Judge’s Review: 88 Rating – Frankfurter Apfelwein by Kelterei Possman

The cider casts a medium-gold color and is quite clear. I see no outgassing and no foam forms at all; it looks basically still. The aroma starts with medium levels of aged apple juice with a nice fruity angle and a soft tartness with hints of bitter and sharp tannic dry notes (white pepper?). The impression gives off a mix of green and red apple flavors with light levels of skin influence rendering an off-dry nose in balance, with low cidery-wine components. It’s mostly fresh and juicy with a hint of tartness and herbal spice.
The flavor largely matches the aroma with a full apple fruitiness dominating alongside nice acidic tones and soft sweetness all the way to the finish. Again, only modest levels of tannic sharpness counterpoise the overall juicy fruitiness that dominates. The aftertaste is medium-dry with some lingering expressed sweetness that lasts a good long time. The cider would reach medium sweetness if not for the deft use of some tannic notes adding a light pepper character. The cider is just one note short of still, and is relatively light in body and quite drinkable.