2009 Kingston Black Blend

Well, sort of. I couldn't get my hands on enough Kingston far a varietal
squeeze this year, so this was blended at the press 3 - Kingston Black :
2 - Liberty : 1 - Major : 1 Local 'Aromatic Redstreak'. This batch was
cold fermented with GRE yeast, racked to keg when clarified at 1.020 or
so, and settled for two months. No sterile filtering, although I might
have to do something to keep it like this longer. Not sure of the
gravity now, I'd call it medium-sweet with gentle, ephemeral
carbonation. How's all this taste? Wonderful- subdued fruit aroma with
cheese notes; flavor full, round, fruit-forward with a nice balanced
acid slightly green apple finish. This is a complex yet very
approachable cider, and I'd love to copy it, to generate a 'recipe', but
cidermaking isn't like that, no. Cidermaking is taking the balance of
fruit from the orchards, sourcing well before an apple is crushed,
pressing with care, handling and fermenting gently, blending as needed,
by taste for taste. A great cider like this needs no additions save for
the yeast that does the bulk of the transformations and a little sulfite
to keep things in balance. Balance, yes, we are lucky in cidermaking
when by serendipity we make a balanced blend straight off the press. I
may have made some dog ciders during the 2009 season, I haven't tasted
them all, but this one folks is a winner.
Sorry, don't come begging for it, it's in short supply although I know
of three more carboys in the area I'd love to sample from. No, get
yourself ready to make your own this fall. Some changes are coming to
Lost Meadow Cider for 2010, but I'll be sure to keep doing my best to
offer premier fermenting blends ready to go off the press.

Raise a glass to your best of the season,

Terry B