Chicagoist's "Beer of the Week": J.K.'s Organic Scrumpy Hard Cider

By Chuck Sudo in Food on Apr 17, 2009 6:00PM

The word "scrumpy" sounds like a schoolyard diss: "Let's go pick on that scrumpy looking kid." A scrumpy is actually a type of farmhouse cider. The term comes from western and southern English slang for a withered apple. Some English scrumpys have a tartness and alcohol content that are among the roughest ciders we've ever encountered.

The Koan family of Flushing, Michigan have owned an apple orchard since the 1850's. The family has always made cider on the farm; only recently have they decided to market it. The Koans call their cider a Scrumpy because it's, by definition, a farmhouse cider, if not necessarily made from withered apples. The apples used in production are also organic, fermented naturally in small artisanal batches from a proprietary blend the Koan's make slight tweaks to from year to year.

If you're looking for carbonation, you won't find it here. J.K's Scrumpy is a still hard cider bottled at 6 percent ABV. This cider has one of the brightest apple flavors we've ever come across, with a light, tart nose and a lingering finish that isn't dry. It's sweet, but not in the way that Woodchuck or Woodpecker is sweet. The sweetness here is full-bodied, almost like a wine or a mellow bourbon. Bard Fuller of Paramount Merchants, who supplied us with this bottle, told us that this is one of the best ciders he's ever tasted. As still cider, you can enjoy it hot or cold. This is a decidedly American take on a traditional cider.

Binny's lists J.K.'s Scrumpy for $5.99 (22-ounce bottle); Sam's for $6.49