It’s not on a regular basis I get to strive a cider that’s as new and mysterious as Turncoat Cidery’s Madeira Cask Cider. I needed to strive one thing new on a darkish winter night time in that unusual time of lull after the vacations.
Turncoat Cidery is an up-and-coming small cidery on Benedict Arnold’s historic farm, utilizing all Rhode Island apples. Madeira Cask Cider intrigued me particularly as a result of I’ve by no means truly tasted Madeira. For me, it is all the time been one of many close to infinite record of drinks that present up in novels which have piqued my curiosity for years. For some further background data, I turned to each on-line sources and Turncoat’s cider maker.
I’ll hyperlink to Turncoat Cidery’s web site extra for the longer term than for the current: https://turncoatcidery.com/
In response to the Connecticut and Rhode Island Beverage Journal, “Using 16 heritage cider varieties—together with Golden Russet, Ashmead’s Kernel, Harrison, Arkansas Black, Whitney and Roxbury Russet—Turncoat! farms organically and follows low-intrusion fermentation strategies so as to add nice character to their small-batch manufacturing.” The cider is on the market by way of distribution and at eating places.
Right here’s what the cider’s label reads.
Madeira Cask Cider Turncoat ciders are made out of heirloom cider apples grown at Fox Hill Farm, a fantastic saltwater farm on the base of Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island and the colonial period farm of Benedict Arnold. Right now we honor the traditions of cider making previous by way of considerate mixing of bittersweet and bittersharp apples to present our cider each nuance and character.
This specific cider went into the bottle about 6 months in the past.
Look: hazy, medium depth shortbread shade, no seen bubbles
The Madeira Cask Cider’s shade jogs my memory of completely baked shortbread; its golden however gently so. I don’t see any seen bubbles, and the cider has a smooth haze.
Aromas: petrol, apricot, leather-based, walnuts, mushroom
These descriptors paint an image for me, similar to the Madeira Cask Cider’s aromas do. It is a story of mature, earthy and wild scents. Its very foresty with apricot, walnut, and mushroom notes. The cider doesn’t simply odor like fairy woodland although; I additionally get petrol and leathery components as properly. I so recognize the multi-dimensional funk occurring!
Sweetness/dryness: bone dry
This cider is dry. Don’t ask for it to be candy.
Flavors and ingesting experiences: glowing, lemon, smoky and funky
This cider’s flavors develop very naturally from its aromas. The Madeira Cask Cider has a number of the barrel and oxidation-related notes extra related to Madeira itself: walnut, hazelnut, and orange peel. There’s extra although; this cider is glowing, with notes of lemon, barrel, and smoke.
It is a funky cider that I feel will attraction most to followers of each UK cider profiles and genuinely dry ciders. Fortunately for me, I’m very keen on each! I just like the cider’s acidity, austerity, and problem. The entire expertise is angular and savory. It might stand as much as a hearty meal fantastically, however the cider is advanced sufficient to take pleasure in by itself. Beautiful.
