Tender inexperienced leaves and apple blossoms, is there any extra lovely time than this part of spring? As a chance, I can solely put forth the height of apple harvest, however proper now I’m very keen on this season. Maybe I write about it an excessive amount of right here. This isn’t a climate weblog, I promise. I did benefit from this hotter situations this previous week, and I selected a cider that appears forward to Summer season. I’m so comfortable to share my ideas on Montana Ciderworks’ Hopped Up Heritage.
Taking a look at Montana Ciderworks web site, I used to be struck with this introduction of the corporate and its practices, “We help sustainable agriculture and the preservation of open areas in our lovely valley. Our cidermaking will increase the worth and usefulness of Montana’s orchards in order that they may stay on the panorama to help and delight future generations.” This thread of cider as orchard conservation is expensive to my coronary heart.
As we speak’s evaluation is simply my second cider by Montana Ciderworks. I first reviewed the North Fork Conventional: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2022/01/cider-review-montana-ciderworks-north.html
To be taught extra about this cidery go to Montana Ciderworks’ web site: http://montanacider.com/
Right here’s the cider’s official description.
Hopped Up, Restricted Launch Cider: Hopped Up is complicated and curious; a semi-dry cider of bittersweet heritage apples, dry hopped with a novel hop mix to wed Continental (brown spice & herbs) with English (citrus & fruit) hop profiles. Style true cider taste with complementing Fuggle & Sterling (Saaz X Cascade) hop aromas.
Gold medals on the 2019 Portland Worldwide Cider Cup and GLINTCAP 2019. ABV 6.9%, accessible in 500ml bottles solely.
Look: barely hazy, sandstone, seen bubbles
The Hopped Up cider appears to be like a lot like a quintessential UK cider! The Hopped Up Heritage has a slight haze, intense sandstone shade, and some seen bubbles simply on the prime of the glass. It makes my mouth water to have a look at it.
I’m loving these aromas; the Hopped Up smells s0 juicy! It’s paying homage to contemporary pear juice, however I additionally get minerals; zesty citrus, honey or nectar, and peach. This cider positively shows the citrusy aspect of hops.
Sweetness/dryness: Semi-sweet
Although the Hopped Up cider has a lot extra occurring than its stage of sweetness, it has a transparent stage. It is a semi-sweet cider. The sweetness jogs my memory of apples, honey, and peaches.
Flavors and ingesting expertise: very fruity, citrus, pear, tannic, acid
This cider is a lot enjoyable. The Hopped Up jogs my memory of Summer season as a result of it tastes prefer it smells! It’s very fruity and moist: citrus, pineapple, grapefuit together with pear and peach. I additionally get a little bit of grippy tannin motion. That makes the entire expertise rather more fascinating. Maybe what I respect most thought is that by some means the apple stands as much as the hops, with malic acid aplenty.
This cider has medium excessive acid and a pleasant large mouthfeel. It’s a bit warming—it feels a contact extra boozy than I’d anticipate from the ABV. The Hopped Up is kind of pleasing and balanced total. The end emphasizes a perfumed candy heat of nectar. Very pleasant!
