Hard Cider and Cider Apple

choi

Sarah Nassauer, Trouble in the Orchard for Hard Cider Drinkers. Wall Street Journal, May 7, 2014.
online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304101504579546112711323256

Quote:

“to add tannins to the fermented drink [here meaning hard cider] requires bitter apple varieties that haven’t been grown in the US for almost a century. The shortage of ‘spitter,’ as the mostly inedible bittersweet and bittersharp varieties are called, is hurting smaller cider makers. They aim for a dry tate perhaps more akin to the European hard cider [which sells twice as better than sweeter ones].

“In the US, prohibition led to the demise of most cider apple trees

“Today most apple farms make the largest profit selling aesthetically perfect fruit to eat fresh. Bitter cider fruit can only be used to make hard cider. Farmers bet on the future demand for apple varieties years in advance, as a tree takes at least three years to produce fruits after being planted..

My comment:
(a) There is no need to read the rest.
(b) tannin
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tannin
(c) cider apple
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cider_apple