Virginia-based Albemarle Ciderworks grows many vintage apple varieties in its orchard, including the Hewes Crab Apple, a cultivar that was once widely used for cider production in 18th-century Virginia. While crab apples can be divisive, Beth Demmon appreciates their character, calling them “not everybody’s favorite” but “a really kind of fun, quirky apple” that produces a “spunky” cider.
Albemarle’s Virginia Hewes Crab cider is the cidery’s first reserve release. Demmon describes it as “an interesting expression of a regional apple that you just don’t see everywhere,” noting that it finishes dry. The fruit’s relatively high sugar content is also behind the cider’s robust 10% ABV.
