Review of D’s Wicked flagship Baked Apple cider.  I’ve tried this before, but only on draft.  I’ve also tried their Chanilla and Cranny Granny.

Cider:  Baked Apple
Cidery:  D’s Wicked
Cidery Location:  Kennewick WA
ABV:  6.9%
How Supplied:  six pack of 12oz cans (and bottles & draft)
Style:  American craft unfiltered spiced cider

  

Availability:  Washington, Oregon, Hawaii, Reno Nevada, New Jersey, and New York (per this page).

Cider Description:  d’s Wicked Baked Apple™ is a premium, artisanal, hand crafted cider made with natural flavors and the freshest Washington State grown apples. Off-dry with a hint of spice, Baked Apple™ hosts the flavors of Red Delicious and Honey Crisp apples, finishing with a perfect touch of allspice and cinnamon. Just like the apple pie Grandma made, only WICKED!

Cidery Description:  We started brewing cider because we love great ciders!  Try the wicked delicious flavors that inspired us…wicked good ciders…wicked good times!  Using the very best apples from Washington State, we let the unique character of each apple variety guide our crafting,  resulting in our sinfully delicious varietals.  d’s ciders are crisp with the freshness of just picked apples, not too sweet, not too tart, just playful layers of flavor that are just plain WICKED GOOD.  d’s  ciders are naturally gluten free, rough filtered to maintain the richest apple flavor, contain no colorants, and use natural ingredients. 

Note – cider is fermented like wine – not brewed like beer (no heat involved).

Price:  ~$2.50 / single can
Where Bought:  Special Brews in Lynnwood WA
Where Drank:  home
How Found:  Browsing

First Impression:  Hazy dark straw yellow hue.  Low carbonation.  Smells of baked apples and cinnamon.

Tasting Notes:  Sweet.  Medium to full bodied.  Mild tartness.  Moderate acidity.  No bitterness, sourness, or funk.  Hints of tannins.  Notes of baked apple, apple skin/pomace, cinnamon, and a hint of citrus.  Quick finish.  High apple flavor.  High sessionability.  Moderate flavor intensity.  Low complexity.  Low spice level.

My Opinion:  I thought this was pretty average.  Its a dessert cider for me as I found it quite sweet (12oz was more than enough).  I can see why it is appealing, but its not a favorite type of mine.

Most Similar to:  Downeast Original Blend and One Tree Crisp Apple, as they have the unfiltered slightly spiced flavor, although both are drier.

Closing Notes:  This definitely isn’t off-dry as described, but it is a very popular cider, probably because it is sweet.  People often say their want a drier cider, but sweet sells.

Have you tried D’s Wicked cider?  What did you think?