Apfeltau Der Milde 2021

The Apfeltau Der Milde (the Mild) 2021 it one of the products I missed to sample at this year’s CiderWorld 2022 in Frankfurt due to lack of time. After reading my CiderWorld’22 – visit recap, Christian of Apfeltau got in touch with me and offered providing me with a sample. How could I say no?

Apfeltau is a producer from a typical German cider region, Hessen that is giving a traditional Apfelwein a refreshing twist. After fermentation, Apfelwein undergoes freezing, then thawing and thus is being concentrated so the end product has an ABV of 21%! An ice cider usually has an ABV between around 8-14%.

Company: Apfeltau
Place of Origin: Hanau, Hessen, Germany
Apples: a blend of locally grown apples
ABV: 21%
Package type: 200ml clear glass bottle with cork
Recommended type of glass: tumbler

Appearance: pours a clear deep amber without any foam. No signs of carbonation. High-bodied.

Aroma/Nose: the nose is strong and rich. The first note I get is dried peach, dried apricot, red apple, baked apple and alcohol.

Taste: my first taste is only slightly sweet with a faint lemon-like acidity. On the mid-palate, dried peach, red apple, baked apple, a touch of apple seeds-like bitterness and alcohol. Finishes with a gentle note of apple-seed like bitterness and baked apple.

Overall: A sample of the Apfeltau Der Milde 2021 was sent to me a few months ago. Since it is already November, when I am sampling this product, you can see that I wasn’t rushing to sample it. Alcoholic beverages that have ABV over 20%, in my opinion taste better when it’s freezing outside. And, as it’s -1 degrees Celsius outside and with this the conditions are perfect for trying such a beverage, off we go with a review. The Apfeltau Der Milde 2021 is surprisingly fairly dry as it only has a touch of sweetness so this is indeed not a typical ice cider. The taste is clean with lovely notes of various dried fruits being balanced not only by some acidity but also by a gentle bitter note to it. More to that, all of these notes have sort of coating properties in the oral cavity (must be the high density) so the pleasant drinking experience, lovely fruity notes is being extended, and the balanced taste goes on and on. Apfeltau claim on their website that Der Milde will be to everyone’s liking. It’s hard to disagree. I also have a small confession to make. My initial intention was to have a small glass of the Apfeltau Der Milde. But since I enjoyed it that much, I had to pour myself another glass of that lovely beverage. And, then another…I think it speaks for itself. I would buy more. 5/6

Availability: directly from Apfeltau

Price: Christian provided me with a sample.