Mountain Glow

Mountain Glow Cider by Stowe Cider is being evaluated as C2F, Specialty Cider. The cider pours effervescent with a persistent stream of mixed bubbles. Good clarity and quite bright overall. The nose shows the ginger first and foremost along with some pleasant dessert apple notes and distinct citrus peel, tending more towards lemon than orange, accentuating the ginger but perhaps overshadowing the apple character. On tasting, I do get an initial hit of slightly eggy sulfite. The cider is surprisingly dry but not too aggressive. The apple does get a bit lost here and the citrus peel lends a citric acidity. The ginger is more subtle on the palate than the citrus, but both sort of outshine the apple character a bit, as it seems a bit one-dimensional in that regard. It is, however, very drinkable. While some sweetness could prop the apple up, the drinkability would be adversely affected. The mouthfeel is full of prickly carbonation with a lush tannin balance and medium body. On the whole, very drinkable and refreshing, but the spices overwhelm the apple and the sulfite is a bit distracting.