Farnum Hill Ciders are all made from cider apples grown at Poverty Lane Orchards, in Lebanon, NH. All the cider varieties were selected for the flavor, aroma, and structure they lend to fermented cider, and for the quality they can achieve in our soils and climate. 

Many (not all) are inedible. 

They include bittersweets—Dabinett, Yarlington Mill, Somerset Redstreak, Ellis Bitter, Chisel Jersey, Major, and others— acidic apples—Esopus Spitzenberg, Wickson, Ashmead's Kernel, and others—and fruity varieties—chiefly Golden Russet. 

The apples are all pressed during the harvest, with very careful blending of varieties at the press for each of about twenty fermentation batches. The cider is fermented cool and slowly, in order to preserve fruity aromas. It's fermented and matured in various vessels, ranging from old oak wine barrels, to large stainless steel tanks. Then, months later, they are blended by aroma, taste, feel, and finish (except for the single-variety Kingston Black) into our final ciders. We try to achieve a pleasing balance of fruitiness, bright acidity, and tannic structure in all. Most of our ciders contain blends from several different fermentation batches. We try not to let the yeast, the press, the vessel, our hands, or any other part of the process speak—our ciders attempt to speak only for our land and the fruit we grow here.

Farnum Hill Ciders • Lebanon, New Hampshire

Steve Wood of Farnum Hill describe the factors that contribute to making fine cider

http://cidrhou.se


The land matters a lot, Steve Wood of Farnum Hill

Tasting Foggy Ridge Stayman Winesap Cider with cidermaker Diane Flynt at the Foggy Ridge Cidery in Dugspur, Virginia in February 2017

Foggy Ridge Stayman Winesap
750ml • 7% alcohol by volume
• Off-dry in the style of a semi-dry Riesling
• Classic Stayman cider apples blended with heirloom Winesap, Grimes Golden and Cox’s Orange Pippin
• Intense, spicy, rich apple aroma
• Touch of caramel and ripe cherry
• Complex, fine-grained tannin
• Balanced acidity
• Lingering finish of apple and berry
• Pairs well with BBQ, aged gouda, and brick-oven pizza

Hear the whole story at http://www.cidersessions.com/foggyridge

Foggy Ridge Cider

Foggy Ridge Stayman Winesap Cider

Tasting Foggy Ridge Stayman Winesap Cider

"I want the fruit to speak for itself." ~Diane Flynt, Foggy Ridge Cider Cidermaker and Orchardist

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"I want the fruit to speak for itself"

Cidermakers Steve Selin and Peter Hoover on vintage, "pommage", and the naming of apples. In conversation in Trumansburg in the New York Fingerlakes while tasting the May cidrbox curated by South Hill Cider.

Hear the whole conversation at http://cidersessions.com

Vintage, Pommage and The Naming of Apples

Farnum Hill Extra Dry Still 
750ML • 7.5% ABV
Pale-gold and radically dry, Extra Dry Still displays its richness and range of fruit more vividly than Extra Dry, simply because no peppy prickly bubble sensation can intervene. 
•	Still and dry
•	Sharp and tannic
•	Bright balance of tannin, fruit and tartness
•	Beautifully highlights the flavors of food: Pairs well with spicy, richly flavored dishes: Try it with fish, mushrooms, artichokes, Thai or Indian curries and even a simple baked potato
•	Strawberries and mixed berry fruit on the palate

Cidermaker Steve Wood
Hear the whole story at http://cidersessions.com

Tasting Farnum Hill Extra Dry Still Cider

Farnum Hill 2015 Kingston Black Reserve (Still)
750 ML • 8.5% ABV
Made from the temperamental Kingston Black apple, long treasured in the UK, as a single-variety cider fruit for its rare balance of tannin, sugar, and acid. In old apple variety names, black describes an apple that is extremely dark red.
•	Golden, still and dry 
•	Special reserve, limited release
•	100% Kingston Black bittersharp cider apples
•	Muskmelon, orange peel, bittersweet apple, candle flame on the nose
•	Lends savor and vividness to food—recommend pairing with subtle dishes

Cidermaker Steve Wood
Hear the whole story at http://cidersessions.com

cidrbox.com

Tasting Farnum Hill Kingston Black Still Cider

Farnum Hill Semi-Dry (Sparkling)
750ML • 7.4% ABV
On Farnum Hill, that much-abused word “dry” is taken literally, so our semi-dry balances the gentlest sweetness against sharpness, astringency, and fruit (which is different from sweet).
•	Golden and clear
•	Gently sparkling
•	Tropical fruit, citrus and intriguing aromatic, sharp and tannic notes
•	Clean, fresh finish
•	Pairs well with seafood, cheeses, ham, egg-based dishes, crepes—even desserts like fruit tarts and custards

Cidermaker Steve Wood
Hear the whole story at http://cidersessions.com

Tasting Farnum Hill Semi Dry Cider

Farnum Hill Ciders Co-founder Louisa Spencer and Cidermaker Nicole Leibon on the sensory analysis of cider

Hear the whole story at http://cidersessions.com

On cider sensory analysis and developing a muscle

Farnum Hill Extra Dry (Sparkling)
750ML • 7.5%ABV
Extra Dry does a keen, clean, fruity, aromatic number, lighting up food flavors.
•	Bone dry and sparkling
•	Bright balance of fruit, tannin, and tartness
•	Rich aromatics suggest fruits of the earth and the earth itself
•	Generous, subtle progression of flavor
•	Pairs well with food traditionally paired with red wine

Hear the whole story at http://cidersessions.com

Tasting Farnum Hill Extra Dry Sparkling Cider

Steve Wood, Nicole Leibon, Louisa Spencer and the Farnum Hill Ciders crew speak to the importance of collaborative tasting in cidermaking. 

Hear the whole story at http://cidersessions.com

On the importance of collaborative tasting in cidermaking

2016 Dragon’s Head Kingston Black • 750ML • 7.9% Alcohol by Volume • 1.2% Residual Sugar • Limited run: Only 100 cases produced • Semi-dry, lightly effervescent, clear gold hue • 100% classic English Kingston Black apples, known for their well-balanced sugar, acid, and tannin • Confectionary aroma with dried apricot, rose petal, orange liqueur, and cedar on the nose • Resinous on the palate with dried apple, clementine, and hints of butterscotch • Traditional “cidery” bittersweet apple aroma • Medium mouthfeel with a slight bitter finish

Hear the whole story at cidersessions.com

Tasting Dragon's Head 2016 Kingston Black single varietal cider

2016 Dragon’s Head Harvest Perry • 750ML • 7.1% ABV • 0.4% RS • Limited run: Only 33 cases produced • Dry, lightly effervescent, hazy straw hue • Blended Hendre Huffcap perry pears and 100 year old homesteader seedling pears unique to Vashon Island • A share of the blend is aged 9 months in a French oak pear brandy barrel • Resinous pine and pear skins, with a hint of brandy on the nose • Honey, confectionary, tartness, pomelo rind, and subtle pear on the palate • Medium-bodied mouthfeel with a slightly astringent lingering finish

Hear the whole story at cidersessions.com

Tasting Dragon's Head Harvest Perry

2015 Dragon’s Head Traditional Cider • 750ML • 7.4% ABV • 1.4% RS • Semi-dry, unfiltered, lightly effervescent traditional heritage cider • Single orchard blend of more than 20 traditional English and French cider apple varieties grown on Vashon Island in Western Washington State • Predominate apple varieties include: Dabinett, Harry Masters Jersey, Chisel Jersey, Reine des Pommes, Brown Snout, Nehou, Porter’s Perfection • Aromas of butterscotch, spice, hay, and a hint of leather • Dried apple, honey, tangerine zest, and fennel on the palate with a slight bitter finish • Medium bodied mouthfeel with balanced, layered tannins

Hear the whole story at cidersessions.com

Tasting Dragon's Head 2015 Traditional Cider

A sidebar discussion about orcharding on Vashon Island during our cider tasting with the cidermakers of Dragon's Head Cider.

Hear the whole story at cidersessions.com

bittersweet and sharp

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