Blackbird Cider Works
Estate Reserve
Blackbird Cider Works Estate Reserve (6.9% alcohol by volume) is a medium dry American style session cider with a lightly spiced mild apple and fruit smell and hints of white wine and light esters. It pours brilliant light gold from the center to the rim with good reflectance and a clear meniscus. It is a light, refreshing, mildly carbonated cider with a light, balancing acidity. Tannins are low to none. I am drinking this with Rush Creek Uplands Reserve, a washed rind soft raw cow's milk cheese inspired by Vacherin Mont d’Or. The cheese is wrapped in spruce bark and it is so soft and runny you can - and probably should - eat it with a spoon. It is creamy, beefy, mushroomy, slightly funky with a nice spruce seasoning and it goes brilliantly with the cider. The cider's light carbonation cleans the palate and lets the cheese's spruce and beefy mushroom flavors come into focus. The cheese also does some nice things with the the cider's apple and the cider's light tartness softens some of the cheese's creaminess. I rate the cider 83 and the cheese at least 90.