La Face Cachée de la Pomme Neige Recolte D’Hiver

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

Serve in Flute, Stem glass

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Small sample from 375 ml bottle at the Mondial. Thick, oily legs ooze down the sides towards a burnished blindingly golden body...gorgeous deep perfumy nose, fresh apples, lavender and vanilla, with only the slightest hint of friendly warming alcohol...very sweet, lightly vinous (mix of sherry and gewurtztraminer) in texture, like a sweet white wine perhaps fortified with fruit sugars, just a touch of warming alcohol and luscious golden raisins and pure vanilla amidst the light buttery finish...wow. Perhaps my new favorite cider, easily on the level of Leo Boutin Pomelle at any rate but far more drinkable, dangerously so.

2004 bottle sampled 6/4/2005 at Mondial. Stumbled upon this unknowingly and was left dumbfounded. All I scribbled down on my notes was the phrase, "just so complex!". You better believe I remember the rest, though.
A warm-toned honey and apricot colored cider, with some gleaming copper and brass, and darker caramel shades in the middle. Legs are left in response to swirling the thick, limpid, liquid. Aroma of cinnamon, cloves, sweet apple skins and pulp, rich butter pie-crust with freshly baked, warm apples and a glass of brandy. Vanilla and almonds in there as well. Flavor is explosive, complex and just stupefying. Rich cinnamon-flavored iced cream, with warm cointreau-soaked apples atop. Brandy, luscious caramel and full, sweet red apples, never syrupy or cloying. Powerful finish is warming, well-spiced of clove, allspice, oranges and vanilla. Body is gentle yet strong, very impressive and easy to sip. Finish does not "make you pay for it" by dousing you with alcohol. Tremendously balanced and just pure flavor from start to finish. As David says, this one is seemingly perfect in its own right, and takes the route of the wonderfully balanced, full bodied, strong and complex Belgian Strong Ale, whereas a perfect 5 in my book would also be an ultra funky farmhouse cider, for which I have more preference. This is incredible though. Glad we discovered it.

Wealth, organization and hedonism coexist harmoniously to form the richest tart/sweet apple balance...Apple pie sweetness and citrusy feathers levitate this stunning, classy and extremely flavorful ice cider...Body is portly but nowhere near obese, just generously fed with love and attention...I don’t see what you could do better in an ice cider...

UPDATED: JAN 5, 2008 Pours a cleark dark golden color. Amazing aroma and flavor of baked apples and cinnamon, it’s sweet, but just enough. The mouthfeel is liquorous and still.

UPDATED: JUL 14, 2010 Deepest cider gold, still, very honest viscous legs coating the glass. Strong applesauce aroma, even more decadent than the pomelle I believe if less powerful and alcoholic. Elegant whole apples, juicy like no other. Red apples, pears, pancakes, toasty, baked nature. Greenish toward the end as it develops the mildest acidity. Incredibly controlled flavours. In mouth, this is one of those sensory overloads, immediate and cutting, one that makes you forget the world exists and take everyone of your concerns away to leave only you, your bubble, the glass, the cider and an ecstatic moment, one that cuts a bit short as you realise you’re holding a pen and must express your emotions one way or another. Thickest applesauce palate, as thick as a JW Lees, the dark lord of ciders if you will, cinnamon undertones, slick, only slightly boozy goodness. Almost fuelic and in a good way this time. Greenish tea finish, long and powerful. Utter apple decadence, I can’t imagine cider getting any better except for a most funky example that I’ve yet to encounter, so this might well be higher rated for me one day as I try more. Genuine and awe-inspiring.

Sampled the 2003 Vintage at the cider house. A bit more dark and caramel coloured than Neige, it’s viscous and oily and coated the tulip-shaped tasting glass well. Aroma starts off with a little oak, then a few alcoholic fumes, but not overpowering at all, then comes the fruit salad: lychee, passion fruit, mangoes, and then finishes off with a smell of freshly chopped mushrooms. Insane. This elixir tastes like liquid apple pie. Soft notes of caramel, it feels powerful in your mouth but comes down smoother than silk. It has a residual sweetness that cancels out any apparent acidity and doesn’t give you that "too much sugar in my bloodstream" feeling a lot of dessert wines can give you. This is the ultimate ice cider in Québec right now, and can give the best ciders in the world a run for their money.

UPDATED: JUN 21, 2005 Original Rating (7-4-8-5-16=4.0): Apples in a fortified white wine like aroma. Golden amber with tiny apple chunks. Sweet, full, acidic, thick flavour and body. A somnambulent, sopporific stumble through the orchard in late Autumn. Bottle (sampled at Mondial 2004).
Rerate (8-4-8-4-16=4.0): Browned apples and brown sugar in the fairly alcoholic aroma. Clear, deep copper colour. Very viscous - coats the glass. Very sweet, dessert-like brown sugar and apples with a fair amount of alcohol present in the syrupy, cloying finish. Thick and sticky. Though I can appreciate the craftsmanship, I am not as enamoured as some of my fellow tasters, and for the price, I don’t think I’ll be re-sampling much of this one. Sampled at Mondial de la Bière 2005.

(Bottle) Mondial de la Bière 2004. Amber body with small apple chunks. Nice viscosity but no Leo Boutin Pomelle. White wine, sweet MacIntosh apples. Very sweet and acidic flavours followed by an alcohol-warming. Great vintage 2002 cider. I would love to be able to afford the $45 bottle and share this with some apres-ski friends.