The Story of Krys 2020

Many years ago we began making cider from an unusual apple growing on our Newfield farm. Unusual because whenever a tree died over the years, instead of replanting, James let the rootstock grow up and pruned it just like all the other trees. In time, these “rootstocks” bore burgundy apples with beautiful silver spots. Their juice is full of sugar, acid, tannin and complex flavors. We call these trees Krys. We love this apple so much we began planting it in our new plantings on Albee Hill. For many years, Krys has made up the core of our Darling Creek cider blend, lending it racy acidity and the distinctive “red fruit” component. In 2020, the Krys bore such a big crop that we were able to pull off a barrel for bottling as a single varietal.

~Ezra Sherman and Autumn Stoscheck Cider Makers/ Orchardists