COMPARATIVE LIT ESSAY:
One of the most interesting developments in cider production has been the advent (or return to?) locational ciders, focusing not so much on particular varietals, but on using uncultivated apples from a particular location and seeing what the local terroir produces. And no one has drawn more attention to the locational cider concept than Andy Brennan of Aaron Burr Ciders. Well, a new small cider outfit in Jackson Hole, Wyoming has imbibed much of Andy Brennan’s philosophy and taken it to heart. They have created a new Neighborhood Cider Series that they describe as “made with foraged wild apples, harvested by hand in Jackson Hole and surrounding communities. Every neighborhood orchard has a unique assemblage of apple varieties that produce one-of-a-kind ciders with their own unique terroir.” Their Rafter J is a blend of untreated apples from a particular mature neighborhood (Rafter J) with at least one wild tree of unknown age (reminiscent of the Denniston Red in Brennan’s book), so it seemed right to compare them side-by-side. In some way, then, this is less about comparing methods—as both are foraging for untreated, uncultivated and in some cases wild apple trees—and more about terroir—the environment, soils and biomes that have produced these apples (and crabapples). So, in a sense it is a comparison of the communities in which they are grown. One comes from just north of the most grand and impressive city of North America, and the other comes from a small neighborhood just south of the most grand and impressive mountain range in North America. So how do they compare?
In the glass the Taconic is hazier with a richer golden hue. Rafter J has a more acidic nose that is slightly funky but still somewhat subdued, where Taconic has bitter tannins in the nose which segues into a slightly bitter tannic taste. The main feature of both these drinks is their finish. While Rafter J has a substantial amount of acidity hitting the back of the palate during the middle phase, it finishes with interesting subtleties in the finish. Similarly, Taconic really opens up in the final phase with an incredibly delicate and soft finish after a larger, and more alcoholic, first phase. Taconic also has a minerality quality to it that is unique and has a softer mouthfeel that allows the depth of flavors to come forward.
Maybe I’m a romantic, maybe I just want to believe in this locational cider concept, but I do love these ciders and I love that they are not a single varietal, which let’s face it, have to be created in an artificial grafting process. I also love it because it is more natural, more sustainable, and potentially has a smaller impact on our environment. But at the end of the day, I’m a cider critic and I have to give a grade, choose a winner and loser, and help guide you to the cider that’s best for you. And though I am primarily a Mountain West kind of guy who also loves the city, I have to go with Taconic. In large part because you get to experience the subtleties of the terroir more because it is not competing with the big shot of acidity you get in Rafter J. There may be just as many levels to the flavor of the apples coming from New York, but you get to experience them longer and more fully with the softer mouthfeel and less abrasive Taconic. I will admit that I did not enjoy Taconic quite as much as I did the first time I tried it (it is one of the highest scoring drinks I’ve ever reviewed) but that could be because of my context (previously I was in an incredible location with some of my favorite people in the world), or it could be because this 4-year old vintage is reaching the end of its shelf live and is starting to lack some of the verve and vigor of its youth. But if any bottles are left of this vintage, or if later years have produced the same depth of flavors, I would snatch up a Taconic as quickly as possible. If you like the funk of a good sidra or feel more connected to the Rocky Mountain soil, drink the Rafter J, otherwise the tantric tannins of Taconic are not to be missed!