South Hill Cider

Cidery in Ithaca, New York, United States 🇺🇸

Established in 2004

Contact
550 Sandbank Road, Ithaca, NY, 14850, United States
Description
Our orchard is planted on a peaceful hilltop as part of a harmonious ecosystem that relies on diversity and fertility as its foundation. South Hill Cider produces ciders with individuality, quality, and elegance reflecting the terroir of our beautiful Finger Lakes region.
Steve Selin, the cidermaker, apple picker, and community orchardist has been bottling his own cider since 2004. Collaborating with neighbors to help maintain and reclaim wild trees and forgotten orchards for use in cider making has been a labor of love for years ~ see the Fingerlakes Apple Tree Project. The apples from these trees, plus bittersweet and heirloom apples from other small orchards, enable us to give every bottle of cider the solid foundation needed for world-class ciders.
Living just four miles south of the Ithaca Commons, Steve and his family have been collaborating with an adjoining landowner to allow Steve to plow these fallow fields and to plant an orchard of cider apples. This land, being so close to Downtown Ithaca, is under intense development pressure. In 2014 Steve helped the landowner to protect his land with a Conservation Easement, which will protect the land from subdivision and development in perpetuity. The land adjoins 182 acres of Finger Lakes Land Trust and Cornell Preserves and is located on the Finger Lakes Trail.

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7

A bit of honey, big plum notes and a little waxy. Finishes strong from the brandy.

Tried on 31 Aug 2025 at 19:05


7

The brandy really comes through on the nose, but it has a distinctly brandy finish as well.

Tried on 31 Aug 2025 at 19:00


8

Quite sweet, smooth, some light caramel notes.

Tried on 31 Aug 2025 at 18:57


6

A little dry

Tried from Can on 10 Nov 2024 at 19:35


7.6
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

750mL bottle pour at the Dirty Truth, 11/2/24. Clear, deep golden-brass with a bit of deeper bronze. Well this is completely unexpected. Herb, heavy pepper, both poivre and piment, with a lot of skin, mineral, tannin and little/no residual sugar or classic floral notes. Clean, earthy. In the mouth it continues its baffling-strange character with a very, very dry, almost papery texture and tons of almost Belgian Strong Ale-like phenolics. Lots of mineral, earth, chervil-esque herb and finally a dash of sweetness to comfort the palate. With warming it softens a bit, but still preserves all of the pepper and herbal spice character with overall extreme dryness. Certainly not unpleasant, despite its oddness.

Tried from Bottle on 03 Nov 2024 at 23:33


6.6
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5

Pours lightly hazy gold with slight haze. It smells of musty apples. The flavor is dry with smooth apple flavor, lightly floral. Alright.

Tried on 04 Sep 2024 at 04:35


7
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

Pours clear gold. Smells like apples and feet. The flavor is lightly sweet with apples and citrus. Bubbly and easy drinking.

Tried on 04 Sep 2024 at 04:33


7.6
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

Pours hazy very pale yellow. It smells of apples and melon. The flavor is dry. It’s bubbly and bright with a hint of sweetness. Very tasty.

Tried on 04 Sep 2024 at 04:30


7
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7

Pours deep gold and has a very musty apple aroma. The flavor is dry with apple, grape, a hint of citrus. Funky/musty finish.

Tried on 04 Sep 2024 at 04:27


7.4
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

I think the cider I had is the same. The can calls it Phonograph Rose Cider Brut and abv is 6.2%. It pours clear pinkish gold. It has a nice apple aroma. The flavor is on the dry side with some light, pleasant sweetness. Rich apple with grape notes. Very good cider.

Tried from Can on 03 Sep 2024 at 04:52