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!
Stoke Red
Reserve Series | Batch A.24
First discovered in Rodney Stoke, a village three miles from Cheddar UK, this bittersharp apple is favored in traditional blends. Perhaps the most intensely tannic cider we've made, it offers quince, Mandarin orange, citrus rind and apple peel notes, backed with a pronounced oakiness from 18-month barrel aging.
Core Club 2024 Q1 Selection
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
Franklin Apple
Reserve Series | Batch 9.23
Discovered in 2008 in northern Vermont, the Franklin apple is a rare American “bittersharp,” offering substantial tannins that provide greater body and mouthfeel. Uniquely balanced profile, leaning to Mandarin orange, caramel, date and mace notes. We’re excited by this one - an American Kingston Black?
Core Club 2023 Q4 Selection
Harrison
Reserve series | Batch 8.22
Once thought "lost" but rediscovered in 1989, Harrison apples were considered among America's finest cider varietals. Happily, they seem to love the PNW – and so we're working to include them more often. This example presents a balance of flavor cues, including cling peach, lychee and apricot.
Core Club 2023 Q1 Selection
Blackstrap
Reserve Series | Batch 6.22
A "New England" style cider inspired by colonial-age recipes. Harrison and Virginia varietals, co-fermented with raisins, local Juneberries and molasses. Markedly different than last year's version, this cider offers notes of pear, quince, tobacco and molasses, backed by plenty of chewy tannins.
Core Club 2022 Q3 Selection
Esopus Spitzenburg
Reserve Series | Batch 4.22
Discovered near Esopus NY in the late 1700s, many believe Spitzenburg apples are the finest of all American Heirloom varietals. Bottled in “Pét Nat” style, this one expresses quince, green apple, pear and white pepper notes.
Core Club 2022 Q2 Selection