La Face Cachée de la Pomme Frimas Ice Cider

Brewed by La Face Cachée de la Pomme
Style: Ice Cider
Hemmingford, Canada

(Bottle 37,5 cl) Courtesy of Ungstrup. Clear, deep amber golden - no head. Complex aroma of overripe apples. Very full-bodied, extremely intense fruit notes - almost strawberry-like. This really is a desert wine, but one that’s tough to drink and digest. 280907

Bottle vintage 2003, 11,5%. A dark golden cider with no head. The aroma is of apple, wood and dark fruits, the taste is mostly apples, with some fruitiness to it, also a warming alcohol. Medium body with a dry warming finish.

(Bottle, 2005 vintage, 1068/3466) Pours a clear sparkling golden body with nice legs. Aroma of apple, apricot, honey, and pineapple. Flavor of concentrated apple, apricot, and light florals. Nice acidity and sweetness balance. I wish this was more easily accessible.

Melted bricks of gold covered in oils and sunburst orange candy shells. Totally translucent, wide and shapely legs. The aroma is pulsing with apple, whole and stem-inclusive, so potent it’s hard to move the cider glass away from my nose to attempt a sip. The nose is not eve close to wholly apple, however. Apricot, puree, high-brix honey, molasses, maple, fresh figs, black cherry pit notes in moderation, mild spiciness, white flowers undefined, vanilla, the mildest lavender essence, clove liqueur all hold my attention as long as they please. This aroma is pure, it is dew-scented, it is utterly magnificent. In the flavor, at first, medium-high acidity seems out of place and overdrawn. Sweetness is very high but it’s not as intense as expected, actually less than the Neige ice cider from the same ciderie, mostly due to relatively high acidity. Bold tropical fruit notes now include pineapple and mango, as well as lesser kiwi. Notes of woodgrain trickle in and back out again. The finish is smooth, sweet, lightly acidic, enduring and succulent. The mouthfeel is extremely full bodied, viscous, sticky, syrupy and sugary. Alcohol is incredibly well concealed throughout this entire experience. A masterpiece.

Bottle # 1068. Bu11zeye, you are now my hero!!!! Holy crap!!! The color is dark amber, redolent of the finest Berenauslese from the Mosel. Wafting from the glass is a symphony of apples, honey, apricots and more apples. Hints of Keifer lime leaves finish the assault. The flavor is an intensity the likes of which I have never experienced. Concentrated apple essence, hints of apricots and slight notes of tropical fruits. There is an acidity that pulls everything together. As close to perfection as I think I will ever see. Re-rated 10-18-09 Simply perfection, the sweetness is matched perfectly by a crisp acidity. There is no argument, this is perfection in a bottle.

Verre de dégustation, provenant d’une bouteille claire de 375 ml, dégusté au Festival Bières et Saveurs 2007 (Chambly, QC). Arôme: Odeur de pommes et de miel avec une pointe de poire. Apparence: La couleur est dorée. Saveur: Goût de pommes, de miel et de litchi. Durée moyenne de l’arrière goût. Palette: Le corps est plein avec une texture liquoreuse. Faible effervescence en bouche. Présence de pommes sucrées en arrière goût. (Rating #1221)

Name: Frimas Recolte
Date: 12/03/2005
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting, Strong Ale fest, 2005
Vintage: 2003

clear yellow, headless, sweet apple aroma with some granny smith tartness, incredable rich apple flavor, nice tartness balanced by the sweet apple flavor, only a hint of alcohol,

Aroma: 8/10; Appearance: 8/10; Flavor: 9/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 18/20
Rating: 4.3/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: ***+/4

Bottle (375ml - clear, classy packaging. Via BIG trade with Viper666 - once again huge thanks for getting this one for me, J-F!. "Récotle 2004." Rating #2400. Poured a deep clear gold. Aroma - wow! - apple, ripe apple (Red Delicious), a hint of tart white wine, musty character, almost lightly oaked - reminded me of a GREAT barrel-aged chardonnay I once had - smooth and complex. Taste - BIG WOW - I don’t see how this could be better - tangy apple with echoes of pineapple, mango and peach, restrained alcohol, solid acidity, just enough carbonation and a thick body - long sweet sticky linger on the palate. Absolutely outstanding. A good choice for a "milestone" rating.