Flag Hill Farm Vermont Sparkling Hard Cyder

Brewed by Flag Hill Farm
Style: Cider
Vershire, Vermont USA

Hazy tan; large apple nose, leather, alcohol. Fizzy but full body. Soft apple tones. Full and fruity - eminently drinkable. Brought me back to Somerset.

Flashy pure shining yellow, fading white head, juicy radioactive golden appearance. Funky yeasty nose reminds of band-aid. Slightly phenolic, spoiled apples, getting farmier as it wars unveiling those horseblanket covers. Very tart in mouth, yet remaining juicy through the strong apple concentration. Still a decent residual sweetness, but the tart apples of many varieties are peely, gueuzy anbd marvellous. High sparkling carbonation, light-medium body, comfortable. Makes me want to fly straight to Normandy on the minute.

Pours a clear pale golden with a large fizzy white head. Aroma bursting with fresh tart apples. Starts mildly sweet and fruity with a nice balance of flavors. Body is overcarbonated and thin, finishing crisp and dry. Still a very nice and enjoyable cider.

Champagney gueuze aroma of green apple acidity...Sweet, fluffy body with gum-drying tartness which ends in a dry and hay-like teeth coating...Elegant and empassioned cider, much like the best saisons and bière de gardes out there...A 2002 bottle in 2005 proved even better, this one ages perfectly and even funkifies a bit!! Many thanks Muzzlehatch!...

Poured light yellow with no noticeable cloudiness. Nice carbonation with a small, but nice head that quickly dissipates. Taste is of tarte apples, candy canes and sugar.

Rich golden colour with a fast fading head. Lovely tart funky apple aroma. Dusty and barnyardy with a bright acidity. Apple skin and light vanilla over the top. Flavour is also quite tart and funky, but the palate is quite watery. Tart and appley in the mouth, but the thinness of the palate is a little bit disappointing. I was expecting so much more.

2002 Bottle - No. 2284 ala Muzzlehatch. I see he has been busy spreading this one about. Bright straw yellow body with continuance of bubbles the rejuvenate a 1/4 in lid of white bubbles. Apple skin and antiseptic aromas. Sweet barnyard nose. The longer this one sets the more the true apple aromas come out. Macintosh and Delicious apples come to mind. Dry bubbly liquid hits the tongue. A sec quality to steal from the wine folks. Mild white grapes, apples, dry honey flavors all come out. A warm spiciness come in the finish. As this sets a chardonnay quality comes out and plays on the tongue. A wild blue cheese linger comes late in the flavor as well. This is a great cyder, with qualities of sparkling mead that make it even more complex. Post script. I served this one to cold to begin with. The apple flavors come out even stronger as it warm, while the other "funky" flavors reside in the background. Thanks Barry.

April 2004. Sweet apple like Granny smiths. Dry sour taste leaving a long layer of sourness on the tongue. Very sparkly indeed.