Review of Cidergeist Dry Hopped, a dry hopped cider made by Rhinegeist, a brewery in Cincinnati Ohio.  They released two ciders for the first time in Fall 2015, Semi Dry and Dry Hopped.  They sent me samples of both.

>>This is a review of a sample can provided to Cider Says by Rhinegeist.  Although I will take care to treat it the same as any other review, there is always the potential for bias as I received it for free.  The only consideration I knowingly made was pushing this up in my cider review cue.  I love free stuff, especially cider!  Want your cider or cider-related product reviewed here?  Contact me.<<

Cider:  Dry Hopped
Cidery:  Rhinegeist Cidergeist
Cidery Location:  Cincinnati Ohio
ABV:  6.2%
How Supplied:  6 pack of 12oz cans (and kegs)
Style:  American commercial cider made from dessert apple juice concentrate, with hops

  

Availability:  year round in areas including Ohio, Kentucky, and Massachusetts

Cider Description:  Dry hopped with Centennial hops from the Pacific Northwest for citrus aromatics, this fine dry cider builds layers of delight upon the essence of the apples.

Cidery Description:  Countless days and nights were spent studying the art of making cider, drinking the best we could find across the country and testing a variety of juices, yeasts and techniques in fermentation—the result is Cidergeist. Semi Dry and Dry Hopped will be sure to blow your buds with the bright snap of delicious apples. 

Cidergeist gives us the opportunity to play in a lighter and drier zone than beer is able to achieve, introducing a flavor profile more akin to white wine and refreshing in a uniquely fruity way. Fermented with juices from the Pacific Northwest, these Cidergeist Hard Ciders sparkle to deliver a blend of acidity and apple-ness with bountiful aromatics that strike the right balance of refreshingly dry with just a shy suggestion of sweetness.

Price:  n/a (retails around $10 / 6 pack)
Where Bought:  n/a
Where Drank:  home
How Found:  Rhinegeist contacted me

First Impression:  Light orange amber hue.  Nearly still (no carbonation).  Smells strongly of Citra hops.

Tasting Notes:  Completely dry (3 grams sugar / 12oz).  Mild tartness and acidity.  Moderate bitterness.  Hints of tannins.  No sourness or funk.  Strong hoppiness with milder notes of citrus (orange) and floral.  Low apple flavor.  Low sessionability.

My Opinion:  Wow!  This is quite a hoppy cider.  I’m not a fan of beer, so unfortunately I wasn’t a fan.  My husband thought this was quite similar to IPA beer.  There have been a few hopped ciders I enjoyed, but they were much more mild, such as 2 Towns Hop and Stalk, Tod Creek Mala-Hop, and Portland Cider Hop’Rageous.  I think I would have enjoyed this with more sweetness and less hops.

Most Similar to:  Reverend Nat’s Hopland #5 / Envy, which was also heavily hopped.

Closing Notes:   Fans of heavily hopped beers such as IPA would probably enjoy this cider.

Have you tried Cidergeist?  What did you think?