PORTLAND, OREGON, FEBRUARY 9, 2017 — Most cidermakers say that a truly great cider requires a careful balance of three things: sweetness, acidity and tannin. Omit any one of these, and you end up with a boring, insipid cider. Include them all, and you've got the makings of something special.
Unfortunately, few apple varieties possess all three qualities. Thus, most cider available today is generally a blend of juice from several kinds of apple, limiting the influence of terroir on cider.
But one apple variety exists which some American cidermakers feel contains - if conditions are right - just the right amount of sweetness, acidity and tannins.
This special apple is the Golden Russet, which is the inspiration for a new, special release of designer Dave Selden’s popular 33 Mugs of Cider pocket tasting journal.
“My books also have a pretty humble look,” says Selden. “People are often surprised how complex they are once they open the cover. I think that’s part of the reason I’m attracted to this apple. At first glance, it looks downright boring, but looks can be deceiving.”
The Golden Russet gets its name from its rough, brown skin, as does Idaho’s famous Russet potato. Unlike its starchy doppelganger, the Golden Russet’s skin gives way in spots to a shiny, almost metallic, golden skin in some apples.
33 Mugs of Cider: Golden Russet Edition pays homage to its namesake with a golden cover, gold staples and hand-applied gold foil. The metallic gold ink includes a little bit of real Golden Russet cider applied on press. The interiors contain 33 Books’ signature, easy-to-use tasting note format, including a cider-specific flavor wheel.
The special edition cider journal is debuting at CiderCon 2017 and is limited to just 1,000 copies. Books are available for $5 each or 3 for $12 at 33Books.com.
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About 33 Books Co.
Dave Selden started 33 Books Co. as a side project to his side project. A weekend beer blogger, he developed his first pocket tasting notebook in 2009 to help with notes on the beers he was writing about. After just a few years, the books became his full-time job. Today, 33 Books Co. produces more than a dozen flavors of pocket tasting notebooks and other tasting tools in Portland, Oregon.
Media Contact
Name: Dave Selden
Email: dave@33books.com
Phone: 503-888-3532
Press Kit: Click to download high-resolution images.