Crispin Landsdowne Cider

[ScottK]

I love apple cider. I really enjoy drinking it in the fall, for obvious reasons. Certain beers and beverages lend themselves to certain times of the year. I feel the urge to drink stouts and porters more in the winter months, saisons in the spring, and IPAs, hefeweizens in the summer. Even a Mexican lager is sometimes preferable at a summer barbeque. Last year I visited Oak Glen for the first time since my youth and picked and pressed fresh apple juice to take home and ferment. This opened a new door to brewing that I had not yet experienced. I planned another Oak Glen trip for this past weekend, but was forced to stay home with sick kids. I hope to make it back at the end of October.

This evening I purchased a cider made by Crispin Cider Company. This was their Landsdowne Artisanal Reserve. It was brewed with molasses, honey and Irish Stout yeast. The color was a light brown, reminiscent of a wassail or traditional hot cider or mulled drink with spices, bordering on a murky appearance. The aroma was no different than a typical cider. The flavor was much different than the typical cider however. It was less crisp, probably as a result of the molasses and honey. There was a very light carbonation, bordering on a still drink. I think the stout yeast also helped create a difference from the usual yeast. The cider taste was muted to an extent and the heavy molasses flavor came through. It added to a heavier perceived consistency in the mouthfeel as well. I felt like I was picking up on spices although there are no spices added. I really enjoyed this cider as well as the others Crispin makes. Crispin also makes a cider fermented with a trappist yeast. I am now thinking about different yeasts to use for my next batch of cider.

[lexuschris]

Sounds tasty! Been a long while since I had a good cider.. Where did you find it?
--LexusChris

[nico soze]

I see them at bevmo and several mom n pop liqour stores. Dana loves the Trappist one. I think I've seen the Trappist (red label ) and honey (yellow label) but never the one reviewed above.

[ScottK]

I got this one at the Grog Shop in Whittier. I've seen several more Crispin ciders at Liquor Mart on Whittier Boulevard. I was at Total Wine in Brea this week and surprisingly did not see any in their cider section.