When it comes to great-tasting hard cider, not even howling winds and a flash snowstorm will keep us away! Such was the case during our excursion to Big Hill Ciderworks in Adams County, PA. We had just arrived and settled in for a tasting when the weather went nuclear. Such a pity that we were forced to wait out the storm in Big Hill’s cozy taphouse, tasting one awesome cider after another. Tasting flights were $10 for 4 samples and since we weren’t going anywhere, we decided to indulge in both the Modern and Heritage ciders.
First up was the Heritage Cider flight. Now, I’m no dry cider fan by any means so I was pleasantly surprised to find that Big Hill’s Heritage ciders won’t suck every drop of saliva from your mouth. In fact, they were quite flavorful. Newtown Wickson boasted hints of caramel and while the Stoke Red started off sharp, it finished smooth. The acidic Manchurian had notes of vanilla while the Golden Russet was bright in taste and appearance.
Then it was on to the Modern ciders, which have a natural sweetness that’s right up my alley. We kicked off with Standard, an appley, slightly sweet and lightly carbonated delight that I would happily endure any blizzard to taste. Other favorites included the lemony Little Round Hop, the lip-puckering Farmhouse Cherry and finally Farmhouse Peach, the surprise of the day. I’m not a peach cider fan, I find them to be artificial tasting and saturated with sugar. This was not the case at all with the Farmhouse Peach, a lightly sweet cider that tasted as natural as biting into a freshly picked peach.
By now the snow had let up enough for us to explore Big Hill’s grounds which teased us with promises of live music, food trucks, picnics, fire pits, and blooming orchards. Soon the warm weather will be upon us, giving us the perfect excuse for a repeat visit to this charming, dog-friendly cidery.
Peach cider sounds interesting. I have never heard about it before.