Brendan and Carly Coyle traced the water that flows into their Kamas Valley property through the winding lower Marion pipeline and up into the Uinta Mountains before it rejoins the Weber River watershed. The pathways snake across the landscape, forming a unique branch-like tributary system and resembling a weaving pattern from above.
Dendric Estate, a new cidery opening in Kamas, takes inspiration from the natural feature that’s shaped both the land and the vision behind the business. The Coyles felt the name was a tribute to their focus on water sustainability and conservation as well as the interconnection between the environment and agriculture.
The Eastern Summit County Planning Commission approved a conditional-use permit for the proposed distillery and microbrewery on the couple’s 20-acre property in the fall of 2022, and the couple started their first production season last month. They hope to bring Dendric Estate bottles to shelves by mid-2025.
Brendan, Carly and Marina Miller, the estate’s horticulturist, make up the three-person team running the cidery. They were in the middle of processing a single bridal of Jonathan apples — their second batch of the day — on Nov. 4.
The 900-pound bins are brought into the facility, where they are washed and sorted. A bin tipper dumps the apples into a wash elevator, where staff have the first opportunity to pull any bad fruit or cut out the spoiled spots.
“We’re focused on the most premium tier of cider in this facility so we’re looking for only the best fruit to pass forward into the mill,” Brendan explained.
Apples are then transported from the wash onto a small elevator, where the fruit is sprayed again with fresh water before gravity feeds them into the mill. This is where the apples are ground into a pumice and slowly pressed over and over again until the juice comes out into a tank. The seeds remain intact. Otherwise they could add bitterness.
With each cycle, the process becomes more intense as the drum rotates and loosens the mix before squeezing it more. Brendan said their process is high-yield with about eight gallons of juice collected per pound of fruit, which is pretty good for the industry.
The pressing process takes about an hour. There’s still a little bit of moisture in the apple mash that’s left over, so that’s set aside for composting. Dendric Estate is partnering with Spoil to Soil this year to compost 100% of the cidery’s output.
In the future, Brendan wants to build his own composting site, which would go back onto the orchard. They also want to reuse 100% of the filtered wastewater as irrigation water.
Once the apple juice is collected, the fermentation process begins. Dendric Estate is using 300-gallon tanks this season, but it can go up to 550-gallon stainless steel vessels.
Vats of juice about two-thirds through the fermentation process line the floor of the processing facility. The tops can be opened, emitting CO2 gas and strong, slightly sweet acidic notes.
The juice is dosed with yeast or native yeast that’s found on the skin of the apples. The primary fermentation process can last anywhere from three to six weeks depending on the type of apple used. Brendan said how much sugar is in the apple, what the pH level is, and other details also determine the length of time.
Then the secondary fermentation process starts. That could last anywhere from six months to six years depending on what type of cider is being made. This is the time when the yeast finishes its job by allowing the bacteria to convert malic acid into lactic acid.
“That’s a really important step in a lot of winemaking, and so that happens with cider as well because, really, cider is just a wine. We’re just making wine from apples instead of grapes. There’s really no difference at all,” Brendan said.
Dendric Estate is striving to create a nice bone-dry, highly complex, premium level of cider that would be bottled in 750 ml and 375 ml cork-and-cage bottles.
Brendan said the cidery will focus on the Charmat style, which is how Prosecco is made, as well as some Champagne-style ciders. The difference comes down to whether carbonation is added to the tank or bottle.
Most of the ciders will mature for six to eight months, meaning the first products could hit the market in May or June next year.
“It’s kind of a long, patient game to get to a high-quality cider, just like a high-quality wine,” Brendan said.
Dendric Estate brought in 15 varieties of fruit this season. The cidery will move into blending and product development to nail down what it’s launching after the juice completes its primary fermentation. This way, the Coyles know what flavor profiles they’re working with.
“You don’t really know until you start nosing and tasting what comes out of the process on the back end. You can find opportunities for blending. You can find opportunities for all kinds of great products,” Brendan explained.
The Coyles planted a research and development test orchard with 30 varieties in the spring of 2020 to determine what type of apples would thrive in Utah at an elevation of 6,440 feet. They also experimented with different planting, farming, irrigation and trellis methods.
The small trees are spaced 3 feet apart and the rows are 12 feet apart, resembling a vineyard more than an apple orchard. Brendan said this strategy produces a higher yield per acre and also allows staff to run a less labor-intensive, cheaper production.
The test orchard will transition to a full-production orchard in the future. There will also be a western and eastern block planted elsewhere on the 20-acre property.
Brendan was particularly excited about the success of a red-fleshed apple variety called Redfield. The tree bark has a distinctive maroon color, and the fruit can be used to make a sparkling rose. It’s a crabapple variety that’s high in sugar, high in acids and high in tannins that allow producers to create a complex cider.
The acid creates a mouth-watering vibrancy while the tannins create a bitterness and mouth feel that sits on the structure of the palate, according to Brendan. He’s a master distiller at High West Distillery and also completed a master’s in distilling program in Scotland.
“You need the right amount of tannins and acids as well as sugars. Sugars create the alcohol. And it’s not just alcohol for alcohol’s sake. Alcohol creates body as well,” he said. “It’s about finding the right balance between all of these components, and of course the flavor. Each apple just tastes different, just like every grape tastes different.”
The spring of 2026 will be the first big planting for Dendric Estate. About 1,600 of the Redfield trees are on order, as well as 1,600 of another variety called Virgina Hughes. When they’re fully grown, the trees can reach 10 feet tall.
The Coyles have experience on the technical side of brewing and distilling, but they wanted to find a way to connect agriculture and production to bring it all together. It took them years to find the right property before they found their land in Kamas.
“The industry is really young, which means there’s a lot of white space. We’re trying to lead the trend,” Carly said.
The Coyles also plan on building a 4,200-square-foot tasting room with a full kitchen and outdoor patio to create a curated pairing menu and unique space for private events or weddings. It’s expected to open next fall.
