My First Cider Tasting
I’ve done whiskey tastings, bourbon tastings, beer tastings, even Guinness tasting in Dublin, and it’s no secret I love wine tasting! But I had never done a hard cider tasting. So when I passed by the sign for Old Hill hard cider on a recent trip I decided to take a detour and check it out.
Old Hill is located west of Timberville, VA on a hill top with great views. I was the only one there around noon on a weekday, and since it’s a working farm with a nursery business as well, wound up having to call to find someone to do my tasting.
My host, Sarah, wound up being an enthusiastic and charming woman, the perfect person to guide me through my first cider tasting. With the exception of their dessert cider, all their ciders were dry, though one or two were sufficiently “apple” to appeal even to a sweet tooth.
My favorites were the Heritage and Cidermaker’s Barrel which were more like wine in their depth and complexity of flavor. And throughout them all there’s a sense of inventive fun, as evidenced by the limited release Farmhand cider, made (if I remember the story right) by mixing two types of yeast to see what happens. What happens is a delightfully funky fun flavor.
The people are very friendly, the cider is great, and the views are fantastic. So if you find yourself on I-81 in Northern Virginia, definitely make a stop!
