Award-Winning Bottles, Hand-Crafted from Colorado-Estate Apples
July 20th – (Denver, CO) Colorado apple growers and cider producer Snow Capped Cider, helmed by Kari Williams, is beyond excited to release their highly anticipated Reserve and Specialty Bottle Lines, made exclusively with their own Colorado estate-grown apples. Nine years in the making, these truly special ciders have been a labor of love—surviving frost, fires, and a global pandemic. Now available at select retailers and online.
The new Specialty 375ML and Reserve 750ML Lines are a fruit-grower’s tribute to Colorado cider. Husband-and-wife team Kari (cidermaker) and Ty Williams (fourth-generation orchardist) have touched every single process with century-old growing techniques to showcase every aspect of these historic cider apples.
Says owner and cidermaker Kari Williams, “We have been working on getting here for nearly a decade—starting first with perfecting our growing techniques and cider-making, and now putting it all together with these special varietals—and we are so excited to finally bring them to market. After years planting and cultivating, and so many trials and different blends, I finally feel like our single varietals and specialty finishes represent the absolute highest quality result and most unique flavor profiles from our high elevation Colorado terroir. It’s truly been a labor of love—a lot of labor—and we can’t wait for people to try it!”
FROM BRANCH TO BOTTLE
In the cider world, it is very well known that there are very few orchards, and even fewer growers, of cider-specific apples. Ten years ago, Snow Capped Cider took this as a personal challenge and have spent that time growing, testing and refining their techniques to become the first and only Estate-grown cider company in Colorado that can distribute with any sort of volume.
They have planted over 500,000 cider-specific trees—and trialed more than eighteen different varietals—and continue to plant and trial new and extremely rare apple varietals, and testing them for Colorado’s unique growing conditions. Snow Capped Cider does not make great cider by searching for apples from other regions or states—it’s all Colorado, and they do it all themselves.
The terroir in Colorado’s Western Slope is its own unique challenge—it has become very hard to grow in the harsh conditions and the risk is very high with the current trending weather. At 6,130 feet of elevation, the Colorado Rocky Mountain region is a micro climate with conditions that lend to more expressive flavors. High exposure to UV rays from the strong mountain sun cause “distress” in the apples, so fruit grown here is comparatively high in the sugars and acid that develop from this exposure. The fruit grown here has been considered unparalleled for its flavor and aesthetics.
Cider apples in and of themselves are inherently hard to grow, without the added challenges of the terroir. They are virus-prone (Fire Blight), they can bear small fruit with a low juice yield, and orchards do not usually plant them for these reasons.
Over the last century, the Williams family has refined and perfected their growing techniques to meet these challenges, and has the staying power that many other fruit-growers have not. Through decades of innovations—often seen as extreme to other growers— like improved frost protection systems, in-ground heating, hail netting, and micronized sprinkler systems to maximize nutrient return, Snow Capped Cider is able to extract the magic from these historic, dynamic fruits.
Says Williams, “The cider I can make due to the conditions on the Western Slope and the experience gained from a century of growing here is hyper-expressive—it’s so different and it practically jumps out of the glass with its bold flavor. The last time we were in bottles we were big winners, but I felt we could get even better. We pulled out for a few years to do research and continue growing until I felt we had obtained the height of flavor we could produce from this terroir.”
Each cider in both lines is uniquely finished with all different levels of carbonation from still or petulant to boldly carbonated and sparkling—each of with accents the specific fruit and appeals to all drinkers.
THE RESERVE LINE
Snow Capped Cider’s single-varietal Reserve Line, is Williams’ love letter to her cider apples. Colorado has never had a 100% single varietal made from these cider-specific apples that are also 100% Colorado grown. After trialing eighteen varietals and patiently making small batches, testing yeast, and adjusting growing methods to get the best flavors from the growing conditions, it is finally ready.
Ashmead’s Kernel
Unique farm style cider with elusive richness and a sensory experience that leaves you questing for more.
Traditional • Farm • Petulant • ABV 8.1% • 12 • CS
**2021 Silver Winner, Great American Cider Competition
Dabinett
Colorado soil evokes a deep golden hue and beckoning butterscotch aroma. Layered with flavor and light tannins.
Heritage • Unfiltered • Moderate Carbonated • ABV 8.2% • 12 • CS
**2021 Winner Good Food Award; 2021 Platinum Winner, Great American Cider Competition
Harrison
From past presidents to modern cider making, this apple earns bragging rights. Juicy sweetness, crisp and balanced.
Modern • Sparkling • ABV 6.5% • 12 • CS
**2021 Winner Good Food Award, 2021 Gold Winner, Great American Cider Competition
Kingston Black
The famous dark skinned apple boasting royal character with dense saucy apple, notes of leather, black pepper and round mouthfeel.
Heritage • Moderate Carbonated • ABV 8.4% • 12 • CS
THE SPECIALTY LINE
This line represents some truly exciting blends made with old world and experimental finishes, many of which have been aged two to three years before being bottled and then further conditioned and rested.
Blanc Mollet
French bittersweet cider apple. Romantically aged one year in pear brandy barrels.
Single Varietal • Barrel Aged • Petulant • ABV 8.9% • 12 • CS
Golden Russet
Colorado grown twist on this rich, multi-purpose cider apple. Unmistakable lasting, robust flavor & character.
Single Varietal • Bold Carbonated • ABV 6.6% • 375ml • 12 • CS
Spiced Peach English Apple Blend
Complex by nature. English cider apples, fall spice and peaches aged 18 months in bourbon barrels; layered with flavor and warmth.
Blend • Barrel Aged • Medium Carbonated • ABV 8.2% • 12 • CS
Winter Pear A 100% Perry blend made from our late season Colorado pears: D’Anjou, Bosc & Comice.
Perry • Sparkling • ABV 6.3% • 375ml • 12 • CS
Wickson Crab Our scrappy pollinator reinvented with exquisite balance.
Blend • Modern • High Carbonated • ABV 8.4% • 12 • CS
**2021 Platinum Winner, Great American Cider Competition
Snow Capped Cider’s product is made from 100% Colorado-grown fruit, and stands on over a century of fruit-growing experience.
About Snow Capped Cider
Born from more than a century of fruit-growing experience, a passion for cider (and an abundance of apples!), Snow Capped Cider was launched in 2012. Starting with exceptional fruit from their historic family orchards, husband-and-wife owners Kar and Ty Williams combine their knowledge and experience with their love of great tasting food and beverages to create their signature series of hard ciders. Brewed following authentic orchard-based English and French styles, along with modern cider themes and trends, Snow Capped Cider has cultivated an award-winning, well-rounded brand. More information can be found at www.snowcappedcider.com.
About Williams’ Orchard
The Snow Capped Cider story begins in the late 1800s with James Howard Williams (Pap) and the Williams family orchards. In the early the family moved to Cedaredge, CO and cleared their first twenty acres where they began growing apples and stone fruit including peaches, plumbs and cherries. Pap’s son Ozie, grandson Dan and great-grandson Ty continued purchasing new land, expanding the farm and developing new growing practices.
Beginning with Pap, every generation of the Williams family has been integrally involved in the packing and shipping of fruit out of Surface Creek Valley. Always mindful of the needs of the local farming community, in any given time period, the family established or helped establish packing companies, partnerships and grower collectives.
At an elevation of 6130 feet, the Williams Family Orchard is one of the highest elevation orchards in the world. READ MORE HISTORY HERE
