The Story of Autumn's Gold 2017

The 2017 Autumn’s Gold represents an exciting time in the evolution of our cidery. We began planting and grafting bittersweet and bittersharp European cider varieties in 2002. Apples grow on trees, and trees are long lived and slow to mature. The dream of making bittersweet cider from our own trees, on our own land, like the great ciders of Normandy and Somerset was not a dream we could realize overnight. Or in five years. Or even ten. Once our trees began to produce these crazy apples, we needed to learn how to make cider with them. In the same way that red winemaking is different from white wine making, making cider from high tannin varieties is not the same as making cider from our local, acid-dominated varieties.

Some nuances we have learned along the way: pick late and let the apples sit for deeply ripe flavors. Slow, natural fermentations bring out complexity…commercial yeast don’t do these apples justice. Macerating fruit prior to pressing also increases aromatics and helps with integrating tannin. Speaking of tannin, bittersweet cider wants air from old oak barrels. And there is a balance that can be found between sweetness and tannin that can be deeply satisfying.

Autumn’s Gold 2017 is our most “Old World” cider. Rich and structured with an earthy complexity, the Devonshire bittersweet Ellis Bitter features prominently with pretty backup from Idared and Tydeman’s.

-Autumn Stoscheck, Orchardist/Cidermaker