Review of Bishop Cider’s Nectar.  It is my first time trying anything from this cidery.

Cider:  Nectar!
Cidery:  Bishop Cider
Cidery Location:  Dallas TX
ABV:  6.5%
How Supplied:  six pack of 12oz cans
Style:  American modern cider from dessert apples, with honey

 

(sorry these photos are pretty bad – I had to use my phone camera flash since the power was out during a wind storm here)

Availability:  probably only in Texas, plus online sales

Cider Description:  It was good enough for the gods and it’s good enough for you. Nectar is a filtered, semi-sweet apple cider made from different varietals of Pacific Northwest Apples and a touch of Texas honey to usher in divine intervention.

Note that it doesn’t appear they are currently producing this variety, as I didn’t see it on their website.

Cidery Description:  When our founders, Joel and Laura Malone, started making cider at home, it was out of necessity. The commercially available cider in Texas was trash. Just plain awful. Overly sweet, artificial candy drinks.  They sought to redeem cider. At Bishop, we make cider with ingredients that we can stand behind, rather than hide from.   We do not add additional sugar to our ciders. No cane sugar, fructose syrup, brown sugar, or even honey. The only form of “sugar” is juice and it is all sourced domestically from the Pacific Northwest.  All of our ciders are gluten-free, vegan-friendly, and made by Texans. They are currently available across all of Texas. To find the locations nearest you- Cider Finder.

They have a tasting room.

Price:  ~$2 / can (runs $9.99 / six pack)
Where Bought:  Total Wine
Where Drank:  home
How Found:  my husband picked this up when he was in Texas for business

First Impression:  Hazy light pumpkin hue.  Low carbonation with foam.  Smells of sweet rich apple with a hint of honey.

Tasting Notes:  On the drier side of semi-sweet.  Medium bodied.  Low tartness and acidity.  No bitterness, tannins, sourness, or funk.  Notes of sweet apple and pomace, yeast, and honey.  Quick finish.  Moderate apple flavor and overall flavor intensity.  High sessionability.  Low to moderate complexity.

My Opinion:  I enjoyed this.  It had some uniqueness (reminded me of both beer and French cider), more complexity than expected, and was flavorful but not too sweet.

Most Similar to:  a cross between Downeast (sweeter apple forward unfiltered ciders) and French cider (apple and yeast forward)

Closing Notes:  Craft ciders seem to be cheaper in Texas than they are here in Washington, by a few dollars per six pack, at least from Austin Eastciders and Bishop, despite them having to transport in the apples or juice from Washington.  Strange.  I’m guessing it mostly comes down to the cost of doing business being higher here (like employee wages and building rent), and that we probably tax alcohol higher.

Have you tried Bishop Nectar?  What did you think?