Blueberry Hill Estates

Address:

1195 Front Rd,

St Williams, ON N0E 1P0

Our second stop in Norfolk County, Ontario was recommended by the people at Charlotteville Brewing Company. Blueberry Hill Estates was about 15 minutes away on Front Rd., in St William, Ontario. Very easy to find with a large sign on the right side of the road. It looked like a mix between a fruit orchard and a winery. I will say both Lisa and I loved the setup at this place and the view overlooking the fields was AMAZING. We decided when we got there that we would focus on the ciders for this visit, but I just wanted to point out the Dry Blueberry wine that we sampled. WOW did this really surprise us. We had thought it would be super sweet, instead it was beautifully rich, bold and dry like a Cabernet Merlot. Will review fully in a later visit when we go to sample only the wines. We just had to mention it due to how fantastic it was. Now on to why we are all here, sampling of ciders. Let’s just say Blueberry Hill Estates had a lot to choose from on their menu. We narrowed it down to the 3 we brought home for the purpose of this review for simplicity sake. Let’s begin with our thoughts.

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Devil’s Cut - I, as anyone who knows me am a fan of all things whiskey. So naturally the Devil’s cut drew my attention being made in aged bourbon barrels. The taste had definite whiskey notes of the sour mash variety. To be honest with you faithful reader, we finished off a bottle of Devil’s Cut last night with BBQ Chicken, grilled vegetables and a baked potato. I can say it was beautifully paired and brought out the whiskey notes even more. What I like most about the Devil’s cut was the amazing apple and spices hints in the finish. Smooth, tasty and i believe i could pair it with almost anything marinated or spiced for dinner. Personally this was my favorite of the ciders they had due to the clear whiskey notes. Definitely will be dropping by for another bottle soon.

Grade: A-

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Lakeside Hard Cider - This is one of those great refreshing patio ciders. I would recommend serving this for visitors that partakes in ciders and just sip away with my friends. We brought home a 6 pack of this to bring with us to any social distance gatherings with family and friends. Lakeside Hard Cider was a very balanced cider overall, we thought it was not too dry or sweet. I loved the wonderfully rich spice and apple finish. Not overpowering but noticeable at the same time. Not gonna lie we really did not dislike any of the ciders at Blueberry Hill Estates. All are extremely palatable with most meals, or on their own. 

Grade: A

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The Spy - Now this one was unique but really hit the spot overall. Made with Norfolk County Northern Spy Apples. The taste came off extremely differently because of the fact it was made from apples you would usually make pies and desserts from. Naturally sweetened, you could literally taste the style of apple and was recognizable. Of all the samples we had this was Lisa’s absolute favourite. She said she could be sipping this all day long and it reminded her of having Nanna’s apple pie. We will be returning for this one definitely some time soon. Would be great with a charcuterie board with sharp cheeses and meats. Absolutely DELICIOUS!

Grade: PROVOKED

The experience at Blueberry Hill Estates was well thought out to deal with sanitization and social distancing measures. To enter you could only come into the building through one door where you were greeted with a sign full of Covid-19 notes and updates. Masks were required to come inside but, as you know the friendly Provokers always mask up for our trips.  An employee would then talk to you and guide you through the building to the shop area where you either made purchases or asked for a tasting. We were delighted to learn that we got included these cute glass Blueberry Hill Estates glasses for the tasting to bring home. We were then led outside to the sitting area at the back of the building for our tasting. Once we were seated at the table we were given a list to order from with both wines and ciders. Placing our order the employee then went through a door that said staff only. She brought us out our glasses and filled it with our samples. Once finished she would bring out your second pick, followed by the third. We really enjoyed our visit and were quite at ease due to them taking away all the thought behind distancing and rules. Well setup, great ciders, amazing employees, I can tell you Lisa and I will definitely be returning soon! Thank you for the amazing experience.

Till Next Time...