Review of Sixknot’s High Desert Dry.  I’ve previously tried their Goldilocks cider.

Cider:  Organic High Desert Dry
Cidery:  Sixknot Cider (Sinclair Orchards)
Cidery Location:  Twisp WA
ABV:  6.5%
How Supplied:  500ml bottle
Style:  American organic dry hard cider

  

Availability:  Only in WA, at retailers such as those listed here.

Cider Description:  High Desert is a slow, cold, traditional fermentation that yields a clean, dry cider. Sip Northwest describes High Desert as “thick with fragrant perfumes of butterscotch, anise, vanilla and almost a squash note…”

Cidery Description:  Our farm and cidery rests on the banks of the Methow River near Twisp, Washington. We only press certified organic Washington apples, selected from our trees and other local orchards. We do not add sulfites, preservatives or sugars. To retain the subtle flavors often lost in processed ciders, we do not filter. Our cidermaking is kith and kin to the natural wine movement…organic practice in the orchard, and minimal intervention in the ciderhouse.

Their three main ciders are High Desert Dry, Goldilocks, and Gingerella, but they also have special releases.  Their website has a great writeup on “A Northwest Cidermaker’s Terroir”.

Price:  n/a (it was a gift; retail price is around $8)
Where Bought:  n/a (it was bought at McMenamins Anderson School in Bothell)
Where Drank:  home
How Found:  I’ve seen Sixknot’s ciders around town, and have had their Goldilocks cider twice at a restaurant.  I hadn’t tried this variety until now though.

First Impression:  Pale straw yellow hue, slightly hazy.  Light carbonation with large bubbles.  Smells of baked apples, spice, honey, and citrus.

Tasting Notes:  Dry.  Mild to moderate acidity.  Mild tartness.  Hints of sourness and bitterness.  No funk.  Notes of citrus and honey.  Mildly flavored.  Light bodied.  Low carbonation.  Quick length finish.  Low apple influence.  Moderate sessionability.

My Opinion:  I was surprised how different the taste was than the smell…this cider smelled much richer than it tasted.  Overall the flavor was a bit too blah for my liking…I really didn’t pick up much from it.

Most Similar to:  Dry flagship craft ciders such as Honey Moon CiderHead, Attila Scourge of God, and Boonville Bite Hard.

Closing Notes:   I think they have a great thing going for them at Sixknot with reasonably priced organic ciders with an emphasis on sustainability.  However, I much prefer their Goldilocks cider, as with its sweetness comes additional flavor.

Have you tried Sixknot ciders?  What did you think?