Schilling Cider House Visit 24 Tasting Notes

March 24, 2017April 6, 2018 cidersays Christian Drouin, Golden State, Greenwood, Liberty, Locust, Pilton, review, Schilling cider, cider flight, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Schilling Cider House, seattle, tasting notes

Tasting notes from my 24th visit to the Schilling Cider House in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle WA. Check out my past posts with tasting notes here.

I was there on a random Thursday. I started with a flight.

Locust (Woodinville WA) Winter Banana (6.0% ABV): No, this isn’t a banana cider…it is a single varietal made from the Winter Banana apple. Draft-only. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Medium bodied. Moderate tartness. High acidity. Apple-forward flavor with honey and citrus. Nice flavor.

Liberty (Spokane WA) McIntosh (8.1% ABV): Another single varietal, this time of a more common apple, the McIntosh (which is actually the spelling for the apple pronounced MAK-in-tosh). Also available in bottles. Dry to semi-dry. Medium bodied. Higher carbonation. Moderate tartness. High acidity. For its dryness, it remained rather apple-forward, with some honey and citrus notes too. I think this is one of their better dry acidic ciders. I liked this, especially at first when it was cold (it got a bit harsh when it warmed up with the higher ABV).

Pilton (Somerset England) English Keeved (5.0% ABV): This is my first time trying any cider from Pilton, as well as my first time trying an English cider which is made using the keeving process, which is much more common for French cider. Keeving starves the cider of nutrients so it creates a naturally sweet apple-forward cider. Hazy hue. Dry to semi-dry. Medium bodied. Low tartness and acidity. Low sourness. Low tannins. Moderate funk. Notes of apple pomace, yeast, and citrus. This is rather dry for a keeved cider, which usually average semi-sweet. I wasn’t a fan of this due to the sourness; it reminded me more of a Normandy France style cider (due to the sourness & funk) than an English cider (which often have higher tannins & bitterness).

Golden State (Sebastopol CA) Mighty Dry (6.9% ABV): It is my first time trying their cider, which is newish to the Seattle area. Also available in cans. Semi-dry. Medium bodied, and a bit syrupy, which is interesting for the level of dryness. Moderate tartness. High acidity. Apple-forward with some pineapple and green apple notes. This is a nice flagship cider.

Christian Drouin (Normandy France) Poire (4.0% ABV): This is a French perry. Its nice to see these types of high end ciders on draft, as the bottles are expensive. Semi-sweet. Moderate to full bodied. Higher level of carbonation. Low tartness, acidity, and tannins. More pear fruit than pear juice forward, with notes of pineapple and mango as well. I loved this.

Greenwood (Seattle WA) Red River Wolf Crab (7.4% ABV): The interesting title for this draft-only cider refers to the use of red-fleshed crab apples as well as forraged apples from the Wolf River region. Dry to semi-dry. Light bodied. Moderate tartness. High acidity. Hints of sourness & funk. Apple-forward, with notes of sharp crabapples and citrus. Of a sad note, I was told they lost their lease, so they are no longer operating from Greenwood, but Lake City (both in Seattle); I imagine they will keep the name though. I thought this was pretty average.

Sarah also shared another cider with me:

Alpenfire (Port Townsend WA) Spiced Tonic Shrub (6.0% ABV): This interesting draft-only concoction is made using cider, vinegar, and spices. “Shrub” typically refers to a vinegared cocktail. This one definitely wasn’t to my liking, between the vinegar, saltiness, and pepper. Apparently it is selling really well though.

My favorite was the Christian Drouin Poire; it reminded me of selections from Eric Bordelet and Domaine Pacory.

Stay tuned for more Schilling Cider House tasting notes here at Cider Says! Have you had any good draft cider / cider flights recently?

My Favorite Ciders of 2016

December 30, 2016February 3, 2019 cidersays 2 Towns, AEppelTreow, Alpenfire, Angry Orchard, Aspall, Bertolinos, Celt, Christian Drouin, Cidergeist, Cidrerie du Vulcain, Dan Armor, Doc's, Dunkertons, Dupont, E.Z. Orchards, Eden, EZ Orchards, Farnum Hill, favorite ciders, Gowans, Honeywood, Jester & Judge, Longdrop, One Tree, Rev Nat's, review, Schilling, Sea Cider, Sheppy's, Thatchers, Wandering Aengus 2016, cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, tasting notes

What an awesome year 2016 was in the cider world! Cider Says has now been up for a year and a half. Like other cider bloggers, I thought it would be fun to make a list of my favorite ciders of 2016. See here for my list from 2015. To make it a bit different and easier, I put them into categories instead of trying to do a top ten list or similar.

Note that I wouldn’t try to make a list of the best ciders, just those I enjoyed, as it would be an impossible task to try every cider out there and be impartial. My only criteria for this list is that I drank the cider in 2016.

Multi pack: Reverend Nat’s Revival – This one is complex for being made from dessert apples, with lots of unique flavor just from the yeast varieties used. Celt – I always keep this easy drinking apple & yeast forward French cider in the house as its convenient & affordable. Thatchers Green Goblin – For how commercial it is, I ended up really enjoying this sweeter simple English cider.

Canned: One Tree Crisp Apple – I don’t usually go for plain flagship ciders, but this one had some nice unfiltered apple juice flavor without being over the top sweet. Cidergeist Semi Dry – This reminded me of French cider; too bad it isn’t available locally. Long Drop Vanilla Honey – Awesome honeycomb flavor.

French: Dan Armor Cuvée Spéciale Cidre Brut – A $5 selection from Trader Joe’s which doesn’t disappoint and has some great apple forward sparkling goodness. Christian Drouin Pays d’ Auge – I loved the bittersweet apple flavor, and that the funk remained mild.

English: Aspall Imperial – Rich flavor, high ABV, and a low price tag. Dunkertons Dry (awesomely tannic) and Black Fox (nice fruity twist on an English cider), which I hope to find locally now that they are distributed in the U.S.

Italian: Bertolinos – My first Italian cider, which I found to be simple but tasty, and budget friendly too.

Swiss: Cidrerie du Vulcain Transparente – My first Swiss cider, which reminded me of French cider, in between the typical Brittany & Normandy styles.

Canadian: Sea Cider Ruby Rose – This fruity high ABV cider is made with rhubarb and rose hips, making it a unique summer sipper.

Fruity: Doc’s Draft Sour Cherry – A cherry cider is difficult to pull off without tasting medicinal, but the flavor is spot-on with this one. Jester & Judge Pineapple Express – Although simple, this cider has some awesome pineapple flavor, a nice frothy texture, and a hint of lime.

Rosé: Eden Imperial 11 Rosé – This drier cider with red currant is high ABV and amazingly fruity. Alpenfire Glow – This sweeter cider is made from rare red fleshed apples and also amazingly fruity, with a high flavor intensity.

Limited Release: Angry Orchard & Eden collaboration, Understood in Motion: 01 – This cider is only available at Angry Orchard’s Walden NY cider house, and was made from Vermont heirloom apples, barrel aged, and mixed with some ice cider; awesome!

Hopped: 2 Towns Hop & Stalk – I wouldn’t call myself a fan of either rhubarb or hops, but for whatever reason I really enjoyed this cider; the flavors really complimented each other and created a unique and surprisingly complex cider (I’m also a sucker for Imperial / high ABV ciders).

High ABV: Alpenfire Smoke – This 16% ABV sipping cider has an amazing complexity, with rich oaky smokey flavor. If I had to name just one favorite cider, this would probably be it, although its not an everyday sort of cider. I hope it gets released again soon, as I’m down to only one bottle!

Oaked: Sheppy’s Oak Matured – I love the strong oak flavor in this cider; as a bonus, it is budget friendly too.

Barrel Aged: Reverend Nat’s Whiskey Barrel Aged Golden Russet with Black Currant – This was my favorite cider from Cider Summit Seattle 2016, with awesome berry, oak, and whiskey flavor.

Sparkling: AEppelTreow Appely Doux – This methode champenoise cider has a wonderful texture & flavor, and would be a great champagne alternative.

Perry: EZ Orchards Poire – I’m not a huge Perry fan, but those I do like tend towards the French Poire style; this one has a creamy texture and complex fruitiness.

Pommeau: Etienne Dupont Pommeau – This is their Cidre Bouche aged in Calvados barrels with Calvados added, and is flavorful, rich, and complex. Wandering Aengus Pommeau – Milder in flavor than some other Pommeaus, but still rich and complex.

Ice Cider: Eden Heirloom Blend Apple Brandy Barrel Aged – I’ve enjoyed all of Eden’s ice ciders, but this is my favorite, as it had the added depth from barrel aging in addition to all the rich complexity of their typical ice cider.

Great Value: Schilling King’s Shilling – I’ve picked up a 22oz bottle of this for as low as $4 (and as high as $7), which is a steal for a tasty barrel aged brandy infused cider.

Wine-like: Honeywood Winery Hard Apple Cider – Quite different than I was expecting, but I liked it; this one reminded me of dessert wine with the white grape notes, higher ABV, and sweetness.

Draft-only: Wandering Aengus Bittersweet – An amazingly rich and tannic cider made from bittersweet apple juice from Poverty Lane Orchards (Farnum Hill); wild fermented but it wasn’t funky.

Unexpected: Gowans 1876 Heirloom – This cider almost seemed to good to be true, as it was so full flavored and apple forward.

Well, there you have it, a list of 32 of my favorite ciders from 2016. They have a lot in common–most are rich and full-flavored. Still, it seems like so many great ciders didn’t make the cut, which is unfortunate.

What are your favorite ciders?

Schilling Cider House Visit 20 Tasting Notes

September 9, 2016October 8, 2017 cidersays Christian Drouin, Greenwood, Red Tank, Rev Nat's, review, Schilling, Seattle Cider, Steelhead cider, cider bar, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Schilling Cider House, seattle, tasting notes

Tasting notes from my 20th visit to the Schilling Cider House in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle WA. Check out my past posts with tasting notes here.

<can’t beat 32 cider taps!>

I was there on Labor Day for a random visit, since I had the day off work. I started with a flight.

Steelhead (Manson WA) Peargatory (Vanilla Pear), 5.5%: This is from a brand new cidery, and available in bottles as well. Semi-sweet. Medium bodied. Pear-forward, with green apple, pineapple, and mineral notes. I didn’t notice the vanilla, but I didn’t know about it until I looked it up later either. Low to moderate tartness. Moderate acidity. No bitterness, sourness, funk, or tannins. High sessionability. High pear flavor. Low complexity. Moderate flavor intensity. Pretty good (I definitely preferred it over Red Tank’s as it was more flavorful).

Greenwood (Seattle WA) Lavender Blackberry, 7.4%: This is a draft-only release. Semi-dry. Light bodied. Moderate tartness and acidity. Low bitterness and tannins. No sourness or funk. Notes of lavender, blackberry, and a weird herbalness. Low flavor intensity. Low complexity. Moderate sessionability. No apple flavor. I didn’t care for this one.

Red Tank (Bend OR) Tropical, 5.8%: This appears to be a draft-only release. Semi-dry. Medium bodied. Low to moderate tartness. Moderate acidity. Hints of bitterness and tannins. No sourness or funk. Notes of pineapple and green apple. Low flavor intensity. Low complexity. Low apple flavor. Moderate sessionability. I thought this was ok, but needed more flavor.

Red Tank (Bend OR) Pear Bear, 5.8%: This appears to be a draft-only release. Semi-dry. Medium bodied. Moderate tartness and acidity. Hints of bitterness and tannins. No sourness or funk. Pear and pineapple notes. Long boozy finish. High sessionability. Low to moderate pear flavor. Moderate flavor intensity. Low complexity. The flavor was a bit weird on this one.

Seattle Cider (Seattle WA) Gin Botanical, 6.5%: This seasonal release is also available in bottles. Semi-dry. Medium bodied. Light herbal flavor from the gin botanicals. Low to moderate tartness and acidity. Hints of bitterness and tannins. No sourness or funk. Low flavor intensity. Moderate complexity. Low apple flavor. Moderate sessionability. Not bad; I can see why its popular.

Christian Drouin (Rouen Normandy France) Pays d’Auge, 4.5%: This is also available in bottles, made from cider apples, and wild yeast fermented. Smells rich and a bit funky. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Light to medium bodied, frothy and foamy. Low tartness and acidity. Low sourness, funk, tannins, and bitterness. Notes of bittersweet apples, brown sugar, and orange. Moderate to high apple flavor. Moderate sessionability, flavor intensity, and complexity. Great! I was expecting more sourness and funk, but it was quite tolerable.

Reverend Nat’s Revival Dry: Although this shares the name with their popular sweeter Revival variety, its quite different…2/3 English & French bittersweet and 1/3 American heirloom varieties, partial wild fermentation, multiple yeast strains, and no piloncillo. Only in 750ml bottles. A friend shared some with me. Smells fruity. Dry. Light bodied. Mild sharp tropical flavor. Mild sourness, tannins, and funk. Moderate tartness, acidity, and bitterness. Low apple flavor. Low sessionability. Moderate complexity. Moderate flavor intensity. I prefer the regular version. This would probably appeal well to wine lovers.

The Christian Drouin Pays d’Auge was my favorite, which isn’t a surprise as it is the only one made from cider apple varieties.

Stay tuned for more Schilling Cider House tasting notes here at Cider Says! Have you had any good draft cider / cider flights recently?

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