Hardcore Premium Hard Cider

This is one of my old standbys, holding a place on a short list of ciders that I always have one or more of on hand whenever I can get them.

While there are a handful of pubs around North America that I've found with Hardcore on tap, it is most often found as 12oz. bottles in 6-packs. The label describes the cider as "[Combining] the flavor intensity of American ciders with the drinkablity of dry European ciders..." This is about all we are given for information on the cider by the brewer. Hardcore is made and distributed by the Boston Beer Company, the same folks who produce the Samuel Adams line of beers. While Boston Beer has a very pretty and intricate website for the popular Sam Adams line, there is nothing more than a single line on the Investor Relations webpage to acknowledge the black sheep of Hard core in the Boston Beer family.

This is a very good middle-of-the road cider. It's got a hint of sweetness without a sense of being a liquid Pixie Stick. It is a semi-dry cider with just the slightest hint of apple-peel bitterness as it goes over the sides and back of the tounge. The carbonation is enough to keep things interesting and not allow the flavor to fall flat. While I'm not sure I would characterize this cider as smooth, the zing in the bubbles is in good proportion to the body of the flavor.

While ciders like JK Scrumpy are more rich in flavor to be savored, Hardcore is a cider you buy by the 6-pack and drink as such. It is a refreshing workhorse of a drink that will sit next to a steak on the table just as easily as it will fit in your hand for a football game. My only caution would be, when drinking with friends, make sure they bring their own.


http://www.bostonbeer.com

Doc's Draft Hard Pear Cider

I've not had great luck with Pear Ciders in the past, but Doc's was recommended by one of the clerks at the shop I go to here in DC. Besides, it has a cool bottle.

Doc's Draft is another of what I am coming to refer to as Craft Ciders. It has a very pale color to it, with just a hint of yellow-green, and comes in a single 22oz bottle. It is manufactured by the Warwick Valley Wine Company, a small winery in Warwick, NY with a cute and informative website. According to both the site and the bottle, Doc's Pear Cider is made with "Pressed NY state apples, fermented with champagne yeast, pear juice, and malic acid."

The champagne yeast seems to leave a heritage, as Doc's Draft seems to have much of the character of a sweet, light champagne. There is quite a lot of bubbling going on, and the cider has the characteristic sharp hit that champagne has always carried for me. The tart sweetness of the pear is definitely present as you first sip, with a dry under layer that plays as it moves back in your mouth. The sharpness is an ever-present companion to the flavor, following it through all the stages and into the aftertaste.

I had started by drinking this cider poured into a traditional pint glass and going to it. After being fairly influenced by the powerful, sharp aroma of the open glass, I tried a swig straight out of the bottle. The sharpness in the flavor was, if anything, enhanced, and I wasn't blinking away the edgy feeling wafting up my nostrils, but the more subtle colors of the cider were largely lost. In the end, I let the glass sit out for a few minutes to breathe and was rewarded with a much more enjoyable experience all around.

Although I'm sure I will still review Pear Ciders in the future, I'm still not quite convinced enough to keep a stock of my own. Doc's Draft would make a lovely half-way point between real Champagne and Ginger Ale on New Years. Likewise, for those who are looking for a heartier alternative to a Riesling, this is well worth a look. For myself, this is going to be something I may keep a single bottle around for special occasions. Next time, however, I'm going to let the bottle breathe a bit before going at it.


http://www.wvwinery.com/cider_02.html

Brittany Birchwood DP Needles

While I have heard of the never-ending virtues of polished steel or brass needles, and a knitter whom I very much respect swears by a line of coated plastic needles, I am unabashedly attracted to wooden needles. They make up the vast majority of my knitting arsenal and Brittany make some of the best.

Brittany needles and crochet hooks are manufactured in Elk, CA using sustainably harvested Birch wood. Although it is a small operation (5 people in the company, according to their website), Brittany is very nearly ubiquitous in most respectable yarn and knitting shops around the US. They are often used as the standard by which all other hardwood needles are measured in terms of quality and consistency. Great care is taken by the company to maintain accurate sizing for all of their products.

Birch is a smooth-grained hardwood, making it perfect for use in tools such as knitting needles. Brittany uses these aspects of the wood to the fullest, with a smooth, warm surface straight out of the package that is a pleasure to hold and work with. Coatings or finishes are not used, preferring instead to let the wood work for its self. This means that the action of the needles will only get easier over time as the yarn polishes the wood, without having to worry about any waxes or finishes flaking off or wearing down through use, as is often the case with inexpensive metal or bamboo needles.

Currently, I am using a set of Brittany US10 DP needles with the Goldwater Alpaca yarn previously mentioned in this blog. I've already used this set of needles for half-a-dozen or more projects using sheep wool, making the needles already smoothed and well-formed to my hands. The combination of these old friends and the slick softness of the Alpaca is making the hat I'm working on a dream to knit.


http://www.brittanyneedles.com/default.html

BlackThorn English Cider

This is a cider that I was a bit surprised to find in Washington DC. Traveling on the left coast, I've run into BlackThorn on tap and in bottles in Washington, Oregon, and California, but never back East. So far, the only form of it that I've found on the Atlantic side of things is in Pint (500ml, 16.9oz) cans, available in 4-packs at a handful of DC area shops.

It says on the can "A Distinctive Crisp, Dry Taste". I will heartily agree that the taste is certainly distinctive, and dry. the crispness is something that only ever comes out when it's well and truly chilled. Unlike many ciders that get a sort of warm bite to them as they warm up in your hand, BlackThorn tends to just get harsher and acquires a vaguely yeasty aroma that can put you off if you're not expecting it. There is an almost acidic bitterness that sweeps the back of your tongue on the way down your throat. There is very little sweet about this cider (in contrast to Woodchuck Amber or Scrumpys Organic), though there is a hint of tart that comes through when it is chill.

With many ciders (and beers, I'm told) room temperature is supposed to be the best for getting the full body of flavor from your drink. The aroma which accompanies this libation when warm, however, tends to overpower the otherwise refreshing crispness which makes this cider worth keeping around. The label around the neck of the can says "Serve Chilled" and I would take it one step further: Don't even think about it unless the frost forms up the glass as you pour. But if you can keep a couple of cans or bottles at the back of the fridge or the bottom of the ice bucket, savor this smooth cider while you can.

http://www.blackthorn.uk.com/home.asp

Goldwater Springs Alpaca

Just before moving to DC, I was given a skein of tan Alpaca/wool blend Goldwater Springs yarn. It's been traveling with me for the last 4 months and I've finally done more than ball it and stare at it with longing abandon.

The farm is in West-Central Iowa, and produces a great deal of fiber and 'Home' products such as lip balm and bath scents. Their fiber and yarn had won awards in competitions sponsored by Spin-Off, a notable trade magazine in fiber arts. The online store has something to be desired, but email questions and orders are usually responded to in good order. If you are in the upper mid-west, they are also present at many central Iowa farmer's markets in the warmer seasons.

The yarn its self is of between worsted and DK weight, 3ply with a fairly even color that makes me wonder if they haven't added some dye to keep the color solid. As this is my first experience working with alpaca, though, I won't stand too firm by that. The feel of the yarn is absolutely heavenly. It has the slick softness of silk, with the flexibility and stretch of wool. I am told that Alpaca also preserves many of the temperature and moisture-wicking characteristics of wool, though i haven't had a chance to put that to the test. I will say that it is a dream to move through your hands, even to make a quick gauge swatch.

The yarn is well spun, with the plys locking together nicely to help prevent splitting the yarn while working with it. The project I have it in mind for will be using Brittany US10 Double Point needles, the gauge for which on this yarn is about 4.5 sts/in and 5 rows/in. Just doing a gauge watch with this yarn is a pleasure, with the soft smoothness sliding through your fingers. The stitches pop fairly well, leading me to believe that it would display cabling like a charm.

I have this yarn on the needles right now as a hat for an ailing relative. So far, it is knitting up a dream. Above the brim, I plan on using cables to add a bit of flavor to the pattern. Pictures will be added both here and on my Ravelry page with the results. In the mean time, find yourself some Alpaca yarn and just run it through your hands. I think you'll be impressed.

http://www.goldwaterspringsalpaca.com/default.html

J.K. Scrumpy 'Orchard Gate Gold'

This is a cider, ladies and gentlemen, that speaks to you before it's even out of the cooler at the shop.

It comes in a tall (22 oz) amber bottle with a proud "USDA ORGANIC" label adorning its long neck. The description on the label as a "Farmhouse Cider" led me to think of the Apple Jack I'd had years ago back in Iowa. Or the Weston's Organic ciders I'd had in England. Both of which were strong, almost bitter brews that still smelled strongly of the apple peels the juice had been wrung from and had a kick like a Kung Fu master. In that regard, Scrumpy fairly surprised me .

The brew has a mild fizz to it, similar to Strongbow or any of the other popular brands. Whereas, however, Strongbow, K's, Blackthorn and others proudly state that they are 'Dry' ciders, Scrumpy is nothing of the sort. As soon as you pop the cap off the bottle, the sweetness fills the air like a caramel factory. It took me three tries to take the first sip out of the glass I'd poured it in for the thickness of the fruity scent. On tasting, it goes down much like it smells. I was reminded often as I drank that first glass of Apricot Jam. I honestly have no idea why Apple cider should be reminiscent of Apricot jam, but there you go.

Unlike some ciders (Woodpecker Amber, for example) which start out sweet and then seem to mild as you make your way through the pint, Scrumpy's seemed to get even sweeter as I went on, each sip drawing a pucker and a smacking of the lips. The alcohol content is not terribly great, especially compared to many organic ciders out there, a mere 6.0%, so the kick is not much to get worked up over. The sweetness of it, I fear might lead to some nasty headaches in the morning, though, and I might recommend laying in a good stock of Asprin before you get started.

I have to admit that after the first bottle, I needed to open up something else just for a break from the fruitiness so sweet that it might just give Rainbow Bright pause. This is not something to be taken on a binge, or after you drink is well and truly on. If, however, you are looking for a less alcoholic alternative to Mead, Scrumpy might well be for you. Like with mead, however, I would recommend splitting a bottle between friends and served in small glasses or tumblers. A good social drink, not to be indulged in haste, but savored over good conversation.

http://organicscrumpy.com/index.html