Dooryard 1129 (Bottles and Kegs)

First of all, we never blend with Kingston Black.  It’s a lovely Somerset cider apple that is atrocious to grow and has the nasty habit of cropping biennially. We all recognize it in tastings because of its complete wackiness: caramel, marmalade, and a successful date, all the way from the flowers to, er, home.  It breathes melons and mushrooms and earth, tastes of the fresh apple, dried leaves and the marmalade.  In short, it’s very nice, but it doesn’t play well with others.

This Dooryard #1129 is blended with Kingston Black.  The 2010 crop was plentiful, and we did bottle it by itself (910 Kingston Black, Special Reserve). Our New Jersey distributor (Hunterdon) spoke for a barrel for their special blend (Dooryard #1131NJ, soon to be released).  That left us with a single barrel.  And the 2010 Kingston Black seemed, well, friendly — not our usual out-of-bounds, crazy-glint-in-its-eye KB.  

So, barrel of 2010 Kingston Black, meet our current blend base, #1124.

Nose: fresh apple, peach, marmalade, honey. Melon, tropics, BSA (bittersweet apple), sweet florals. Hay, leather and a bit of bitterness-citrus peels.
Taste: Acid and bitter in balance. Orange, pineapple, fresh apple and apple skins.  Warm spice, BSA, leather and tiny pops of sweetness, like sugar sprinkled on apple slices. Bitter melon, lemon and grapefruit.
Feel: Fairly full, warming, moderately low astringency.
Finish: acid carries with broad background bitter.  Fresh apples and strong black tea. Hay, honey, BSA, leather and wood. Grapefruit, pear and pineapple, faint melon.

Drink it if you can find it — this won’t likely happen again any time soon.   (Nicole)

In bottles at the orchard

In bottles in New Hampshire:
at the usual Farnum-friendly locations

In bottles and kegs for MA distribution by:
Craft Brewers, MA

In kegs at the orchard (all drunk now)

In kegs in New Hampshire:

at Seven Barrel Brewery (W. Lebanon) (all drunk now) 

at Salt hill Pub (Lebanon) (all drunk now)

at Barley Pub (Dover) (all drunk now)

at Flatbread (Portsmouth) (all drunk now)