c;">This cider comes in a six pack of bottles and is very reasonably priced. With the gap allowing for tax and difference in price due to different areas, we purchased our six pack for less that what beer might cost. Both of us agree that the quality of this cider closely rivals Woodchuck ciders (one of our favorites.) Both of us rate the price with a 5/5 apples!</span><br />
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Overall:<br />
All in all, this cider is excellent! This is an excellent pick to add a tiny bit of spice to your drinking agenda. We highly recommend trying this cider along with all the other Angry Orchard varieties.<br />
Hawke rates this cider overall with a 20/25 apples, or a green apple!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh365Kk1j8ZqZQQGNPlHpzUfvrhWNu8O0zstIKU9qEDI1zL1S7Q_cNTQsZZkDAS2fGVDe5A4z2ySdL6Aul17r-cBM8_8qlWdbMhQs5sltruxsec33wCRwW4t7V0rAF1EkjlAEmgxmq-2Lg/s1600/green-apple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh365Kk1j8ZqZQQGNPlHpzUfvrhWNu8O0zstIKU9qEDI1zL1S7Q_cNTQsZZkDAS2fGVDe5A4z2ySdL6Aul17r-cBM8_8qlWdbMhQs5sltruxsec33wCRwW4t7V0rAF1EkjlAEmgxmq-2Lg/s1600/green-apple.jpg" /></a></div>
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Bailey loved the crispness of this cider and the sweet apples! She rates this cider overall with a 21/25, or a green apple!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh365Kk1j8ZqZQQGNPlHpzUfvrhWNu8O0zstIKU9qEDI1zL1S7Q_cNTQsZZkDAS2fGVDe5A4z2ySdL6Aul17r-cBM8_8qlWdbMhQs5sltruxsec33wCRwW4t7V0rAF1EkjlAEmgxmq-2Lg/s1600/green-apple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh365Kk1j8ZqZQQGNPlHpzUfvrhWNu8O0zstIKU9qEDI1zL1S7Q_cNTQsZZkDAS2fGVDe5A4z2ySdL6Aul17r-cBM8_8qlWdbMhQs5sltruxsec33wCRwW4t7V0rAF1EkjlAEmgxmq-2Lg/s1600/green-apple.jpg" /></a></div>
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