Amazing French Cider

[Guido]

My wife and I had a bottle of French Cider: Cidre Pays d'Auge de Christian Druin. It was wonderful, sparkling with a bit of horseblanket aroma up front, but with a slightly sweet finish. The alcohol was only 4.5%. Living in PA, we probably won't be able to get it again (we bought it in NY). I can't figure out how they made it. The label says: made from fermented apple juice; no sugar added; no yeast added; no additives; 100% natural. I can understand the barnyard smell from spontaneous fermentation, but how could it get that sweet finish without some sorbate and fresh apple juice?

[MRbrew]

the sorbate is to stop the fermentation right? Perhaps they ferment it out 100% with the natural bugs then back sweeten with a juice concentrate, but being only 4.5% they probably bottle before all the sugar is gone. We're they thick Belgian style bottles? The natural bugs take a lot longer to process the sugars so may have a decent shelf life before all the new juice is gobbled up. Definitely risking bottle bombs though so maybe not, I guess flash pasteurisation is still all natural and may not affect the flavour too much???? On the topic of French ciders try Old Mout French Cidre if you get the chance. Its a kiwi one and absolutely delicious.

[Guido]

the sorbate is to stop the fermentation right? Perhaps they ferment it out 100% with the natural bugs then back sweeten with a juice concentrate, but being only 4.5% they probably bottle before all the sugar is gone. We're they thick Belgian style bottles? The natural bugs take a lot longer to process the sugars so may have a decent shelf life before all the new juice is gobbled up. Definitely risking bottle bombs though so maybe not, I guess flash pasteurisation is still all natural and may not affect the flavour too much???? On the topic of French ciders try Old Mout French Cidre if you get the chance. Its a kiwi one and absolutely delicious.

It was a heavy Belgian bottle with a cork and a wire cage. UV Pasteurization is a possibility. I'll be on the lookout for Old Mout French Cidre.

[spiderwrangler]

Are you certain it was sweet from sugar vs. a perception of sweetness from other compounds? Sweet, sparkling, bottle conditioned cider is the hardest one to get right. Perhaps they have a strain that is very weak in terms of the ABV / pH that it can handle?

[dannypo]

French cider is an amazing thing. They do several things to keep that sweetness. They use Apples very low in nitrogen which is a necessary nutrient for yeast. They ferment pretty cool and use very slow working wild yeast.