Flatbed Cider Pear Cider

February 11, 2016February 8, 2016 cidersays Flatbed, review cider, cider review, cider tasting, Flatbed, hard cider, oregon, pear cider, washington

Review of Flatbed Cider’s Pear Cider. They are a new cidery (launched in January) which currently offers Crisp Apple and Pear Cider varieties.

Cider: Pear Cider
Cidery: Flatbed Cider (owned by Ste. Michelle Wine Estates)
Cidery Location: Milton-Freewater OR (made by Blue Mountain)
ABV: 6.5%
How Supplied: six pack of 12oz bottles
Style: American craft cider
Ingredients: hard apple cider, pear juice concentrate, apple juice concentrate, sulfites

Availability: OR and WA

Cider Description: A whole lot of passion goes into crafting Flatbed Pear Cider. Northwest-grown pears deliver a burst of crisp, sparkling refreshment with a clean finish. Naturally sweeter than its Crisp Apple cousin (but not too sweet), Flatbed Pear Cider is the perfect choice for taming spicy foods and classing up a donut.

(the pear juice concentrate addition is from Bartlett pears)

Cidery Description: The Northwest stokes our passion to create exceptional ciders. And, since the best apples in America, arguably the world, come from the Northwest, it makes sense that it carries our local stamp. Flatbed Ciders are made with local apples picked at their peak and pressed into a mixture that’s equal parts crisp and refreshing. A cider that’s truly Northwest of normal. No artificial ingredients, no sugar added, no shenanigans. Flannel up and enjoy!

Price: $9.99-$10.99 (although I bought a single bottles for $2)
Where Bought: Total Wine
Where Drank: home
How Found: I read about Flatbed Cider online and have already seen them at a number stores, but waited until I could buy a single bottle of each variety.

First Impression: Dark straw yellow. Low carbonation, medium bubbles. Smells like apple, pear, tropical fruit, and champagne yeast.

Tasting Notes: Semi-sweet. Low acidity and tartness. No bitterness, sourness, funk, or tannins. Medium bodied. Notes of apple, pear, citrus, tropical fruit, and honey. Quick finish. Moderate apple flavor and full flavored in general. High sessionability.

My Opinion: I thought this was pretty average. Its a bit sweet and the flavor is kinda on the pear juice and syrupy side.

Most Similar to: Other semi-sweet pear ciders (apple cider with pear juice or pear juice concentrate added) such as Crispin Pacific Pear, Spire Mountain Sparkling Pear, and Woodchuck Pear.

Closing Notes: I liked Flatbed’s Crisp Apple variety better. This was a bit more ordinary and commercial tasting.

Have you tried Flatbed Cider? What did you think?

AEppelTreow Winery Appely Doux

February 10, 2016January 31, 2016 cidersays AEppelTreow, review AEppelTreow, Appely Doux, Burlington, cider, cider review, hard cider, methode champenoise, Wisconsin

Review of AEppelTreow Winery’s Appely Doux methode champenoise sparkling cider. I’ve previously tried their Barn Swallow cider on draft.

Cider: Appely Doux
Cidery: AEppelTreow Winery
Cidery Location: Burlington WI
ABV: 8.5%
How Supplied: 750ml corked & caged champagne bottle
Style: American methode champenoise craft sparkling cider

Availability: At least in CA, DE, IA, IL, KY, LA, MA, MD, MN, NY, OR, PA, SD, WA, WI, and WA D.C.

Cider Description: Appely Doux is semi-sweet, fruity and floral. It is inspired by French Country Ciders, and crafted from a blend of modern and heirloom apple varieties.

Made from Red Delicious, Cortland, and “various old baking apples”. My bottle was labeled 2012.140.1 and said 2,560 produced (which looks like it was made in 2012, so it may have sat around awhile before me buying it in August 2015).

Cidery Description: ÆppelTreow Winery & Distillery is a producer of small batch cider, perry and spirits. Cider and Perry? We use the pre-Prohibition meaning of ‘cider’, so we’re talking about fermented or ‘hard’ cider. Perry is the pear analogue to cider. We use lots of different kinds of apples and pears in our products. Some modern. Some heirloom – no longer grown for stores. We make a range of styles: sparkling, draft, still/table, and fortified/dessert. Within a style, we lean to the dry end – but also have some medium-sweet offerings.

They have a tasting room in Burlington WI and opened in 2001.

Price: ~$17
Where Bought: Capitol Cider in Seattle WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing. I had heard of this cider (the Brut version) from Meredith at Along Came a Cider and it sounded like something I’d like.

First Impression: Dark straw yellow. High carbonation, tiny bubbles with foam. Smells sweet, of rich ripe apples, yeast, and honey.

Tasting Notes: Between semi-dry and semi-sweet. Moderate to high acidity. Low tartness. Low tannins. No bitterness or sourness. Fizzy and frothy mouthfeel. Notes of citrus, green apples, yeast, honey, and floral. Slight richness. Medium bodied. Medium length finish. Moderate to high apple influence. Moderate sessionability.

My Opinion: Yum! This is a tasty, unique, and complex well-balanced sparkling cider.

Most Similar to: This reminds me some of ciders from Brittany France, although slightly lighter. Its truly sparkling, which most ciders aren’t.

Closing Notes: This cider was quite enjoyable, so I look forward to trying more from AEppelTreow.

Have you tried AEppelTreow Winery Appely Doux? What did you think?

Flatbed Cider Crisp Apple

February 9, 2016February 8, 2016 cidersays Flatbed, review cider, cider review, cider tasting, Crisp Apple, Flatbed, hard cider, oregon, washington

Review of Flatbed Cider’s Crisp Apple. They are a new cidery (launched in January) which currently offers Crisp Apple and Pear Cider varieties.

Cider: Crisp Apple
Cidery: Flatbed Cider (owned by Ste. Michelle Wine Estates)
Cidery Location: Milton-Freewater OR (made by Blue Mountain)
ABV: 6.7%
How Supplied: six pack of 12oz bottles
Style: American craft cider
Ingredients: hard apple cider, apple juice concentrate, sulfites

Availability: OR and WA

Cider Description: Flatbed Crisp Apple Cider is all natural. Jonagold apples deliver the balance and acidity behind Flatbed’s exceptionally bright taste. Red Delicious apples provide tannin structure. Golden Delicious apples add a rustic apple character with a twist of subtle sweetness. And, heirloom varietals hand-selected from batch-to-batch add to the Northwest charm. With a taste that leans toward the drier side and delivers cool refreshment, Flatbed Crisp Apple Cider pairs with nearly anything that comes from the sea, farm or food cart.

First Impression: Light straw yellow. Low carbonation, a mix of small and large bubbles. Smells of dry, tart, and acidic apple with champagne yeast, citrus, and floral notes.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry. Low tartness. Moderate acidity. No sourness, bitterness, funk, or tannins. Light bodied. Very low carbonation. Citrus and honey notes. Quick finish. Moderate apple flavor and flavor in general. High sessionability.

My Opinion: This is one of my favorite craft ciders from dessert apples that I’ve had. Its odd they chose to use concentrate in addition to fresh juice, although that adds more apple flavor.

Most Similar to: Tod Creek Tod Cider Vancouver Island, which was also semi-dry with distinct citrus notes (but made from Golden, Granny, Sparton, Macintosh, and Jona apples).

Closing Notes: I thought this cider was pretty tasty. I’m curious to try their Pear Cider next.

Have you tried Flatbed Cider? What did you think?

Sixknot Cider Organic High Desert Dry

February 8, 2016January 31, 2016 cidersays review

Review of Sixknot’s High Desert Dry. I’ve previously tried their Goldilocks cider.

Cider: Organic High Desert Dry
Cidery: Sixknot Cider (Sinclair Orchards)
Cidery Location: Twisp WA
ABV: 6.5%
How Supplied: 500ml bottle
Style: American organic dry hard cider

Availability: Only in WA, at retailers such as those listed here.

Cider Description: High Desert is a slow, cold, traditional fermentation that yields a clean, dry cider. Sip Northwest describes High Desert as “thick with fragrant perfumes of butterscotch, anise, vanilla and almost a squash note…”

Cidery Description: Our farm and cidery rests on the banks of the Methow River near Twisp, Washington. We only press certified organic Washington apples, selected from our trees and other local orchards. We do not add sulfites, preservatives or sugars. To retain the subtle flavors often lost in processed ciders, we do not filter. Our cidermaking is kith and kin to the natural wine movement…organic practice in the orchard, and minimal intervention in the ciderhouse.

Their three main ciders are High Desert Dry, Goldilocks, and Gingerella, but they also have special releases. Their website has a great writeup on “A Northwest Cidermaker’s Terroir”.

Price: n/a (it was a gift; retail price is around $8)
Where Bought: n/a (it was bought at McMenamins Anderson School in Bothell)
Where Drank: home
How Found: I’ve seen Sixknot’s ciders around town, and have had their Goldilocks cider twice at a restaurant. I hadn’t tried this variety until now though.

First Impression: Pale straw yellow hue, slightly hazy. Light carbonation with large bubbles. Smells of baked apples, spice, honey, and citrus.

Tasting Notes: Dry. Mild to moderate acidity. Mild tartness. Hints of sourness and bitterness. No funk. Notes of citrus and honey. Mildly flavored. Light bodied. Low carbonation. Quick length finish. Low apple influence. Moderate sessionability.

My Opinion: I was surprised how different the taste was than the smell…this cider smelled much richer than it tasted. Overall the flavor was a bit too blah for my liking…I really didn’t pick up much from it.

Most Similar to: Dry flagship craft ciders such as Honey Moon CiderHead, Attila Scourge of God, and Boonville Bite Hard.

Closing Notes: I think they have a great thing going for them at Sixknot with reasonably priced organic ciders with an emphasis on sustainability. However, I much prefer their Goldilocks cider, as with its sweetness comes additional flavor.

Have you tried Sixknot ciders? What did you think?

Schilling Cider House Visit 10 Tasting Notes

February 5, 2016February 5, 2016 cidersays 2 Towns, review, Schilling 2 Towns, cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Schilling, tap night, tap takeover, tasting notes

Tasting notes from my tenth visit to the Schilling Cider House in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle WA. Check out my past posts here. I was there for another 2 Towns tap takeover event (reminiscent of the previous one I attended during WA Cider Week), although this one was specifically to release Riverwood Brut (this year’s version of the cider, switching from their Traditions to 2 Towns label) and The Dark Currant (their new oak barrel aged black currant cider).

They also now have three non-alcoholic taps, which that day had coldbrew coffee on Nitro, Schilling non-alcoholic cider, and ginger beer. I was surprised the prices were still $4 or $7 a pint though (not that much less then the alcohol), although they can also be included in a flat price flight of six tasters. I’m curious to see how well they sell. As a casual observer I don’t see much need, except maybe for a designated driver (and even then, why not stock some sodas? I guess it is Fremont…), as its 21+. If anything I wish they sold some snacks there, but I imagine even to sell chips or something they would have to change their license. There is plenty of take out in the area to bring with though.

The following 2 Towns ciders were on tap: Riverwood Brut, Serious Scrump, The Dark Currant, Made Marion, Ginja Ninja, Bad Apple, and Rhubarbarian

They passed out samples of at least these ciders: The BrightCider, Out Cider, Ginja Ninja, Bad Apple, Serious Scrump, Made Marion, and Pommeau (which has got to be a record number!)

I got there after work, around 4pm, well before the event started at 6pm, and started with a flight of six ciders (pretty much all those on tap I hadn’t had before).

2 Towns Riverwood Brut, 6.9% ABV, Corvallis OR: I liked this better than I remembered liking last year’s version (it seems more flavorful this time around vs. at Cider Summit). I’m curious now that its under their 2 Towns label what the bottle size and pricing will be, as previously it ran $19 for 750ml, which seems a bit steep for what it is (but it doesn’t appear like its out in bottles yet). Its inspired by Brut champagne and made from Jonagold apples. Semi-dry. Low acidity, tartness, and tannins. Floral qualities with hints of herbs and honey, but overall rather simple in flavor. I noticed more apple flavor than is typical for a drier cider. Light bodied. I think if bottled it would have been more sparkling than it ended up being on tap (I noticed only very light carbonation). Longer warming finish.

2 Towns Serious Scrump, 11.0%, Corvallis OR: This is described as a dry English Imperial ice cider (which is rare as ice ciders are typically very sweet), a high ABV cider made using juice which has been frozen & thawed (increasing residual sugar and flavor). I had this one before and remembered not really caring for it. However, I’m a huge imperial cider fan (such as their Bad Apple), so I wanted to give it another go. Also available in bottles. Semi-dry. Low to moderate bitterness. Slight barrel influence (woody). Well-hidden ABV. Moderate acidity and tartness. Medium bodied. Moderate finish length. I’m still not a fan, mostly due to the bitterness.

Seattle Cider Gose (pronounced goes-a), 6.5%, Seattle WA: This is styled after a unique type of beer which has herbal, tart, and salty characteristics. I previously had Seattle Cider’s Plum Gose, which was this same cider but with plums (and was therefore more fruity), which they made in response to folks mixing Gose with PNW Berry at their tap house. Seattle Cider used sea salt, coriander, and Chardonnay yeast in this tap-only release. Dry. High acidity. Salty flavor with slight vinegar and citrus notes. Light bodied. Overall not bad, but not something I cared for. Nathan from Cider Chronicles thought it was pretty gross lol.

Locust Cider Thai Ginger, 6.0% ABV, Woodinville WA: Made from Granny Smith and Gala apples with real Galangal Thai ginger root. Also available in bottles. Ginger-spice scent. Sweet. Ginger was only present in the finish, at the back of the throat, and remained on the mild side (more present in the scent than flavor). Medium bodied. I’m not a ginger fan, but as the ginger was kept mild and it was sweet, I didn’t mind it.

2 Towns Rhubarbarian, 5.0% ABV, Corvallis OR: This is described as a dry English-style cider with fresh-pressed Northwest rhubarb (also available in bottles). Semi-dry. I didn’t pick up any rhubarb flavor with this, only the slightest tart fruitiness, and overall thought it was bland. Light bodied. Quick finish.

Bull Run Bramble Berry, 6.7% ABV, Forest Grove OR: Described as a dry cider with marionberries, blackberries, and boysenberries. Also available in bottles. Cranberry hue. Dry. Low tartness. Low acidity. I also found the flavor bland with this one. Light bodied. Quick finish.

I also had a small sample of Finnriver Solstice Saffron (6.5% ABV, Port Townsend WA), which they put on tap while I was there. This is part of their Seasonal Botanical line, made with saffron, anise, and fennel seeds. Also sold in bottles. Smelled herbal (I don’t think I would have been able to pick those out in particular). Semi-dry. Moderate acidity and tartness. Weird herbal type flavor. It was ok…I just didn’t appreciate the flavor profile (like Seattle Cider Gose). The folks sitting around me were fans though.

Of those, my favorite was the 2 Towns Riverwood Brut, but I didn’t even find that too impressive. It seemed to be a big hit among the other customers though. While I was there, a large group even ordered a flight of all 32 ciders–how fun!

While I was finishing the flight, they started in on the 2 Towns samples. They served them in clear plastic shot glasses which were pretty cute.

I’ve had Bad Apple and Made Marion before and reviewed Serious Scrump above. I had sampled The BrightCider and OutCider before, but pre blog.

The BrightCider, 6.0% ABV: This is their flagship cider (which replaced InCider awhile back), made from apples including Jonagold, Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, and Rome Beauty. Also available in bottles and cans. I found it to be on the drier side of semi-dry (although its marketed as semi-sweet). Pretty average and low on flavor. Definitely sessionable.

OutCider, 5.0% ABV: This is an ulfiltered cider. Also available in bottles and cans. Semi-sweet. I found this to have more flavor than BrightCider, and I liked it better than I remembered. It still though doesn’t have as much unfiltered apple juice taste as for example Downeast, but for canned sessionable craft cider, this is a pretty good choice.

Ginja Ninja, 6.0% ABV: Their ginger cider. Also available in bottles and cans. Semi-dry. I found it to have a moderate amount of ginger. I’m still not a ginger fan, but I’d no longer say I hate it (ie. its growing on me a bit).

Pommeau, 19% ABV: What a surprise! Who would have thought they would be pouring some of their Pommeau? Their Pommeau is cider with apple brandy, barrel aged. This was the first year it was released under their 2 Towns instead of Traditions brand, and was from the 2013 harvest. Here is a nice writeup from New School Beer on the release. Rich apple, vanilla, and caramel scent. Semi-sweet. Still. Low acidity, tartness, and tannins. Very oakey, which I love. Complex, as it also had apricot, smoke, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, and honey notes. Full bodied. Long boozy warming finish.

I had recently bought a bottle of last year’s Traditions Pommeau at Full Throttle Bottles, after striking out on finding this year’s version. Now I’m looking forward to trying it even more so I can compare. Schilling hadn’t planned on carrying it as apparently high end ice ciders and Pommeau and such don’t sell as well, but I think Sarah (the cider house manager and Cider Log writer) fell in love with it, as now they are. So, I may have to get a bottle of this year’s version. By the way, I think 2 Towns’ Pommeau is a great value–last year’s was under $30 for 375ml. This initially seems expensive, but its 19% ABV, made from cider apples, and barrel aged for 2 years. Additionally, due to the style and high ABV, it can likely remain open for weeks or months without significant flavor changes, like brandy. A cider friend had a bottle of Finnriver Pommeau open for a year or so that still tasted great.

Sarah shared samples of two bottles of cider she opened. I only got a photo of one though.

Viuda de Angelon Sidra de Pera, 5.2% ABV, Asturias Spain: This is a new addition for the cider house, a Spanish pear Sidra which retails for $4 for a 12oz bottle, which is a great entry level price and bottle size. However, even though everyone described this more as pear cider and not being very Sidra-like (typically known to be sour and astringent), I still picked up a mild sourness. It was sweeter that I was expecting, semi-dry to semi-sweet. Mild tartness and sourness. Moderate acidity. Fruity with pear and tropical notes. Medium bodied. Moderate carbonation (more than most ciders). It was ok for me, but everyone else loved it.

Etienne Dupont Cidre Triple, (I didn’t see the bottle, but ABV listed online is anywhere between 8.5% and 11%), Victot-Pontfol France: Apparently this cider gets its name from triple fermentation (from natural sugar, then from added sugar, then in the bottle to create a mousse-like fexture). I was curious if I’d like this any more than the Cidre Bouche I sampled awhile back. Nope! This style just isn’t my thing, but I’ll try anything once. The Triple was even more funky (moderate to severe) but less sour (mild) than the Bouche. I’m sure there were tannins and bitterness, but the funk was overpowering for my palate. Very dry. Earthy with citrus notes. Medium boded. Long finish.

The 2 Towns Pommeau was definitely the winner of the evening, followed by their Riverwood Brut.

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

Argus Cidery Perennial 2013

February 4, 2016January 31, 2016 cidersays Argus, review Argus, Argus Cidery, barrel aged, cider, cider review, hard cider, Perennial, Texas, wild fermented

Review of Perennial 2013 from Argus Cidery. This is the first from their regular line of ciders that I’ve tried, although I’ve sampled Ciderkin and Ginger Perry from their Fermentables line of six pack ciders.

Cider: Perennial 2013
Cidery: Argus Cidery
Cidery Location: Austin TX
ABV: 6.8%
How Supplied: 750ml flip top bottle
Style: American barrel aged wild yeast fermented craft cider

Availability: Argus ciders are sold in AR, CA, CO, FL, GA, ID, IN, IA, KY, MI, MO, NY, NC, OK, SC, TX, & WA, and online at http://www.specsonline.com. In WA I’ve only seen this one and their two Fermentables varieties (Ciderkin and Ginger Perry).

Cider Description: The Perennial release is a collection of fruit harvested from both the Medina and Lubbock orchards from the 2013 harvest. This blend maximizes the fruit characters delivering a straightforward apple palate, with a finish of our natural ambient yeast characters and the residual flavors from aging in French and American Oak. 55% Blaze, 20% Gala, 10% Mutsu, 10% Johnathan, 5% Cameo. 1,150 cases produced. Bottled November 2014.

Cidery Description: We are Texas’ first American Hard Cider crafted from apples produced by Texas and Arkansas growers. Out cider styles are dry and crisp, made with selected wild and traditional yeast strains and oaked to suit. The results: either Champagne style or crisp, still ciders suited for any occasion.

Argus Cidery has a tasting room in Austin TX open on Saturdays.

Price: $18.50
Where Bought: Full Throttle Bottles in Seattle WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing

First Impression: Pale straw yellow hue. Small bubbles and foam. Smells sour, funky, dry, acidic, dry, and of citrus and floral.

Tasting Notes: Dry. Moderate sourness, acidity, and tartness. Light funk. A touch of bitterness. Notes of citrus, floral, and vinegar. Light bodied. Light carbonation. Moderate length finish. Moderate apple influence. Low sessionability. I didn’t pick up any barrel aging influence.

My Opinion: I’m not into sour ciders, so this cider didn’t appeal to me (guess I should have researched it a bit more first). I found the sourness a bit overwhelming, covering up most of the other flavors.

Most Similar to: Dry sour wild fermented ciders such as Dragon’s Head Wild Fermented, WildCraft Ciderworks Hard Cider, and Millstone Cellars Farmgate Dry.

Closing Notes: I wasn’t a fan of this one, but if you like your cider on the dry, sour, and slightly funky side, you may enjoy it.

Have you tried Argus Perennial? What did you think?

Eden Honeycrisp Ice Cider

February 3, 2016February 3, 2016 cidersays Eden, review cider, cider review, cider tasting, Eden, hard cider, Honeycrisp, ice cider, Vermont

Review of Eden Ice Cider’s Honeycrisp single varietal ice cider, made in Newport Vermont. I’ve tried their Heirloom Blend and Northern Spy ice ciders, Dry and Semi-Dry sparkling ciders, and even their Cellar Series Cinderella’s Slipper.

>>This is a review of a sample bottle provided to Cider Says by Eden Ice 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: Honeycrisp
Cidery: Eden Ice Cider
Cidery Location: Newport VT
ABV: 10.0%
Residual Sugar: 15%
How Supplied: 187ml & 375ml tall skinny glass bottles
Style: American Honeycrisp apple single varietal craft ice cider

Availability: Their ciders are at least sold in AK, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, IL, MA, MD, ME, MI, NC, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OR, SC, VT, WA, and British Columbia, although this one has less distribution than their flagship Heirloom Blend ice cider. Eden also offers online sales when allowed by state.

Cider Description: This tangy, elegant ice cider is made 100% from Vermont-grown Honeycrisp apples. The Honeycrisp is a prized Northern USA apple variety. As its name suggests, there is a honeyed quality to its sweetness, accompanied by sufficient acidity to keep the flavor fresh and crisp. Enjoy with cheese, maple crème brulee, or butter cookies.

Cidery Description: Eden Orchards and Eden Ice Cider began on a trip to Montreal in 2006 when we first tasted ice cider and wondered why nobody was making it on our side of the border. We had dreamed for years of working together on a farm in the Northeast Kingdom; it was a dream that had vague outlines including an apple orchard, cider, and fermentation of some sort. That night we looked at each other and knew ice cider was it. In April 2007, we bought an abandoned dairy farm in West Charleston, Vermont and got to work. Since then we have planted over 1,000 apple trees, created 5 vintages of Eden Vermont Ice Ciders, and have introduced a new line of Orleans Apertif Ciders. Out goals are to create healthy soils and trees in our own orchard, to support out Vermont apple orchard partners who do the same, to minimize our carbon footprint, to contribute to the economic and environmental health of our employees and our Northeast Kingdom community, and most of all to make world-class unique ciders that truly reflect our Vermont terroir.

They have a tasting bar on the main floor of the Northeast Kingdom Tasting Center in downtown Newport VT. Their current product line includes at least eight ice ciders, two Aperitif ciders, and dry & semi-dry sparkling ciders. They also have a cider club where members get access to special release ciders not available to the public.

Price: n/a (retails for $17+ for 187ml and $27+ for 375ml)
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: I read about Eden ice ciders online, and tried them for the first time at Cider Summit Seattle 2015. Since then, I’ve bought a couple bottles and received some samples, including this one.

First Impression: Still. Honeyed amber caramel hue. Smells of rich ripe apples and honey with hints of caramel and vanilla.

Tasting Notes: Very sweet. Low acidity, tartness, and tannins. No bitterness, sourness, or funk. Full bodied (a good kind of syrupy). Concentrated intense full flavor notes of rich ripe apples and honey, with hints of caramel and vanilla. Long warming finish. Moderate apple influence. Low sessionability.

My Opinion: Yum! This ice cider is definitely honey-forward. Due to the sweetness it is definitely a beverage to sip only a small quantity after dinner, but that means even a small bottle lasts awhile. It also kept very well in the fridge, without any noticeable flavor change during the week I had it open (I used an expanding stopper).

Most Similar to: High quality ice ciders, which truthfully I haven’t tried too many of (as there aren’t many). Compared to Eden’s Heirloom Blend and Northern Spy ice ciders, I found it to be slightly less complex (Northern Spy was the most complex, from being barrel aged) and slightly less warming/boozy on the finish.

Closing Notes: This was another impressive cider from Eden Ice Cider. However, I prefer their Heirloom Blend and especially Northern Spy, which both seemed a bit more complex (and the oak notes in Northern Spy were especially nice). I look forward to trying more ciders from Eden in the future, such as their Windfall Orchard and Brandy Barrel aged Heirloom Blend ice ciders, and their aperitif ciders. If anyone wants to know what I want for my birthday or Christmas, its definitely a subscription to their cider club, which sounds amazing with member-only releases, but is admittedly a bit spendy (but great for folks who would buy a lot of their ciders anyways as you get a 20% discount).

Have you tried Eden Ice Ciders? What did you think?

Woodchuck Out on a Limb Campfire Pancakes

February 2, 2016February 2, 2016 cidersays review, Woodchuck Campfire Pancakes, cider, cider review, hard cider, maple, Out on a Limb, smoke, Vermont, Woodchuck

Review of Woodchuck’s newest (7th) Out on a Limb release, Campfire Pancakes, a smoked maple cider (more info from Woodchuck here). The ciders rotate every few months in the same six pack. They were nice enough to send me a sample bottle. I’ve reviewed a number of their ciders here.

>>This is a review of a sample bottle provided to Cider Says by Woodchuck. 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: Campfire Pancakes (Out on a Limb)
Cidery: Woodchuck
Cidery Location: Middlebury VT
ABV: 5.5%
How Supplied: six pack of 12oz bottles

Availability: Wide release, but only until April or whenever they run out (as Out on a Limb rotates varieties).

Cider Description: Campfire Pancakes brings you our small batch hard cider with an infusion of smoked apple pomace. Topped off with a dash of Vermont Maple Syrup, this cider brings forward a delightfully smoky and sweet taste. LoVermont? Then you’ll love Campfire Pancakes.

Cidery Description: Here at the Woodchuck Cidery in Vermont, we handcraft every batch of Woodchuck Hard Cider. Our Cider Makers utilize the highest quality ingredients and meticulously oversee each small batch from start to finish. We reinvigorated American cider in 1991 and continue to lead the category through our commitment to craft innovative and refreshing hard ciders.

Price: n/a (but it runs $9-11 a six pack)
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: n/a

First Impression: Medium straw yellow. Light carbonation with large bubbles. Smells like smoke flavor, maple flavor, and apple candy.

Opinion: Sweet. Low tartness and acidity. No bitterness, sourness, tannins, or funk. Medium bodied. It begins with the scent (but not flavor) of smoke, then apple juice with real maple and literally a starchy pancake-like flavor, then finishes with fake maple. The maple scent in the air is quite strong. Quick finish. Moderate apple influence. High sessionability.

Most Similar to: Not much. There are a handful of maple ciders (such as Seattle Cider Oaked Maple, Crispin The Saint, and Downeast Maple Blend) and smoked ciders (such as Alpenfire Smoke, Tieton Smoked Pumpkin, and Woodchuck Smoked Apple), but nothing like this.

Closing Notes: I was really looking forward to this cider as I love maple, and love smoked ciders (such as Alpenfire Smoke), but it was disappointing. It overall seemed very fake. Although they used real maple syrup and smoked pommace, there is the less than 1% natural flavor listed, and I think they somehow even added maple aroma. The fake maple scent lingered in the air after finishing the cider and putting away the glass. I think that without the fakeness and with some barrel aging, a maple cider can be awesome. Hopefully they will make an Out on a Limb cider more along the lines of Gumption or Winter Chill, which I enjoy.

Have you tried Woodchuck Campfire Pancakes? What did you think?

Locust Cider Bittersweet Reserve

January 29, 2016January 29, 2016 cidersays Locust, review bittersweet, Bittersweet Reserve, cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Locust, washington, Woodinville

Review of Bittersweet Reserve from Locust Cider in Woodinville WA. This variety was released in late 2015, only 1,000 bottles and some kegs, to benefit Hydrocephalus (which the owner’s daughter has). This review is from a half growler of the cider, although I also picked up a bottle for future consumption, so I photographed the bottle which is much prettier and informative. I’ve had a few varieties from Locust, including Washington Dessert Apple Aged Hard Cider (which I enjoyed), and Original Dry, Green Tea Infused, & Dark Sweet Cherry (which I wasn’t a huge fan of…they were all very mildly flavored, definitely sessionable).

Cider: Bittersweet Reserve
Cidery: Locust Cider
Cidery Location: Woodinville WA
ABV: 6%
How Supplied: 750ml bottles, kegs
Style: American unfiltered craft cider made using bittersweet apples

Availability: Limited, only sold from their Woodinville WA tap room and a few locations around Seattle WA

Cider Description: A full-bodied hard cider made from French and English bittersweet apples, with caramel and dried fruit aroma, and subtle citrus and baked apple. Only 1,000 bottles exist.

Apple Varieties: Dabinett, Yarlington Mill, Michelin among limited others

Cidery Description: Real, Creative Hard Cider from fresh pressed Northwest Apples. Locust Cider is THE SESSION cider. Every cider we make, from smooth and light Original Dry to full flavored Aged Dessert Apple, is designed and made to be extremely drinkable. Sessionable cider. What is The Locust? Tough. Hard. Real.

When you are done with your hard day taking over the world, you deserve good hard cider. The Locust stems from the a near death experience had by the founder during childhood. Now motivated by the sensory memory of that moment, his life is about being tough, being insistent on the best, and never giving in. Locust Cider is real people. Founded by 2 brothers from Texas who wanted a great cider that they could drink more than one of, the company remains small. Everybody who works in the tap room also has a hand in making cider. We obsess over making drinkable, session cider for real, tough people to enjoy.

They have a tap room in the Woodinville WA warehouse district.

Price: $18 for a 750ml bottle or $8.50 for a 32oz half growler
Where Bought: Schilling Cider House in Seattle WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: Facebook

First Impression: Orange-amber hazy sweet (unfermented) cider hue. Smells of bittersweet apples, sweet cider, orange citrus, spice, raisins, and honey.

Tasting Notes: Semi-sweet to sweet. Low acidity, tartness, and bitterness. Low to moderate tannins. The slightest bit of earthiness & oakiness. No funk or sourness. In the flavor I picked up bittersweet apples, orange, spice, raisins (less so), and honey that I smelled, plus caramel and oddly enough, coffee? Although it has a lot of characteristics of sweet non-alcoholic cider, I wouldn’t call it juice-like (which as my tastes have evolved I’ve found to be a negative). I found the cider to be slightly alcohol-forward, but I enjoyed it (I would have guessed it had a higher ABV). Full bodied. Moderate to long finish.

My Opinion: Yum–rich, smooth, and luscious! It reminds me a lot of English cider, but with the additional residual sweetness, unfiltered flavor & mouthfeel, and less tannins than your average English craft cider, it may be more approachable. Overall this is a very easily likeable unique cider. However, I liked the sample I had from a bottle better. I believe my growler was from the bottom of the keg, and it seemed to have more tannins, spice, bitterness, etc (and the odd coffee note). Still plenty enjoyable though. I’m looking forward to drinking the bottle I bought. Overall my only feedback would be to have slightly less sweetness, and that bottled (or not from the end of the keg) may have more desirable flavor, or that its a bit variable (which often happens in ciders, especially if they are from different batches).

Most Similar to: Other ciders made from bittersweet apples (such as most English ciders, Sea Cider Bittersweet, Finnriver Fire Barrel, Angry Orchard Stone Dry, and Woodchuck Gumption & Hot Cha Cha Cha) and those which are of an unfiltered style (such as from J.K.’s Scrumpy & Downeast, and Locust Washington Dessert Apple). I’ve found that for the most part I really enjoy ciders from bittersweet apples.

Closing Notes: Its crazy how good of a deal Schilling must have got on that keg, as the price on tap was almost 1/3 of the price for bottled (by ounce), a deal I couldn’t pass up. I was quite surprised the keg lasted on tap a couple weeks. If you can find this one and don’t mind a sweeter cider, I highly recommend it (in fact, Schilling still has a few bottles left as of earlier this week).

Interesting Fact: I was told that this cider should stay refrigerated, as the high residual sugar content makes it prone to re-fermenting in the bottle (becoming too dry or sparkling). Being a small batch they didn’t filter and process it as much like their other ciders. This wasn’t noted on the bottle, and is basically unheard of for a commercially produced cider (more of a homebrew thing). I think its impractical to rely on stores to tell their customers this, and many stores don’t have significant refrigerated shelf space. I imagine this explains what happened to my Washington Dessert Apple cider (a similar small batch sweeter cider release from them), which didn’t stay refrigerated. It turned crazy fizzy even though I bought it not long after it was released, and a sample from a friend’s bottle later a few months later was much drier than mine.

Have you tried Locust Bittersweet Reserve? What did you think?

Eden Northern Spy Barrel Aged Ice Cider

January 27, 2016January 24, 2016 cidersays Eden, review barrel aged, cider, cider review, Eden, hard cider, ice cider, Northern Spy, Vermont

Review of Eden Ice Cider’s Northern Spy single varietal ice cider, barrel aged 12 months in French oak barrels, made in Newport VT.

Cider: Northern Spy
Cidery: Eden Ice Cider
Cidery Location: Newport VT
ABV: 10.0%
Residual Sugar: 15%
How Supplied: 187ml & 375ml tall skinny glass bottles
Style: American Northern Spy single varietal barrel aged ice cider

Availability: Their ciders are at least sold in AK, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, IL, MA, MD, ME, MI, NC, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OR, SC, VT, WA, and British Columbia, also this one has less distribution than their Heirloom Blend. Eden also offers online sales when allowed by state.

Cider Description: This Vermont Ice Cider is made from 100% Northern Spy apples, and aged in French oak barrels for a year. Northern Spy is an antique variety of apple that was one of the three most popular in America at the end of the 19th century. It has a sweetly tart flavor that is superbly enhanced by the oak. Spicy, with honey caramel under-tones, it is a wonderful after-dinner drink. No added sugar, coloring or flavoring of any kind Concentration using natural Northern Vermont winter cold.

Price: n/a (retails for $20+ for 187ml and $30+ for 375ml)
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: I read about this cider online. I really enjoyed Eden’s Heirloom Blend ice cider I tried at Cider Summit Seattle 2015 and their Sparkling Dry and Sparkling Semi-Dry ciders, and since I love barrel aged ciders, I’ve had my eye on this barrel aged ice cider for awhile. Its not sold in the Seattle area, so I was thrilled to get a box of three sample bottles from Eleanor.

First Impression: Still. Deep caramel color. Smells of rich ripe baked apples, residual sugar, higher ABV, brown sugar, burnt caramel, honey, and oak.

Tasting Notes: Sweet to very sweet. Low acidity, tartness, and tannins. No bitterness, sourness, or funk. Full bodied (a good kind of syrupy). Concentrated intense full flavor notes of rich ripe baked apples, brown sugar, burnt caramel, honey, oak, vanilla, and a hint of spice. Long warming finish. High apple influence. Mild to moderate barrel influence. Low sessionability.

My Opinion: Amazing! I enjoyed the barrel aged flavor of this ice cider. Due to the sweetness this is definitely a beverage to sip only a small quantity after dinner, but that means even a small bottle lasts awhile. It also kept very well in the fridge, without any noticeable flavor change during the week I had it open (I used an expanding stopper).

Most Similar to: High quality ice ciders, which truthfully I haven’t tried too many of (as there aren’t many). Compared to Eden’s Heirloom Blend, I found Northern Spy to be slightly less sweet and even more complex (such as the oak & vanilla notes from barrel aging). Its my new favorite from them.

Closing Notes: This was another impressive cider from Eden Ice Cider. I’m really looking forward to trying the third sample bottle, a Honeycrisp ice cider. Even after that I have a number of varieties from them left to try in the future, such as their Windfall Orchard and Brandy Barrel aged Heirloom Blend ice ciders, and their aperitif ciders. If anyone wants to know what I want for my birthday or Christmas, its definitely a subscription to their cider club, which sounds amazing with member-only releases, but is admittedly a bit spendy (but great for folks who would buy a lot of their ciders anyways as you get a 20% discount).

Have you tried Eden Ice Ciders? What did you think?

Woodchuck Private Reserve Barrel Select

January 26, 2016January 22, 2016 cidersays review, Woodchuck barrel aged, Barrel Select, cider, cider review, hard cider, hard cider review, Middlebury, private reserve, Vermont, Woodchuck

Review of Woodchuck Barrel Select, one of their three current Private Reserve ciders (along with Pink and Pumpkin).

Cider: Private Reserve Barrel Select
Cidery: Woodchuck
Cidery Location: Middlebury VT
ABV: 6.9%
How Supplied: six pack of 12oz bottles
Style: American commercial bourbon barrel aged cider

Availability: Wide release, Nov-Feb. Winter Chill, one of their three current seasonal ciders, is also sold during that same time of year.

Cider Description: Private Reserve Barrel Select is aged in small batches to bring out balanced hints of bourbon over a crisp apple backdrop. The cider is aged for six months in genuine white oak Kentucky Bourbon barrels. The barrels impart a copper hue on the cider as well as gentle notes of oak, vanilla, and whiskey. A truly rare cider which proves that patience is indeed a virtue.

Price: ~$2 for a single bottle (runs $9-$11 a six pack)
Where Bought: Total Wine
Where Drank: home
How Found: I’ve bought this cider the last couple years when it came out, along with Winter Chill, as I love barrel aged cider.

First Impression: Deep copper caramel amber (note that although barrel aging imparts color, they also list “caramel color” on the ingredient list). A few medium sized bubbles and some foam upon pouring. Smells of caramel, molasses, brown sugar, bourbon, vanilla, oak, and toffee.

Tasting Notes: Semi-sweet to sweet. Low acidity and tartness. No sourness, bitterness, funk, or tannins. The scent notes continued into the flavor. Medium to strong apple flavor. Mild barrel influence. Moderate bourbon influence. Rich, bold, and full flavored. Medium bodied. Medium length warming finish.

My Opinion: Yum! However, its quite rich and caloric, so its something I’ll only drink one of. However, that is perfect for a middle of the week treat. It was especially tasty in a float with ice cream. I really wish they wouldn’t add caramel color and flavoring though.

Most Similar to: Not much…barrel aging programs at commercial cideries are pretty rare. However, this reminds me somewhat of Woodchuck Winter Chill (oak & vanilla but not spirit flavor), Woodchuck 802 (rich caramelized sugar notes but its not barrel aged), Crispin 15 Men (rum barrel aged with honey notes), and Spire Mountain Dark & Dry (rich molasses & brown sugar notes but its not barrel aged).

Closing Notes: Enjoying some Woodchuck Barrel Select is becoming an annual tradition for me. I prefer Winter Chill though, and plan to stock up on that one (although probably not as much as last year, when I got a full case of four 6 packs).

Have you tried Woodchuck Barrel Select? What did you think?

E.Z. Orchards Hawk Haus

January 25, 2016January 22, 2016 cidersays E.Z. Orchards, review cider, cider review, cider tasting, E.Z. Orchards, hard cider, Hawk Haus, oregon

Review of Hawk Haus from E.Z. Orchards in Salem Oregon. I’ve previously tried their Roman Beauty and Semi-Dry ciders.

Cider: Hawk Haus
Cidery: E.Z. Orchards
Cidery Location: Salem OR
ABV: 6.6%
How Supplied: 500ml bottle
Style: American French-Style wild fermented cider

Availability: At least OR, WA, IL, and NY. Also sold at ShipCider.com.

Cider Description: Hawk Haus is named after the kestrel nests found on the property and is a blend of Jonathan and Yarlington Mill apples. Pale, yellow-golden in color and lightly hazed with modest, tiny carbonation bubbles like the finest sparkling wines. The aroma is fresh cut apples and an earthy farmyard character. Very pleasant and grounded. Hawk Haus is big, soft and round on the palate with gentle acidity. Notes of cinnamon and brown sugar are reminiscent of apple turnover. The finish is just short of total dryness, with appealing fresh apple flavors from beginning to end.

Fermented at cold temperatures for 6 months using wild yeast. Bottle conditioned (allowed to finish fermenting in the bottle, which provides natural carbonation).

Cidery Description: The Pioneers who settled Oregon’s Willamette Valley in the 1850’s must have marveled at their good fortune. The soil was rich, the water plentiful, the winters mild, and summers ideal, crops seemed to burst from the ground. For more than 150 years small family farms have dominated the Willamette Valley – one of the most productive and diverse agricultural areas in the world. The Zielinski Family and E.Z. Orchards are part of this history and ongoing commitment to the land.

E.Z. Orchards Willamette Valley Cidre is the culmination of 10 years effort to develop our orchard and refine our fermentation technique. We grow a selection of French, English, and Early American apple varieties. The fruit contain essential characteristics, necessary to impart structure and aroma in our Cidre.

Price: $8
Where Bought: Schilling Cider House
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing. I’ve been wanting to try more ciders from E.Z. Orchards as I enjoyed their Semi-Dry and especially their Roman Beauty.

First Impression: Pale straw yellow. Low carbonation with tiny bubbles and foam upon pouring. Smells deliciously rich, of sweet ripe apples, honey, floral, and oak.

Tasting Notes: Dry to semi-dry. Moderate acidity and tartness. Hints of bitterness, funk, sourness, and tannins. Notes of honey, citrus, green apple, and floral. Light bodied. Medium carbonation. Moderate apple flavor and flavor in general. Quick finish. Low to moderate sessionability.

My Opinion: My nose was deceiving–I was expecting something richer and sweeter based on the scent. Instead, this was a nice light fairly dry cider, almost champagne-like (although not as high carbonation).

Most Similar to: Boonville Bite Hard, Eden Sparkling Dry, and Finnriver Artisan Sparkling Brut.

Closing Notes: This was enjoyable, but I enjoyed Roman Beauty more, which seemed to have a richer and sweeter flavor.

Have you tried E.Z. Orchards Hawk Haus? What did you think?

Thatchers Gold English Cider

January 22, 2016January 16, 2016 cidersays review, Thatchers cider, cider review, cider tasting, England, English, Gold, hard cider, Thatchers, Thatchers Gold, UK

Review of Thatchers Gold English Cider. I’ve previously tried Green Goblin from Thatchers.

Cider: Gold
Cidery: Thatchers
Cidery Location: Sandford, Somerset, England
ABV: 4.8%
How Supplied: four pack of 11.2oz bottles
Style: English medium dry cider

Availability: Unknown. Thatchers Gold launched in September 2014 in the U.S. with plans to roll out to 20 states. I read its the second best selling cider in bars in the UK.

Cider Description: Thatchers Gold is a full flavored medium dry cider with a smooth and refreshing taste made using traditional techniques and expertise gained since 1904. Enjoy chilled.

Thatchers Gold tastes as good as it looks. Using the best of our traditional approach and modern techniques for a refreshing cider with a smooth appley taste and a bright sparkle.

10 grams of sugar per 11.2 ounces. I read its made from cider apples including Dabinett, Redstreak, and Porters Perfection.

Cidery Description: For generations we’ve been perfecting our orchards, our craft, and our cider.
Today we’ve got a whole range that takes you from fresh, vibrant and modern, to traditional, vintage, specialty and single variety

Price: ~$2.25 for a single bottle (runs $7.50-$9.00 for a four pack)
Where Bought: Total Wine
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing. Previously I’ve only seen (and tried) their Green Goblin cider. English cider is one of my favorite varieties, so I was game to try a bottle.

First Impression: Pale gold. Low carbonation with tiny bubbles. Smells like champagne, dry, of yeast and must, with only a hint of apple.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry. Moderate acidity. Low tartness. Hints of bitterness, funk, and tannins. No sourness. Moderate sessionability. Low to moderate apple flavor. Light butterscotch notes but otherwise low in flavor. Light bodied. Quick finish.

My Opinion: I thought this cider was pretty average. It overall tasted very commercial and was lacking in flavor (seemed watered down). Plus the flavor seemed a bit odd, starting with the smell of champagne. Definitely don’t let this one warm up.

Most Similar to: I’d guess Magners and/or Bulmers, but I haven’t tried that one yet. From those that I have tried: Stongbow British Dry, plus Crispin Browns Lane (although less flavorful), Samuel Smith’s Organic Cider (although it had more cider apple flavor), and Dan Kelly’s Irish Cider (although not wild fermented).

Closing Notes: This was nice to try, but I was a bit disappointed. It seems to have good reviews online though.

Have you tried Thatchers cider? What did you think?

Portland Cider Company “Apple”

January 21, 2016January 21, 2016 cidersays Portland Cider, review apple, cider, cider review, hard cider, hard cider review, Oregon City, portland, Portland Cider

Review of Portland Cider Company’s canned cider dubbed “Apple”.

Cider: Apple
Cidery: Portland Cider Company
Cidery Location: Oregon City, Oregon (near Portland)
ABV: 5.5%
How Supplied: four pack of 12oz cans
Style: American craft canned cider made from dessert apples

Availability: OR & WA

Cider Description: Medium-dry classic bursting with juicy crisp apple taste and a tart finish.

This cider was released in late 2015 for the first time, and I couldn’t find much information or a detailed description.

Cidery Description: What do you do when you’re frustrated by the quality of the commercial cider available? You start making your own! What do you do when friends and family keep telling you it’s the best cider they’ve ever had? You start a business! That is the essence of how the Portland Cider Company got its start. Founded by Jeff Parrish, an Oregon native, and his wife Lynda, an ex-patriot from the Somerset region of England (the Mecca of cider), the Portland Cider Company 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 Northwest grown apples. We then carefully ferment it using yeast that protects the delicate characteristics of the fruit. The results are cider blends that are easy to drink, refreshing, and downright delicious. Drink it, it’s good!

Portland Cider was started in 2012, and they have a taproom in the Portland area (with their ciders and some others). They have four ciders available in 22oz bottles (Kinda Dry, Sorta Sweet, Hop’Rageous, and Pearfect Perry), plus Apple and Hop’Rageous in four packs of 12oz cans, and other ciders that are tap only.

Price: ~$2.50 for a single can (runs around $8 for a four pack of 12oz cans)
Where Bought: Total Wine
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing, although I had seen a release announcement on Facebook from them.

First Impression: Medium straw yellow. Light carbonation upon pouring with large bubbles. Smells of tart apples with a hint of honey.

Tasting Notes: On the sweeter side of semi-dry. Low acidity and tartness. No sourness, bitterness, funk, or tannins. I didn’t really pick up any other flavor notes besides apple, which was on the strong side. No carbonation in the mouthfeel despite the visible bubbles. Light bodied. Quick finish. Mildly flavored. Highly sessionable.

My Opinion: I enjoyed how much apple flavor this had without the apple juice type flavor that is common with sweeter commercial ciders which backsweeten. I also liked that although it was light bodied and mildly flavored, it didn’t have a watered down tasting flavor.

Most Similar to: Other semi-dry apple-forward flagship craft ciders, such as Jester & Judge American Apple. However, although they are quite similar, I enjoyed this cider more.

Closing Notes: This is a great basic cider option for folks who want a canned craft cider, but I prefer more flavor and complexity.

Have you tried Portland Cider Company ciders? What did you think?

Gravenstein Cider Tasting Notes and Wassail

January 20, 2016January 20, 2016 cidersays review cider, cider review, cider tasting, gravenstein, gravenstein cider, hard cider, single varietal, tasting notes

I was invited to share in a gravenstein cider tasting and Wassail at Cider Log Sarah’s house. We sampled 9 single varietal gravenstein ciders, the 2013, 2014, & 2015 versions of Sea Cider Wassail, and wassailed the gravenstein tree at Sarah’s house (to encourage it to start producing apples again).

Specific Gravity 2013 Gravenstein, Sebastopol CA, 6.8% ABV
Specific Gravity Nana Mae’s 2013 Early Harvest Gravenstein, Sebastopol CA, 6.9% ABV
Two Rivers Cider Company Gravenstein Hard Apple Cider, Sacramento CA, 6.5% ABV
Seattle Cider Company Harvest Series Gravenstein Rosé, Seattle WA, 6.9% ABV
Bull Run Gravenstein Single Varietal Medium Dry Cider, Forest Grove OR, 5.8% ABV
Whitewood Cider Company Gravenstein Old Fangled Series 2012 Harvest, Olympia WA, 6.7% ABV
Whitewood Cider Company Gravenstein Old Fangled Series Barrel Aged, Olympia WA, 6.7% ABV
Ace Blackjack 21 2014 Release (Chardonnay barrel aged), Sebastopol CA, 9% ABV
WildCraft Cider Works Farmhouse Gravenstein, Eugene OR, 6.7% ABV

I had contributed the WildCraft Farmhouse Gravenstein, a sample bottle, but most of these were from Sarah’s own collection (many not available in WA, but picked up in her travels).

>>This is a review of a sample bottle provided to Cider Says by WildCraft Cider Works. 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.<<

Tasting Notes: This was my first single varietal comparison tasting, and honestly they all tasted fairly similar to me. I found them all to be light bodied, moderate to long finish, mild acidity, mild tartness, mild to moderate tannins, mild to moderate apple flavor, generally mild flavored, and low carbonation. The flavor in general seemed quite mild, and I didn’t pick up too many other flavor notes, but they were mostly in the floral category. The WildCraft one was the most sour (moderate), but I also picked up mild sourness in the Whitewood and Seattle Cider selections. The barrel aged Whitewood selection was less sour and more smooth than the non barrel aged selection. Ace was the sweetest selection (almost semi-sweet), but the others were all semi-dry to dry. I couldn’t tell any difference between the two selections from Specific Gravity, and they were the ones with the most perceptible tannins.

I’ll admit, I’m not a huge fan of gravenstein cider…I prefer a richer flavor than gravenstein apples can produce. Oddly enough, the Ace was my favorite of these ciders (I say oddly enough as it was the only commercial selection). Probably as the added sweetness brought more flavor. I enjoyed it more than I had when I tried it when it came out in fall 2014 (they also released it again fall 2015). My second favorite was the two selections from Specific Gravity. That said, none of these amazed me. However, it was fun to try so many single varietals and compare our tasting notes (there was a group of seven of us).

I also sampled Sea Cider Wassail. I could tell the cider was slightly different between the years, but couldn’t exactly describe how. See my previous tasting notes on Wassail. Its definitely a high octane cider at 14% ABV, with a lovely rich spiced flavor.

This is the gravenstein tree we wasailled…which involved providing an offering of toast soaked in mulled cider (we gave it the good stuff, from Sea Cider), beating pots & pans with wooden spoons, and reading a verse we found online. I’m sure the neighbors thought we were nuts!

I was sent home with a six pack of ciders that Cider Log made, so it’ll be fun to sample and review some non-commercial ciders in the near future.

Have you done any single varietal cider tastings? What do you think of gravenstein cider?

2 Towns Dark Currant

January 19, 2016January 17, 2016 cidersays 2 Towns, review 2 Towns, barrel aged, Black Currant, cider, Corvallis, Dark Currant, hard cider, oak, oregon

Review of 2 Towns’ newest limited release (late Dec 2015), Dark Currant, a cider with black currant juice added and was aged in new oak barrels.

Cider: Dark Currant
Cidery: 2 Towns
Cidery Location: Corvallis OR
ABV: 6.0%
How Supplied: 500ml bottle (and kegs)
Style: American black currant cider, oak barrel aged

Availability: Limited release which is available in OR, WA, AK, HI, CA, ID, NV, MN, and Chicago IL.

Cider Description: Harvested from NW farms, local black currants are fermented during the cold winter, on Oregon-grown white oak. A strong oak profile backs the complex berry aromas. You can’t fight the currant.

The black currants were harvested from Queener Farm in Scio, Oregon and Kalapooia Haven Farm in Brownsville, Oregon in late summer, then this cider was lightly aged in new oak barrels until its release in December.

Cidery Description: 2 Towns was founded in 2010 by partners Lee Larsen and Aaron Sarnoff. Dave Takush joined us shortly thereafter. All three of us grew up together in the Corvallis, OR area. We’ve had explosive growth since our inception at which point we had intended to produce and distribute cider to the Corvallis, OR and Eugene, OR areas only (incidentally, the 2 Towns of our namesake). It became readily apparent that our initial vision needed to grow as we hit our maximum capacity in our first production space (a converted 1,000 sq ft garage) in roughly 2 months. We’ve since built 2 new production facilities with a total of 25,000 sq ft of production space and our team has grown to over 30 people to help us to distribute to 9 states and counting.

Over this time, we’ve kept to our original goal of bringing craft hard cider back to the people. We feel that a craft cider is made with fresh-pressed fruit and contain no artificial flavorings. Our fruit is all sourced in Oregon & Washington and all of our ciders are also free from added sugars other than those present in the juice and in some cases local honey. We feel that cider doesn’t need to be sweet to express the natural flavors of the fruits we ferment.

2 Towns Ciderhouse planted an orchard in 2011 with all traditional cider apple varieties such as Kingston Black, Dabinett, Jersey Brown Snout, and many others. 2 Towns has also contracted with several growers in the Willamette Valley and beyond to grow additional traditional cider fruit.

Price: $7.50
Where Bought: Full Throttle Bottles
Where Drank: home
How Found: I read online about the release and had been on the lookout (2 Towns is one of the brands I try just about everything from). I was at Full Throttle Bottles to pick up some 2 Towns Pommeau, and figured I might as well get it.

First Impression: Cranberry pink hue. Low carbonation with tiny bubbles at the edges of the glass. Smells like raspberries, black currant, citrus, and oak.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry. Moderate acidity. Moderate tartness. No bitterness, sourness, or funk. A hint of tannins. Raspberry, blackberry, and black currant notes with hints of lemon and oak. Light to medium bodied. Low apple influence. Low barrel influence. Moderate to long finish. Moderate sessionability.

My Opinion: I’m not usually a huge fruity cider fan, but I really enjoyed this…probably as the black currant didn’t completely overpower the apple, and it wasn’t overly sweet, tart, or juice-like. I enjoyed the oak influence, but it left me wanting more oak flavor (but I say that about most barrel aged ciders).

Most Similar to: Other black currant ciders. I’ve had Finnriver Black Currant. As far as craft black currant ciders, I’ve read Doc’s Draft and Slyboro make them. In comparison to Finnriver Black Currant, 2 Towns Dark Currant is less fruity, rich, and tart. However, the flavor added from the oak barrel aging was nice. I slightly prefer Dark Currant. This fruity barrel aged cider also reminded me of Alpenfire Apocalypso, which is a rum barrel aged blackberry cider (similar to their Calypso, which is a regular release, although this was a keg-only release).

Closing Notes: This was quite tasty, and a great mix of summer (berry) and winter (oak) type flavors. I think 2 Towns ciders are unique and at a great price point.

Have you tried 2 Towns Dark Currant? What did you think?

Eden Sparkling Semi-Dry

January 18, 2016January 16, 2016 cidersays Eden, review cider, cider review, cider tasting, Eden, hard cider, methode champenoise, Semi-Dry, sparkling, sparkling cider, Vermont

Review of Eden Ice Cider’s Sparkling Semi-Dry cider. This is made using the traditional labor-intensive methode champenoise, which makes naturally sparkling cider. I previously tried Eden’s Sparkling Dry cider, and this is described as the same cider (although made with different apple varieties) with a bit of their ice cider to add some additional sweetness (which also adds an additional 1% ABV).

I sampled this cider on New Year’s Eve, and it unfortunately turned out to be a poorly sealed bottle whose taste wasn’t as intended, and Eleanor at Eden was awesome enough to send me a sample bottle to replace it (and two ice ciders to review!). Cider from the original bottle was nearly flat, and was on the dry, funky, and sour side….the cap must have been sealed enough so it wouldn’t leak, but allowed for air transfer.

Cider: Sparkling Semi-Dry
Cidery: Eden Ice Cider
Cidery Location: Newport VT
ABV: 9.5%
How Supplied: 375ml or 750ml capped champagne bottle
Style: American methode champenoise sparkling cider

Availability: At least in AK, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, IL, MA, MD, ME, MI, NC, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OR, SC, VT, WA, British Columbia. Eden also offers online sales when allowed by state.

Cider Description: Eden Sparkling Ciders are made with locally grown apples. We use the same blend of traditional and heirloom apples that we use for our ice ciders, and then add classic Bittersweet cider varieties. True cider variety apples are sweeter and have much more tannin than eating apples. They are pretty awful to eat so you won’t ever find them in a grocery store. The Sparkling Dry is made with Kingston Black. The Sparkling Semi-Dry is made with Dabinett and Yarlington Mill.

The cider is fermented and aged in French oak puncheons for a year, the bottles with a secondary fermentation that is created with additional juice rather than sugar. After another 6 months each bottle is hand-disgorged in a careful process and removes the yeast but retains the vibrant natural effervescence of the in-bottle fermentation. For our Semi-Dry, we add in a little bit of our ice cider for sweetness.

Eden Sparkling ciders are full-flavored, tannic, and clean with a champagne-like mouth feel and balanced acidity. They are unfiltered and unpasteurized, with higher ABV and much less sweetness than mass marketed industrial hard ciders.

Price: n/a, but retail price of $15-$20 (750ml)
Where Bought: n/a (but originally the Schilling Cider House)
Where Drank: home
How Found: I heard about Eden on Facebook, met cidermaker Eleanor Leger at an event surrounding Cider Summit Seattle 2015 where I tried their Sparkling Dry cider, tried their Heirloom Blend cider at Cider Summit (and my husband bought me a bottle for our anniversary, reviewed here), and decided Semi-Dry would be a great New Year’s Eve cider selection.

First Impression: Honey-pumpkin light amber hue. Moderate carbonation with tiny bubbles (even before opening the bottle, with a gentle shake, I could tell it had more carbonation than the first). Smells luscious, of honey, tropical fruit, coconut, apricot, floral, and high-tannin cider apples (Dabinett and Yarlington Mill).

Tasting Notes: On the drier side of semi-dry. Moderate acidity. Mild tartness. Moderate tannins. Slight hints of bitterness, funk, and sourness. Flavor notes of tropical fruit, apricot, peach, honey, and green apple. Slight richness. Moderate carbonation with a fizzy mouthfeel. Medium bodied. Moderate apple influence. Mild oak barrel influence. Low sessionability.

My Opinion: Yum! It had a lovely flavor complexity–you could really taste the hint of ice cider in comparison to the Sparkling Dry. The ice cider added both sweetness and additional flavor (especially tropical fruit). My husband also really enjoyed it. All in all I think this cider is awesome. Its also a wonderful value, as the apple varieties are expensive, and the production method is labor-intensive.

Most Similar to: I’ve had other methode champenoise ciders such as Finnriver’s Artisan Sparkling Brut Cider, but this one was less champagne-like (more fruitiness). The tropical fruit notes also reminded me of ciders such as Eaglemount Quince and Slyboro Old Sin, except with added carbonation.

Closing Notes: Eden Ice Cider really makes some amazing ciders. I look forward to trying the Honeycrisp and Northern Spy (barrel aged) ice ciders Eleanor sent!

Have you tried Eden’s Sparkling Dry or Semi-Dry ciders? What did you think?

Washington Gold Cider Cherry Hard Cider

January 15, 2016January 14, 2016 cidersays review, Washington Gold Cherry, cherry cider, cherry hard cider, cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, washington, Washington Gold

Review of Washington Gold Cider’s Cherry Hard Cider.

Cider: Cherry Hard Cider
Cidery: Washington Gold Cider
Cidery Location: Chelan WA
ABV: 5.5%
How Supplied: 750ml clear glass flip-top bottle
Style: American hard apple cider with cherry juice

Availability: Year round in Washington and Southern California until it sells out (as they only make it once a year). However, their Original variety is more commonly found. See here for further information.

Cider Description: None given, but I was told they use fresh pressed apple juice with Washington cherries.

Cidery Description: Crisp, refreshing, and steeped in our family’s rich apple-growing tradition, Washington Gold Cider is crafted from the best apples in the world. Farm fresh. Family-owned. Proudly made in Washington State. Washington Gold Cider…The world’s best cider, made from the best apples on Earth. Try our Heritage, Original, and Cherry Hard Cider today.

Price: $12.99
Where Bought: Total Wine
Where Drank: home
How Found: They were tasting their entire line-up of three ciders (Heritage, Original, and Cherry) at Total Wine in August. This was by far the winner for me, and I decided to buy a bottle.

First Impression: Deep cherry hue. Low carbonation with small bubbles. Rich cherry scent, sweet with a hint of tartness.

Tasting Notes: Semi-sweet (although at 26.5 grams of sugar in 12.7 ounces, it would probably be rated sweet). Moderate tartness and acidity. No sourness, bitterness, or funk. Cherry is the only flavor I pick up in this (the apple is well-hidden), so its a rather simple cider. Full-flavored. Light bodied. Quick finish. Highly sessionable.

My Opinion: Yum! I love how strong the cherry flavor is, and that it tastes like real cherries.

Most Similar to: Other cherry ciders, although this has a stronger and truer cherry flavor than everything I’ve tried so far (which includes cherry ciders from Woodchuck, Locust, Tieton, Apple Outlaw, Elemental, Jester & Judge, Julian, and Original Sin).

Closing Notes: This is definitely my favorite cherry cider so far. Reminds me of summer! (which is why I saved it for this time of year, when it always seems to be dark, damp, and cold in WA)

Do you have a favorite cherry cider?

Finnriver Artisan Sparkling Brut Cider

January 14, 2016January 7, 2016 cidersays Finnriver, review Artisan Sparkling, Brut, cider, cider review, cider tasting, Finnriver, hard cider, methode champenoise, sparkling cider, washington

Review of Finnriver’s Artisan Sparkling Brut cider, made using the traditional labor intensive méthode champenoise. I’ve tried a good portion of Finnriver’s lineup, but I think this is the first time I’ve tried a special release cider.

Cider: Artisan Sparkling Brut
Cidery: Finnriver
Cidery Location: Chimacum WA
ABV: 8.0%
How Supplied: 375ml corked & caged champagne bottle (also more widely available in a 750ml size)
Style: American méthode champenoise sparkling cider

Availability: In general, Finnriver ciders are sold in WA, OR, CA, AZ, NV, TX, IL, CO, and Alberta & BC Canada (detailed info here). They also have an online store (which can ship to WA, OR, CA, AK, CO, MN, FL, & WA D.C.). However, this is a special release, and likely has more limited availability.

Cider Description: Crafted using the traditional, labor-intensive méthode champenoise, this bright, naturally carbonated brut champagne-style cider offers an effervescent apple bouquet, tart elements of the orchard, and a crisp, clean finish. To make this cider, we learned old world methods of secondary fermentation in the bottle that require daily hand turning of each bottle on woodenriddling racks (constructed by our boat-building neighbor Pete), and then disgorging residual yeast sediment one bottle at a time. This is ‘slow cider’ that results in golden clarity and enduring bubbles in every glass. A unqiue alternative to champagne that features Washington organic dessert apples at their most sparkling!

Cidery Description: At Finnriver we gather and ferment the flavors of the land to offer you farmcrafted hard ciders and spirited fruit wines. We are inspired by the allure of the fruit, the ancient history of the craft of fermentation and the lively traditions we now seek to revive. Our mission is to inspire a deeper connection to the land that sustains us….Some of these ciders are small-batch, seasonal and labor-intensive. Others are produced with contemporary methods and more readily available year-round…Finnriver grows over twenty varieties of traditional and heirloom apples in our organic orchard, to feature in our traditional and specialty ciders.

They have a tasting room open seven days a week, noon to 5pm, and are on the Olympic Pennsylvania cider route along with Eaglemount and Alpenfire cideries. I look forward to visiting in February for my birthday!

Price: $10
Where Bought: Schilling Cider House
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing. I’ve been wanting to try this cider for awhile, but previously only saw 750ml bottles for about $22, which was more commitment then I was interested in. When I saw half bottles, I knew it would be perfect to try for New Year’s Eve. Oddly enough the half bottles were less expensive per ounce too.

First Impression: Light straw yellow hue. Very high carbonation. Smells dry, crisp, and of yeast, with only a hint of apple.

Tasting Notes: Completely dry. Moderate acidity and tartness. No sourness, bitterness, or funk. Very champagne-like. Yeast, floral, citrus, and green apple notes. Light bodied. Quick finish. Moderate sessionability. Low apple influence. I enjoyed this cider better as it warmed up from fridge cold.

My Opinion: This was enjoyable, but not really a style I enjoy (I like a sweeter and richer cider). It was definitely a sparkling cider, moreso than any other cider I’ve tried I think (but luckily the bottle didn’t overflow when I opened it…the bottle even includes a warning).

Most Similar to: Dry champagne and other méthode champenoise ciders.

Closing Notes: This cider is a great champagne alternative and was very appropriate for New Year’s Eve.

Have you tried Finnriver Artisan Sparkling Brut cider? What did you think?

Le Pere Jules Brut

January 13, 2016January 11, 2016 cidersays Le Pere Jules, review Brut, cider, cider review, cider tasting, France, French, hard cider, Le Pere Jules, Normandie, Normandy

Review of Le Pere Jules’ Brut 2012 cider, from Normandie France.

Cider: Brut
Cidery: Le Pere Jules
Cidery Location: Normandie France
ABV: 5.0%
How Supplied: 750ml corked & caged bottle
Style: French cidre

Availability: Semi-wide release (apparently one of the easier to find French ciders in the U.S.)

Cider Description: Our cider is produced from no less than 20 different varieties of apples. This gives it a very nice balance between the sweet, bitter and acidic varieties. After a fermentation process that is modified in its length to produce the “brut”, “demi-sec” and “doux” varieties, and a light filtration, it is bottled in order to naturally develop its own natural gas. This gives it the fine bubbles that we are known for.

Cidery Description: It was upon his return from the First World War in 1919 that Jules Desfrièches – who had already earned the nickname of “Père” Jules or “Father” Jules – with a love for his region and its apples, decided to turn his passion into his trade. Orphaned at a young age, he was raised by his grandparents, who were themselves in love with Normandy and its treasures. With their help, Jules learned to make cider with the apples from the family farm. He then started to sell his products locally. Due to the appreciation for its quality, the “Jules Desfrièches” cider was more and more in demand in restaurants in Normandy. Then in 1923, Jules distilled Calvados for the first time, without knowing that it was the beginning of an institution.

In 1949 his son, Léon Desfrièches, joined the family business. On his arrival, he created the brand “Le Père Jules,” in honor of his father. The production continued to expand and the market for cider and calvados developed to the point of being sold in some of the best restaurants in France. Thierry Desfrièches, the grandson of “Père”Jules joined his father in the business in 1976. With a careful eye on the business and its evolution, the first export sales were started in 1980 in Europe and then later throughout the world. The son of Thierry, Guillaume Desfrièches, joined the family business after he finished his studies in oenology in 2002 to become the fourth generation in the affair. Since 1919, quality and rigor are the driving forces of four generations of producers that have continued to be faithful to the traditional methods with a love for their work. Their only wish is to be able to propose the best products.

Price: ~$12
Where Bought: World Market
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing. I hadn’t spotted it at World Market before, only commercial cider (although apparently other World Market locations carry craft cider), and was intrigued as I’ve been getting into French ciders. I’ve since also spotted it at the Schilling Cider House in Seattle.

First Impression: Honey-orange amber hue. Still. Smells of bittersweet apples, orange, honey, cork, funk, and sourness.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry. Moderate bitterness, sourness, and acidity. Low tartness and funk. Light to medium bodied. Long finish. I found the flavor to be completely off, bad, bizarre, etc…I have no better way to describe it.

My Opinion: I couldn’t tolerate more than one sip, and was totally not a fan. And my husband literally spit out his sip. Down the drain it went. A friend of mine described a similar flavor to this cider, saying no one at the dinner party would drink it, yet I’ve seen reviews quite to the contrary online. I think it having no carbonation is a sign of something being wrong, as this cider is supposed to be a sparkling. So, I conclude this was likely a “bad bottle”. Its unfortunate this happens to even the best cidermakers a certain percentage of the time, and if its someone’s first exposure to a cider from that brand, they may not give them another chance.

Closing Notes: Although I have significant doubts as to this being a good sample from Le Pere Jules, this continues the trend of me only liking French ciders from Brittany (such as Le Brun, Celt, and Dan Armor), not Normandy (such as Le Pere Jules, Dupont, and Manoir du Parc)….I like the richer sweeter and more carbonated French ciders than those with any funk or sourness. Note that I considered not posting this review, but I review every cider I drink, not just those I enjoy, and hopefully this isn’t overly negative.

Have you tried Le Pere Jules? What did you think?

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