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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8.8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 9
Big thanks to Douglas for hauling this back from the Great White North. Pours clear pale copper with nice legginess. The aroma is full and thick and sludges across my nose with apple notes mixed with a pleasing apple skin like earthiness, a touch of floral, apple syrup and a mild level of apple skin tannin tartness. The taste is rich goodness with thick sweet apple yum as well as pleasing notes of apple skin and a subtly complex earthiness. ‘tis good. ‘tis real good.
Tried
on 01 May 2011
at 04:52
8.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Bottle generously shared by Doug at the SLC tasting, thanks buddy
Appearance: Clear golden with no head or lacing, but nice legs left in the glass
Aroma: Apple sauce
Taste: Apples, sweet and sugar
Very nice and refreshing.
Appearance: Clear golden with no head or lacing, but nice legs left in the glass
Aroma: Apple sauce
Taste: Apples, sweet and sugar
Very nice and refreshing.
Tried
from Bottle
on 13 Apr 2011
at 16:20
9.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 9
Flavor 10
Texture 10
Overall 9.5
Bottled shared at the RBSG Grand Tasting by JoeMcPhee. Thanks, man! Pours a clear vibrant copper color with no head. Aroma of apples, vanilla and some woody notes. The taste is big sweet apple notes, honey and vanilla. Such an intense apple flavor. Full bodied. Simply amazing.
Tried
from Bottle
on 25 Jul 2010
at 17:55
9/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 10
Overall 9
October ‘09 O-Town Throwdown. Another huge cheer to Cheeseman for bringing this bottle. Never thought cider could be so tasty and really enjoyed every single sip. ’04 bottle, ltd # 8133 Pours amber./ orange, syrupy/oily in texture. Aroma and flavor, just loaded with apple. Not hints of being 11.5%, gorgeous syrupy eye candy. Harvested frozen on the tree in winter.
Tried
from Bottle
on 26 Oct 2009
at 18:38
8.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 10
Overall 8.5
Rerate: Bottled thx to Julien @ Julien’s neighbour is a metalhead according to Rob-tasting, small sample. Clear golden color. Lovely aroma of apple juice, apple sirup, slight oak wood, hint of vanilla even. Sweet taste, pure apple. Lovely velvety and sirupy texture. Love this stuff. Original rate in 2009: Bottle @ jbrus. Clear golden color, no head. Aroma of apple juice, but very clean. Slight sweet taste, great balance. Nice for dessert, but good cider.....still aint beer... 3.5
Tried
from Bottle
on 02 Apr 2009
at 11:42
9.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 10
Texture 10
Overall 9.5
375ml bottle from Torontos great trader, HogTownHarry. Thanks Harry. Nose of contrasting fresh red and green apple tartness and sweetness with some woodiness and light alcohol. Clear orange tinged golden with no carbonation. Flavor starts with a tart burst then fades to sweetness and ends with a lightly sweet finish. Great stuff, too bad it is so hard to come by.
Tried
from Bottle
on 21 Dec 2008
at 23:07
9.5/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 9
Flavor 10
Texture 10
Overall 9
My 900th rating shared with ilovedarkbeer. Completely worth the $60+ I spent. 2003 bottle. Pours with a orangish body similar to a nice scotch with amazingly strong and solid alcohol legs, absolutely amazing. The apple aroma fills the room, filling in with solid apples, caramel, strong alcohol, more caramel, applejax, bay leaf, and some herbs (orregeno, and many others). Super complex. Some alcohol, flowers and honey as well. A bit of swiss cheese or jarlsberg yeastiness might be there as well. Taste is soo sweet, and concertated apples, so amazing, tons of caramel over the 60+ second duration. Mouthfeel is super syrupy, with tons of alcohol, sticky like honey. This cider is absolutely brilliant, mind blowing. Every sip I take, I cannot help but smile. This is an amazing beverage!!!
Tried
from Bottle
on 07 Oct 2008
at 01:43
7.4/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Sample, at the Mondial de la bière 2007, savoured June 1 2007; eye: golden straw, no head, no effervescence, clear; nose: caramelized apple, aged, fresh, concentrated sugar, white wine; mouth: less concentrated that Neige and Neige éternelle, more sophisticated, better equilibrium, a bit "white wine", apple, apple sauce, fruit, nice carbonation, long finale in concentrated sweet apple; overall: really good FRANÇAIS Échantillon, bue au Mondial de la bière 2007, savourée le 1er juin 2007; oeil : paille dorée, pas de mousse, pas d’effervescence, claire; nez : pomme caramélisée, vieillie, fraîcheur, concentré de sucré, vin blanc; bouche : moins concentrée que Neige et Neige éternelle, plus subtile, meilleure équilibre, un peu « vin blanc », pomme, compote de pomme, fruit, belle carbonatation, longue finale en pomme sucrée concentrée; en résumé : très bon
Tried
on 23 Oct 2007
at 15:38
7.9/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 8.5
375 mL bottle, thanks to Ungstrup. Pours golden brown to amber, clear. Aroma is sweet and slight acidic. Flavour: very sweet with a slight artificial note. Slight acidic and sweet finish with a warming alcohol feel. Strawberry lurks through in bits throughout. Really great.
Tried
from Bottle
on 05 Oct 2007
at 07:32
6.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 7
(Bottle 37,5 cl) Courtesy of Ungstrup. Clear, deep amber golden - no head. Complex aroma of overripe apples. Very full-bodied, extremely intense fruit notes - almost strawberry-like. This really is a desert wine, but one that’s tough to drink and digest. 280907
Tried
from Bottle
on 02 Oct 2007
at 07:38