When cider is made, and grown, to the standards of traditional wine it has its triumphant years and its dud years according to the season. 2017 was an abundant year for wild apples in Sullivan County but the quality of apple was medium-to-poor. Due to disease set-backs in the Northeast last summer, and especially because of the cold, wet July and August, the fruit brix were lower than in any of my dozen-or-so years measuring such things. Summer’s rebound at the end of September was too-little-too-late for most trees, inevitably the sugars were too low and the stresses on yeasts were great. (Mind you, we don’t add nutrients, sugars, or Übermensch yeast strains to “correct” for seasons, as would most New World wine makers.)
Despite the year's abundance, only the late apples (picked in mid-October) were of use to us. All said and done, we omitted about 1/3rd third of our total 2017 production, an effort to raise the remaining 2/3rds to our standards. But even that, I'd grade 2017 a “C/ C+” against other years. Blending played a key role in balancing the ciders, thus our “locational ciders” (which are truly locational, not human-curated) are quite limited. We found only four of them worth focusing on (and surprising good, actually.) The bulk of our Homestead ciders were blended into our "Sullivan County" cider, which if you recall from 2015, is a blend of apples from all seven of our county’s USGS soil groups (what I've self-appellated in the “locational” ciders names.)
Again, blending (and omitting) became the saving grace in 2017.
Everything about our ciders is the same in terms of format: The Locational Homesteads, Choke Pear and Malus Baccata are in 500ml; the Elderberry and Appinette are in 750ml; and the Sullivan County is in 1500ml “mags.” The only thing new is that the Sullivan County cider is also available for places that pour by the glass in kegs. (It’s an effort pet-nat producers have made to reduce our carbon footprint but the keg format is dominated by industrial drink-producers of industrial farm-products. I’m doubtful if such establishments will understand our comparatively high price, but who know?)
2017 tested my prowess as a cider maker and I’ll leave it for you to judge. Personally, I’m quite satisfied. It feels like a victory snatched from the hands of adversity. And trust me, I wouldn’t release them if I didn’t think they were good (and comparatively excellent in the market.) None-the-less, I don’t recommend the 2017 vintage be “saved.” Only the Malus Baccata, East Branch and Callicoon Creaks exhibit the tannin/ acid structure (and the overall density) worthy of setting aside. Everything else I recommend drinking between July 2018 and 2020.
As always, we will release the prior vintage on the Summer Solstice and CSA supporters will have first option. Send us an email request and we'll send our price list and CSA Order Form (Minimum 2 cases.) CSA customers will also have the option to buy ciders from our personal stores of previous vintages -ciders which are quite nice at present.
We can honestly say that it's you -the customers and cider drinkers, the people who help us pick, press and bottle each year, and the land owners who allow us access to their trees –you are just as much the cider maker as I am. When Polly and I say thank you, believe that it’s not just for “supporting us”, it's for caring enough to make this world more than just OK. None of this focus, time, and energy needs to happen, cider could just be a basic drink from farmed apples while exceptional "real fruit" sits and rots on the ground, no worse for wear. But art and art-appreciation makes this world more than OK, it makes it exceptional. So sincerely: Thank You.
Again, blending (and omitting) became the saving grace in 2017.
Everything about our ciders is the same in terms of format: The Locational Homesteads, Choke Pear and Malus Baccata are in 500ml; the Elderberry and Appinette are in 750ml; and the Sullivan County is in 1500ml “mags.” The only thing new is that the Sullivan County cider is also available for places that pour by the glass in kegs. (It’s an effort pet-nat producers have made to reduce our carbon footprint but the keg format is dominated by industrial drink-producers of industrial farm-products. I’m doubtful if such establishments will understand our comparatively high price, but who know?)
2017 tested my prowess as a cider maker and I’ll leave it for you to judge. Personally, I’m quite satisfied. It feels like a victory snatched from the hands of adversity. And trust me, I wouldn’t release them if I didn’t think they were good (and comparatively excellent in the market.) None-the-less, I don’t recommend the 2017 vintage be “saved.” Only the Malus Baccata, East Branch and Callicoon Creaks exhibit the tannin/ acid structure (and the overall density) worthy of setting aside. Everything else I recommend drinking between July 2018 and 2020.
As always, we will release the prior vintage on the Summer Solstice and CSA supporters will have first option. Send us an email request and we'll send our price list and CSA Order Form (Minimum 2 cases.) CSA customers will also have the option to buy ciders from our personal stores of previous vintages -ciders which are quite nice at present.
We can honestly say that it's you -the customers and cider drinkers, the people who help us pick, press and bottle each year, and the land owners who allow us access to their trees –you are just as much the cider maker as I am. When Polly and I say thank you, believe that it’s not just for “supporting us”, it's for caring enough to make this world more than just OK. None of this focus, time, and energy needs to happen, cider could just be a basic drink from farmed apples while exceptional "real fruit" sits and rots on the ground, no worse for wear. But art and art-appreciation makes this world more than OK, it makes it exceptional. So sincerely: Thank You.
-Andy Brennan, 2018
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