CiderMaker: Hard Apple Cider

Honey and apples both seem to have a taste that's exclusive to only a few natural things on earth. A sweetness that can't be found in any candy. Their's even an apple cultivar that has a title that connects the two as well: Honeycrisp. Tonight I'm sipping on a glass of CiderMaker: Hard Apple Cider which is a new release from Maine Mead Works. Apparently it's not a new concoction because it's been served under another's label only on tap. It'll be available on many shelves soon, and here's what you can expect.

The first sip I took of this was quite a surprise, because it's nothing like other hard ciders sold in a 6-pack. It's more like biting into a freshly picked apple. The scent on your nose is light but the happenings in the mouth can be described as zesty, crisp, and with apples of course. What makes this zesty and crisp is the sparkle it gives on your tongue in an almost citrus way without the bitterness. If it was only my tongue sensing this, I could mistake this as carbonated. The crispness matches well with the apple palate that leans towards the lighter kind without much bitter.

I don't believe I'd want to have this on tap because it would add bubbles and make it overly crisp. Brittle and dry perhaps? So shelves in Maine should be stocking half-gallon bottles of this cider, or you can go straight to Maine Mead Works and get a bottle that you can bring back to re-fill. An A (excellent) in my book for thinking outside of the bottles of other hard ciders. Sweet in that natural way.

Dobrá Tea Korean Nok Cha

Portland Maine is quite well known around town to be full of fine coffee with a roaster right in town and many coffee shops making Starbucks look mediocre. Dobrá Tea is one of only a few places in and around Portland specializing in tea, and thankfully because they're covering that base well. This is my first review of their products.

Dobrá Tea doesn't have any in-house blends of tea because they try hard to keep things to their origins. So for this post, I'll be reviewing their Korean Nok Cha. The first impression it gave me was green in an earthy way. After some further interpretation a round nutty taste is what I found to make the earthy hue. The body of this ties in with these tastes quite well, and can be described as whole, round and buttery. It's so noticeable it almost seems to be a taste, not just a texture.

Dobrá Tea's menu uses the adjective 'oceanic' to tie all these things together. This may not seem what a green-earthy-nutty tea may be, but this is an appropriate word for the taste given. Somehow it has a tone of the ocean if you were a mile or two from it. It could be because these leaves are grown on the coast. It is a solid B (good) in my book and I will certainly have it again.

Teavana Himalayan Majestic

This is a rather expensive tea compared to Teavana's other options, but this is due to it's exotic origins as labeled in it's title. I've often wondered what factors to the producing plants of many drinks in different locations define a region's trends? There will always be too many to bother trying to figure out, so let's just find out what Nepal's black tea is like.

What I thought of first once this tea passed my lips is Darjeeling because this is a full flavored and thin bodied tea, but not like a breakfast tea. (Oolong tea characteristics are usually similar as well). It's flavor is a light floralness but also a musky smoke. It doesn't taste roasted at all though, and makes me think of a an evening tea instead of a brisk morning choice. There is a slight bitterness to it that I enjoy, but this is an incredibly smooth tea too.

An interesting combination of flavors made me grade this a B (good) with little contemplation. I recommend this tea to anyone who enjoys green gunpowder teas because it has a similar relaxing frequency, and if you enjoy the gunpowder's effect, you'll enjoy this as well.

Maine Mead Works HoneyMaker Lavender Mead

Lavender and honey. Sounds like a relaxing and intuitive combination you'd find in an enchanted forest, doesn't it? You won't have to go that far for it though, because Maine Mead Works has a lavender flavored mead in their lineup. Is it worthy of accompanying you in your picnic-expedition to the tranquil forest grove though? Read on and find out.

Fair is a good word for this mead because it has a pleasantly light aroma and taste that's a bouquet. Lavender and the honey are apparent of course, but other things not in the title are appearing too. Light crisp fruits of different varieties (like pineapple) are everywhere but don't overpower the non-stereotypical lavender taste. I say non-stereotypical because the lavender has a "peppery" accent that isn't anything like perfume. The body to the mead isn't light though, it's actually well rounded.

It's not hard to drink at all, and I'm leaving Maine Mead Work's Lavender Mead with a A (excellent) because it's not one you just intuitively put down. You start with a few sips that give you the expected sweet and floral notes, but that penetrating and unexpected aspect that's somehow lavender requires your attention. A great way to end a meal.

Sebago Trekker Pale Ale

At the time of this review, the Trekker Pale Ale is the Sebago Brewing Company's newest release. It's a part of their single batch series and their fundraiser for the Trek Across Maine (an American Lung Association support). It was created at the event "Brewing for a Cause" where people who purchased tickets helped to create this concoction. Let's explore their experiment's taste:

If I had never seen the title of this defining it as a pale ale, I could have mistaken it for an IPA. It pours a creamy head that visualizes a pale ale (not as much lacing), but as soon as your other senses approach it things go the IPA way. You immediately smell hops on the more citrus side compared to Sebago's Frye's Leap IPA. There's also an interesting pine hue to the hops. If you're paying enough attention you can smell the caramel-malt going on behind the hops though. On your tongue you're brought back to the IPA effect of a tingling and citrusy-crisp hops, but the malt notes are a bit stronger. The body is on the rounder side and it ends with both aspects of IPA and pale ale once swallowed. A bitter kick and the malty dry.

This isn't just a classic pale ale, but an American pale ale due to the amount of hops used. I find it quite appropriate due to the title's cause and I will be supporting the event with this choice in my pint glass. It deserves the B (good) because of the tastes going on with some intensity but balance. I'd like to point out that the combination used makes this quite easy to drink as well. In addition to enjoying the taste, it feels good to "Drink for a Cause".

J. Lohr Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon '10

My aunt just made a statement on Facebook: "Rainy days can be so Productive!" I'd like to point out that a rainy day is perfect for a cabernet with cheese and crackers. Rest is very productive for the future as well, so don't ever feel bad for enjoying such. So today I'm reviewing J. Lohr's Seven Oaks Cabernet on this rainy day.

The nose on this wine is a bouquet that's really hard to define the flowers on. The tannins are strong even after a good aeration, but you can tell dark fruits are going to be a big note in this experience. Once on your tongue things become more clear though. The fruits involved on the tastes are plum, dark unpitted cherries, and a certain aspect of blueberries. Being a Mainer I can't say this hue of the spectrum is exactly like the palate of a blueberry, because it doesn't have the exact sweetness signature in my state's fruit. It's really just the blue part of it. Besides fruits, there's also a velvety vanilla going on that compliments the body quite well. I'll end my tasting notes by saying the body is full but not 'round'. (Round being the feel of a sherry or stout beer.)

I'd make a different choice if I wanted the "dark side" (coffee or chocolate notes) of a cabernet, but J. Lohr Seven Oaks is a fine example of California cabernets and will be a frequent choice of mine when looking for the fruitier side of this grape. I'm giving it a B (good) because of this standard it set and because Seven Oaks is a fine choice for not just a rainy day, but any day.

New Age White

Wow! I don't know about where you are or when you read this, but it's defiantly summer here. Hot, humid, and sunny. After a good workout and discovering I didn't have a sauvignon blanc, I had to go to the local wine shop. My taste buds simply wouldn't compromise for a belgain white beer or half & half (iced tea & lemonade). Note: What I chose is only 10% sauvignon blanc and was shuffled in with South American crisp whites. Read on and you'll see why Quintessential Wines New Age White goes there.

The nose smells strongly of a yellow fruit salad (pineapple, mango, lemon) with a secondary clover honey-like sweetness. It tingles with the sparkle once in your mouth, which works fantastically with the super sweet notes that reappear from the aroma. It is a little citrus dry once swallowed, but this doesn't make it harder to drink at all and just helps keep a balance with the sweetness. Not the same crisp as sauvignon blanc but it covered the base I needed.

I've heard of this wine being served as something like cocktails, and I can't wait to try after the glass I'm working on to review the bottle: Poured over ice with a touch of lime. I'll let readers review that for themselves and leave the New Age White with a B (good) because it's easy to enjoy and not too sugary sweet. Great choice for a party.