La ManzArcángel Chapter 2: Mālum Ex Machina by Nubis Sanctum Ales

June 25, 2015 by cloudx30 tagged Agave, agave syrup, Apple Archangel, Apple Cider, Archangel, Belgian Chocolate, Belgian Trappists, blue agave, Blue Agave Syrup, brown sugar, cane sugar, Cider, Claire Farron, Crisp Apple, Crispin The Saint, Final Fantasy XIII, HOLY, Home brewing, Hone crisp cider, honey crisp, Honey Crisp Apple, La ManzArcángel, La ManzArcángel Chapter 2: Mālum Ex Machina, Lightning, Mālum Ex Machina, Nubis Sanctum Ales, Organic Cane Sugar, The Holy See, Trappist Cider, yeast cake | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.65/5

La ManzArcángel Chapter 2: Mālum Ex Machina by Nubis Sanctum Ales is a 13% ABV Belgian Trappist Honey Crisp Apple Cider made with Organic Blue Agave Syrup and Mexican Cane Sugar.

==Introduction==

Project#8 is the return of my original recipe for the Belgian Cider made with Blue Agave Syrup and Trappist Yeast but using Honey Crisp Apple Cider and Mexican Cane Sugar/ Azucar Morena. The idea for the name came from the original Holy Cider theme that I was going with and in essence since I was going to use the left over Trappist yeast cake that I had left from the Blinding Lunar Currants Cider. In essence, the second chapter is a play at the word for Apple and Evil and Latin ‘Mālum’. Yes, it seems there is dual meaning here. Although, this cider is supposed to be Holy, it should be more Godly than anything but can a God be pure? Well, It’s like comparing apples and oranges so lets find out. Cheers!

Aromas:
Sour Apples, peppercorn, citrus, honey, brown sugar, grape hints, dark fruit hints, Belgian phenolic notes, vanilla, dulce de leche, cherry notes, and piloncillo.

Flavors:
Tart Sour apple notes, grape hints, apples, pears, agave hints, strawberry notes, rich citrus, orange notes, lemon peel, brown sugar, cane sugar, banana hints, clove hints, pineapple hints, Stone fruit peaches, apricot hints, peppercorn, floral notes, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, cinnamon, toffee, pilocillo hints, toffee, pecan pie hints and plantains.

Aftertaste:
Tart and sweet finish, sugary apple remnants, banana notes, clove spices, honey, vanilla, pears. Chardonay hints, clove spice, hazelnut, berries and brown sugar. Slight boozyness in the taste but not as much as the original, Gold and brown Hazy body, sipping drinkability and a slight crisp and creamy mouthfeel.

Overall:
A slight mark above the original as the booziness has become more subtle but the complexity of it takes another direction from what the original did. It seems like it is more in the sweet yet tart taste which is most likely from the use of the yeast cake and the fact that there was some hints of the Black Currant cider in the yeast cake as well. All and all, it was mainly as way to see how the yeast cake can flourish even after the initial cider has completed. I think what I will do for next time is ferment the regular cider and then use the yeast for another cider but then any additives will be in the secondary. Either way, I really love how this one came and and definite on the honey and banana citrus edge.

Anime Corner:
Lightning Claire Farron, from the Final Fantasy XIII series was chosen in this pairing to go with the Belgian Cider as I wanted to use something that had to do with something Holy as it is a Belgian Monk themed cider and similarly, I wanted to do something like the saint. The Spanish name was give as it uses the Agave Syrup as I mentioned before. For lightning, she became a messenger of God, a holy knight of God in the series. Lightning returns in Chapter 2 holding the very power of God from the apples. She is not quite evil (which could be said something about the tartness about the taste) but because she is closer to God, she has no human emotions as she remains neutral. The strength of the cider to be something above of what it used be could be seen Godly. Thankfully, this cider is not evil and it is deliciously and holy goodness.

Sources:
https://financialpostcom.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/lightning-returns.jpg?w=940

La ManzArcángel by Nubis Sanctum Ales

April 1, 2015 by cloudx30 tagged Agave, agave syrup, Apple Archangel, Apple Cider, Archangel, Belgian Chocolate, Belgian Trappists, blue agave, brown sugar, cane sugar, Cider, Claire Farron, Crispin The Saint, Final Fantasy XIII, HOLY, Home brewing, La ManzArcángel, Lightning, Nubis Sanctum Ales, Organic Cane Sugar, The Holy See, Trappist Cider | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.5/5* Cider rating

La ManzArcángel by Nubis Sanctum Ales is a 13% ABV Belgian Trappist Cider made with Organic Agave Syrup and Brown Cane Sugar.

==Introduction==

Project # 4 was my first attempt at creating a cider using 100% Apple Cider, Organic Agave Syrup, Brown Cane sugar and Trappist yeast. The name derives from a combination of the word Manzana for Apples in Spanish and Arcángel. Basically the Apple Archangel. The original idea came from trying to replicate Crispin’s The Saint which is made similarly but with maple syrup. While I could not get the recipe exactly, I decided to make my own by using Organic Agave syrup. There were the results so let us see where my crazy experiment went.

Aromas:
Apples, honey, brown sugar, phenolic notes, vanilla hints, dulce de leche caramel hints, mild cherry notes and grapes.

Flavors:
Dark fruit hints plum, peaches, grape hints, apples, pears, strawberry, cherry hints, brown sugar, cane sugar, agave hints, banana hints, clove hints, pineapple, citrus, Stone fruit peach and apricot hints, peppercorn, floral notes, vanilla, cinnamon, dulce de leche caramel hints, toffee and pecan pie hints.

Aftertaste:
Slight dry finish with good sugary apple remnants, pears, berries, banana, clove spice hints, caramel, vanilla and chardonay. Slight boozyness in the taste, Gold Hazy body, sipping drinkability and a slight crisp and creamy mouthfeel.

Overall:
While I found this one very good, I still couldn’t help that the yeast pretty much ate the majority of the sugar but because it was this Belgian liquid yeast, it did not leave it dry. The problem I realize was that I had used a high gravity Trappist yeast instead of a low gravity one making this reach the 13% ABV mark. I felt it was pretty high for a cider and was concerned about the product being too boozy. However, after trying it when it was carbonated, it came out just fine. The weeks it took to bottle conditioned mellowed out the alcohol and really let some of the cider play well with the ingredients. This cider can use some aging for sure to see where it will be at several years later. For now, I was pretty impressed with the results either way and hope the next cider project becomes awesome.

Anime Corner:
Lightning Claire Farron, from the Final Fantasy XIII series was chosen in this pairing to go with the Belgian Cider as I wanted to use something that had to do with something Holy as it is a Belgian Monk themed cider and similarly, I wanted to do something like the saint. The Spanish name was give as it uses the Agave Syrup as I mentioned before. For lightning, she became a messenger of God, a holy knight of God in the series. The fact that I found an artwork where she is holding what appears to be an apple as well as the fact that she has the angel wings and is close to God, well, it couldn’t get any closer to exactly what I was looking for in this pairing. The fact that it became 13% ABV and the fact that she became just as powerful as God in the series, it represented the strength of the cider and well really well.

Sources:
http://www.deviantart.com/art/Save-my-soul-435626707

Habanero Cider by Finnriver

February 24, 2015 by cloudx30 tagged Apple Cider, brown sugar, cane sugar, Finnriver, Habanero chillies, Habanero Cider, Habanero heat, Habanero Peppers, Hard Cider, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Habanero, sugar cane, Washington Organic Apples | Leave a comment

Rating: 4/5* Cider Rating

Habanero Cider by Finnriver is a 6.5% ABV Apple cider made with Washington Organic Apples, Organic Habanero chillies and Organic Cane sugar.

Label:
Batch 814
Finnriver’s Habanero Cider release was inspired by the quest for something strange and a hankering for heat. In the winter of 2013, cold days on the farm coincided with the annual Strange Brew Festival in Port Townsend, WA. This gave our crew the inspiration to take the hottest thing we could get our hands on and blend it into out had cider. The combination of chili he4arr and tart apple, mellowed by a dash of sweet, makes for a memorable fermented adventure. Enjoy in any latitude with rice and beans, fish tacos burritos of all kinds, or just a crackling bowl of chips & salsa.

==Introduction==

My friend Aaron Mendiola from www.beermetaldude.com provided me with this special cider from Washington. I have never really seen this one. Aaron advised he has not tried this one and I do feel the honor to bring it to the site to see how it is. Seeing as I love spicy foods, habanero and apple cider seem like a very awesome combination. Let us see what this one is all about.

Aromas:
A whiff and you can tell the habanero is there, apples, vanilla, caramel, honey, sugar cane, brown sugar, biscuit bread, orange hints and bubble gum.

Flavors:
Fruity yet peppery notes of Habanero heat, apples, chardonay, mild vanilla, caramel, honey, sugar cane, biscuit notes, orange hints and bubble gum hints.

Aftertaste:
Finishes dry with notes of apple, and habanero spice. No alcohol in the taste. Clear light golden body, crisp and refreshing mouthfeel, but moderate drinkability due to the Habanero attack.

Overall:
As soon as you drink it the heat flows up into the nostrils through the nasal cavity in the back of the throat. I eat chilis all the time and this one is not too hot, but its almost like habanero fruitiness does travel to mess with the your breathing a bit. So basically the heat does not stay on the tongue for long and you do get to enjoy it, but make sure you sip this one as to not choke while drinking this. I think trying to get a good flavor profile was the challenge here. Even so, get this one if you love hot stuff. It is a well made cider for being one with habeneros.

Anime Corner:
Original Vampire Girl character was used in this pairing since I wanted to show something sweet and at the same time evil. While the cider is sweet, the habanero could be seen as evil. This is why I included both. The colors also compliment the label and the vampire girl eating the apple is like the habanero infusing itself into the apples of this cider.

Sources:
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/43/77/f1/4377f160042c68362fb27edd4dda22b3.jpg