I write from a comfortable desk spot on a wet Labor Day. I’m grateful to have at this time for relaxation and much more grateful to those that labor to maintain issues functioning at this time and on a regular basis. This time of yr, that particularly means orchard and farm employees. Thanks!
Right this moment, my evaluate options Dragon’s Head Cider’s Rosé. This cider was a part of a Northwest Cider Membership Cargo. I like having the ability to buy curated picks of ciders not often out there to me in distant upstate New York. You may study extra concerning the Northwest Cider membership right here: https://nwciderclub.com/
Dragon’s Head Cider involves us from Vashon, Washington. Vashion is an island with an orchard off the coast of Washington state.
Right here’s how Dragon’s Head Cider introduces their course of and philosophy of cider making.
From apple to bottle, all proper right here on our farm.
At Dragon’s Head Cider, we take a conventional method to cider making. Our focus is on the apple varieties that we use and the standard of the fruit. We love the story that apples alone can inform via cider, altering the flavour by altering the mix of apple varieties that we rigorously choose. The method is straightforward and the elements checklist is brief. Maybe we’re a little bit quaint.
You may learn the remainder of the method and study all of Dragon’s Head cider on the web site: http://www.dragonsheadcider.com/
I don’t have many earlier evaluate of Dragon’s Head ciders, as a result of I haven’t gotten to style them practically as typically as I’d like. Listed here are all the cidery’s earlier appearances on the weblog.
Heritage: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/09/cider-review-liberty-ciderworks-wickson.html
Wild Fermented (#1 cider of 2019!): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/04/cider-review-dragons-head-wild.html
In 2018, Dragon’s Head seems in my protection of CiderCon: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/02/cidercon-part-2-including-heritage.html
Right here’s the official description of Dragons Head Rosé:
Our Rosé Cider is created from a novel mix of purple fleshed apple varieties, together with Redfield apples from our personal orchard. Not like typical apple bushes, within the Spring, the blossoms on the Redfield bushes are brilliant pink, the leaves are a reddish bronze, and amazingly the flesh of those lovely apples is purple. When the apples are pressed the juice is a crimson colour that lightens and clears into the blush rosé that you just see within the bottle. Vibrant and fruity, this cider is definitely distinctive for its colour but additionally scrumptious in taste.
Alcohol 6.90%
Look: Good, Bubbly, Copper Crimson
What a gorgeous cider. I completely perceive why the Rosé cider is bottled in clear glass. The coppery purple colour is simply too inviting to not share! The cider is sensible and bubbly as properly. What a visible invitation.
Aroma: Mineral notes, Cranberry, Grapefruit, Black Pepper
The primary scents that unfold are mineral notes adopted by cranberry, grapefruit and pepper. I do know some people query minerality, however I don’t know precisely learn how to put it when sniffing a cider makes me take into consideration rocks. The cider’s aromas make my mouth water.
Dryness/Sweetness: Dry
Dragon’s Head Cider’s Rosé cider is dry. I’ll not name it bone dry, nevertheless it’s shut.
Flavors and ingesting expertise: Excessive acidity, excessive tannins, peach, floral end
The Dragon’s Head Rosé cider has excessive however not excessive acidity. It makes an exquisite first impression of fruity and zinginess. That’s instantly adopted by medium excessive tannins that floor and anchor the cider. I liked the floral end with bits of peach. It’s a deeply pleasant cider. The feel is outlined by very tremendous bubbles.
Upon second and third sips, I began to note a mild caramel be aware beneath the brightness. The fruitiness will get extra definitively peach, cranberry with a little bit of a spicy inexperienced pepper be aware on the finish. The cider has a skinny mild physique that’s stored angular by the acidity. It is a stimulating cider that’s tremendously inviting for meals. Dragon’s Head Cider’s Rosé is simply so good!
I paired this with a roasted chickpea, tomato, feta salad. Extremely really helpful!
