Life On Tap

The ninth of many from the New York State Cider Festival haul, Dan has another Kingston Black from Eve’s Cidery’s North Orchard.

STYLE: Cider – Dry (single varietal)
INGREDIENTS: Kingston Black apples from their North Orchard
ABV: 8.0%
AVAILABILITY: 750ml bottles (Limited)

Stats above taken from the brewery’s bottle.

Gorgeous, medium yellow/gold and very effervescent with small-bubble carbonation.

Sweet and floral notes hit first with a hint of salinity and burst of fruit, which is similar but a little different from the previous Kingston Black ciders I’ve tasted.

Like other Kingston Black single varietals, there is some tartness mixed with earthy and herbal notes and a bready quality underlaying the sweet fruit on the mid-palate.

Pretty dry but delicate, with the small-bubble carbonation and a light-to medium body and mouthfeel.

I really love getting to taste different single varietals made of the same apple, as it really digs into the terroir where each one was grown as well as the cidermaker’s approach. Soft cheeses, salads, flatbreads would all be great, though it’s probably also so on its own.

Cheers and remember:

Life’s a tap…drink up ’til it’s dry.

All music on this show came to us from the now defunct Music Alley.
Intro: “Meet Me At The Bar” by The Beer Drinking Fools
Outtro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers

The post Episode # 437: North Orchard Kingston Black appeared first on Life On Tap.

The eighth of many from the New York State Cider Festival haul, Dan cracks another single varietal, Treasury Cider Brown Snout.

STYLE: Cider – Dry (single varietal)
INGREDIENTS: Brown Snout apples
ABV: 8.3%
AVAILABILITY: 750ml bottles (Limited)

Stats above taken from the brewery’s bottle.

Effervescent with cascading, tiny bubbles, golden in color, with a fluffy, white head.

Herbal notes lead followed by some earthiness, grassiness, and tart impression.

Earthy and herbal notes continue with some residual sweetness and tannin structure.

Lighter in body, super dry, with the carbonation adding a lovely “scrubbing bubbles” element.

If you are into rustic, English cider, this is definitely one for you. Pairing-wise, lighter cheeses a la aged goat cheeses to lighter cheddars hit me first, though some lighter meats and flatbreads would sing as well. You should open this up in the early afternoon on a weekend for sure.

Cheers and remember:

Life’s a tap…drink up ’til it’s dry.

All music on this show came to us from the now defunct Music Alley.
Intro: “Meet Me At The Bar” by The Beer Drinking Fools
Outtro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers

The post Episode # 436: Treasury Brown Snout appeared first on Life On Tap.

The seventh of many from the New York State Cider Festival haul, Dan dips into Grisamore Cider Works Kingston Black single varietal.

STYLE: Cider – Traditional Dry
INGREDIENTS: Golden Russet, Roxbury Russet, Baldwin, and Jonagold apples
ABV: 7.0%
AVAILABILITY: 750ml bottles (Limited – Batch 2022)

Stats above taken from the brewery’s bottle.

Gold in color and brilliantly clear, with minimal carbonation.

A full expression of juice and flesh from the varietal and some earthy notes.

Great balance of dryness and sweetness and an excellent representation of the fruit and slight tartness on the finish.

Moderately dry, with very little carbonation and a medium body.

If you are unsure of where you are on the sweet-to-dry spectrum and want to start to dip your toes into single varietal cider, this is a great one to try. Pairing-wise, this would be a great table cider for most meals as long as you’re not going to spicy or powerful in flavors, but it’s great sharing by itself as well.

Cheers and remember:

Life’s a tap…drink up ’til it’s dry.

All music on this show came to us from the now defunct Music Alley.
Intro: “Meet Me At The Bar” by The Beer Drinking Fools
Outtro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers

The post Episode # 435: Grisamore Kingston Black appeared first on Life On Tap.

The sixth of many from the New York State Cider Festival haul, Dan revisits Little Apple Cidery Taconic Gold Dry.

STYLE: Cider – Dry
INGREDIENTS: Golden Russet, Roxbury Russet, Baldwin, and Jonagold apples
ABV: 7.9%
AVAILABILITY: 750ml bottles

Stats above taken from the brewery’s bottle and website.

Brilliant, yellow-gold, clear, with small-bubble carbonation.

Reminiscent of Golden Delicious apple flesh with a nice earthiness and hint of sweetness.

A touch of acidity hit the mid-palate, with a bright apple juice/flesh flavor.

Bone dry, with that moderate carbonation and a medium body.

This was another really solid one. If you have a Sauvignon Blanc drinker in your life, this would be a fun one for them to sample. You can go the dessert route with compote or cheeses on a pairing perspective, but also was feeling a buffalo mozzarella or goat cheese salad/sandwich.

Cheers and remember:

Life’s a tap…drink up ’til it’s dry.

All music on this show came to us from the now defunct Music Alley.
Intro: “Meet Me At The Bar” by The Beer Drinking Fools
Outtro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers

The post Episode # 434: Taconic Gold Dry appeared first on Life On Tap.

The fifth of many from the New York State Cider Festival haul, Dan enjoys South Hill Ciders’ Porters Russet, a blend of two unique varietals.

STYLE: Cider – Traditional Dry Sparkling
INGREDIENTS: 50/50 blend of Porters Perfection and Golden Russet apples
ABV: 8.8%
RS: 0.0%
AVAILABILITY: 750ml bottles

Stats above taken from the brewery’s bottle and website.

Medium gold in color with tight, Champagne-like bubbles.

Breadiness with a blend of apple fruit, earthy, and herbal notes.

Gentle acidity and nice tannic structure, with those earthy notes coupled with both apple juice and flesh.

Tight carbonation coupled with the dry nature lead to a medium body.

A truly well-crafted and elegant blended varietal cider. Their pairings on the bottle sounded pretty spot on, as cheddar was one of the first things that hit my mind other than rustic poultry preparations.

Cheers and remember:

Life’s a tap…drink up ’til it’s dry.

All music on this show came to us from the now defunct Music Alley.
Intro: “Meet Me At The Bar” by The Beer Drinking Fools
Outtro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers

The post Episode # 433: Porters Russet appeared first on Life On Tap.

The fourth of many from the New York State Cider Festival haul, Dan samples Hudson Valley Farmhouse Cider Northern Spy single varietal.

STYLE: Cider – Traditional (single varietal)
ABV: 6.5%
AVAILABILITY: 12 oz bottles

Stats above taken from the brewery’s bottle.

Brilliant, clear, and golden, with some small bubble carbonation.

Brush and tree bark/leaves in front of a rustic apple quality.

A bit of fruity apple juice sweetness, but finishes very dry with some earthy and sharp notes on the mid-palate.

Medium body with minimal carbonation and smooth mouthfeel.

I love Northern Spy-based ciders as well as getting to try single varietal ones in general. This is a treat on its own, but you can have this with a variety of lunch options (nothing too spicy), but I was feeling a grilled chicken sandwich with portobello mushrooms and roasted peppers.

Cheers and remember:

Life’s a tap…drink up ’til it’s dry.

All music on this show came to us from the now defunct Music Alley.
Intro: “Meet Me At The Bar” by The Beer Drinking Fools
Outtro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers

The post Episode # 432: HVFC Northern Spy appeared first on Life On Tap.

The third of many from the haul from the New York State Cider Festival, Dan revisits Hudson Valley Farmhouse Cider Traditional Dry.

STYLE: Cider – Traditional
ABV: 7.0%
AVAILABILITY: 750 ml and 12 oz bottles

Stats above taken from the brewery’s bottle.

Burnt orange/cider-like in a color with a huge, white, fluffy head.

Blend of tart and sweet cider apples with a touch of “farmhouse” note.

A pleasant blend of those tart and sweet apple notes with a hint of sharpness to round out the flavor.

Soft carbonation with a light/medium body.

I really enjoyed this last year when I first tried it and was glad to be able to snag a bottle this year care of the extra VIP hour of tasting. Shoutout to their cidermaker Elizabeth Ryan, who is such a key figure in agriculture and cider here in New York and beyond. This is a great sipping cider, but would pair lovely with poultry/fowl-based meals especially for festive occasions.

Cheers and remember:

Life’s a tap…drink up ’til it’s dry.

All music on this show came to us from the now defunct Music Alley.
Intro: “Meet Me At The Bar” by The Beer Drinking Fools
Outtro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers

The post Episode # 431: HVFC Traditional Dry appeared first on Life On Tap.

The first of many from the haul from the New York State Cider Festival, Dan retastes Orchard Hill Cider Mill Rosé Pink Bubbles.

STYLE: Cider – Rosé
ABV: 7.25%
AVAILABILITY: 16 oz. cans/Draft (Limited)

Stats above taken from the brewery’s can and website.

Gorgeous, dark pink hue similar to cranberry ginger ale, with a little carbonation.

Blend of fresh apple and Rosé sparkling wine akin to Crémant de Bourgogne, with some residual earthy/funky notes and a hint of tartness.

Fruity and sweet, but not too much so, with a nice funky/slight tart note on the finish.

Light body with smooth mouthfeel and slight, gentle carbonation.

This is is mostly a sipping cider for me, but I feel it is super approachable, especially for Rosé drinkers. Pairing-wise, cream- or fruit-based desserts are an obvious play, because of the sweetness level. That being said, I would love to see a fresh salad featuring goat or a lighter cheese, apples, nuts, and raspberry vinaigrette of sorts as well.

Cheers and remember:

Life’s a tap…drink up ’til it’s dry.

All music on this show came to us from the now defunct Music Alley.
Intro: “Meet Me At The Bar” by The Beer Drinking Fools
Outtro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers

The post Episode # 430: Heirloom Bold Complex appeared first on Life On Tap.

The first of many from the haul from the New York State Cider Festival, Dan retastes Orchard Hill Cider Mill Rosé Pink Bubbles.

STYLE: Cider – Rosé
ABV: 7.25%
AVAILABILITY: 16 oz. cans/Draft (Limited)

Stats above taken from the brewery’s can and website.

Gorgeous, dark pink hue similar to cranberry ginger ale, with a little carbonation.

Blend of fresh apple and Rosé sparkling wine akin to Crémant de Bourgogne, with some residual earthy/funky notes and a hint of tartness.

Fruity and sweet, but not too much so, with a nice funky/slight tart note on the finish.

Light body with smooth mouthfeel and slight, gentle carbonation.

This is is mostly a sipping cider for me, but I feel it is super approachable, especially for Rosé drinkers. Pairing-wise, cream- or fruit-based desserts are an obvious play, because of the sweetness level. That being said, I would love to see a fresh salad featuring goat or a lighter cheese, apples, nuts, and raspberry vinaigrette of sorts as well.

Cheers and remember:

Life’s a tap…drink up ’til it’s dry.

All music on this show came to us from the now defunct Music Alley.
Intro: “Meet Me At The Bar” by The Beer Drinking Fools
Outtro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers

The post Episode # 429: Rosé Pink Bubbles appeared first on Life On Tap.

Dan curls up with another Cinder from Return Brewing care of his brother-in-law while dissects it and is dreaming of food pairings.

STYLE: Doppelbock
ABV: 6.5%
IBU: N/A
AVAILABILITY: 16 oz. cans/Draft (Limited)

Stats above taken from the brewery’s can and website.

Beautiful caramel/red in color with a nice fluffy, off-white head.

Caramel and fruit continue on the nose.

Nostalgic amber feel with caramel and a hint of cherry and some residual hop notes on the finish.

Light to medium body with soft/foamy carbonation.

This is a session ale, in my opinion, and I would have no issues throwing these back at a bar or wherever I am at. I was feeling lighter barbecued meats and pizza, but nothing too over the top so you can enjoy all the nuances of the brew in hand.

Cheers and remember:

Life’s a tap…drink up ’til it’s dry.

All music on this show came to us from the now defunct Music Alley.
Intro: “Meet Me At The Bar” by The Beer Drinking Fools
Outtro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers

The post Episode # 428: Cinder Doppelbock appeared first on Life On Tap.