7.4

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

Bottle (2012). Pours with a clear pale hued body with a white head that fizzes away. Aromas are of oak, funk, diaper, medium-low sulfur, tannins, strong oak lactones and light fruit. Vanillin. Flavors are medium dry with moderate acidity and fruit tannin, but a pretty strong oak contribution that works well with a mild and rustic brett character. Lightly vinous, with moderate carbonation (could be higher). Not bad.

8

Smooth and clean.

7.8

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8

Bottle at Jimmy43’s during their cider sessions event. Served in a undersized wine glass. :(

Clear, wheat body. Touch of fading white wash head.
Smell is pretty interesting. Very quiet, early brett, a touch soapy, & some very juicy, perfumey, very pear-like sweet apple notes. Faint gummy/plastic that doesn’t bother me much.
Taste is a combo of sweet & tangy sour. Very mellow & not extreme in any one direction. Low acid, at least to me. Hints of juicy, unfermented apple flavor. The bottles(& the accompanying brett) are still pretty new the rep told me. The end dries out with lots of tasty skin, but still leaves more sweetness then I would expect. I don’t get that bold mineral quality I usually associate with Norman ciders.

Just as Virtue’s sidra doesn’t exactly resemble a Spanish sidra, this doesn’t quite make me think Normandy cider. Not much of a knock at all, as it’s still a pretty nice one all by itself. :)