I first met Michael and Mark Vansteenkiste of Twin Pines Orchards & Cider House in the summer of 2016. I was developing an organic Hard Cider with another partner and I called and asked them if they had a couple of hours to discuss the concept with me. Little did I know that conversation would lead to our winning more awards for Organic Hard Cider than any other cidermaker in Canada between the years 2017 and 2019.
In November of 2019, we decided to launch our own organic Cider and set out to achieve our Organic Certification, after which we created a truly unique Hard Cider – one of a kind actually. We knew what we wanted due to our years of creating award winning ciders. We wanted to tightly control sulphites and to create the BEST, healthiest Organic Cider we could.
Hammer Bent Organic
The result is Hammer Bent Organic. Made from traditional organic cider apples that are only available to us and are only being used in this particular cider… Tolman Sweet, Kingston Black, Dabinette, Yarlington Mill and a mix of more traditional local Ontario apples. All of the apples we use are local to Ontario and several of the varietals in this cider have never been used in a local Hard Cider before.
Voted one of the Top Five new Ciders in Ontario in 2020.
Smell: Strong aroma. Bright bittersharp apples that are very forward. Fresh, juicy, pulpy apple.
Initial Taste: Medium bite from carbonation and acidity. Strong juicy heritage apple. Bright and clean. Rustic notes.
After Taste: Apple flavour continues but becomes very tannic. A lot of apple peel notes. Dry finish.
On ice: Slightly reduced flavour and mouthfeel but minimal difference.
Additional Notes: Twin Pines’ Hammer Bent Organic Cider is a very apple forward experience that is incredibly crisp and clean. With bright bittersharp and heritage apples, it starts very crisp, tangy and juicy, becoming rather tannic and peel flavour oriented into the aftertaste. Tingly carbonation that uplifts the natural apple flavours. Straightforward and bold apple cider taste with no off or residual notes. Sophisticated but yet approachable to cider fans – well crafted. An old world, rustic offering.
– The Cider Crate
These guys are the best Cidermakers in Canada in my opinion and just good guys. I am proud to call them friends. Not only is Twin Pines designated an Integrated Pest Management orchard, it is not certified Organic thanks to the work I have done with them over the past five years. Simply, this means that Mark and Mike are certified and trained to count and identify bugs in the orchards and determine when (if at all) to protect the apples with a spray. This approach to fruit growing allows for an incredible reduction in over-spraying and over-use of pesticides.
They also have procured an additional 10 acres solely dedicated to fruits and vegetables completely grown without pesticides or herbicides. Visitors to Twin Pines can take comfort in knowing that all of the preserves made in our kitchens incorporate these wonderful fruits and vegetables. Even better, visitors can purchase the many vine crops that are grown pesticide-free to take home to their own kitchens!
Creating the Online Store
This is a process I enjoy greatly. Creating a intuitive concept of how a transaction is completed and the integration of the actual cash transfer process with different providers is interesting work as different providers allow different plug-ins to function within their platforms, making each development project completely unique.
The website and store is online at www.twinpinesorchards.com
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