Maker Notes
Research and development (but with cider!)
Why notes?
Taste, of course, is a highly subjective thing. But cider making is an art and a science. Cider apples have unique flavor characteristics - which for nerds like us - are worth noting, helping expand our appreciation and enjoyment of each cultivar. Tasting notes can also identify how apples respond to growing conditions – helping us make better, more delicious choices in how and where to grow varietals. This library details nearly every cider we’ve made since 2019, using a common “spider chart” format ranking 18 criteria ranging from basics like sweetness, tartness and astringency to how each cider recalls other fruit and spice categories. Members of our Core Club receive copies of these with each shipment, along with a crib sheet providing background on how we define our criteria - making it easy and fun for fans to compare their experiences with ours.
Use the search tools below to explore the archive, noting batch numbering for each release, wherein the first digit(s) represent product sequence followed by abbreviated year of release. Above all, enjoy cider!
Lafayette
Reserve Series | Batch 10.23
Our latest French-style cider – featuring American varietals including Harrison, Franklin and McIntosh. Keeving stalls fermentation before complete dryness, expressing deeper, more complex fruit and microflora notes. Ripe tropical fruit, cling peach, caramel and crème brûlée flavors.
Core Club 2023 Q4 Selection
Lafayette Non
Reserve Series | Batch 4.23
Just for fun, we used the same apple blend as our 2.23 Lafayette but sans the keeving process, fermenting to fully dry. Here, floral and bittersweet apple aromas lead ripe/baked pear, creamy custard, white grape and spice and flavors.
Core Club 2023 Q2 Selection
Dabinett
Reserve Series | Batch 3.23
Dabinett apples have been a favorite cider varietal since their discovery in Somerset, UK. Apple peel and bruised citrus aromas open for ripe apple and black cherry flavors, with a mildly spicy, tannic finish. The red wine of ciders?
Core Club 2023 Q2 Selection
Kingston Black
Artisan Series | Batch 1.21
Notoriously hard to grow, Kingston Black is nonetheless the world’s most renown cider apple, presenting an ideal balance of flavor, tannins and acidity. Complex and layered – green apple, tangerine and spicy flavors with hints of caramel and tobacco; medium tannins and acidity. One of our very best!
General Release - 2022 Good Food Award Winner
Cidermaker's Blend
Reserve Series | Batch 8.22
Two very different apples – Gold Rush, a new US heirloom, and Dabinett, a traditional UK cider apple – married to create one of the most perry-like ciders we've ever made (without using pears!) Notes include creamy pear, lychee and honeycomb, with notable tannins and a slate-like minerality.
Core Club 2022 Q3 Selection
Brown's Apple
Reserve Series | Batch 7.22
This classic "sharp" UK apple seems to love the Palouse region, bearing profusely and yielding an unusually balanced profile. This cider's bittersweet nose leads pillow-y baked apple, stone fruit, strawberry and oak flavor notes. Lovely!
Core Club 2022 Q3 Selection
Porter's Perfection
RESERVE SERIES | BATCH 2.22
Porter’s Perfection apples are a favorite UK bittersharp apple, regularly used in blends or as a stand-alone. Mild bittersweet funk on the nose, leading to dried pear, ginger spice and woody notes. Mild volatile acidity with a strong tannic finish.
Core Club 2022 Q1 Selection