Domaine Neige Neige Première
Produced since 1994, Neige Première is the leading inspiration of La Face Cachée de la Pomme. It is the very first ice cider (also known as apple ice wine) to be commercialized in Québec and throughout the world.
In the fall, very ripe apples are picked and stored at cool temperatures until the end of December. Once winter arrives, the fruit is pressed and the juice obtained is placed outside in the intense January cold. During crystallization, the water separates from the sugars by natural cryoconcentration naturelle. After few days of intense cold, concentrated must, representing ¼ of the initial quantity of juice, is collected by gravity. The extracted must is then placed in stainless steel tanks where it ferments at least six months at low temperatures before being bottled.
ABV varies between 10-13% depending on seasonal temperatures.
In the fall, very ripe apples are picked and stored at cool temperatures until the end of December. Once winter arrives, the fruit is pressed and the juice obtained is placed outside in the intense January cold. During crystallization, the water separates from the sugars by natural cryoconcentration naturelle. After few days of intense cold, concentrated must, representing ¼ of the initial quantity of juice, is collected by gravity. The extracted must is then placed in stainless steel tanks where it ferments at least six months at low temperatures before being bottled.
ABV varies between 10-13% depending on seasonal temperatures.
4.2
403 reviews
Hemmingford, Canada
Community reviews
Tasting at the DC Ratebeer cider/mead tasting at Radagast’s, then a bottle brought back from the NE from my gf. Golden heaven juice. Full apples and honey, mild spice. Nothing contrived, not too sweet or heavy, just awesome. Love this.
Bottle from SAQ, tried at Mont Royal, Montreal.
Golden/amber colour, clear.
Aroma: sweet apple, barrel, raisins, hint of alcohol.
Very sweet taste, full body, thick, oily.
Absolutely fantastic! Very complex, heavy, but drinkable.
Tons of stewed apples, cinnamon and apple pie. Very sweet and slightly cloying. Amazing depth of stewed apples, cinnamon, over ripe raisins with no carbonation, very heavy and cloying and very sweet. Fucking fantastic
Bottle at home. Syrupy thick golden copper pour. Nose is rich apple sauce and honey. Tastes of honey, ripe apples, white wine, some gummy candy. Thick heavy bodied. Quite nice.
Small bottle generously shared by luttonm, I can’t express how grateful I am! Glowing golden color with no head. Aroma is red apple skin, sweet, some wild tartness, honey, very rich and complex. Taste is red apples, intense and concentrated, wild and tart, but without actually being sour, honey again, caramel. Immensely great. Like a naturally wild-fermented apple gummy bear. No carbonation, warming finish. This is one of the most amazing drinks I’ve ever had.
Bottle in Seattle. Rainy night tasting. 50ml bottle, thanks hugely to Laurence who picked this up in Montreal and gave to me in Oaxaca. Whiskey orange, still, no head. Incredibly rich depths on nose. Apple caramel, apple essential oil. Liquid gold. Spicy first impression, alcohol dancing on tongue. Fruit leather, fruit tart cake, golden raisins. Rum soaked apricots. Dates. Surprisingly dark fruit overtones. Honey and fruit turkish delight. Nose becomes lightly harsh after awhile. Utterly delicious and complex. Lovely essence of fresh, clean, delicious apples. Fantastic treat.
Bottle pour at Matt’s. Huge thanks for the share! A lighter copper pour with no head. Dense aroma with sugars and bold apple. Thick, with a ton of caramel sugar, brown sugar, and a sour apple linger. Caramel apple late afterthought. Thick, but juicy as a linger. Incredible ice cider, though I have learned to expect no less.
Bottle: Poured a golden with bubbles. Aroma is sweet fruit. Taste is a mix of honey and apple.
200ml bottle pours a clear, butterscotch amber with zero head but nice legs. Nose is quite lovely, apples, honey, baking spices, pears, honeycomb. Flavor is apple, stone fruit, spice. Full bodied, sticky, lasting finish.
From a bottle at the RB cider tasting December 2016. Pours a clear pale oopper with a scant head. Dead fall aromas. Flavors of ripe apples and stone fruits. Sweet and fabulous.
Bottle shared, thanks to kermis. Pours a clear amber, no head. Aroma of caramalised apples, pears, just the best apple juice. Taste is very sweet, full body, No carbonation. What a delicious beverage.
Shared bottle at kermis’ courtesy of Kermis. Clear orange amber with no head. Big honey sweet apples, appleskin, hints of nutmeg and cinnamon. Big sweet. Medium body, low carbonation. Dry tannin like notes, fruit tree woodiness. Big sweet fruity finish.
Bottle. 2010 vintage. Clear amber liquid. Aroma of red apples, rosehip, raw sugar, sweet alcohol, toffee, raisins and grapefruit. Taste is medium sweet with notes of caramel, apple, rosehip, raisins and sweet cherries. Full bodied with sticky mouthfeel. Delicious stuff! Quite hearty and heavy. Complex.
vintage 2011 bottle shared with a friend, poured a deep dark golden colour with no head. nose of strong sweet apples, apple pie, light sweet cinnamon, light green apples, sticky, caramel, sweet apple juice, light vanilla, light warm alcoholic, thick mouthfeel. really enjoyable
Vintage 2010. Clear copper and oily looking. Big juicy apple, cinnamon aroma. Deliciously smooth, very slight alcohol flavor, pie filling, brown sugar. So good
Vintage 2012. Délicieux cidre dégustée en compagnie de Mademoiselle Irina. Le liquide qui danse devant moi colle juste assez à mon verre pour me mettre justement l’eau à la bouche. Jolies pommes rondes givrées mais non gelées et encore moins pourries, un parfum de pommier, de rosée, de givre. Ma langue est caressée par un sucre plaisant et frais. De la tarte aux pommes, un alcool qui n’est pas exempt d’un liquide au corps à la fois affirmé et délicat. Ô combien cela est agréable!
2006 vintage. Pours bright pale golden. Aroma is very complex: oven-baked apples, caramel, spruce, bogwood, acorn, poire-au-vin, quince... Starts sweet and oily, developing a crisp acidity and finishing long. Very good.
April 22, 2016. Bottle, vintage 2009.
Clear golden with no head. Intense apple aroma with tart apple skins, sweet juicy baked apples, some toffee notes, a touch of raisins,
Taste is sweet and fruity sour.Finish is tart slightly astringent apple skins, sweet sugary, baked apples, lightly warming alcohol,
Full bodied, oily and slightly sticky texture.
Great, sweet and tart juicy apples.
Very nice balance between sweet and tart! Loads of apple both on nose and in flavour. For me this is amazing, I really like it!
A Christmas gift! Poured a clear, light golden colour with no head. The aroma is powerful, full of green apple, knock out nose. Smooth syrupy mouth feel - expected that with the previous reviews. A real flavour bomb, almost an apple mead, although I’d not want to sample this in large quantities.
Pours very clear golden with no head. Aroma; Rich Apple aroma, a little vinous, vanilla amd a touch of wood. Taste; Rich apple taste, vinous, vanilla, acidic and very smooth.
Bottle shared at tasting. Super clear golden pour. Intense apple aroma. Taste follows, so smooth and tart. Can’t believe this is 13%. Amazing!
Bottle. Holy hell, this is unbelievable. Clear orange pour. I’ve never tasted rich apple like this before. Fuck. Wow. Amazing.
Bottle. Pours crystal clear golden. Aroma has loads of apple most, Rinkeby, red apples, vanilla and light bourbon notes. Light moldy and some spices, almost ginger. Taste is juicy, caramel, acidic apples, red apples, vanilla and bourbon notes. Sweet honet and light sugary mouthfeel. Warming finish, but not boozy at all.
30 ml sample. Thanks bunget. Clear deep golden, no head. Big fresh apple aroma, a touch of „cidery” notes. Big intense taste, very sweet, apples, some malic acidity and a touch of alcohol. Big and yummy, but not much complexity. (backlog 17-JAN-2016).
Bottle brought home by Krellan! Pours apple juice.. Not very thick or oily or anything, just a pale, clear golden. Aroma has lots of ripe apples, apple juice, yeast, surprisingly much spice, pepper, slight vinous alcohol, slight ginger. Taste is sweet, super fruity, nice tartness, leading to an almost caramel sweet finish. Again slight spicy burn, a subtle hint of alcohol, but in general this is super drinkable! Smooth, spicy texture, slghtly oily.
This is my first ice cider.
Look: clear, orange, no head.
Aroma: ripe apples, apple jam, sweet wine.
Taste: good sweet-sour balance.
Flavour: apples, some pleasant dessert alcohol notes.
Not too complex but very pleasant and good balanced.
Not sure how to rate ice ciders but I like this one.
2015/12/31 - Pours a clear, orange straw colour with no head. Aroma is both sweet and sour apple, wood and slight alcohol. Taste is sweet and sour apple, cinnamon, wood, syrup and a hint of alcohol. Mouthfeel is medium and syrupy with no carbonation and a long, slightly warming finish. Not really sure how to rate this, but I did very much enjoy it.
Bouteille 375ml. Couleur or liquide, film sur les parois du verre. Arôme de pomme, sucre d’érable, pomme cuite. Goût de pomme fraiche, alcool, légère acidité, sucré, petite touche d’érable. Corps moyen-dense, texture enrobante.
Neige Premiere Récolte 2012. 375 ml, bottled. BB 2019. Pours clear straw with no head. Aroma: Apple, wood. Syrupy notes. Taste: Very sweet. syrup. Wood. Apples. Concentrated flavours. Moldy mushrooms. Some mild acidity. Palate: Medium body, slippery. Sweet aftertaste, with slight tartness. Not bad, interesting (4.11.2015).