It tastes like:
- “a hypothetical melted scoop of apple gelato”
- “an ultrarich, amber-coloured indulgence… always big on apple, though it often evokes complementary nuances of vanilla, honey and woodsy oak.“
- “fresh aromas of apples and vanilla and a crisp yet mellow flavor enhanced by delicate wood notes.“
- “aromas of butterscotch and baked apple pie. Intense apple butter, caramelized apples, and dried stone fruit on the palate”
- “rich, homespun taste of baked apples blended with a sweet kick of liquor. And then it finishes with a decadent lingering hint of crème brulée.“
- Letting the apples hang on the tree till frozen. (One source recommends letting the apple get to ‘popsicle’ state before picking.)
- Separating the nectar from the crystallized water around it using special basket press to express the concentrate
- Fementation by yeast
- Aging (sometimes in oak)
Pair it with:
- Foie gras, duck terrine
- A plate of crumbly blue cheese
- Toasted walnuts
- At the end of the meal, with creamy desserts and cheeses
Why it’s uniquely Canadian:
- Icewine (Most would agree that ice cider belongs in this category) has been developed around the world (Germans first perfected the technique of pressing fozen, shrivvled grapes in the winter.) but only Canada has the three ingredients needed for ice cider
- Plentiful orchards
- Sharp dependable cold early in the winter
- Apple varieties that are hardy enough to keep their apples on the trees in that early cold.
- First created by Christian Barthomeuf of Québec in 1990 who
- Says it’s not really ice cider unless you let the apple hang on the tree till it’s frozen. (Some ice ciders are made from freezing harvested apples.)
- Uses indigenous yeasts found on the apple skins for fermentation. He says: “The most productive natural yeasts get killed off when the apples are chemically treated. I keep the continuum of the old yeasts by leaving some from previous vintages’ production for each new vintage. This requires vigilance and lots of care, but this is what gives the complexity and depth to the ciders. “
Where you can buy it:
- Online, of course. Here’s one of the vintages that is frequently well-reviewed: Domaine Pinnacle: 375ML; $23
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Or take a Quebec UnTour next winter. and attend the Mondiale des Cidre de Glace , which features all the major ice cider producers, tastings, fireworks, ice tents and more, held in Rougemont every year on St. Valentine’s weekend