Judge’s Review: 91 Rating – The Russets by Snow Capped Cider

New World Cider | Year-Round | USA

By Brian Eichhorn

Judges Rating: 91
Aroma: 23
Appearance: 6
Flavor: 37
Mouthfeel: 8
Overall Impression: 17

The Russets by Snow Capped Cider is being evaluated as a C1A, New World Cider, per the 2015 BJCP Cider guidelines, though I’m not certain if that’s totally correct. At any rate, it pours sparkling and clear in the glass with a slightly copper-tinged gold. Very attractive.
The nose has a fresh apple sauce quality and beautiful apple depth. The nose certainly suggests sweetness with underfermented cider, which is very pleasant. Slight white pepper note present as well. Very deep nose that reminds me of Cyser almost, with a honeyed edge. On tasting, up front it has a bracing sweetness that is pulled back in check by the acid and alcohol, as well as some lush tannins. I’m not huge on sweetness in cider, but this manages to really hit that high-quality sweetness, allowing both the raw fruit and wine-like character to work together. Plus, there’s plenty of carbonation to help carry this through. Even with that, I think a bit more dryness would be welcome to round out the cider, but I do love the fruit expression they are able to get here.