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Cool, crisp ciders to quench summer’s thirst

By: Ben MacPhee-Sigurdson Posted: Last Modified:

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After a monster month of tasting hundreds of Canadian wines at the WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada in June, I’ve been taking it easy on the fermented grape-based beverages.

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Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 08/07/2017 (3076 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

After a monster month of tasting hundreds of Canadian wines at the WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada in June, I’ve been taking it easy on the fermented grape-based beverages.

And with summer weather finally here, I’ve been leaning more on beer and cider when I want an adult beverage.

In fact, cider was one of the more compelling categories I tasted at last month’s competition. Producers in many parts of the country — especially Ontario, B.C., Quebec and Nova Scotia — are making some truly impressive examples of the stuff, highlighting differences in apple varieties much in the same way wineries dabble in different grapes. Judges were even able to visit Annapolis Cider Company in Wolfville, N.S., which is making compelling ciders from Annapolis Valley apples.

The Pommies Cider (Caledon, Ont. — around $3.95/473-ml can, Kenaston Wine Market) is “fashioned from 100 per cent Ontario Heritage apples” and is quite pale in colour, with bruised red apple, pear and apple seed/skin aromas showing well. It’s mostly dry and light-bodied, with those bruised red-apple notes giving way to almost-salty, savoury notes. Decently refreshing but not mind-blowing; this one’s only at Kenaston Wine Market. ★★½
The Pommies Cider (Caledon, Ont. — around $3.95/473-ml can, Kenaston Wine Market) is “fashioned from 100 per cent Ontario Heritage apples” and is quite pale in colour, with bruised red apple, pear and apple seed/skin aromas showing well. It’s mostly dry and light-bodied, with those bruised red-apple notes giving way to almost-salty, savoury notes. Decently refreshing but not mind-blowing; this one’s only at Kenaston Wine Market. ★★½

Of course, we don’t see their products in Manitoba, and generally the cider selection in our province is pretty lacklustre — despite the fact that cider is one of the hottest categories right now. Of the 40 ciders listed on the Manitoba Liquor Marts website, around half are flavoured to taste like other fruit — they’re essentially boozy pop that happens to be made from apples — and many of those that aren’t flavoured are imported from other countries. Beer vendors and private wine stores alike are able to carry ciders, and Kenaston Wine Market in particular has a few interesting Canadian and international examples.

So when it comes to unflavoured cider in our market, what’s out there worth trying? If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, sampling a half-dozen ciders must mean I’m good for at least a few months…

uncorked@mts.net Twitter: @bensigurdson

Ramping up the intensity is the Coffin Ridge Forbidden Dry Cider (Annan, Ont. — around $4, private wine stores), a cider made by the Ontario winery of the same name. It’s pale straw in colour, but aromatically it delivers a wallop of ripe red apple, lemon zest, spice and light waxy and pear notes. On the crisp, light-bodied palate there’s just a touch of sweetness, which works well with the medium acidity (that’s tart but doesn’t get overly bitter) to bolster the delicious apple flavours. It’s like biting into a ripe crabapple. I found this at Kenaston Wine Market. ★★★★
Ramping up the intensity is the Coffin Ridge Forbidden Dry Cider (Annan, Ont. — around $4, private wine stores), a cider made by the Ontario winery of the same name. It’s pale straw in colour, but aromatically it delivers a wallop of ripe red apple, lemon zest, spice and light waxy and pear notes. On the crisp, light-bodied palate there’s just a touch of sweetness, which works well with the medium acidity (that’s tart but doesn’t get overly bitter) to bolster the delicious apple flavours. It’s like biting into a ripe crabapple. I found this at Kenaston Wine Market. ★★★★
The Savanna Premium Dry Cider (South Africa — $2.75/330-ml bottle, Liquor Marts and beyond) is about the same colour as the Strongbow, albeit with more prominent effervescence. Aromatically the red-apple notes are bigger and brighter, with hints of fresh pear and apple seeds in there as well. There’s just a hint of sweetness on the light-bodied palate, which accentuates the apple flavours and the secondary lemon notes that come through. I tasted this last year, with similar notes. Solid stuff. ★★★
The Savanna Premium Dry Cider (South Africa — $2.75/330-ml bottle, Liquor Marts and beyond) is about the same colour as the Strongbow, albeit with more prominent effervescence. Aromatically the red-apple notes are bigger and brighter, with hints of fresh pear and apple seeds in there as well. There’s just a hint of sweetness on the light-bodied palate, which accentuates the apple flavours and the secondary lemon notes that come through. I tasted this last year, with similar notes. Solid stuff. ★★★
Probably as good a place to start as any is one of the most popular ciders going — the Strongbow Original Dry (Amsterdam — $3.95/500-ml can, Liquor Marts and beyond). It’s medium-gold in colour and brings pretty fresh red apple and spice notes on the nose. On the dry, light-plus bodied palate, modest red-apple skin and chalky notes show not so badly, although it’s not the most exciting cider. Rather, it’s serviceable but fairly nondescript. ★★½
Probably as good a place to start as any is one of the most popular ciders going — the Strongbow Original Dry (Amsterdam — $3.95/500-ml can, Liquor Marts and beyond). It’s medium-gold in colour and brings pretty fresh red apple and spice notes on the nose. On the dry, light-plus bodied palate, modest red-apple skin and chalky notes show not so badly, although it’s not the most exciting cider. Rather, it’s serviceable but fairly nondescript. ★★½
From a local upstart liquor delivery service comes the Shrugging Doctor Apple Cider (Winnipeg — $9.99/750-ml bottle, Liquor Marts and beyond). Oddly, it’s in a screwcap bottle but capped under a cork closure. It’s medium-gold and cloudy/murky in appearance, and aromatically brings notes of bruised apple and pear as well as secondary chalky and soapy notes. It’s a still (read: non-carbonated), medium-dry and somewhat clumsy cider that’s muted flavour-wise, with apple candy (think Jolly Ranchers) flavours as well as an odd savoury/soy sauce note. It’s nice to champion the locals, but this isn’t a cider I can recommend. ★½
From a local upstart liquor delivery service comes the Shrugging Doctor Apple Cider (Winnipeg — $9.99/750-ml bottle, Liquor Marts and beyond). Oddly, it’s in a screwcap bottle but capped under a cork closure. It’s medium-gold and cloudy/murky in appearance, and aromatically brings notes of bruised apple and pear as well as secondary chalky and soapy notes. It’s a still (read: non-carbonated), medium-dry and somewhat clumsy cider that’s muted flavour-wise, with apple candy (think Jolly Ranchers) flavours as well as an odd savoury/soy sauce note. It’s nice to champion the locals, but this isn’t a cider I can recommend. ★½
In the bottle the Guzman Riestra Sidra Brut Nature (Sariego, Spain — around $16/750-ml bottle, private wine stores) looks more like a Spanish Cava than a cider. In the glass, it’s pale straw in colour, with plenty of effervescence and fresh apple, chalky, pear, lemon and melon rind aromas. Secondary fermentation occurs in the bottle here — the same way it does with Cava, French champagne and many other bubblies — and the Riestra is made naturally, with minimal filtration, preservatives and other additions. It’s bone dry on the palate, with mouth-watering crisp green apple, lemon rind, herbal and chalky flavours that are totally delicious. ★★★★½
In the bottle the Guzman Riestra Sidra Brut Nature (Sariego, Spain — around $16/750-ml bottle, private wine stores) looks more like a Spanish Cava than a cider. In the glass, it’s pale straw in colour, with plenty of effervescence and fresh apple, chalky, pear, lemon and melon rind aromas. Secondary fermentation occurs in the bottle here — the same way it does with Cava, French champagne and many other bubblies — and the Riestra is made naturally, with minimal filtration, preservatives and other additions. It’s bone dry on the palate, with mouth-watering crisp green apple, lemon rind, herbal and chalky flavours that are totally delicious. ★★★★½

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