Review of Frost ice cider from Tieton Cider Works.  I’ve tried several ice ciders before (see here), and have tried most of Tieton’s lineup (see here).

Cider:  Frost (ice cider)
Cidery:  Tieton Cider Works
Cidery Location:  Yakima WA
ABV:  11%
How Supplied:  375ml tall clear glass bottles, corked
Style:  American craft ice cider made from dessert apples (see here for a description of the ice cider process)

 

Availability: AZ, CA, CO, FL, HI, ID, IL, MI, MT, NM, NJ, OH, OR, TX, UT, WA, WY, and B.C. Canada.  Also, online sales to OR and WA.

Cider Description:  Our autumn harvest blend of Jonagold, Pinova and Winter Banana apples produces a pale straw cider that is expressive and floral with a pleasing sweetness.

Enjoy this cider at room temperature as an aperitif, as a cocktail base or the perfect finish to any meal.  Our friends at Simple and Crisp asked Sharon to come up with a recipe for their product. Apple Crisps from Simple and Crisp topped with Tieton Farm & Creamery Bianca cheese and drizzled with honey. This recipe works as an appetizer or a dessert, which is why we love it.

Cidery Description:  We are continually asked: how did you get into the cider business?  The answer is easy: we were in the apple growing business. Period. If we had not been a farming family, cider would not have held an interest.

The fruit that is used in Tieton Cider Works cider comes from Craig and Sharon Campbell’s Harmony Orchards. This land has been in our family since the 1920’s when our grandfather planted his first trees in Tieton, Washington. We take our stewardship of the land seriously and have been farming organically for the last 25 years…

A love of land, food and drink has inspired us to make cider with the fruit we are growing at our ranch, Harmony Orchards.  We know the ciders we make are an expression of the harvest and reflective of the fruit and the place that it is grown.  We are thrilled to be involved in re:interpreting the tradition of cider making.

Price:  $25
Where Bought:  Schilling Cider House in Seattle WA
Where Drank:  home
How Found:  Browsing.  I love ice cider, and hadn’t tried this one.

First Impression:  Dark straw yellow / light amber hue.  Completely still (no carbonation).  Smells rather mild for ice cider, of sweet apple juice, honey, and apricots.

Tasting Notes:  Semi-sweet.  Medium bodied.  Low tartness.  Moderate acidity.  Low tannins.  A hint of bitterness.  No sourness or funk.  Notes of honey, apricot, mango, and caramelized sugar.  Moderate length boozy finish.  High apple flavor.  Low sessionability.  Moderate complexity.  Moderate flavor intensity.  (Note that against the bottle’s advice, I drank it cold, as that is what I prefer.)

My Opinion:  I enjoyed this, but I like Eden’s ice ciders much better, with their greater complexity (especially their barrel aged Northern Spy).  For $5 extra per bottle I think its worth it.

Most Similar to:  This is quite different from the other ice ciders I’ve tried, as it isn’t as full bodied, sweet, or complex.  Also, it was more fruity than rich (most other ice ciders I’ve tried had notes of caramel, brown sugar, and vanilla).  Its probably closest to Pomme De Coeur ice cider.

Closing Notes:   I’m glad I got a chance to try this.  I think it is a nice summery ice cider, as it wasn’t as rich or complex, and was lighter bodied and fruity.

Have you tried Tieton Frost?  What did you think?