The idea of "pairing-up" or two parts adding up to a greater sum runs through the apples and this cider.  Both the Dabinett and the Northern Spy apples were chance seedlings discovered in different parts of the world; the Dabinett in Somerset, England in the early 1900's, and the Spy in the early 1800's in East Bloomfield, New York.  Wild seedlings are often forgettable, but sometimes they express the best characteristics of their mystery parents.  The Dabinett is a pure bittersweet, with low acidity and soft, smoky tannins.  Northern Spy, on the other hand, wakes you up; they have acidity and, in cider, minerality.  On paper, they fill in the gaps, putting together structure and acidity for a balanced package.  But after aging, this is real; they have melded and become a cider with depth and a finish that lasts forever.

The Dabinett was grown by our friend Steve Wood at Farnum Hill and the Northern Spy and Spigold by our friend and partner James Cummins.  Although I can't see them married to each other, they're two growers alike in many ways: larger than life, strongwilled, exceedingly generous.