The first cider released by Number 12 Ciderhouse is light, fresh, and so tart it’s almost sour — but in a good way. Made from more than 10 varieties of locally grown apples, it is in the style of a British cider: lacking sweetness, but making up for it in bite, like a bodacious champagne with an apple finish and a high ABV (7.4 percent). The heavy carbonation adds to the overall brightness of the beverage, providing a delightful textural element that is often missing from ciders due to their lack of maltiness.
The Number 12 name comes from the Buffalo Minnesota cidermakers’ long history of experimentation — it’s the 12th recipe they attempted in 2011, and the first to win an award. And despite the cider house’s online claims of balance, the recipe’s ultra-sharp flavor is refreshingly imbalanced.
While other locally available ciders are nothing to scoff at — Sociable Cider Werks‘s graffs offer a wide range of flavor profiles, and Four Daughters Winery has the drinkable, semisweet Loon Juice — a third solid cidery means that ciders have officially taken off in Minnesota. We are eager to see what is to come from Number 12 Ciderhouse.
