Review of Snow Capped Gold Rush, made from English and French cider apples.  It is my first time trying this, but I had their 6130′ Dry in 2016.

<This is a review of a sample can provided to Cider Says by Snow Capped.  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:  Gold Rush
Cidery:  Snow Capped
Cidery Location:  Austin CO
ABV:  6.9%
How Supplied:  four pack of 12oz cans
Style:  American craft canned cider from English & French cider apples from the cidery’s own orchard

 

Availability:  in Colorado, plus online sales

Cider Description:  The Colorado Gold Rush is back. Coveted cider apples deliver with brilliant golden hue, tantalizing ripe fruit character. Clean quintessential medium tannin’s only produced from English and French varietals. Panning with complexity and a striking rich mouth feel, Sweetness is found upfront leading to off dry semi sparkling finish. Colorado grown cider apples bring a whole new meaning to cider in a can. Crafted with a century old fruit growing family’s perspective, pressed and slow fermented with no added sugar.

Cidery Description:  We craft our ciders using stone fruit, heritage and cider specific apples grown in our 6,130 ft. elevation Colorado orchards.  At the core of our ciders is a long history in fruit growing.  For over a century and five generations our family has respected and developed the land entrusted to us. Today we are one of the largest apple producers in Colorado Growing fruit is both a passion and a privilege.  Through generations we have succeeded in a high elevation environment, this is one of the most labor intensive, riskiest and extreme environments to grow apples, with fewer successful outcomes.

Price:  ~ $10.49 / four cans
Where Bought:  N/A
Where Drank:  home
How Found:  it showed up

First Impression:  Light gold hue.  Low carbonation.  Smells of rich sweet bittersweet cider apple juice with some barnyard funk.

Tasting Notes:  On the sweeter side of semi-dry.  Light bodied.  Moderate tartness.  Moderate to high acidity.  Low tannins.  Low bitterness.  No sourness.  No funk (interesting, as it was very apparent by nose).  Notes of rich bittersweet apples with hints of orange and leather.  Moderate length tart slightly tannic finish.  Moderate apple flavor, sessionability, overall flavor intensity, and complexity.

My Opinion:  I really enjoyed it.  Reminiscent of English cider, but more friendly (to people who haven’t drank English cider, to pair with food, as a more sessionable option, etc).

Most Similar to:  2 Towns Cider Bouche Brut (except reminiscent of English not French cider) and Schilling Excelsior (except not Imperial style, but that one is also sold in cans)

Closing Notes:  I’d love to see this available in WA.  Looks like their online shop is currently sold out, although I imagine they just haven’t had a chance to re-stock it.  Luckily they sent me some extra cans.  Cheers!

Have you tried Snow Capped Cider?  What did you think?