Pomme and Perry Showcase: Single Varietal Ciders

We look at each cider as a story. When we are making our ciders from the year's harvest we take the apples we are given, the characters, and try to blend into a particular story. Some might be more easy going, others might be more edgy. Making single varietal ciders subtracts the whole story and leaves us focusing on the character, which helps us to get to know the stars of the story - APPLES. -- Nate Watters, Keepsake Cidery

Most ciders on the market are blends of various cider apples sculpted to incorporate various aspects of each apple. But have you ever wondered about the unique characteristics of an individual apple variety? Is it sharp (acidic), sweet, tannic as depicted through the Long Ashton Research Station (LARS) classification? 

By understanding the characteristics of each variety and adjusting production techniques accordingly, cider makers can craft complex and flavorful ciders that showcase the best of each apple. They must factor in the growing conditions of the apples as well as the yeast strains and fermentation temperatures. 

For instance, there are key differences in growing conditions required for optimal flavor development in various single varietal cider apple varieties. These include:

• Climate: Cooler temperatures for sharp and full sharp varieties, moderate temperatures for traditional and modern varieties
• Soil: Acidic soils for bittersharp apples, well-draining soils for dessert apples
• Orchard style: Traditional cider apple varieties thrive in mature, high-density orchards with a mix of soil types and moderate climate conditions. 
• Region: Cider apples grown in different regions, such as the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, and Northwest in the US, may require adjustments to growing conditions based on local climate and soil characteristics. 
• Apple variety: Single varietal ciders made from heritage or traditional cider apple varieties may require specific growing conditions, such as cooler temperatures and higher acidity, to bring out their unique flavor characteristics. In contrast, ciders made from dessert apples may be more forgiving of varying growing conditions.

Snow Capped Cider must manage one set of these differing growing environments. The estate cidery is located at the bottom of The Grand Mesa -- the largest flat top mountain in the world. The orchards sit at elevation ranges between 6,130' - 7,000' and they trees are planted in fertile organic soils irrigated naturally by snow runoff.  This natural condition maintains nutrients -- and along with the high amounts of U.V. exposure due to the altitude -- creates a very high sugar concentration in all of their fruit.  Yet the conditions also encourage the development of tannins and acidity - balancing the sugars. Acidity from the diurnal temperatures and tannins from the fruit's ripeness. 

Different yeast strains and fermentation temperatures can also significantly impact the final flavor profile of single varietal ciders. Yeast strains can introduce various flavor compounds, while fermentation temperatures affect yeast growth, enzyme activity, and the production of volatile compounds. By understanding the characteristics of different yeast strains and fermentation temperatures, cidermakers can experiment and tailor their processes to achieve specific flavor profiles, ultimately creating unique and complex ciders.

Here are a few single varietal ciders that we have sampled recently - most through the BevFluence Pomme and Perry Showcase.

Hewe’s Crab was the most common fruit variety grown in eighteenth-century Virginia. It is thought to be a cross between the native American crabapple, Malus angustifolia, and the domesticated European apple. It produces a delicious cinnamon-flavored cider that is both sugary and pungent. Jefferson planted his entire north orchard exclusively with this variety and once wrote that crushing the juicy Hewe's Crab for cider was like "squeezing a wet sponge." Its small, round fruit, which ripens in September in Central Virginia, is dull red and streaked with green. (monticello.org)  

The Hewe's Crab apple is considered Bittersharp with the bitter implying high tannins (polyphenols) and the sharp implying high acidity (malic acid). This is based on the Long Ashton Research Station (LARS) classification. The tannins and acidity can provide this cider the capability to age.  We are holding back the James Creek Cider House Etude No 4 - Hewe's Crab to test that thesis, but for now this is a perfectly balanced cider in terms of acidity and tannins. The apples were sourced from Glaize Old Home Orchard (60%) and Kordick Family Farm (30%) - don't you love that type of information - and aged in French oak. This one is interesting in that there is a sense of the tropics - as in tropical fruit - in this delicious sparkling cider. 

Ashmead's Kernel is an old English russet apple that originated from a seed planted around 1700 by Dr. Thomas Ashmead in Gloucester, England. The apple is lumpy, misshapen, and rather small with green and golden-brown skin, and a distinct crisp, nutty snap.  Interestingly, Ashmead's Kernel is one of a few apple varieties from the Old World that succeeded in the New World.  "When the first settlers arrived in North America they brought with them tried and tested varieties from Europe, yet few adapted to the very different climates of North America and most of the early successful American apple varieties were chance seedlings that evolved in America.  However Ashmead's Kernel did thrive, and today holds a position of respect on both sides of the Atlantic..". -- Orange Pippen

The Snow Capped Cider 2020 Ashmead's Kernel is a nice representation of the apple as this Pet-Nat styled cider is made using apples grown in their high altitude Colorado orchards (6,130 feet), slowly fermented with natural yeast,  and bottled before fermentation sis complete. This cider has a strong red delicious fresh cider flavor with plenty of juicy acidity and mild tannings. 

Chestnut Crabapple is a larger crabapple introduced at the University of Minnesota in 1949 as a cold hardy pollinator. However, the apple is one of the oldest in the University of Minnesota apple breeding program and was likely "the product of the original seed collected in 1907/1908 that founded the program".  It is very disease resistant to the most common apple tree diseases such as apple scab, cedar apple rust, powdery mildew and fireblight.  It's known to be sweeter and less tart than the smaller crabapples and that was the case with the Keepsake Cidery Dry Cider Chestnut Crab Single Varietal. This Pet-Nat styled cider was naturally fermented from fruit grown at the Gilchrist Orchard. Despite the dryness there is distinct nutty - apple flavors that mimic sweetness - with a blossoming apple aroma and sizzling texture that lingers long into the glass.

The Baldwin apple was introduced commercially around 1784 and by 1850 it was the Northeast’s most popular apple, more widely grown in the United States than any other variety. But a harsh winter in 1934 wiped out most of the Baldwin apple orchards leading to a waning in its popularity. Too bad, because its well documented history is fascinating. It is named after Colonel Loammi Baldwin, a Revolutionary War veteran who crossed the Delaware with Washington and commanded the Woburn Regiment during the Battle of Concord and Lexington; a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; and he is known as the Father of American Civil Engineering through his canal construction. Plus he was a fervent apple grower and second cousin to John Chapman ("Johnny Appleseed").  The apple is often medium to large with skin that is yellow, flushed orange, and striped red. The flavor is sweet with crisp acidity. The South Hill Cider Baldwin is made using the traditional method champenoise. It is bone dry with lingering citrus notes and a refreshingly effervescent finish. In fact, the amount of citrus is surprising coming from a cider. 

Dabinett is a British cider apple found by William Dabinett in the early 1900s growing as a wild seedling. It is a very reliable variety with high quality juice and is known for its strong aroma and distinctive flavor. The apples are small with red stripes often with red flush and makes a bittersweet cider which is mellow and full-bodied. "The tannins found in the flesh of these apples are the same substance found on the skin of wine grapes, which affects the flavor and acts as a stabilizer and natural preservative in both wine and cider" (Cider Scene)  The South Hill Cider Dabinett Keeved 2022 is made in the traditional French keeving method to achieve a wild-fermented and naturally semi-dry cider.  This process uses a slow 180 day fermentation after a cold maceration, and bottling before fully fermented to create a petillant naturel sparkling cider.  This is such a unique cider both in terms of the fermentation method and the apple varietal. There are layers of complex flavors flowing through the tannic body - some tropical, some earthy funk, some black tea - very complex. 

Pomme and Perry Showcase: Pet-Nat Cider with Farmstead Cider

Pet-Nat cider is a type of sparkling cider that finishes its primary fermentation in the bottle, producing a natural carbonation. It's full name is Pétillant Naturel and is also referred in the wine world as Méthode Ancestrale -- the oldest method of producing sparkling wine. This process involves bottling the wine or cider before it has fully completed its first fermentation, allowing the natural sugars in the juice to produce carbon dioxide. This is a delicate art form since bottling too late results in less effervescence and too early -- possible catastrophe. The ideal result is a softly fizzy, and usually hazy and funky cider from the unfiltered yeast particles.

In the Pomme and Perry Showcase, Jackson Hole Wyoming's Farmstead Cider entered their Teton Pet-Nat ($21). This delicious sparkling cider started with a wild ferment then was bottled just before going dry, producing a beautiful effervescent, hazy, and slightly funky sparkling cider. For a little change of pace we also added a shot of Virago Spirits Cherry Liqueur which elevated the experience -- brought back memories of picking Idaho and Wyoming cherries. 

Farmstead Cider also has an interesting backstory and harvest history as it became the first commercial cidery in Wyoming in over 100 years.  Apparently grizzly bears have been drawn out of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks into urban communities foraging for apples -- putting them in direct conflict with humans. To mitigate this problem, Farmstead Cider founders Ian McGregor and Orion Bellorado decided to remove the apples and themselves forage the community for various apples.  In the process they have rediscovered "forgotten 150+ year old apple trees, planting new orchards in places where growing apples was thought to be impossible, and teaching people about high altitude farming along the way". Apparently the high altitude and cold winters of Jackson Hole and the rest of Wyoming create excellent cider apples.

Bear photo courtesy of Farmstead Cider.

Pomme and Perry Showcase: What is Pommeau?

On our travels and discussions with consumers we see how Pommeau has a sense of mystery and confusion in the marketplace. We have heard it referred to as fortified wine or a dessert wine. Sometimes as sweet apple brandy. So let's get started explaining What is Pommeau?

Pommeau originated in Calvados, a region in Normandie France that has Appellation d’Origin Contrôlée (AOC) status for the production of apple brandy. And these regulations are detailed. The brandy starts with fresh apple juice and possibly some pear juice pressed with the extracted juice called "must".

The must is nat­ur­ally fer­men­ted in tank. The spe­cific­a­tions do not authorize pasteurization or the addi­tion of gas, acid or sugar. The fer­ment­a­tion pro­cess trans­forms the sugars con­tained in the must into alcohol. The ciders are ready to be dis­tilled when the sugars have been com­pletely con­sumed and the alco­hol con­tent is at least 4.5% abv at 20°. There is a min­im­um of 21 days, in which time the fer­ment­a­tion takes place, between the juice extrac­tion and the dis­til­la­tion for Calvados and Calvados Pays d’Auge. This min­im­um increases to 30 days for Calvados Domfrontais.

Two types of still coex­ist within Calvados’ three appel­la­tions: the pot still and the column still (fixed or mobile). The Calvados appel­la­tion is the only appel­la­tion to allow the two meth­ods of distillation. For the Calvados Pays d’Auge, a double distillation is carried in a pot still, usually made of copper. The column still is mandatory for the distillation of Calvados Domfrontais and is widely used for Calvados. Five or six first distillations are required to obtain enough brouillis at 30% to be added back to the boiler for the second distillation.

Depend­ing on the appel­la­tion, Calvados can only be sold after a min­im­um ageing of two or three years. It is aged only in oak bar­rels, from sessile or ped­uncu­late oak. In cer­tain dis­til­ler­ies, the young Calvados is first aged in 250 to 600-litre new oak bar­rels, which con­tain a lot of tan­nins, to give it color and char­ac­ter before trans­fer­ring it to older bar­rels, some of which can be a 100 years old. To be legally released for sale, Calvados must be at least 40% abv. 

Classic Pommeau (Pommeau de Normandie) is a cordial that is a blend of unfermented apple cider and Calvados that is then aged a minimum of 14 months in oak barrels. Officially it is classified as a mistelle -- a blend of brandy and fruit juice. The blend itself various by distiller with some using a 3-1 apple cider to brandy contribution. The overall alcohol per volume ranges between 16-18% which may explain the fortified wine and dessert wine comparisons. Another popular French Pommeau is Pommeau de Bretagne which is produced in Brittany, using lambig apple brandy instead of Calvados.

On the other hand, distillers outside of Normandie are not bound by these regulations and can experiment with different styles.  In Virginia, Sage Bird Ciderworks blends eau de vie (un-aged brandy) with a light fermentation of Harrison and Dabinett apples to produce their 2022 Long Night Pommeau. The blend is aged in freshly-dumped bourbon barrels from A. Smith Bowman for a minimum of 12 months. 

Last week we tasted a sweeter Pommeau and stronger at Finnriver Farm & Cidery on the Olympic Peninsula. They start with 100 proof apple brandy distilled from their cider and aged for two months in American oak. This is blended with Fall apple harvest must from a combination of organically grown traditional bittersharp and bittersweet cider apples grown on their estate and on Orca Island. The 20% abv mixture continues to mature in the barrel for approximately two years before bottling. 

In Minnesota, Milk and Honey Ciders offers a Pommeau that blends the fresh-pressed juice of Newtown Pippins, Golden Russets, and Chestnut crab apples with apple brandy that was distilled in partnership with Tattersall Distilling that had been aged in used bourbon barrels for 18 months. The mixture was then aged for an additional two years before bottling.

Popular food pairings include melon, blue cheese, and apparently salmon. And then there's always a cocktail option. Here's the Orchard 75 by Jason Wilson.

• 1 ½ ounces pommeau
• 1 ounce gin
• 1 ounce lemon juice
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• 1 ½ fluid ounces chilled dry hard cider
• Lemon twist for garnish

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice cubes. Add pommeau, gin, lemon juice and bitters. Shake well, then strain into a medium (12-oz.) wineglass. Top with hard cider and garnish with a lemon twist, if desired.

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.