Blackthorn Fermented Cider

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Time out for some food! An interview with Takashi Yagihashi

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sarasola Astigarragako Sagardoa Basque Cider

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

Fox Barrel: Ginger and Blackcurrant Pear Cider

This week Bailey and Hawke wanted to try something a little exotic. Fox Barrel's Ginger and Blackcurrant Pear Cider with Organic honey is what we chose. This cider is unfiltered, and contains 6.5% ABV. You can find this cider and all the Fox Barrel products at: http://foxbarrel.com/cider/

Color:

The color of this cider is a very rich berry red. It is a tiny bit cloudy because it is an unfiltered cider, but it is very bold. Hawke remarked that it reminds him of a very rich cranberry juice. Bailey rates this with a 4/5 apples. Hawke gives it a 4/5 apples also.

Smell:
The aroma of this cider is very fruity and enticing. Bailey said that it brought back memories of her adolescent  days when she had a love affair with wine coolers. Hawke also enjoyed the smell, but added that the fruit smells all mixed together and you couldn't really determine one from another. Bailey rates this with a 3/5 apples. Hawke also gives it a 3/5.

Flavor / Complexity:
Bailey was very impressed with this cider after she sampled it. There is a very pungent ginger taste right away, and a little spicy kick to it from the blackcurrant. The pear and any other fruit juices, take a back seat to the spices. Hawke thought that it tasted like a mix of pear and grapefruit juice with a lot of ginger mixed in. He did not detect the spicy kick that Bailey did. Bailey rates this cider with a 4/5 apples. Hawke gives it a 3/5 apples.

Aftertaste:
Bailey enjoyed this aftertaste. It was very fizzy and tickled her tongue a bit. She mostly tasted the strong ginger in the aftertaste. Hawke agreed, not tasting anything but ginger and lots of it. Bailey rates it with a 4/5 apples. Hawke also gives it a 4/5 apples.

Price:
$6-8 Bailey thinks that this cider has a lot of flavor and is totally worth the price. She rates it with a 5/5 apples. Hawke thinks this is very reasonable and rates it with a 4/5 apples.

Overall:
We both feel that this cider has a lot of kick and pizzazz! If you are looking for something new and different this would be a great cider to try. Usually Hawke and Bailey are not big on pear ciders, but this one has won us over. The only area of improvement we have for this cider would be to lessen the amount of ginger in this cider, and allow the great flavors of the fruit juice to come forward a little bit.
Bailey gives this cider a 20/25 apples, or a Green Apple!

Hawke gives this cider an 18/25 apples, or a Yellow Apple!

Woodchuck Private Reserve Belgian White

This came to us as a special surprise. We had first heard of this Cider a couple of weeks back, but were unable to locate it in our area. A store did come through for us though, and we managed to get our hands on this beverage. 


This cider is made with Belgian Beer yeast, coriander, and orange peel. It is as interesting as it sounds. You can navigate their website here: www.woodchuck.com 

Color:
 Bailey thinks this cider looks like apricot nectar because of the unfiltered cloudiness and the orange tint. It makes her mouth water just looking at it. Hawke was impressed with the color. It was not dull, and the cloudiness betrayed no large particles. Hawke 5/5 Bailey 5/5 

Smell:
There are so many smells to take in when you inhale the essence of this cider, and each one of them are very robust. You can faintly smell the yeast, which usually bailey would be opposed to (she doesn't like beer) but it isn't overpowering. Second, you can detect the sweet smell of the apples. The last, but definitely not least is the orange aroma. These smells perfectly blend together, and are very appetizing indeed. Hawke detected the smell of apples, along with another more mysterious fruit smell. It was not unappealing, but pleasant.
 Hawke 5/5     Bailey  5/5

Flavor  / Complexity:
Bailey takes more than one sip when trying this delectable cider. She is very surprised by the first taste that hits her. It's almost as if you are taking a drink of beer, but the taste is so smooth it doesn't result in a lemon face as any beer would usually make her produce. There is no bitterness to this cider. The next flavor is the apple cider, a mix of sweet and tangy apple goodness. The last is of the orange, that starts very mild and builds in the aftertaste. Once you take one sip, you won't be able to put this bottle down.
Hawke 5/5     Bailey 5/5

Aftertaste:
The aftertaste that Bailey gets the most is of the orange flavor. It almost tastes juicy...the only way she can describe it. It reminds her of a burst of flavor that you would get from biting into a popping boba, the little tapioca balls of juice that the frozen yogurt places have as toppings. The orange flavor is very sweet, and it leaves you wanting more. Hawke thinks that this after taste is quick, but flavorful. Many of the previous ciders have had a a strong, or bitter aftertaste, and in one case no aftertaste at all. This offers a good balance between all possibilities, while not compromising the flavor. Hawke 5/5     Bailey 5/5

Price:
 $11-13 Bailey thinks that the price is a little steep, but it is a new product, and with the quality of this cider, she thinks it is worth it. Hawke is feeling a tad bit more lenient, and feels like that the price would go down if it because a year round blend. Hawke 4/5   Bailey  4/5

Overall:
This would make an awesome summer drink. It's like drinking an everlasting gobstopper of apple and orange goodness! We know that this is currently a private stock reserve, but we would very much like it to become a regular product, or possibly a seasonal. This cider offers and ideal balance of all the above categories. Not too sweet, not too bold, no bitter after taste. Of all the ciders we have tried so far, this is Bailey's favorite!
 Hawke 24/25 Bailey 24/25  both rate this with a green apple!

Thistly Cross Cider

Thistly Cross is a cider made in east Lothian, Scotland. The bottle lacks a good deal of information regarding what is to be expected, but Bailey and Hawke went on. While it does state that it is made from 'Scottish apple varieties' it is not clear what apples in particular, as there are many different kinds.

website: http://www.thistlycrosscider.co.uk/

Color: 

Upon pouring, Bailey and Hawke with both intrigued by the color that this cider produced. Considered a light gold, it was also very clear with very little, if any, unfiltered pieces inside.  Bailey: 5/5  Hawke: 5/5

Smell: 

The smell of the cider was another intriguing factor. Hawke thought the cider had a wine smell, but it was not very strong. Bailey detected a light smell, almost slightly sweet apple smell, not very powerful Bailey: 3/5  Hawke: 4/5

Flavor / Complexity:

Hawke delighted with the flavor apples and sweet taste with a slight hint of bitterness. bailey was raptured with a perfect blend of bitter and sweet, very suprised that it has such a bold flavor, the apple flavor is really great.  Bailey: 5/5 Hawke: 4/5 

Aftertaste:

Bailey thought there was a short burst of bubbly taste and bitter-sweet. Hawke thought it was a very short lasting aftertaste, detecting some  bitterness, but not overwhelming.  Bailey: 3/5 Hawke: 4/5(if the aftertaste lasted 

longer, bailey would have scored higher)

Price: 

$5-8 we only attained one bottle for this price, and only filled 2 wine glasses. I'm sure in the native country they sell it in 6 packs, and in several more varieties. Which is a shame, as we are intrigued by this particular brand.
Bailey:3/5 Hawke: 3/5 

Overall: 

Bailey loved the taste, wished the aftertaste lasted longer, stating that this is a great summer cider, very bold and refreshing. Hawke: Auprisingly good considering the bottle has very vague information on the brewing process or apples used. 

Bailey: 19 or a yellow apple

Hawke: 20 or a green apple

Crispin Honey Crisp Artisanal Reserve

This week Hawke and I tasted a cider that I have been very pumped about. For this variety, Crispin uses apple wine smoothed with organic honey. Honestly, they had Bailey at apple wine, the honey did make her eyes gleam with excitement though. It says on the website that wine can be a mix of 3 to 5 different apple varieties. You can check out their full line at : http://www.crispincider.com/cider/

Color:

After pouring a glass, Bailey remarked that it resembled a light Chardonnay. Hawke agreed, adding that it also is close to the color of a light Champagne. It is a bit cloudy, but from reading up on this particular cider, it's supposed to be that way because of the unfiltered apple wine used to make it.

Bailey:  4/5 Apples

Hawke: 4/5 Apples

Smell:

The aroma of this cider is quite delightful. Bailey was very happy with the boldness of sweet apples and a slight white wine smell. She didn't detect any of the honey, but Hawke said he could. He also commented that it smelled very crisp and fresh, but he felt it was lacking something.

Bailey:  5/5 Apples

Hawke: 3/5 Apples

Complexity / Flavor: 

Bailey took a hefty swig and got a surprise. This cider seemed to have a very overpowering flower, or blossom taste. There was almost a slight berry taste that couldn't quite be pinpointed. She was a bit disappointed in this. This means that the honey used came from the pollen of different flower strains and not clover, which is her favorite. Hawke picked up the apple wine flavor right away, and did not pick up any honey or sweetness. He thought the flavor was definitely lacking and not strong enough to impress him. 

Bailey: 2/5 Apples

Hawke: 3/5 Apples

Aftertaste: 

For Bailey, the very pungent flower and berry flavor gets stronger in the aftertaste. It completely voids any of the apple taste that she detected before. Hawke didn't get much of an aftertaste in this one, but did pick up a slight sweet fruit flavor.

Bailey: 2/5 Apples 

Hawke: 3/5 Apples

Price: $6-8

The alcohol is 6.5% abv. The price is fair, and if you like a more flowery bouquet (no pun intended) you will like this cider. Hawke thinks there is definitely room for improvement on this one.

Bailey:  4/5 Apples

Hawke:  4/5 Apples

Overall:

This one was a bit of a let down, however we would like to mention some determining factors. Obviously everyone's taste buds work a little differently. Where Bailey picked up flowers right away, Hawke did not taste them as much. So, just because we aren't over the moon for one of the ciders doesn't mean it's not worth trying. Also, because they are using honey as an ingredient, this means that each batch may not taste exactly the same. Since honey is made from pollen picked up by bees, each batch is going to be made from a different mixture of plants and flowers every time. It could be that this batch was not the best year for the honey they used. 

Bailey :  17/25 or a Yellow Apple

Hawke: 17/25 or a Yellow Apple: