La Face Cachée De La Pomme Neige Récolte d'Hiver
Verger Hemmingford in Hemmingford, Quebec, Canada 🇨🇦
Cider - Ice Cider Regular Out of Production|
Score
8.60
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Première and Réserve are made in a special technique called "cryo-concentration". They picked the apples very ripe and keep them in a special warehouse in temperature overing +1 C unti the first freezing temperatures of winter. Them they will press them and store the juice in large plastic bins which will be put outside for 3-6 weeks at temperatures overing around -4 to -6 C. This period will see the water separate from the juice. Because water is less dense than sugar it will freeze and the sugary juice will not. They will then collect the super concentrate and super sweet must, about 1/3 of the original quantity, and ferment it. For Première, it will be in stainless steel for 6 months while Réserve will see its must ferment for 8 months, 50% of which in oak barrels (2nd use red wine barrels from US producers).
Première will be filtered and bottled straight away while Réserve will be blended with 50% fresh cider and 50% aged cider and then bottled.
Récolte d'Hiver is different in that the apples will be left on the trees until January when the temperature will drop to - 15C. Here it is very important that the apples be healthy. During the period before picking, the apples will dehydrate and will be exposed to the elements (sun/wind/rain/snow) thus acquiring extra concentration and also extra complexity. When freezing temperature appears, the water will concentrate at the core of the apple while the sugar will tend to be pushed towards the surface. If the apples would be picked at a lower temperature than -15C, they would be too soft and collapse on picking. But at -15C, they are hard enough to pick. On arrival at the cellar, they will be pressed immediately so that only a super concentrated and sweet juice will flow. A very tiny percentage of the juice will be used for this wine - it will take about 50-80 apples to make a single bottle! The must will then be fermented for 8 months and bottled right away.
Première will be filtered and bottled straight away while Réserve will be blended with 50% fresh cider and 50% aged cider and then bottled.
Récolte d'Hiver is different in that the apples will be left on the trees until January when the temperature will drop to - 15C. Here it is very important that the apples be healthy. During the period before picking, the apples will dehydrate and will be exposed to the elements (sun/wind/rain/snow) thus acquiring extra concentration and also extra complexity. When freezing temperature appears, the water will concentrate at the core of the apple while the sugar will tend to be pushed towards the surface. If the apples would be picked at a lower temperature than -15C, they would be too soft and collapse on picking. But at -15C, they are hard enough to pick. On arrival at the cellar, they will be pressed immediately so that only a super concentrated and sweet juice will flow. A very tiny percentage of the juice will be used for this wine - it will take about 50-80 apples to make a single bottle! The must will then be fermented for 8 months and bottled right away.
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9.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 10
Overall 10
Mondiale ’07 sample.
WOW. WOW. WOW.
dark golden color. Thick on the palate. Aroma is obviously apples, but there is underlying honey, and slight floral notes. Flavour is incredible! perfect apples, and some honey. Alcohol is nowhere to be found. Outstanding cider.
WOW. WOW. WOW.
dark golden color. Thick on the palate. Aroma is obviously apples, but there is underlying honey, and slight floral notes. Flavour is incredible! perfect apples, and some honey. Alcohol is nowhere to be found. Outstanding cider.
Tried
on 27 Feb 2025
at 06:12
8.8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 8
Texture 10
Overall 9
Bottle from 2012. shared @ X3 Får Skideren På af Mange-share. Pours clear dark mahogany, still. Aromas of sweet fuckin apples, honey-like notes, vanilla. Taste has sweet apples, caramel, honey, vanilla, maple.
Tried
from Bottle
on 06 Nov 2019
at 16:55
7.3/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7
Bottle @ jbrus’s place. The essence of apples and apple dumplings in the aroma. Extremely sweet flavor, but that doesn’t bother me too much, because a strong fruity sourness provides some compensation. A very intense and delicious drink, but I’d prefer a world class beer above this.
Tried
from Bottle
on 26 Aug 2019
at 16:24
8/10
Tried
on 19 May 2018
at 15:41
9.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 10
Overall 9.5
(375ml 2012 bottle from SAQ, bought and shared by my awesome girlfriend phyllomedusa) Pours a clear deep amber colour, thick and with solid legs. Aroma is sweet and super-concentrated, baked apples, apple preserve, caramel, preserved mixed berries, light tropical floral notes, honey, cinnamon, warm and lush. Flavour is wow. So rich, lush, deep and concentrated. Layers of different apple cultivars and their flavours baked with brown sugar and honey, dragging out notes of oranges, sweet strawberries, a touch of lychee canned in syrup, soft cinnamon and wooden spicebox. Full viscous mouthfeel, syrupy, no alcohol at all. This is seriously intense business all around, no doubt it's sweet but it's so big in flavour and complexity, with attendant mouthfeel, that it never really feels overbearing. Just indulgent. Certainly every ice cider doesn't need to be like this, but it's tough to beat!
Tried
from Bottle
on 05 Sep 2017
at 11:16
9.2/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 10
Overall 9
Bottle poured, with much thanks to luttonm for the share. Such a treat to try an ice cider like this. Quintessential, or at least up there with the others that are. Dark copper pour. Pear, caramel apple, brown sugar, sweet, and bold. Flavor is all the same, and perfectly put together. Pear fruit seems to come out for me, but blended nicely with a caramel apple, and soft apple spice. A full array of spiced fruit seem to go into this cider. Nectar seems to be the most fitting word that I can pull out of this description. Delicious, and deserves all the respect it gets. Loved it.
Tried
from Bottle
on 17 Jan 2017
at 22:12
10/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 10
Flavor 10
Texture 10
Overall 10
Récolte 2012 bottle, generously shared by luttonm, I can’t express how grateful I am. Dark ruby-like amber color with no head. Aroma is concentrated orange nectar, some other sweet fruits, lychee and strawberry maybe - not that much apples! -, honey, caramel, tobacco, a subtle wildness, incredibly rich and dense. Taste is honey, oranges and the other sweet fruits, apple pie, cinnamon, some spices, a bit tanninic, woody, vanilla. Warming finish. Sirupy mouthfeel, no carbonation, rich and complex. A singular experience. This is the nectar of the gods, and probably one of the best drinks humanity has ever produced.
Tried
from Bottle
on 17 Jan 2017
at 22:12
8.3/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 6
Overall 9
Bottle shared to me at RBWG: Poured a honey yellow with white head. Aroma and taste was sweet honey very taste, but I could see this one make the night ugly after to much.
Tried
from Bottle
on 16 Aug 2016
at 00:32
8.5/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 9
375 ml bottle at Gueuze tasting 2016, Ulfborg. Thank you Vestergaard!! Light unclear amber orange color with no head. Sweet aroma, fruity, sweet apple aroma, honey, light spicy, wood. Sweet taste, spicy apple. Medium oily body with flat carbonation.
Tried
from Bottle
on 15 Jul 2016
at 17:05
10/10
Tried
on 24 Jun 2016
at 19:13