Castle Hill Cider

This was our next stop after the Barboursville winery. I really had no idea what I was in for as for as what this type of cider was exactly. We were delighted by the grounds and the location. The gal who led our tasting was very knowledgeable, friendly and accommodating. We ordered a ½ baguette and two cheeses that they get from local farmers. We opted to buy two different bottles of their cider and cannot wait for the perfect meal to accompany them. I highly recommend a visit to this place.

Loved this place and their cider.
Definitely a bookmark on my Unilocal.
Can’t wait to go back!

I love ciders and I’m so glad this place was in the area. What a beautiful building and views. I could have stayed here all day if it were nicer outside and enjoy the wonderful cider and views. I went and did the premium cider tasting and the extra money was well worth it. All of the ciders were very good and all had a uniqueness to them and I liked the variety of dry to sweet ciders. I took home the Big Pippin back with me to FL. Can’t wait to come back here!

Poor management. We arrived to do a tasting and the room was full of what appeared to be a group of gaggle girls all there for a wedding. There were so many of them at the counter we could not even get up to the counter to arrange for a tasting. Poor management should have moved all these loud women to another part of the room to service their needs not kept them from allowing guests to participate as well. No one greeted us helped us or saw that there was a issue for other potential guests THERE TO sPEND MONEY. Total disappointment Someone needs to replace whoever is in charge with someone who can see what’s going on .
Sorry you lost our business.

I already want to go back!
I went this past weekend with my boyfriend to celebrate our anniversary and it was stunning. It’s definitely out of the way but worth the drive. The scenery is absolutely gorgeous. The area is very well kept and I definitely want to go back when the weather is nicer.
The cidery is actually in this huge white barn/​house but they have plenty of our door seating and you could actually bring your own seating/​blankets to do a picnic, etc. They have a big event space as well which they were setting up for a wedding.
This was our first time trying any of these ciders they each have a very unique taste and it was fascinating to learn how much goes into each cider. We did the tasting which was $ 8 for about 8 tastings and then for an additional $ 4 you could do the premium tasting. We passed on that and each got a glass — glasses are either $ 7 or $ 8 (in that range). My favorite was the Serendipity which was like a mixture of apple juice and champagne — yum!
Like I said we definitely plan on going back, I will make more of an afternoon of it then just a stop by!

Some really interesting dry ciders in a very pretty area. The cozy tasting room is quite small but can accommodate a number of people, and it was quite crowded on a Saturday afternoon. $ 8 for a standard tasting of 7 ciders. We ordered a cheese plate to go with our tasting, which came with 4 different cheeses and warm chunks of baguette.
My favorites were the Black Twig, Celestial, and Serendipity. Black Twig was a still cider, aged in whiskey barrels, and was light and mellow with a touch of vanilla. Celestial was bubbly and fresh, kind of off-​dry. Serendipity, the sweetest cider on the menu, was much more fruit-​forward and probably the one I would associate closest to a classic hard cider.
We took a couple bottles outside to share and enjoy the unusually warm winter weather. Lovely place, nice ciders, good experience!

On a trip to Monticello, we noticed a small sign for Castle Hill. We immediately decided to pop in on the way back to Arlington. We did not go wrong!
To start, I got engaged this day so it was already a great day. We did the standard tasting. To my surprise, I liked every single cider. That never happens to me during a wine tasting. My fiancé continued with the additional 2 options which were pretty good. We grabbed a glass and sat outside to enjoy the sunny but cold day.
We grabbed a bottle to take home and celebrate our engagement. This is a great place and I can’t wait to get back to enjoy the grounds when the weather is warm.

Aw I so could have spent the whole day sipping cider by the fireplace here. This place is adorable!
On a recent visit to see our Gordonsville friends they brought us up for a cider tasting & to see the property. The staff was knowledgeable & friendly. Each couple picked a bottle to split & we went with their aged cider that we were told was once only available to those with a membership. It was so tasty, it was like drinking champagne instead of a cider. I’ll do the full sampling next time we visit.
We sat by the fireplace & watched as a bride came in with her family and wedding planner for a tour. Lucky girl because this place is a beautiful wedding venue! We also walked around the property while we finished our cider. It made for a lovely visit.

Really enjoyed our time at Castle Hill. The place itself is gorgeous, complete with a lovely fireplace and comfy chairs. We went early in the day and no one else was there at the time. My only minor complaint is that our tasting associate kind of rushed us through the tasting and asked us no personal questions, which came off a bit standoffish. However, I mentioned something about our dog and she said «Oh, bring him inside!». So we ended up grabbing a glass each and the staff kept coming over and petting him, bringing him water, etc. We were on our way back home to DE but wanted to stay all day! The cider is reeeeally good, too. If you like Albemarle, you’ll like Castle Hill. Dry ciders, but a bit different in style from Albemarle. We will definitely be returning!

We’re not much into cider, but this one does a very nice job with it! The venue is amazing as well… it’s large, beautiful and a great place for an event!
The staff is knowledgeable and friendly. They have a great assortment of ciders, so you might find something you like if you visit.
It’s definitely worth the stop when you’re in the area!

We came here on our recent long weekend with a couple of friends. We were excited to try something a little different than wine with the ciders.
We were the only people there when we went on a Friday afternoon. Their space is really nice, they have a beautiful bar and then also a large event space that is normally their operational space.
The people walking us through our tasting were very knowledgeable and knew a lot about the ciders. The ciders were good and they had distinctly different tastes. We had brought a picnic lunch and ordered a bottle of cider to have with it. The day was so nice we were able to sit outside under the trees with our cider and lunch. We actually ended up purchasing some bottles to take with us as well.
I would definitely come back here again if I am ever in the area.

So my boyfriend and I stopped by this place on the way down to Charlotte, NC. We saw some signs on the side of the road and decided to pop in since I absolutely love cider. The grounds were incredibly beautiful with the huge barn style building and mountainous views all around. We went into the tasting room and did a quick tasting. The woman helping us was very knowledgeable about how the ciders were made and explained the subtle differences between the different ones. In terms in cider, which I had tasted quite a variety of, these didn’t really strike me as anything overly special. I think it would be cool for them to expand into other fruits, or different varieties of apples to give them a wider palate. They were also building an outside tasting area which by the look of it so far it is going to be very cool!

I am giving this place 4 stars because overall I liked it. The cider wasn’t my favorite. Neither was the small tasting room and the smallish outdoor seating area. However, it was overall good. The staff was friendly and they let us bring the dog inside. Solid cider place and there aren’t a lot, so it is a must stop.

We stopped in on Memorial Day on our way out of town. I’ve been pleasantly surprised how many cideries are in the area, all of which have made me change my mind about liking cider. Typically I’m not much of a cider drinker because I think they are too sweet. Well, the cider at Castle Hill is definitely more like a white wine than sugary cider. And I like that it’s that way. That being said, none of them really stood out for me, as they overall tasted the same. But they were all still enjoyable, and we ended up getting a glass of the Celestial and Levity, I think, to enjoy outside.
The tasting room and grounds are nice with kind of a modern, rustic feel. There’s even a large barn event space connected to the tasting room.
Castle Hill is pet friendly, which was super nice for us as we had our dog in tow.
I felt the cost of tastings were a bit on the higher end, $ 8 for the tasting, $ 16 if you also wanted the glass, which I thought seemed a bit steep. But, their pours were generous and the staff was very nice. Not sure that I would visit again, but it definitely is worth the trip if you’re in the area and looking for a break between vineyards.

Tasty high end ciders with a beautiful tasting room and surroundings. Local artisan cheeses and fresh baked baguettes to boot!

Stopped in on a saturday while a wedding was coming together (with a bachelorette party and wine tour as well) so it was quite busy. The staff was unfortunately very busy with the other groups so we had to wait quite awhile to get a tasting. Enjoyed a couple of the wines on the menu– I preferred most at the bottom of the menu. Overall not bad wine, but I enjoyed the local cheese plate more — on the patio with a glass of their wine. This place is def catered more towards events– and I have been here for a wedding– so there isn’t much else to do here. However, it is def a great place to visit.

Great experience! We were not looking for a Cidery. We just wanted to try something new, and chose Castle Hill. Well what a surprise for us. I like wine, hubby prefers beer, and here comes great cider. Bought 4 bottles of our favorite and will be looking forward to enjoying them with the hubby. Service was good, the facility is welcoming, and the outdoor seating hit the spot on this fabby sun filled day. We will be back, and if you like wine or beer, or even bubbly, give this a try,

We popped in here on Saturday afternoon while scouting for venues. The first thing you’ll notice is the views. They’re nothing short of stunning. There was a blanket of snow on everything when we came and it made everything look pristine. The tasting room has a very southern gentlemen feel, but remains cozy and homey. Its a very inviting atmosphere.
The ciders are good and the prices are in line with other artisanal cider offerings in the area. They were pouring seven different ciders when we were around. They were each distinctive, and there were a few we really liked. They had a few still ciders as well. I was not a fan of those, but I liked that they had a wide variety of styles in what can be a narrow genre.
We had a bit of a debate about whether or not heirloom actually meant anything in relation to fruits, but we didn’t debate the quality of the cider. All in all I award four unregulated heirloom apples out of five.

We hadnt realized this was a cider place until we stepped inside the quaint tudor-​style barn. But we had never done a cider tasting and were intrigued. This particular Satuday they were slammed. Took about 15 minutes to finally get a spot at the bar for a tasting. We found that overall most of the ciders… tasted exactly the same. Not sure how else to describe it. It was an interesting experience either way, but I’m not sure I would go out of my way for it.

With some unique tasting cider and beautiful indoor and outdoor facilities, Castle Hill Cider is a must visit, although casual cider drinkers may not enjoy most of the flavors.
I’ll start the review by saying that if you’ve never been to a cidery before, consider going to Bold Rock or Albemarle Cider Works first. The type of cider produced here has lower sugar and a different fermentation process; it tastes closer to a dry white wine than cider (which I believe accounts for some of the mediocre reviews). These ciders are much more artisanal and will offer you a unique tasting experience.
The grounds and facilities of Castle Hill are beautiful — the modern tasting room has two floors with fireplaces (there is a spacious balcony upstairs) and is connected to a main social hall where they host weddings. Castle Hill sits in a rolling well maintained field that is perfect for summer picnics or letting your kids run around.
The tasting consists of seven ciders with generous pours. My favorites were the Celestial (a dry cider that tastes like a white wine), the Levity (fermented in a large clay kvevri resulting in a natural sparkling cider), and the Celestial Merret (tastes almost like a wheat beer). I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention the Black Twig, which tastes like nothing I’ve ever tasted before; ultimately I wasn’t a fan of the woody flavor, but points for creativity.
Overall, it was an interesting tasting experience of ciders I never would’ve tasted otherwise. My girlfriend and I were also able to try the cheese plate (2 cheeses for $ 9 and 3 cheeses for $ 12), which was a nice addition to the cider. The only negatives I can think of is the price — $ 8 for a tasting is fine, but an additional $ 8 for the glass is a little absurd, and the tasting bar seemed understaffed (our poor cider pourer was jumping from group to group). However, Castle Hill is still a worthwhile experience and I’m sure I’ll be back again.