Review of Schilling Cider’s Trouble in Paradise, a passionfruit pineapple cider.  I’ve tried a lot of their ciders before (see here).

Cider:  Trouble in Paradise (Passionfruit Pineapple)
Cidery:  Schilling Cider
Cidery Location:  Auburn WA
ABV:  5.0%
How Supplied:  22oz bottles (and draft)
Style:  American craft cider from dessert apples, with pineapple and passionfruit juices

  

Availability:  June-September.  Schilling Cider is sold at least in AK, AZ, CA, CT, ID, MN, NC, NV, OR, SC, VA, and WA, but this is a seasonal release and is therefore likely to have more limited distribution.

Cider Description:  YOU ASKED, WE ANSWERED! Introducing our unscheduled surprise seasonal, Trouble in Paradise! This pineapple passionfruit hard cider is a tropical paradise and a bit of trouble in a bottle!

Cidery Description:  We capture the essence of the Pacific Northwest by creating hard ciders that are deliberately innovative, bold, and flavor forward. 

Price:  $7
Where Bought:  Schilling Cider House in Seattle WA
Where Drank:  home
How Found:  I tried in on tap awhile back and thought it would be a nice summer cider to get a bottle of.

First Impression:  Hazy yellow orange hue.  Still (no carbonation).  Smells of pineapple juice with a hint of passionfruit.

Tasting Notes:  Semi-sweet to sweet.  Medium bodied.  Low to moderate tartness and acidity.  No bitterness, tannins, sourness, or funk.  Notes of pineapple, orange, passionfruit, and peach.  Moderate length tart finish.  No apple flavor.  Low complexity.  Moderate to strong flavor intensity.  High sessionability.

My Opinion:  Yum!  A tropical vacation in a glass.  However, this is very juice-like, and I couldn’t really taste any alcohol (or apple influence).  It was more like juice with vodka or something neutral.  I imagine it would make an awesome slushee.  It had more orange flavor, was slightly sweeter, and more juice-like than I remembered it having on tap.  Its curious they didn’t carbonate it.

Most Similar to:  Other tropical/pineapple ciders, such as Ace Pineapple, Jester & Judge Pineapple Express, and Portland Cider Pineapple.

Closing Notes:   I’ve been enjoying Schilling’s seasonal and special release ciders (especially King’s Shilling), although I don’t find their regular line of ciders too interesting (albeit better than they used to be).

Have you tried Schilling Trouble in Paradise?  What did you think?