Review of 2 Towns’ Nice & Naughty Imperial Spiced Cider, their winter seasonal high ABV cider with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.  I’ve tried this before (see here), and even tried the bourbon barrel aged version (see here), but only on draft.  I’ve previously tried most of their lineup; see here.

>>This is a review of a sample bottle provided to Cider Says by 2 Towns.  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:  Nice & Naughty
Cidery:  2 Towns
Cidery Location:  Corvallis OR
ABV:  10.5%
How Supplied:  500ml bottles
Style:  American craft apple honey wine with spices

 

 

Availability:  Thru the end of 2016 in AK, CA, HI, ID, OR, WA, and Minneapolis MN & Chicago IL.

Cider Description:  Festive and warming, Nice & Naughty is crammed full of whole cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and a touch of honey to celebrate the season.  Made with Cinnamon, Nutmeg & Clove.

Cidery Description:  At 2 Towns Ciderhouse we believe that the long history of cidermaking demands respect and deserves to be done right. Starting with the highest quality whole ingredients from local farms, we take no shortcuts in crafting our ciders. We never add any sugar, concentrates or artificial flavors, and instead use slow, cold fermentation methods to allow the fruit to speak for itself. As a family-owned company, we are committed to the growth of our team and enrichment of our communities. We take pride in producing true Northwest craft cider.

Price:  n/a (retails for ~$8)
Where Bought:  n/a
Where Drank:  home
How Found:  n/a

First Impression:  Light to medium straw yellow hue.  Low carbonation.  Smells sweet, of baked apples and cinnamon.

Tasting Notes:  On the sweeter side of semi-dry.  Medium bodied.  Moderate tartness.  Moderate to high acidity.  Low bitterness and tannins.  No sourness or funk.  Notes of baked apples, juicy apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, hints of cloves, honey, and citrus.  Long warming slightly boozy finish.  Low to moderate sessionability.  Moderate apple flavor.  Moderate flavor intensity / spice intensity.  Low to moderate complexity.

My Opinion:  Tasty.  I liked it better closer to room than fridge temperature, oddly enough (considering the high ABV).  The level of spice is nice…not overwhelming.  I also liked that it wasn’t overly sweet.  It is however a bit on the acidic side.

Most Similar to:  AEppelTreow Sparrow Spiced and Elemental Seasonal Spiced Apple, both which had similar levels of sweetness and flavor profiles, but not as high of an ABV.  Reverend Nat’s Winter Abbey Spice has a higher ABV, but had an odd sourness.

Closing Notes:   If you are looking for a unique spiced cider, one with a bit more kick but not too much sweetness, this is a nice choice.

Have you tried 2 Towns Nice & Naughty?  What did you think?