Duche de Longueville

     I often get asked what my favorite cider is. It is a hard question to answer. More often than not, the answer ends up being a bottle that lightens the pocket book more than some would like. This isn't to say a .95 Newton's Folly does not have it's place some times, it does. Usually the higher priced ciders that I like come from across the Atlantic, or are made in very small quantities here to add to the higher price. Probably my two favorite ciders we have are the Oliver's Herefordshire Dry, at $10 or so a bottle, and the EZ Orchards, and nearly $14 a bottle. I also have mentioned that the E. Dupont Pommeau is the best beverage I have ever had, though it is $25 a bottle.
     So, it is gratifying to be able to suggest a bottle that I find to be excellent, and also at a reasonable price. At $6.95, the Duche de Longueville from Normandy is a cider that I found completely by accident. I was not aware of it's existence, but found it on a random trip to Pastaworks. After reeling from the realization that there was a cider in town that I was unaware of,  I bought a bottle before I had time to beat myself up too much. I ran home after buying it, skipping my pre planned errands of buying food and going to Clinton St. Pub to play Ms. PacMan in order to try this find faster.
     At home, I was excited, but frustrated at the foil around the top, I hate foil around the top. It's an unnecessary barrier standing between myself and the hard work of some Frenchman.
     The cider pours with some obvious carbonation, lingering for about 20 seconds, than fading away. The appearance is very clear, and dark straw in color. Caramel, vanilla, oak, and slight brown sugar all come out in the nose. The body has a subtle start, and intense middle, and a nice semi-dry finish. It is not quite as dry as the E. Dupont Brut, a Normandy counterpart. 
     It's one of the best ciders I have tried on many levels. Getting that much flavor, naturally, into a low alcohol cider like that is truly a work of art, science, and passion. Why this isn't $20+ a bottle is beyond me. Now, that being said, it does not have the intense complexity of some of the stuff, previously mentioned, that we carry. The Oliver's will educate you, the EZ Orchards will reward you, and the Pommeau will completely blow your mind.
     A .95 Newton's Folly it is not. A well made, Normandy, delicately complex cider it is.