Review of Portland Cider’s Sangria, released last month.  It is my first time trying it, although I have tried their Passion Fruit, Pearfect Perry, Kinda Dry, Hop’Rageous, London Dry Gin, Apple, Crooked Cock Scrumpy, Strawperry, and Pineapple ciders.

<This is a review of a sample bottle provided to Cider Says by Portland Cider.  Although I will take care to treat it the same as any other review, there is always the potential for bias as I received this for free.  The only consideration I knowingly made was pushing this up in my cider review que, considering it is a new release and the info may be helpful for folks deciding to purchase it.  I love free stuff, especially cider!  Want your cider or cider-related product reviewed here?  Contact me.>

Cider:  Sangria
Cidery:  Portland Cider
Cidery Location:  Portland Oregon
ABV:  5.5%
How Supplied:  22oz bottles (and kegs)
Style:  American craft cider from dessert apples with 7 fruit juices

  

Availability:  year round, in California (Los Angeles), Colorado, Oregon, and Washington

Cider Description:  Blend our delicious cider with the juices of orange, strawberry, pear, passionfruit, elderberry, and lime, to get our Sangria cider. It’s your new favorite fruit punch, for grown-ups!

Cidery Description:  Authentically crafted Cider with quality Northwest ingredients.  Our business is based on the belief that good cider comes from good fruit, honest practices, and attention to detail.  Our cider starts with fresh pressed juice from 100% Northwest grown apples.  We then carefully ferment it, using yeast that protects the delicate characteristics of the fruit.  The results are ciders that are high quality – easy to drink, refreshing, and downright delicious.  That’s why we say, Drink it, it’s Good!

They were founded in 2012 and have tap rooms in Hawthorne and Clackamas in Portland Oregon.

Price:  n/a (retails for ~$6.99)
Where Bought:  n/a
Where Drank:  home
How Found:  contacted by the cidery

First Impression:  Pink hue.  Moderate carbonation.  Smells deliciously fruity.

Tasting Notes:  Semi-sweet.  Light bodied.  Moderate tartness.  High acidity.  No bitterness, sourness, funk, or tannins.  Notes of strawberry, kiwi, white grape, lime, and passion fruit.  Moderate length fruity acidic finish.  Low apple flavor.  High flavor intensity.  High sessionability.  Low complexity.

My Opinion:  Yum!  I really enjoyed it.  This would be especially great in summer.  The notes of kiwi were interesting considering they didn’t add kiwi juice, but I imagine it was the combination of juices.  I liked the higher carbonation level.  The acidity helped balance the sweetness.

Most Similar to:  Bull Run Strawberry Fields cider also had some great strawberry notes, but didn’t have any other fruits.  Portland Cider Strawperry had some similar strawberry notes, but wasn’t nearly as flavorful as their Sangria.  Cider Brothers William Tell Dry Hard Apple Cider with Strawberry also had strawberry, but Portland Cider’s Sangria had a more real flavor.  As for strawberry (and watermelon) flavor without any strawberries added, Alpenfire Glow is an amazingly complex cider made from red-fleshed apples.

Closing Notes:  This is my favorite cider so far from Portland Cider.

Have you tried Portland Cider Sangria?  What did you think?