Yesterday I found an old bottle of cider from one of my first batches 3 years ago. When I was a real newbee 
It was supposed to be a sparkling-champagne-style, but it was a plastic-cork which probably had leaked co2 so it was completely still.
Also - I didn’t do any secondary back then, and had bottled this straight from primary fermentation. It was very clear - but had quite a yeast-cake in the bottom of the bottle.
Surprisingly - it was AMAZING!! Very complex. Very fruity. Very smooth. It tasted like some of the best orange wines I have had! (the style of white wine - not the fruit orange) It was on par with great wine!
My guess is that some autolysis from the yeast has happened. It has spent almost 2 years in the bottle. The yeast was Nottingham.
Now — anyone here that ages still cider on lees? (Sur lies). How long is usually recommended? Which yeasts work well for this? I am definitely trying to reproduce this !! It not really sure how to go about it.
I have even saved the lees from that particular bottle - wondering if that could be useful somehow?
Any help or discussion on the topic would be greatly appreciated
It was supposed to be a sparkling-champagne-style, but it was a plastic-cork which probably had leaked co2 so it was completely still.
Also - I didn’t do any secondary back then, and had bottled this straight from primary fermentation. It was very clear - but had quite a yeast-cake in the bottom of the bottle.
Surprisingly - it was AMAZING!! Very complex. Very fruity. Very smooth. It tasted like some of the best orange wines I have had! (the style of white wine - not the fruit orange) It was on par with great wine!
My guess is that some autolysis from the yeast has happened. It has spent almost 2 years in the bottle. The yeast was Nottingham.
Now — anyone here that ages still cider on lees? (Sur lies). How long is usually recommended? Which yeasts work well for this? I am definitely trying to reproduce this !! It not really sure how to go about it.
I have even saved the lees from that particular bottle - wondering if that could be useful somehow?
Any help or discussion on the topic would be greatly appreciated
