Paul's Pick: Brut Cidre de Bretagne (LeBrun) Brittany, France.
Do not adjust your sets, I have not been abducted by aliens (though I'm open to the experience) but you are correct in noting that this is the first time in print I've recommended a cider. Cider reminds me of my lager lout youth when my palate was a little less sophisticated than today and I'd break up the monotony of tasteless euro lagers by drinking the odd cider - nothing good mind you, mass produced sugar bombs with ridiculous sounding macho names that threatened to send you into a diabetic coma. Incidentally the UK consumes the most cider per capita in the world today, thankfully they have also ceased the 18th century practice of adding lead salt (cheaper than sugar) as a sweetener in the cider. No idea how many thousands died before they realized that sometimes saving money is not such a killer idea!
Le Brun ciders have been produced by Ciders Bigoud (20 employees)! in Brittany, NW France (Plovan - about 500km from Paris) since 1955. Using *gasp* only hand picked hardy apples with wonderfully exotic names such as Kermerrien, Marie Menard, Peau de Chien. Sometimes everything sounds so much better in French! The apples are then collected and aged for 3 weeks in special wooden cases, a process that allows the fruit to slightly dehydrate and concentrate its aromas. Once mashed the resulting pulp and juice rest in a tank, helping balance the taste profile and eradicating any harshness. Pressed again the pure Apple juice then is stored in regulated fermentation tanks where the carbonic gas naturally dissolves in the cider. After a slight filtration the cider is bottled non-pasteurized in order to fully preserve the taste profile in 750ml champagne-like bottles, cork and caged as tradition dictates. The cider pours golden yellow with a moderate carbonization amid aromas of sweet ripe apples. Tart and funky with moderate acidity and a snappy dry finish this is a wonderful example of a farmhouse cider made the right way. A modest 5.5% ABV makes this a perfect picnic accompaniment and its a steal at just $8.99! I rated it a 4/5 on Untappd.
We also carry Le Brun Organic Cidre Demi-Sec at $10.99/750ml - I found it "cleaner" and more acidic than the Brut.
Do not adjust your sets, I have not been abducted by aliens (though I'm open to the experience) but you are correct in noting that this is the first time in print I've recommended a cider. Cider reminds me of my lager lout youth when my palate was a little less sophisticated than today and I'd break up the monotony of tasteless euro lagers by drinking the odd cider - nothing good mind you, mass produced sugar bombs with ridiculous sounding macho names that threatened to send you into a diabetic coma. Incidentally the UK consumes the most cider per capita in the world today, thankfully they have also ceased the 18th century practice of adding lead salt (cheaper than sugar) as a sweetener in the cider. No idea how many thousands died before they realized that sometimes saving money is not such a killer idea!
Le Brun ciders have been produced by Ciders Bigoud (20 employees)! in Brittany, NW France (Plovan - about 500km from Paris) since 1955. Using *gasp* only hand picked hardy apples with wonderfully exotic names such as Kermerrien, Marie Menard, Peau de Chien. Sometimes everything sounds so much better in French! The apples are then collected and aged for 3 weeks in special wooden cases, a process that allows the fruit to slightly dehydrate and concentrate its aromas. Once mashed the resulting pulp and juice rest in a tank, helping balance the taste profile and eradicating any harshness. Pressed again the pure Apple juice then is stored in regulated fermentation tanks where the carbonic gas naturally dissolves in the cider. After a slight filtration the cider is bottled non-pasteurized in order to fully preserve the taste profile in 750ml champagne-like bottles, cork and caged as tradition dictates. The cider pours golden yellow with a moderate carbonization amid aromas of sweet ripe apples. Tart and funky with moderate acidity and a snappy dry finish this is a wonderful example of a farmhouse cider made the right way. A modest 5.5% ABV makes this a perfect picnic accompaniment and its a steal at just $8.99! I rated it a 4/5 on Untappd.
We also carry Le Brun Organic Cidre Demi-Sec at $10.99/750ml - I found it "cleaner" and more acidic than the Brut.
"Funky" is the operative word. This cider tastes just as you would expect cider made from apples allowed to decompose for three weeks in a wooden case to taste.
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