ciderhq

[ciderhq]

So much agreement. Well articulated.

Why Are We Here?

We spend a lot of time in tech inventing and building new things. Some people are perfectly happy doing so without needing a deeper reason — some simply want success, others wealth, and many are excited about the potential to make the world a better place. Still I am struck by an undercurrent of dissatisfaction even among people who have accomplished a lot. I attribute that to the lack of a deeper purpose. Few people in tech seem to accept an easy religious answer to the question of why we are here. I have struggled with that myself but feel comfortable with what I believe now.

If you have followed my blog for a while you know that I have written about personal change in the past. Part of that exploration for me has been reading key works in Hinduism and Buddhism. One of the foundational precepts of Buddhism is that everything is ephemeral. Human pain comes from our failure to accept this impermanence. We become attached to people or things and when they inevitably disappear we suffer. I have found this to be a profound insight with powerful consequences for everyday life. Letting go of attachments is the way to overcome most if not all of our fears of the future and regrets of the past.

Yet I also believe that there is an important exception: human knowledge. I have previously argued that knowledge is the information that we as humans choose to replicate over time. It thus includes historical accounts, scientific knowledge and cultural artifacts (including literature, music, art, etc). Knowledge is unique to humans at least here on our planet. Other species don’t have externalized information that outlives them individually (I say externalized to contrast knowledge with DNA).

Human knowledge in principle has the potential to be eternal. It could exist as long as the universe does (and as far as I know we aren’t sure yet whether that will come to an end). Knowledge could even outlive humanity and still be maintained and developed further by some artificial or alien intelligence that succeeds us. Although I would prefer for the contributors to include future generations of humans.

For me the very existence and possibility of human knowledge provides the answer to the question of why we are here and what we should try to accomplish in life. We should endeavor to contribute to knowledge. Given my definition this can mean a great many things, including teaching and making music and taking care of others. Anything that either adds to or reproduces knowledge is, so far, a uniquely human activity and why we are here (“adding” includes questioning or even invalidating existing knowledge).

Once our basic needs are taken care of I believe we should devote much of our time to knowledge. We can still do things like create new products or start new companies (or invest in them). But we shouldn’t be mindless consumers of stuff or information. And we should focus on products or services that either contribute directly to knowledge or help others do so including by helping take care of basic needs (food, shelter, clothing, health, transportation, connectivity). This is also why I support the idea of a universal basic income.

Now at first blush the focus on knowledge sounds value free. What if you are inventing the nuclear bomb or worse? I have written about how values are important to guide what systems we build. I am convinced that many (and maybe all) of the values I believe in can be derived from the foundational value of knowledge, including, for example, conservation of the environment. I will write more on that in future posts.

This view of the meaning of life is what works for me personally and I am sharing it because it might work for others also. In doing so I am being consistent with the very belief I am describing. If these ideas have merit they will get replicated by others and carried forward over time and have a chance to become part of knowledge itself.

It is also likely that others have thought of this approach to the meaning of life before me. Knowledge is far vaster than what any one person can possibly know. And so as always when writing, I look forward to comments that point me to related work and people.

[ciderhq]

Cascadia Dry Hard Apple Cider

Bottle: 16oz can

Glass: can

Cost: $4 (bar)

Pours: N/A

Smell: Crisp, sweet apples, with dry wine overtones

Taste: It starts out like a sweet cider, but dries out towards the end, which is a nice touch. It cleans up a little better than an Angry Orchard or Woodchuck, though the initial flavors might not be as dialed in.

Overall: A solid local cider and hopefully a sign of good things ahead for the cidery. The cider itself is unremarkable, but it's reasonably well made and sufficiently enjoyable.

Juice Factor: 6/10

Overall Rating: 6/10 (“You won’t regret it.”)

[ciderhq]

Zeffer Hopped Up Pippin Cider

Bottle: 500mL bottle

Glass: Goblet

Cost: $6.99

Pours: Light golden and clear, with a fair bit of carbonation but no head.

Smell: Hops, and plenty of them, but not as many as I was expecting. Neslon Sauvin hops have a distinct grapefruity smell, and that was lost a bit in the apples.

Taste: The hops and apples are integrated remarkably well. Rather than tasting like hops + apples, it tastes like a distinct new flavor. The bright characteristics of the hops and the depth of flavors in the Pippin apple intertwine to create something that is juicy without being sweet, so it goes down quite easily.

Overall: I'm amazed at how different this is from Citizen Cider's Full Nelson (which has the more traditional smells and tastes from Nelson hops), but while this isn't quite as tantalizing, it's still very solid and a good choice any day.

Juice Factor: 6/10

Overall Rating: 7/10 (“Don't hesitate to order it”)

[ciderhq]

Doc's Draft - Framboise Raspberry Hard Apple Cider

Bottle: 22oz bottle, capped

Glass: tumbler

Cost: $8.99

Pours: Orangish red, with a light pink tint. You can tell both apples and raspberries are involved. Not much head, but plenty of carbonation and a little cloudiness.

Smell: Raspberries, primarily, with just a touch of apples in the background

Taste: Raspberries dance on the tongue as the carbonation kicks the flavors around. There's a little apple flavor in there, but it mostly serves to ensure the raspberries don't get unbearably tart -- the raspberries are the star of the show and they shine mightily.

Overall: A delightful and surprising cider. Perhaps a shining example of how raspberry ciders should be done -- well balanced, tart but not fully sour, plenty of fruit flavor without being sweet, and enough carbonation to have some fun in your mouth. Good enough that it put the last bit in the fridge and reopened the next day -- I never do that, but I'm really glad I did as it didn't fall off.

Juice Factor: 6/10

Overall Rating: 9/10 (“Highly seekworthy”)

[ciderhq]

Santa Cruz Scrumpy - Chider

Bottle: 22oz bottle, capped

Glass: Goblet

Cost: $5.39

Pours: Deep, deep red, with a little bit of head and a little bit of sediment.

Smell: Cherries, cherries, and more cherries.

Taste: Very cherry-forward, which isn't a bad thing. The cherries drive this train through sweetsville, which can get a little tedious, but comes out on the positive side of things.

Overall: There are plenty of things to like about this cider (the richness of the cherry, primarily, is quite nice), but it's just not as expertly crafted as many. Don't run away from this one, but it's not worth getting excited about -- just a fun local thing to try if you're in the area.

Juice Factor: 7/10

Overall Rating: 6/10 (“You won’t regret it.”)

[ciderhq]

Cyril Zangs Sparkling Cider 2011

Bottle: 750mL bottle

Glass: tumbler

Cost: $20

Pours: A little hazy, golden orange in color, with a lovely little head that lingers.

Smell: Lots of champagne

Taste: Starts with some crisp late-harvest apples, but quickly turns over into dry champagne mode, washing away that flavor. It unfortunately washes the flavor away before you can really enjoy it.

Overall: This is a carnival game of a cider -- teases you with a great reward only to reveal its virtually unattainable. The flavors are interesting and in there, but they're yanked away before you get to really enjoy them.

Juice Factor: 3/10

Overall Rating: 6/10 ("You won't regret it.")

[ciderhq]

Clos des Ducs Premium Hard Cider

Bottle: 11.8oz bottle, capped

Glass: Goblet

Cost: $2.39

Pours: Thick and cloudy orange with rich golden undertones. Zero head despite a hard pour. Very nice to look at.

Smell: Apple juice, perhaps a little old or using richer apples -- it's a strong apple scent.

Taste: Apples apples and more apples. It's juicy but not cloyingly sweet. It tastes like a refined, high class apple juice -- a range of flavors emerge in the juice, but none stray far from the parent.

Overall: A rather impressive cider for the price. A great option on the sweet end of the range. The body on this cider is huge, the texture slick, and there's enough variance and vibrance in the flavors to keep you interested.

Juice Factor: 8/10

Overall Rating: 7/10 ("Don't hesitate to order it")

-----

Bonus points for great math:

- A bottle is 11.8 oz

- A serving size is 8 oz

- The label says the servings per bottle is "about one"

[ciderhq]

Golden State Cider - Mighty Dry Cider

Bottle: 16oz can

Glass: Goblet

Cost: $1.99/can

Pours: Almost clear. Super light yellow, with a good deal of bubbles at first that dissipate quite quickly.

Smell: White wine -- light yet sharp acidity.

Taste: More white wine, with perhaps a splash of champagne. There's almost no apple flavor at all -- it's just really dry. Truth in advertising. It's not bad.

Overall: If you're in the mood for white wine or champagne but all you've got is this, you'll be just fine. It's a perfectly good cider, just know what you're getting into -- it's mighty freakin dry.

Juice Factor: 1/10

Overall Rating: 6/10 ("You won't regret it.")

[ciderhq]

Two Rivers Pomegranate Cider

Bottle: On tap at Magnolia Brewing

Glass: Imperial pint glass

Cost: $7 / 20oz

Pours: Pinkish red (far more red than pink), largely clear, with a thin head that sticks around for a bit.

Smells: If I hadn't known, I might've guessed it was cranberry, but apparently that's what pomegranate + apples smell like. It's a crisp smell.

Tastes: Dry right from the get-go. The fruity flavors never get the chance to really develop, though they're present from start to finish. The finish is, you guessed it, pretty dry. It's not an extreme dry, but it's definitely dry.

Overall: I would've liked a little more opportunity to let the fruit flavors gush before the dryness comes rushing in. The fact that you have no respite from the dryness makes finishing a glass a bit of a challenge.

Juice Factor: 3/10

Overall Rating: 5/10 (“You'll get through it”)

[ciderhq]

Finnriver Cranberry Rosehip

Bottle: taster on tap

Glass: taster glass

Cost: $3 / 4oz

Pours: Clear and a yellowish red color -- looks like you'd expect cranapple juice to look. A nice little head that sticks around on the edges for quite a while.

Smells: A fair bit of tart cranberry, with just a little bit of herbs that are tough to put your finger on.

Tastes: Roles are reversed here, as it's almost all rosehips and just a little bit of cranberry as a base. The rosehips are overwhelming, but at the same time interesting and quite pleasant.

Overall: A unique and interesting set of flavors make this one worth trying. I can't recommend it too strongly as the rosehips are just a bit too aggressive, but don't let that scare you off -- it's still quite enjoyable.

Juice Factor: 3/10

Overall Rating: 7/10 (“Don't hestitate to order it”)

[ciderhq]

Reverend Nat's Hard Cider - Revelation Mountain Rose

Bottle: taster on tap

Glass: taster glass

Cost: $3 / 4oz

Pours: Cloudy and pinkish orange, with a slight golden hue. It's a lovely and distinct sort of pink that didn't get captured properly in the photo (low lighting).

Smells: Like apples roasting in the oven with fresh herbs from the garden. There are several herbal notes I haven't experienced in other ciders.

Tastes: Like pink apples. Don't know what pink apples taste like? Neither do I! But I promise you this tastes like pink apples, and that's a good thing. Like all the Revelations, it's quite well balanced, but the pinkness really comes through to create a truly unique flavor profile.

Overall: A delicious cider that's on the sweet (-yet-tart-and-a-little-dry) end of things, but is remarkably different from the other apples showcased in the Revelation series. Well worth trying, if only to finally understand what pink apples taste like.

Juice Factor: 6/10

Overall Rating: 8/10 (“Drink it any chance you get”)

[ciderhq]

Reverend Nat's Hard Cider - Bartlett Galaxy

Bottle: taster on tap

Glass: taster glass

Cost: $2 / 4oz

Pours: Cloudy and light yellow. A little carbonation, but the main focus is the pale fiery look.

Smells: A mix of grapefruit and pear, which might not sound appealing but it absolutely is. 

Tastes: The galaxy hops kick in first, bringing the grapefruit and bitterness, but the pear quickly softens some of the grapefruits harshness. The flavors are direct rather than muddled, and that adds a brightness to the whole package. The overall effect is a crisp yet lush perry that is remarkably flavorful and drinkable. 

Overall: A fascinating, enjoyable, and flavorful ride I'd love to take again. 

Juice Factor: 6/10

Overall Rating: 9/10 (“Highly seekworthy”)

[ciderhq]

Reverend Nat's Hard Cider - Sacrilege Sour Cherry

Bottle: taster on tap

Glass: taster glass

Cost: $3 / 4oz

Pours: Bright red, with some white carbonation that dissipates. Otherwise clear.

Smells: Like tart, juicy cherries.

Tastes: Sour, but not overly so. Cherry, but not overly so. In fact, you could argue there isn't enough of either. 

Overall: I was excited about this one, as I love both wild fermented ciders and (many) cherry ciders. Unfortunately there just wasn't quite enough of either to make it remarkable. The apple is the uncomfortable third wheel in this romance and just doesn't let the cherry and wild yeasts go to town.

Juice Factor: 5/10

Overall Rating: 6/10 (“You won't regret it”)

[ciderhq]

Reverend Nat's Hard Cider - Revelation Jonathan

Bottle: taster on tap

Glass: taster glass

Cost: $2 / 4oz

Pours: Very light and clear, with just a hint of carbonation.

Smells: A little bland, but mostly of tart apples.

Tastes: Tart apples. Not overly pronounced tartness, and with a mid-range sweetness to keep things balanced.

Overall: While the base recipe for Revelation is pretty solid, the Jonathan apples just don't spark fireworks. It's not bad, just subdued and easily forgettable.

Juice Factor: 5/10

Overall Rating: 5/10 (“You'll get through it”)

[ciderhq]

Reverend Nat's Hard Cider Mora Spanish Blackberry

Bottle: taster on tap

Glass: taster glass

Cost: $2 / 4oz

Pours: Burnt orange, with a light reddish hue. No carbonation.

Smells: Like rotten gasoline. Like something died, someone poured gasoline on its body, and then forgot about it for a few years.

Tastes: A stark contrast to the smell -- sharp acidity, sweetened slightly and accented by the blackberries. The fruit tastes fresh, while also being quite sour. And somehow, like most of their ciders, well balanced.

Overall: This is a tricky one, as the smell is almost too off-putting to get your lips to the glass, but the flavors are fresh and crisp (if aggressively sour). I'd say it's well worth a try, and just try to get past the smell.

Juice Factor: 4/10

Overall Rating: 6/10 (“You won't regret it”)

[ciderhq]

Reverend Nat's Hard Cider - Revival

Bottle: taster on tap

Glass: taster glass

Cost: $2 / 4oz

Pours: A lightish gold with a few bubbles. Classic cider appearance.

Smells: Sweet, juicy apples.

Tastes: Like juice. Fancy juice, mind you, but juice nonetheless. That said, it's not as one-dimensional as things like Angry Orchard -- you get a reasonably complex variety of fruity flavors.

Overall: I'm not one for the juicey sweet ciders, but this one is relatively tame on the juice factor while being more complex than most sweet ciders. If you're into sweet ciders, give this a try.

Juice Factor: 9/10

Overall Rating: 6/10 (“You won't regret it”)

[ciderhq]

Reverend Nat's Hard Cider Deliverance Ginger Tonic

Bottle: taster on tap

Glass: taster glass

Cost: $2 / 4oz

Pours: Light golden, with a touch of orange. Fairly well carbonated, though no head.

Smells: Spicey. The ginger is both appetizing and overwhelming.

Tastes: The ginger is absolutely dominant here, from the amplified spiciness to the dry finish. It's so dominant that it's challenging to pick out other flavors or textures. The ginger spice almost hurts the mouth (and I'm a big ginger fan).

Overall: The ginger is just too much. It overwhelms anything else that might have been going on in this cider. It's worth trying, but I can't imagine drinking more than a taster.

Juice Factor: 2/10

Overall Rating: 5/10 (“You'll get through it”)