Michigan is a puzzling little state. Shaped like a mitten with a castaway peninsula connected to Wisconsin. Torrid devotion to a mediocre football college. Detroit. Kid Rock. It has all of the hallmarks of a southern state but with lower obesity and higher high school graduation rates.

(NOTE: I can find fault with any state if given enough time, though if pushed I lean Spartan green rather than maize and blue.)

Yet, Michigan is home to some of the finest craft brewers and cideries in the nation. Bell’s, Founders and New Holland produce some of the finest beers in America, while the ciders and meads from B. Nektar Meadery and Almar Orchards represent the Motor , Spartan , Wolverine State well.

Almar Orchards is a working organic farm located in Flushing, Mich., near Flint, and their hard ciders carry the J.K.’s Scrumpy label. The Scrumpy is a British-style of farmhouse cider derived from the French countryside. It is made in small batches by hand with apple juice that is slowly fermented. It’s not intended to be smooth, as the farmhouse cider is not unlike the saison. Cloudy with residue and sediment.

J.K.’s Scrumpy boasts that it uses only juice and yeast to create its beverages. The Cuvee Winterruption serves as the brand’s wintertime cider. J.K.’s uses cuvee yeast, a neutral variety used in champagne and sparkling wines, to promote fermentation. The Winterruption in the cidery’s range, with cinnamon, vanilla and maple syrup from Almar’s farm.

The Winterruption is reminiscent of a saison, unfiltered and tart. The sip starts heavy apple and becomes ends tart from the yeast. The alcohol is present and full, but the cuvee yeast does not supply any natural fermentation carbonation like it does in a sparkling wine. The still cider is full-flavored and full-bodied, the type of beverage that fills you and keeps you solidly warm on a cold Michigan night.

Brewer: J.K.’s Scrumpy (Almar Orchards)

Beer: Cuvee Winterruption Hard Cider

Style: Hard cider

ABV: 6.9% IBU: n/a

Container: 22 oz. bottle

Price: $7.49 Point of Purchase: Party Source, Syracuse, N.Y.

To The Eye: Brownish-red, cloudy and still.

To The Nose: Yeasty like a saison, but with apples present.

To The Palate: Opens up with a strong apple flavor and the spices become evident in the middle.

Aftertaste: Very tart and yeasty, with an apple crisness.

Boozy Factor: A strong warming feeling towards the end is really the only sign.

On a Scale of 1 to 10, with 10 as highest: 7.5