About Cider
Normandie and South England has through generations cultivated special apples for cider.
These cider apples are now for the first time tested in Norwegian climate - The Ciderhouse imported branches of cider apple tree from Normandie and Somerset in 1999.
We have each year grafted new trees and uses apples from these trees in our ciders.
These cider apples are now for the first time tested in Norwegian climate - The Ciderhouse imported branches of cider apple tree from Normandie and Somerset in 1999.
We have each year grafted new trees and uses apples from these trees in our ciders.
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The 7.500 registered apple varieties in the world can be seperated into tree groups based on application.
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Cider apples
Cider apples are known from Normandie and Southwest England and is the only group that has distinctly bitter substances. Some have heavy tannins as in hopps, other are astringent as in rhubarb. Cider apples are divides into sub groups based on the level of bitter substance, sugar and acid. The Englishmen call them bitter-sharp and bitter-sweet. Bitter substances in apple cider has the same effect as tannin in wine and hopps in beer. It gives a longer and more complex flavor. |
Dessert apples
Around 80% of the apple varieties belong in this group. These are apples that are rich in flavor and have a good balance between sweet and sour. They often have a distinct aroma typical for their variety. "Gravenstein", "Åkerø", "Aroma", "Summerred", "Red Delicious", "Cox Orange" belongs in this group. This is apples we love to grab as fresh fruit. They are also suitable in fruit salads. Additionally they are the best varieties to make into juice. |
Cooking apples
When apples are heated, a lot of the fresh sour flavor disappears. Then we have to use sour cooking apples that will preserve the fresh flavor after heating as well. For fruit soup, apple compote, applesauce, apple pie, baked apples etc. these are the best suited varieties. Some of the most known cooking apple varieties are "Bramley's Seedling", "Husmor" and "Alexander". Up to 10% cooking apples in apple juice or cider gives a nice sour edge. |
There are a broad specter of ciders that can be divided in to different regional traditions and styles.
Cider has traditions from all over the world, and different regions use different varieties of apples to make their distinctive cider. Cider from dessert apples are common in Southwest England, Ireland, East Europe, Scandinavia, USA and Tasmania. In Germany, Austria and Switzerland we find Apfelwine from sour cooking apples (Wirtschaftsäpfel). Cider with bitter cider apples are most common in Normandie, Bretagne, Channel Islands and Southwest England.
Cider has traditions from all over the world, and different regions use different varieties of apples to make their distinctive cider. Cider from dessert apples are common in Southwest England, Ireland, East Europe, Scandinavia, USA and Tasmania. In Germany, Austria and Switzerland we find Apfelwine from sour cooking apples (Wirtschaftsäpfel). Cider with bitter cider apples are most common in Normandie, Bretagne, Channel Islands and Southwest England.
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What affects the flavors of cider are:
- Type of aroma/ smell: aroma of the variety (fruit), yeast, oxidation, etc.
- The level of sweetness: fruit sugar, glucose, sucrose
- The level of acidity (fresh flavor) and type of acid (malic acid, citric acid, wine acid, acetic acid or lactic acid)
- The level of bitter substances or tannins
- The tactic feeling in the mouth: From astringent to smooth or oily
- Carbonized or still
- Alcohol level
- Preferanse and habit
Alle these factors play a part in what type of cider you will get.
But it is still not mathematics - it is chemistry!
Three tanks can evolve completely different, even though everything is done exactly the same way throughout the whole process.
Yeast is really difficult to understand!
- Type of aroma/ smell: aroma of the variety (fruit), yeast, oxidation, etc.
- The level of sweetness: fruit sugar, glucose, sucrose
- The level of acidity (fresh flavor) and type of acid (malic acid, citric acid, wine acid, acetic acid or lactic acid)
- The level of bitter substances or tannins
- The tactic feeling in the mouth: From astringent to smooth or oily
- Carbonized or still
- Alcohol level
- Preferanse and habit
Alle these factors play a part in what type of cider you will get.
But it is still not mathematics - it is chemistry!
Three tanks can evolve completely different, even though everything is done exactly the same way throughout the whole process.
Yeast is really difficult to understand!
Cider can be divided into three categories based on state of fermentation:
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Young cider
...is fermented approx. one week in chilled temperature, around 6-8 degrees Celsius, before it is bottled. At this state the fruit aromas (the primary aromas) are still dominating, and the cider has a fresh light character where the taste of the juice can be recognized. The alcohol level is between 3% and 5%. |
Fully fermented cider
...has finished the fermentation process and has reached a level where the wine aromas (secondary aromas) are the most prominent. The flavor is more complex and is more similar to white wine. |
Matured cider
... is fully fermented cider that has been stored over time. Thereby long term aromas (tertiary aromas) are evolved, with a oxidative character as we know from sherry and port wine. The alcohol level will not increase if more suger is added. |
