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!
Gold Rush
Reserve Series | Batch B.24
A relatively new American apple (Golden Delicious, Winesap and Siberian Crab parentage), Gold Rush apples exemplify what heirloom fruit can offer. Low on tannins, but with a rich, diverse profile including pear, pineapple, lemon curd and cling peach – topped by a spicy, white pepper finish!
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
Golden Russet
Reserve Series | Batch 8.23
Golden Russets may resemble potatoes (due to their bronze-hued, russeted skins), but they’re one of America’s best cider apples. Here's an example from our friends at Century Steep Orchards, offering a more subtle version of our mainline GR – with notes of jackfruit, ripe pear, butterscotch and nutmeg.
Core Club 2023 Q4 Selection
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
Black Twig
Reserve Series | Batch 5.22
A classic “Southern Heirloom”, Black Twig apples were first introduced in 1830s Tennessee - known then (as now) as highly flavorful, “keeper” apples. Notes include black cherry, plum, tangerine dried apricot and white pepper.
Core Club 2022 Q2 Selection