Alpine Cider Artisan Reserve

Alpine Ciders Artisan Reserve is yet another example of small Aussie cider makers taking a moment to show us the best of their cider making skills.

Packaging, it’s something we are all trying to cut down on. Yet on the other hand it makes a product stand out on the shelf. We see so many of the premium French bottles of bubbly presented in boxes. I don’t know why. Is it to have a bigger presence in-store or maybe it’s an easy gift that’s easy to wrap for blokes like me who struggle with birthday presents.

Alpine cider has used bottle fermentation to finish it off and give it those classic foamy bubbles that float around in a mix of cider and dessert apples. This mix of eating apples and cider apples, balance acids with tannins that are all grown in Victoria’s Alpine region.

The Nose

Maybe the bottle was overfilled, maybe there was still a little bit of fermentation happening in the bottle but there was a little bit of overflow when the cork came out. I guess it’s my turn to clean the kitchen tonight.

What overflowed, was warm and luscious easily inviting you into its apple and strawberry embrace.

The Taste

I love a bottle conditioned bubble and the way it froths all-around ones mouth. It gives the cider a chance to coat all of your taste buds.

If you were to get out the measuring stick you would probably call this a medium-dry, maybe an off-dry cider but the huge hit of fruit in this, make it much smoother and juicer than a cider that’s dry. I want to say that it is like a bottle of nice champagne but take away the acid so it’s smooth and creamy a proper adult’s creamy soda. It’s everything you want from cider apples without any bitters and just a hint of tannin, just enough to offset that strawberry-esh fruit bombshell.

This finish is dry but the fruit keeps going long after the cider is gone.

Final Thoughts on the Alpine Cider Artisan Reserve

A few years ago, I meet the team at alpine cider at a Cider Australia dinner event. They were new to the cider market and just like me hungry to learn from all the other talent in the room. They must have been listening because they are knocking out this absolute quality only a few years later.

I have been saying this for a while now. If you are looking for this type of quality from a French grape grower, say a Grand Brut Champagne from a well-known big bottle shop you will be paying around $60, but this retails for $32AUD which is a great deal in my book.

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