Whew!
I don’t know about you, but much of the United States just made it
through the #bombcyclone (Bombogenesis) and Winter Storm Grayson. It
was snowy, windy, and seriously cold. Mostly, this was terrible. But
this kind of weather really is perfect for curling up at home in a
cozy fashion. And nothing goes better with cozying up than a glass of
cider. And this time, it may have been the only way I survived cabin
fever. Today, I'm sharing my thoughts on one of the ciders that
helped us in the cold.
I've
not reviewed anything by Snowdrift Cider Co. before because I simply
never see it for sale. I've been curious about them for ages. I
finally picked up a bottle when traveling to San Francisco. They are
based in Central Washington State on the Columbia River where they
grow apples, make cider, and keep a tasting room open on weekends.
Their orchard dates back to the 1960s and includes eating apples,
heritage apple varieties, crabs, and apples best used for cider. The
cidery dates from 2008.
I
love this excerpt of how they introduce themselves and their cidermaking:
All of our ciders start with tree ripe fruit that we carefully crush and ferment. Often unsightly and a challenge to eat fresh, the French, English and old American cider apple varieties we grow to make our ciders carry intense aromatic flavors that shine through fermentation and aging. As the cider ages through the cold snowy winter, the bitter tannins that made the fruit so edgy while fresh give way to soft, complex and surprising flavors that linger and evolve on the palate. Our ciders are best served at a cool room temperature.
You
can learn more on the company's website:
http://www.snowdriftcider.com/
Today's
cider is the Barrel-Aged Cornice. Here's the official description:
In our region, winter winds whip layers of snow into majestic formations called cornices. They hang in a gravity-defying balance, ready to cascade at any moment into a rushing avalanche. We wanted to craft a cider to carry these traits… So we aged cider in oak barrels, knitting tannins and aromas into an avalanche of flavors. Notes of bourbon vanilla, fall fruit and toffee coalesce in this off-dry cider.This cider's smooth complexity and luscious vanilla-toffee notes pair well with grilled meets, pulled pork, bacon-wrapped dates, as well as rich desserts. Alcohol 7.5% by volume.
Appearance: brilliant, deep copper, few bubbles
I don't see a lot of visible bubbles, here but I see some and an intense color. I love that deep copper hue. It's totally brillliant, as my bookshelf picture demonstrates clearly.
Aromas: ripe apples, paper, dust
The
Cornice smells bracing and bitter, though the apple presence in the
aroma is undeniable. Something about the smell strikes me as brittle;
I think perhaps its the barrel that gives the cider a wooden note. I
could even call it paper or pencil shavings. Other notes make me
think of a stone cracking. And yet amidst these hard things, I can
still smell soft apples, wispy smoke, and vanilla.
Sweetness/dryness:
Off dry
This
cider is very nearly dry, and perhaps you could call it dry. I think
its fruitiness makes me perceive it as off dry in a very natural and
reserved way.
Flavors
and drinking experience: high acid, plummy, warm, golden
Oh,
this is a rich one! The Cornice offers up high acid zing but so much
more. Some of the flavors remind me of rich golden dried fruits like
sultanas or apricots. Some of the richness comes from beautiful fruit
esters that make the cider feel so plummy.
Yes,
I'd call it off-dry but with a lingering warmth because of the barrel
qualities I'd be curious to know the actual levels of residual
sugars, but not much.
Other
flavors include baking spices, caramel, buttered toast crumbs. As for
the mouthfeel, there are tannins and gentle bubbles. The high ABV
makes it feel fuller still in the mouth. This is a decidedly decadent
cider with fullsome fruitiness and powerful booziness. It just sweeps
in from all sides, offering a pleasant degree of complexity, but not
overpoweringly so. I found it extremely pleasing with a hearty
vegetable stew and warm cats. I didn't eat the cats. They just sat on
me.
