Review of Portland Cider’s Perfect 10 Imperial Apple, an imperial-style (high ABV) cider.  It is my first time trying this, although I have had their Passion Fruit, Pearfect Perry, Kinda Dry, Hop’Rageous, London Dry Gin, Apple, Crooked Cock Scrumpy, Strawperry, Pineapple, Sangria, Mojito, Cranberry, and Concord Grape.

>>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 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:  Perfect 10 Imperial Apple
Cidery: Portland Cider
Cidery Location:  Portland OR
ABV:  10%
How Supplied:  500ml bottles (and draft)
Style:  imperial-style craft cider

  

Availability:  year-round in Oregon and Washington

Cider Description:  Crafted in the style of a traditional English Scrumpy or Imperial Cider, with a clean Northwest finish. It’s a blend of 100% NW apples, fermented cold and slow to preserve fresh apple flavors and aromas. The cider makers allow the cider to rest for more than two months to further develop the rich flavors. The cider is then sweetened with a touch of juice and balanced with a little acidity to round out the higher tannin profile. 

Cidery Description:  Portland Cider Company was started in October 2012 by an Oregonian and a family of British expats with the mission of bringing cider, handcrafted in the English tradition, to the Northwest. It has two taproom locations: Portland Cider House at 3638 SE Hawthorne Blvd., Portland, OR 97214; and Portland Cider Co. Taproom & Cidery at 8925 SE Jannsen Rd, Bldg. F, Clackamas, OR 97015.

Price:  unknown
Where Bought:  n/a
Where Drank:  home
How Found:  it showed up

First Impression:  Light gold hue.  Still (no carbonation).  Smells of high-ABV apple-forward cider.

Tasting Notes:  Semi-dry.  Light to medium bodied.  Moderate tartness.  Low acidity.  Hints of bitterness and tannins.  No sourness or funk.  Notes of alcohol and apple juice, with hints of wood and citrus.  Long finish.  Moderate apple flavor and overall flavor intensity.  Low to moderate complexity.  Low sessionability.

My Opinion:  I liked it, but it was a bit alcohol-forward for my tastes, as expected with an imperial style cider.  My husband was a bigger fan, as this is one of his favorite styles.  I recommend drinking this cider very cold.

Most Similar to:  2 Towns Bad Apple, although that is a bit more complex, with some honey & vanilla, while Perfect 10 is more apple-forward

Closing Notes:  This is a neat addition to their line-up, and the first imperial-style cider I can remember them releasing in bottles.  My favorite Portland Cider selection probably remains Sangria, which has a ton of different fruity notes.

Have you tried imperial style cider?  What did you think?