Review of Perennial 2013 from Argus Cidery.  This is the first from their regular line of ciders that I’ve tried, although I’ve sampled Ciderkin and Ginger Perry from their Fermentables line of six pack ciders.

Cider:  Perennial 2013
Cidery:  Argus Cidery
Cidery Location:  Austin TX
ABV:  6.8%
How Supplied:  750ml flip top bottle
Style:  American barrel aged wild yeast fermented craft cider

 

Availability:  Argus ciders are sold in AR, CA, CO, FL, GA, ID, IN, IA, KY, MI, MO, NY, NC, OK, SC, TX, & WA, and online at http://www.specsonline.com.  In WA I’ve only seen this one and their two Fermentables varieties (Ciderkin and Ginger Perry).

Cider Description:  The Perennial release is a collection of fruit harvested from both the Medina and Lubbock orchards from the 2013 harvest. This blend maximizes the fruit characters delivering a straightforward apple palate, with a finish of our natural ambient yeast characters and the residual flavors from aging in French and American Oak.  55% Blaze, 20% Gala, 10% Mutsu, 10% Johnathan, 5% Cameo.  1,150 cases produced.  Bottled November 2014.

Cidery Description:  We are Texas’ first American Hard Cider crafted from apples produced by Texas and Arkansas growers.  Out cider styles are dry and crisp, made with selected wild and traditional yeast strains and oaked to suit.  The results:  either Champagne style or crisp, still ciders suited for any occasion.

Argus Cidery has a tasting room in Austin TX open on Saturdays.

Price:  $18.50
Where Bought:  Full Throttle Bottles in Seattle WA
Where Drank:  home
How Found:  Browsing

First Impression:  Pale straw yellow hue.  Small bubbles and foam.  Smells sour, funky, dry, acidic, dry, and of citrus and floral.

Tasting Notes:  Dry.  Moderate sourness, acidity, and tartness.  Light funk.  A touch of bitterness.  Notes of citrus, floral, and vinegar.  Light bodied.  Light carbonation.  Moderate length finish.  Moderate apple influence.  Low sessionability.  I didn’t pick up any barrel aging influence.

My Opinion:  I’m not into sour ciders, so this cider didn’t appeal to me (guess I should have researched it a bit more first).  I found the sourness a bit overwhelming, covering up most of the other flavors.

Most Similar to:  Dry sour wild fermented ciders such as Dragon’s Head Wild Fermented, WildCraft Ciderworks Hard Cider, and Millstone Cellars Farmgate Dry.

Closing Notes:   I wasn’t a fan of this one, but if you like your cider on the dry, sour, and slightly funky side, you may enjoy it.

Have you tried Argus Perennial?  What did you think?