Apple Haze
Stowe Cider, Stowe VT
With leaves turning colors and candy filling supermarket aisles once again, who doesn’t find themselves craving a cider at the start of fall? Deep gold in color with plenty of advertised cloudiness, Apple Haze smells like fruit straight out of a cider press. But there is nuance here too, with notes of Asian pear, hay, and a faint musty quality deep in the background. Medium bodied with just enough of an acidic edge (think star fruit) to avoid the slippery slope of sweetness, its rustic character could almost allow Apple Haze to pass as a more refined Scrumpy. Semi-dry in the finish with some culinary apple sweetness emerging in the linger, this easy drinking can from Vermont is practically begging to be paired with cider doughnuts and pumpkin carving.
Review by Cidercraft Contributor Ben Keene, @where_and_back