Chicago’s Cider Week 2019
January 26, 2019
Far From The Tree’s Tea-Infused Ciders
February 2, 2019
Based out of Richmond, Virginia, Buskey Cider has released some amazing! They have created a Heritage Blend Variety 4-Pack including these fancy apples: Harrison, Ashmead’s Kernel, and Cameo. These are their single varietals. To cap off the four pack, they didn’t stop there. They also created a heritage blend which combines the three.
As you may know, it is not common to have these delicious single variety heritage ciders in cans or with such rich variety. We know Eden has done it. We know that Buskey has done it, too!
Buskey’s objective is to offer cider fans true-to-the-apple ciders that are dry and express the nuances of each type of apple. This is the truest way for American cider fans to get closer to the core and discover what made cider popular while unveiling the craft of cider making.
Will Correll, CEO of Buskey:
“Our Heritage Cider Variety 4-Pack gives us the chance to share a unique opportunity with our fans, to allow them to experience each apple used in the blend on its own as a single varietal and then see how the co-mingle to create a heritage blended product.“Our passion at Buskey is making great ciders approachable while pushing the limits of what has been done in cider, which is why our talented team is so excited to be bringing this project to you in our standard format, a can!”
When we had the opportunity to taste these ciders, we were thrilled. These cider are make with fresh pressed Virginia apples and a whole bundle of love. Due to the climate, Virginia and its greater region produce distinct flavors and apples that thrive in its environment, making many of their varieties equipped for cooking, baking, eating, saucing, or drinking. Their single varietal cider apples (Harrison, Ashmead’s Kernel, and Cameo) make for complex, flavor ciders that are simple with the ingredients.
Now, that all sounds fine and dandy, but what do they taste like? Let’s get a closer look at each one and what we experienced when tasting.
These are the four ciders in the pack & a brief description:
- Cameo: 6.9% ABV. Classic apple that is tart, clean, and refreshing. This one is new to Buskey.
- Ashmead’s Kernel: 6.9% ABV. This shows fruity notes of banana and peach. Complex and a familiar friend of Buskey’s team.
- Harrison: 6.9% ABV. Thought to be extincted, this apple is tannic and bittersweet. Buskey like this apple because its cider maker’s name is also Harrison.
- Heritage Blend: 6.9% ABV. A blend of the three that accentuates all individual flavors.
Our Experience
Ashmead’s was the blend that my tongue didn’t fully understand. I didn’t sense the fruity flavors that are hinted at, but I still understood its depth. This one probably had the most complex flavor on my palate, but I just wasn’t capturing all of the elements. This cider carries a lot of acidity, levels of bitterness, and growing fruit essence.
The Harrison cider was the most intense tannic experience. The slight bitterness opened into a very dry experience. This one probably carried the most sophisticated flavor and experience that I enjoyed.
My favorite of the pack was Cameo. This single varietal cider was fairly tart, extremely clean in flavor, and apple forward. The experience was sweet, sour, subtle, and bursting with apple flavor.I think I discovered my new favorite apple in this one.
The heritage blend was simply a collection of the above, but balanced in a way that I did not expect. I sensed a lot of what the other three had to offer, but it was not overtaken by bitterness or acidity. Colorful, dry, and mellowed on my tongue. The flavor grows and elevates to the back of the mouth, but offers plenty of apple flavor.
