Angry Orchard Launches Its First Hard Cider Made Exclusively with New York Apples

Angry Orchard launched its new year-round specialty hard cider, Walden Hollow. This is the first cider from Angry Orchard to be made exclusively with apple varieties from New York State, including varieties from last year's harvest at the Angry Orchard in New York's Hudson Valley, and heirloom apples from other local orchards.

Last fall, Angry Orchard opened the Angry Orchard Innovation Cider House on a 100-year-old apple orchard in Walden, N.Y .– the namesake for this new cider. The Innovation Cider House serves as a center for research and development where the cider makers are putting their own twist on traditional ciders and driving innovation, experimenting with new ingredients, processes and techniques.

"We're extremely proud of Walden Hollow as it's our first cider made with apples from our own backyard," says Ryan Burk, Angry Orchard's head cider maker. "The mild tannins and dryness of the cider capture the diversity, complexity and depth of character from the blend of New York State apples. It's cider like Walden Hollow that inspires us to continue to drive innovation and reimagine what American cider can be."

Walden Hollow is fermented over many months, resulting in full flavor and intense apple aroma due to the high acidity and mild tannins from New York State heirloom apples. These heirloom varieties include Golden Russet, Newtown Pippin and Northern Spy, all of which have deep ties to the Empire State, including their use in cider dating back hundreds of years, company officials say. Walden Hollow will be released annually in the spring, and made using a blend of New York apple varieties selected by Angry Orchard's cider makers based on the previous year's harvest. 

Walden Hollow (8 percent ABV) is the fourth style to join the Angry Orchard Cider House Collection of small batch craft ciders, and will be available nationwide starting in June 2016. This style is available in 750 mL bottles for a suggested retail price of $14.99 - $17.99 (price varies per market).

To find where Angry Orchard hard cider is available near you, visit the "cider finder."

This new cider has a bright aroma of fresh peeled apple skins, a rich full body, medium sweetness in taste, with tartness characteristic of New York apples, company officials say. The cider makers at Angry Orchard used wild fermentation techniques to evoke earthy farmhouse qualities from the cider without the funky, sour qualities that can sometimes be associated with this style and process

In addition to Walden Hollow, the Cider House Collection features The Muse, inspired by the festive nature of slightly sweet demi-sec champagne and sparkling wine; Strawman, an American take on a French farmhouse cider; and Iceman, which takes cues from the traditional ice ciders of Quebec. The first three ciders in this collection use traditional cider making apples from Italy and France and are aged on oak. Walden Hollow is the first of the Cider House Collection to use apples from New York State.