COMPARATIVE LIT ESSAY:
Tonight I have paired two ciders that use the Newtown Pippin varietal as the main ingredient and which are both made in the Denver area—the High-end Haykin Family Ciders verses an offering from C Squared’s Sailor Series, their top shelf series. While Newtown Pippin plays the protagonist, these two are very different productions. Haykin is light and effervescent with a gentle blanket of sweetness and delicate tart notes, whereas Cousteau is pungent sour and raw. While both are "tangy," Haykin’s tangy is stealing sweet kisses behind the gazebo where Cousteau is sucking serious face out in public. Haykin is obviously light and it has a unique but pleasant smell, where Cousteau has more fermentation in the nose. When it comes to mouthfeel, Haykin is satiating, where Cousteau is fairly thick and unfiltered. In some ways the artwork is representative of the drink themselves. Cousteau has a fun, whimsical and bold nautical theme, compared to the buttoned-up wrapper of Haykin.
For me, I like the well-balanced sophistication of Haykin and could drink this whenever. But let’s face it, I am the Nantucket Red wearing kind of ocean lover and not the hardy spend 30 days in a submarine kind of ocean lover. If you’re the latter and want a really bold and aggressive cider, go down under for Cousteau’s. Otherwise, enjoy the beach from the Kennedy Compound in Hyannis Port with a Haykin.