Cider Tasting Best Practices
When cider tasting there are a few things that will help elevate the experience to bring into focus a more full expression of not only the cider and it’s ingredients, but also the Sidraleros themselves
Eat 30 minutes to an hour before
Have a clean palate before you taste otherwise it can affect the profile of the cider. It’s recommended to swish and spit a bit to neutralize your palate
Try not to wear cologne, perfume, or any heavily scented products including strong smelling laundry detergents. The cast off of other aromas can have an effect on your palate since taste and smell are overlapping by nearly 80%.
Don’t feel obligated to swallow! 😉 The simple rule of thumb is: If you don’t like it, you don’t have to drink it. Don’t overload yourself on cider you don’t care for. You’ll only be able to enjoy so much so don’t waste the stomach space.
When tasting cider, let them warm up a bit. Especially with our ciders, they are best drank cellar temperature 45°F (Tepache) – 58°F (Cempazúchil). This allows for a fuller expression of all the characteristics of the ingredients we use. It also doesn’t mask any flaws that may be hiding behind an extremely cold cider.
Choose proper glassware to taste cider in. We recommend never drinking directly from the bottle. This will not allow for the aromatics to hit your olfactory system. We recommend Teku glasses. They were specifically designed to enhance the bouquet and flavor profiles of drinks.
So far as where to start: start with single varietals, then fruited ciders, then barrel aged. Also be sure to start from dry to sweet, low ABV to high. But honestly at the end of the day you want to go from clean and simple to complex and robust.
How To Analyze Cider
Appearance: Let your eyes undress the cider. Look at the color. Find either a specific color name or an object that best describes the hue of the cider like amber, chardonnay, or apricot. Also note its clarity. Is it transparent, translucent, or opaque? This can give you an idea of how the body of the cider is going to be.
Smell: Stick your nose in it. Inhale through your nostrils and detect what you can and what you can’t. There will always be aromas you notice but trying to detect smells you can’t quite put your finger on will make sure you are appreciating the entire ensemble of aromatics within the cider. Swirling the cider in your glass will help release the phenols to make each note more pronounced.
Taste: When you taste, make sure it hits all the zones of your palate and try to see if all the smells you analyzed are present in the flavor profile. Are there characteristics that are on the palate that weren’t in the bouquet? What do you notice “on the nose” (front of your mouth & tip of your tongue), what do you notice on the palate (middle of the tongue and body) and what do you perceive “in the finish” (back of the tongue and throat). Tannins, acid, fragrant, fruity, sour, floral, spicy, nutty, grassy, earthy, minerality, sweet, bitter, still, carbonated, and mouthfeel are all descriptive words that you can use to make notes when you’re tasting cider.
Savor: Lastly, see if your next impulse is to take another sip or “investigate further”. This is typically a sign that you like the cider, enough in fact to drink some more. This will be the final decision on whether or not you should order a full pour or even take a bottle home. This last step is most important. Ultimately it will tell you everything you want to know about the cider.
We hope this info will give you a good starting point on how to best approach cider when taste testing on your own. Whether that’s in your own home, at a cidery, tap room, or your neighbor who’s a home vintner. Cider should always be appreciated for the craft and enjoyed responsibly.
