Pomme and Perry Showcase: What is Perry?

Most readers are familiar with cider - or hard cider as it is referred to in the United States. The legal tax definitions are that it is (1) made from apples, pears, or concentrate of apples or pears and water; (2) contains no other fruit product or fruit flavoring other than apple or pear; and (3) contains at least 0.5% and less than 8.5% alcohol by volume.

Pear cider or Perry is a subset within this classification and the major difference with apple cider is not only the fruit but more importantly that pears naturally contain unfermentable sugars (sorbitol) that leave a residual sweetness in the beverage. And whereas cider uses the Long Ashton Research Station (LARS) classification system to understand the complex relationships between acidity, tannin, and sugar levels, perry classification is much simpler. Either low tannins or high tannins.

Differences Between Perry and Cider:

• Fruit: Perry is made from fermented pears, while hard cider is made from fermented apples.
• Unfermentable Sugars: Pears contain unfermentable sugars, such as sorbitol, which leave a residual sweetness in the beverage. This is not typically found in hard cider.
• Maturity and Pomace: Pears must be left to mature after picking, and the pomace (fruit residue) must be left to stand after initial crushing to lose tannins, a process similar to wine maceration. Hard cider production does not require this step.
• Chemical Compositional Differences: Apples and pears have distinct chemical compositions, affecting pre-fermentation and fermentation decisions for perry production.

Pear Varieties:

• Barnet: A sweet pear variety with low acidity and tannins, making it suitable for perry production.
• Butt: A bittersharp triploid pear variety, often used for perry making, particularly in England.
• Yellow Huffcap: A sharp diploid pear variety, also used for perry production, with a high tannin content.
• Barland: A pear variety known for producing consistently excellent perry, with a balanced flavor profile.
• Brandy: Another pear variety suitable for perry making, with a flavor profile that might evoke notes of brandy.
• Thorn: A pear variety mentioned as one of the best for perry production, although specific characteristics are not specified.
• Taylor’s Gold: A pear variety reported to produce excellent perry, with a sweet flavor profile.
• Normanischen Ciderbirne: A European pear variety used for perry making, with a flavor profile that might include notes of apple and pear.
• Gin: A pear variety mentioned as part of a European variety selection used for perry production.
• Hendrik’s Huffcap: A pear variety used for perry making, with a flavor profile that might include notes of citrus and floral hints.

Recently we have opened three classic perries: Wooden Gate Cider Manitoba Perry, Doc Waters Cidery Lady Kay Perry. , and the Finnriver Farm & Cidery Traditional  Perry. The latter is composed of Hendre Huffcap, Yellow Huffcap, Romanian Perry pears grown in Finnriver’s organic orchard and wildcrafted seedling pears from the Olympic Peninsula. A classic perry. The Lady Kay Perry is made from pears harvest from a 100 year-old tree found on their Maryland property and which we used in a Perry-Vermouth Cocktail. The Wooden Gate is made from winter hardy dessert pears blended with hardy bitter varieties and producing a more acidic farmhouse style that works equally well in a Perry-Vermouth cocktail.

Some cideries choose to create apple-pear blends which allow the acidity and tannins of the apples to meld with the sweeter tannins and floral character of the pears. Glass Apple Cider from the Green Bay Packer region offers the Grow A Pear semi-dry cider which combines the ripeness and juicy acidity of the apples with the sweetness and floral elements of the pears. In neighboring Duluth Minnesota, Wild State Cider offers a similar product in the Juicy Pear. Brace for a more refreshing option than a traditional perry. Similarly, Locust Cider offers their Honey Pear – a blend of Washington state apples and pears with wildflower honey with rising acidity to balance the sweeter profile.

The Virginia Cider Trail Coincides with the BevFluence Cider: New Perspectives on Cider, Perry, and Brandy Campaign

This is a big month for Virginia Cider. Last week the American Cider Association (ACA) announced the launch of the Virginia Cider Trail where users of the app can win prizes and receive discounts at participating cider houses. And it just happened that this summer I have already visited four of these establishments. And I believe I was the first to officially check-in using the Virginia Cider Trail app at Sage Bird Ciderworks and Ciders from Mars. 

In addition, our partner site at BevFluence has opened brand registration today for their Cider: New Perspectives on Cider, Perry, and Brandy campaign. The cider, perry, and brandy products will be presented to a combination of industry experts, mixologists, bartenders, creators, bloggers, writers, and other media – and across the craft beverage landscape. This will generate new perspectives about cider, perry, and apple brandy from creators who range from cider novices to experts. I also plan on taking the ACA's Certified Cider Professional (CCP) exam during this campaign and using the ciders with my training guide. Brands and content creators can register here for the BevFluence campaign or learn more about the CCP here.

Lost Boy Cider is an urban cidery in Alexandria and sources its fruit from various orchards in the Shenandoah Valley. In early June they hosted one of four sessions on the Virginia Cider Road Show presented by the ACA. After a brief overview of Lost Boy by cidermaker Dave, the ACA's Jennie Dorsey provided a history of cider, a history of cider in North America, and then the history of cider in Virginia. She then provided a brief overview of Virginia's three most important apple varieties: Newton (Albemarle) Pippin, Hewes VA Crab, and Harrison. She finished by discussing the ACA's Apple classes (bittersweet, bittersharp, sweet, & sharp); ACA Cider Families (cider, perry, fruit cider, botanical cider, & dessert ciders); cider cocktails; and cider-food pairings. Yes, a boatload of information was packed within each session. We finished with a food and cider pairing featuring cheeses from Cheestique. I think the Barrel-Aged cider paired with the Appalachian cheese, dried pear, and balsamic vinegar was my favorite -- very complimentary.

Castle Hill Cider is located east of Charlottesville in Keswick and has an interesting history regarding the propagation of cider apples. As stated on their website:

Colonel Thomas Walker, the original owner of Castle Hill Estate, was the first to bring Newtown Pippin apple scions to Central Virginia following his return from the Battle of Brandywine in 1777.  The variety was planted at Castle Hill and became known as the Albemarle Pippin apple.

And as most Virginia cider lovers know, the Albemarle Pippin is still one of the signature Virginia apple varieties and was even exported to England throughout the 1800s.  Castle Hill Cider was founded in 2020 and the estate is planted with 6,500 trees featuring more than 30 apple varieties including Albemarle Pippin, Black Twig, Harrison, Burford Red Fresh, GoldRush, Dabinett, Hewes Crab, and Wickson Crab. The ciders are bottled in either 750ml or 375ml bottles and range from sweet to dry. 

During our visit, we choose a Classic flight and a Barrel aged flight. The majority of the group preferred the Terrestrial 2020 where the tannins and slight RS are balanced. It's also an interesting blend that includes Black Twig, Winesap, and Ashmead's Kernel. Personally, I preferred the funky, dry, and naturally fermented in quevri Levity 2020. Is this the only American cider fermented and aged in Georgian quevri?

For the barrel-aged ciders, the Hewes Pommeau Reserve is fascinating with complexity created by four years of aging in Woodford Reserve barrels and Keswick Winery wine puncheons. I also enjoyed the Silver Bough where Dabinett and Golden Hornet ciders were aged over a year in rum barrels.

Sage Bird Ciderworks is located in downtown Harrisonburg and opened a couple years ago after the persistently hard work of Zach and Amberlee Carlson. This is the first cidery in the home of the Dukes and they offer an excellent array of various styles. I settled on a flight of five ciders - slightly more than the paddle size. The clear favorite was the Dry River Reserve -- their flagship brut cider made from a blend of Virginia-grown apples. The Peaches For Me fits perfectly into the upcoming BevFluence campaign since the cider was aged in used apple brandy barrels. The oak treatment is noticeable -- providing a peaches and cream feel with a boost of apple flavors. Finally, an interesting geographic cider is their Stay Gold, a dry cider inspired by West Virginia's official state fruit, the famed Golden Delicious apple. 

Ciders from Mars is located about 30 miles south in downtown Stanton across the street from both Ox Eye Vineyards and Redbeard Brewing Company. So no excuses for not visiting. The cidery was founded by Virginia natives and science-minded Nikki West and Jeremy Wimpey. And Nikki improved her cidermaking through courses at the Cider Institute of North America -> a partner of the American Cider Association. Over a burger from 1Tribe Farm, I sampled six ciders through a standard flight. The Helles Dry is a solid representation of a brut cider and on the other side of the spectrum, the Pink Oceans was interesting with a subtle strawberry profile. However, the most impressive cider was easily the Liquid Gang, made from foraged apples and fermented using native yeast. The tannic structure mimics biting into an apple. Could be my favorite cider made in Virginia and is on par with the excellent cider from New York's Aaron Burr Cidery.

Perry, Cocktails, & the Cider Industry with New Hampshire's Farnum Hill Ciders

August's #WineStudio sessions concludes tonight with more tasting and information regarding the cider industry in general and New Hampshire's Farnum Hill Ciders in particular. My previous post focused on the cider house's origins and philosophy.  Last week, the focus was on cocktails and the industry in general with several cider houses and #tastemakers participating.

Cocktails
Farnum Hill and Protocal Wine Studio offer a list of cider based cocktails included the Snakebite (50-50 blend of cider and beer) and  the Happy Apple (run and cider). Darlene Hayes (@allintocider) offers another recipe:

Getting started early w/ @tiltedshed Graviva @_spiritworks Sloe Gin & @AppleEllie Orleans Bitter #winestudio

— Darlene Hayes (@allintocider) August 19, 2015

Kegging Cider
You don't see much kegged cider because most retailers and wholesalers expect the kegged cider to be priced similar to beer. Only the mass produced ciders have the economics of scale to price at that level. Plus these massed produced ciders are mostly likely made from concentrated juice, not freshly pressed.


Regulations
Ciders with alcohol over 7% must be packaged in metric (375, 500, 750 ml) formats which are then taxed like wine and carry a higher tax rate. This Diane Flynt (@FoggyRidgeCider) mentioned that Virginia grown is always above 7% thanks to the warmer temperatures. Unless the cider is diluted, they must be packaged accordingly. Cider makers are hoping the CIDER Act changes this formula.

Perry
Perry is cider made from special pear cultivars that are higher in tannins and acids as compared to common pears and even cider apples.  Because of these tannins, the pear pomace is usually left to on its own as in wine maceration. During this time a secondary malolactic fermentation may result where the harsher malic acids are converted to softer lactic acids.

Farnum Hill Ciders

Farnum Hill Extra Dry Perry ($15, 7.2%) - yeasty and stone fruit nose and less tart than the previous apple ciders. A degree of funk, tannins, and easy acids. This is a special cider.

Farnum Hill Semi Dry ($15, 7.4%) - subtle sweetness which intermingle with the acids for a richer and deeper flavor profile. There's plenty of apple and citrus, both lemon and tangerine, with a touch of honey. Glad we saved the best for last.