What Makes A Great Craft Cider?
“JMASH is a perfect blend of apple cider that is not too sweet, but not dry either. How do they do that?”
Great craft cider has a bold, crisp flavor that reminds you of biting into freshly picked apples. It has an authentic taste, mouthfeel and aroma that represents a specific blend of apples.
JMASH is authentic, handcrafted, artisan cider. Our orchard-to-can cider is managed at every step by our resident Cidermaker to produce the best small batch ciders that you can drink. Why does orchard-to-can matter so much? We know and control what goes into every can of JMASH. From our apple trees to our cans, we are intimately familiar with what it takes to get the best flavors.
This is the story of JMASH cider.
PERFECT CLIMATE
Warm days and cold nights give exceptional color and crispness to an apple. Hilltop Orchards has the perfect climate for apple growing.
The sun kisses every apple tree because our south-facing orchard slopes gently upward to catch the maximum sunlight from every angle. At 1400-feet of elevation, the trees get the cold nights that the fruit loves. The air flow is ideal.
FANTASTIC WATER
We’re lucky. We’ve never needed to irrigate even during droughts. The orchard is blessed with fresh water coming off the Berkshire hills. Mountain dew is created every morning just from our high altitude.
The very heavy clay soil retains the natural moisture and feeds clean water to the tree roots exactly when they need it. Hilltop Orchards is a great place to be a fruit tree.
GREAT APPLES
We grow 27 different varieties of apples, including many wonderful heritage and heirloom apples, to create unique and authentic flavor blends. Some of our trees are more than 100 years old.
Only the best of the bushel make it into JMASH cider. If an apple is not good enough quality to put on your kitchen table, we aren’t going to make hard cider out of it.
LOTS OF CARE
We love our apples. Each tree is pruned by hand to produce glorious fruit. Each apple is harvested by hand. We refuse to use picking machines or conveyor belts in the field.
Since we make JMASH cider right here, our apples are never packed and shipped long distances. Less handling and jostling means less bruising, which protects the unique JMASH apple flavors.
COLD & SLOW FERMENTATION
Keeping apples cold is essential for great cider. Our cold storage is at the cidery. We cold-press our apples for JMASH cider using the traditional rack and cloth method that is the best for getting all the flavorful apple juice.
Then the slow fermentation process begins. Tasting experts agree that slow fermentation brings out the best flavor and fruity aromas.
PINPOINT CARBONATION
The best cider needs the perfect bubble. JMASH is made with pinpoint carbonation, a carbonation process that produces a smoother, smaller, more balanced bubble for an airy effervescence.
You’ll rejoice as the bubbly flavors gently dance across your palate with every sip.
OAK BARREL CIDER AGING
Aging JMASH cider in oak is expensive, but it improves taste and quality. The natural flavor of oak slowly seeps into the cider, adding depth and nuance. It imparts a stronger and deeper flavor.
Oak allows JMASH cider to mellow as the cider “breathes.” The oak aging process makes for a more complex cider flavor, a creamy mouthfeel and a smooth finish.
SMALL BATCH CANNING
Our resident Cidermaker is a fanatic about quality control. He tastes and fine tunes every batch of cider moments before it is put into the can. And, we make JMASH in small batches so that it doesn’t sit around for months.
The result is a fresh, crisp, refreshing taste that will delight you with every sip. And, our Cidermaker will be smiling.