Farnum Hill Kingston Black Reserve Cider

Brewed by Farnum Hill Ciders
Style: Cider
Lebanon, New Hampshire USA

Serve in Flute, Lager glass

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Bottles @ Astor Wines & New Beer Distro. Bright, clear, yellow gold body. Smells of wet stone & biting, unripe apples. Yeasty white wine & lemon acidity. Still, thin, & a bit watery. Crisp apple peel & lots of acid on the first sip. Sharp. Sour green grapes. Solid amount of tartness, but it can’t keep up. Tannic, woodsy, yeasty finish. Pretty dry, but not quite. Forceful alcohol. Rindy aftertaste. Seems imbalanced to me. Would of enjoyed more residual sugar. Interesting, but not completely enjoyable.

2010 batch. Pours clear and still with a golden hue. Some alcohol legs, but mild. Aromas are a bit sulfury and quite dry. Light to medium acidity, mild esters. Medium-dry apple, floral notes. Flavors are dry and sulfury, rich tannin, medium acidity and somewhat thin. A bit of a crackery note. Tannic, mild floral notes. Still.

Bottle. Pours a clear light yellow with no carbonation (of course). Aroma of light apple, cinnamon, light hay. Flavor is tart apple up front, some oak barrel, light sugar. More sour than I expected but it’s all good. Also, not much difference between still cider vs. carbonated (it was my first example of a still cider, which is why I comment). Overall a tasty cider, very drinkable too. 7/4/8/4/15 [3.8/5]

bottle thanks to bu11zeye. poured clear yellow. aroma was butter, honey, and citrus. flavor was what I was perceiving to be pear with a light and dry body.

Pouring at the Applepalooza event at the Astor Center. Pours a clear gold. Dry apples and tart skin up front. Dry and soft, light warming alcohol peeks through, accompanied by a gentle acid. Very subtle, light acid. Touch of apples and alcohol warmth. Tasty, but a bit dull.

750mL Bottle, poured at Cider Days 2011 - Cheese and Cider Tasting. Finally got to try this cider that I refuse to pay $20 for. Almost vinous, sulfury nose. Dry super-tart and white-wine like. Another example of still, austere cider that’s meant to play like wine and go well with food. It’s starting to be a real divergence in the cider world. Lots of minerals and citrus complexity.

(750ml bottle 2008 vintage thanks to bu11zeye) clear yellow with few bubbles. Nose of funk, manure, fermented apples. Taste is tart, vinous, apple, and a bit of chewable vitamins. Think Flintstones. Thin slick body, under-carbonated but still nice. Thin on the flavor linger as well.

Bottle. Pours a light tan color. Smells of sour granny smith apples and vinegar. taste is similar. Not sweet at all. Kind of reminds me a geuze or a sour/lambic. ABV is not present at all. Really good interesting different and good... despite me not being from the cider drinkers.

Pale Yellow pour with a light fizz. Aroma is complex apple, floral, earthy, tannin, very rich. Mouthfeel is light and fizzy, Flavor is rich funky spicy apple with a touch of bitterness, nice tannic quality as well, apple skin. Best of the Farnum line up by far. Damn tasty stuff.

2008 bottle courtesy of Dave. Pours a still golden orange color that is crystal clear. Strong oak aroma with a definite acidity to it. Yeast and some alcohol are also present on the nose. Green apple, lemon, and champagne come to mind when smelling this. The flavor is fairly tart with a lot of that same green apple and lemon character. A slight uric thing going on, sort of similar to an acidic Sauvignon Blanc. The oak is there, thought not as tannic and strong as the nose indicates. Medium in body and smooth on the tongue. Not bad, but I would have preferred a little less acidity and more dryness.