Stella Artois Cidre

January 12, 2016January 7, 2016 cidersays review, Stella cider, cider review, cider tasting, cidre, hard cider, Stella, Stella Artois

Review of Stella Artois Cidre. I tried this quite awhile ago, and thought I’d give it another go as I’ve seen a lot of talk lately. It was first released in the U.S. in May 2013. Note that although this is touted as a Belgian brand, per the bottle, the version sold in the U.S. is made in New York.

Cider: Cidre
Cidery: Stella Artois (Anheuser-Busch)
Cidery Location: Baldwinsville NY
ABV: 4.5%
How Supplied: four pack of 12oz bottles
Style: commercial American hard cider, Belgian-style

Availability: wide release

Description from their website: Let me first tell you a little something about Stella Artois Cidre. Of course, I don’t want to blow my own trumpette, but this is an elixir so superb, so splendid, it is quite simply magnifique. Cidre is quite well known for its balanced, dry blend; the result of hand-picking our apples – of which only the finest will do. It’s the perfect accoutrement to any afternoon of sophisticated leisure. Simply open, pour and enjoy.

Price: ~$2.50 for a single bottle (runs $8-10 a four pack)
Where Bought: Total Wine
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing. This cider can be found most everywhere.

First Impression: Light amber hue. Low carbonation. Smells like sweet apple juice and sugar, without much complexity.

Tasting Notes: Semi-sweet. Low tartness and acidity. No sourness, bitterness, or funk. Apple-forward. Like the scent, I really didn’t pick up any other flavor notes to it. Light to medium bodied. Quick finish. Very high sessionability.

My Opinion: From the ingredient list its definitely apparent this is commercial cider (apple juice concentrate, sucrose, flavor, color, etc), but I found it more drinkable than many commercial ciders, which can tend towards sweet & syrupy. It also tastes a bit drier than its 17 grams of sugar per 12oz bottle and its scent would suggest. However, when the best thing they can find to say about their cider is that they hand pick the apples, its pretty sad. Apparently almost all apples are hand picked in the U.S. as machinery can’t detect the ripeness of an apple, although in the UK and such they will use tree shakers for cider apples.

Most Similar to: Other commercial ciders which aren’t overly sweet

Closing Notes: Overall Stella Cidre is not something I’d seek out, but if its all that is available, I’ll drink it.

Have you tried Stella Cidre? What did you think?

Reverend Nat’s Winter Abbey Spice

January 11, 2016January 7, 2016 cidersays Rev Nat's, review cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Providence, rev nat's, reverend nat's, spiced cider, Winter Abbey Spice

Review of Reverend Nat’s Winter Abbey Spice, “apple wine with raisins and spices”. Its a seasonal New England Style spiced cider (marketed as apple wine as it is over 7% ABV). This appears similar to Reverend Nat’s Providence, which is also a New England Style spiced cider, but has a lower ABV. At first I thought they were the same, as the store actually stuck a barcode label on this one saying “Providence”, but it appears not.

By the way, New England Style cider is typically considered a barrel aged strong cider (8-12% ABV) which underwent a secondary fermentation with additional sugars and raisins. So, Winter Abbey Spice meets that definition except its a tad low on the ABV.

Cider: Winter Abbey Spice
Cidery: Reverend Nat’s
Cidery Location: Portland OR
ABV: 7.4%
How Supplied: 750ml flip top bottle
Style: New England style American spiced cider

Availability: Winter time, where Reverend Nat’s cider is sold. It appears this occurs in OR, WA, Southern CA, parts of ID, AK, British Columbia, Japan, & Singapore, and online at InsideTheCellar.com and ShipCider.com (although I didn’t see this variety on either website).

Cider Description: Our good friends in the North counteract the bitter chill of winter with this traditional drink, but in flavor, bold in character, made with raisins, unrefined cane sugar, cinnamon & nutmeg and fermented to dryness with oak. This tipple is sure to warm your bones.

The apples for this cider were from Kiyokawa Family Orchards. It was aged in oak for 6 months.

Cidery Description: Reverend Nat is a single-minded cider evangelist who searches the world for superior ingredients to handcraft the most unusual ciders that no one else will make.

Nat West (who is actually an online ordained minister) has been making cider since 2004, started Reverend Nat’s in 2011, and opened a tap room with 12 taps in Portland in 2013 (which also includes bottles and selections from other cideries).

Price: $12.99
Where Bought: Total Wine
Where Drank: home
How Found: This was recommended to me, so I was on the look out for it. At first I thought it was the same as Providence as that is what the label from the store said and I remembered Providence being a New England Style spiced cider, but it appears the recipe and ABV is slightly different. I had passed on Providence as the whole raisins and spices thing sounded weird. However, I’m now more open to spiced ciders, and apparently raisins aren’t all that uncommon to add to ciders (New England Style is a thing and raisins were traditionally used as their wild yeast would ferment the cider, and they add some sweetness, alcohol content, flavor, color, and tannins).

First Impression: Rich caramel orange amber. Low carbonation. Smells rich, of caramel, butterscotch, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and raisins.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry. Low acidity, tartness, and sourness. A touch of bitterness and funk. Mild to moderate spice (mostly cinnamon). Lovely rich flavor with lots of burnt caramel and brown sugar notes. The oak is barely noticeable. I only picked up raisins in the scent, not the flavor. Medium bodied. Long finish. Full flavored. Low sessionability.

My Opinion: This was pretty tasty, but the slightly sour thing was off putting to me. The sourness wasn’t overt, and took me awhile to figure out what I was picking up. However, reading online reviews, I can’t find anyone else noting it was sour, and I’m the first to admit I’m sensitive to it, so I imagine most folks wouldn’t notice at all. My husband said this was in his top 5 favorite ciders at least (he samples everything I open).

Most Similar to: Other high ABV spiced ciders (such as 2 Towns Nice & Naughty, although that is 10.5% ABV) and New England Style ciders. I don’t think I’ve tried a New England Style cider before, but at least a few exist in the current craft cider market (such as from Blackbird and Headwater). Apparently its fairly popular for home cidermakers too.

Closing Notes: I can see why this cider is popular. It wasn’t really my thing, but was nice to try. I’m not opposed to trying another New England Style cider though.

Do you have a favorite spiced cider?

Slyboro Ciderhouse Old Sin

January 8, 2016January 7, 2016 cidersays review, Slyboro cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, New York, Old Sin, Slyboro

Review of Slyboro Ciderhouse’s Old Sin, from Granville NY. This is the first cider I’ve tried from Slyboro. We don’t get too many East Coast ciders here, so I’ve only tried a handful.

Cider: Old Sin
Cidery: Slyboro Ciderhouse
Cidery Location: Granville NY
ABV: 8.0%
How Supplied: 750ml bottle
Style: American dry sparkling cider made with McIntosh and Russet apples

Availability: Year round in limited markets

Cider Description: Deliciously dry! A pure apple temptation from the intertwined flavors of delicately floral McIntosh, spicy aromatic Russets with a splash of warm, richly fruited Ice Harvest Cider…1.5% residual sugar.

This is described as a sparkling cider; however, as the bottle didn’t have the thick glass indicative of a true sparkling beverage, I knew not to expect too much carbonation (which is forced not natural in this case). Slyboro made this cider using apples from their own Hicks Orchard. Also of note is that 1.5% residual sugar would typically be defined as semi-dry, not dry.

Cidery Description: Named for the centuries-old hamlet that is home to Hicks Orchard, Slyboro Ciderhouse re-introduces the lost craft of traditional American ciders. Just as grapes are transformed into wine, our ciders are fermented from our own orchard-grown apples; unlocking the full potential of the apple by creatively blending a a distinctive range of delicious, award-winning ciders.

We at Slyboro Ciderhouse are dedicated to reclaiming cider – “true cider” – as America’s favorite drink. We invite you to explore and discover the flavors and delights of Slyboro Ciders. In any season, for special occasions, or to enrich the moment, “consider cider.”

Slyboro has a tasting room open seasonally, July through Christmas.

Price: $19.99 (which appears to be significantly marked up from what it would cost in NY)
Where Bought: Total Wine
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing. I’ve been wanting to try more East Coast ciders, and this sounded like a great one to try. I had read Meredith’s reviews of Slyboro ciders at Along Came a Cider.

First Impression: Very light gold amber. Light carbonation. Smells of rich sweet apples, caramel, butterscotch, and spice.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry. Mild tartness. Moderate tannins and acidity. A hint of bitterness. No sourness or funk. Butterscotch, caramel, and tropical fruit notes. Medium bodied. Long finish with lingering warmth. Rich and full-flavored. Moderate apple flavor. Low sessionability. High flavor complexity.

My Opinion: Yum! This is reminiscent of English cider, but has some additional fruitiness. This cider’s smell was especially amazing.

Most Similar to: Semi-dry full-flavored fruity ciders with moderate tannins. Two semi-dry ciders that come to mind are Eaglemount Quince (very fruity, although I didn’t detect significant tannins) and Alpenfire Ember (which had less fruitiness and a very strong level of tannins). One that I found to have a lot of fruitiness but more sweetness (semi-sweet) is Snowdrift Cliffbreaks Blend.

Closing Notes: This cider was very enjoyable, and I look forward to trying more of Slyboro’s line-up. I’ve also seen Hidden Star, Night Pasture, and Ice Harvest from their line-up.

Have you tried Slyboro Ciderhouse Old Sin? What did you think?

Schilling Cider House Visit 9 Tasting Notes

January 7, 2016January 7, 2016 cidersays Blue Mountain, E.Z. Orchards, Finnriver, Grizzly Ciderworks, J.K.'s Scrumpy, Locust, review, Schilling, Sea Cider, Seattle Cider cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, hard cider review, hard cider tasting, Schilling Cider House, seattle, washington

Tasting notes from my ninth visit to the Schilling Cider House in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle WA. Check out my past posts here. I hadn’t thought I’d have time for another visit in December, but managed to fit it into my schedule.

I was there for a Finnriver Bingo event, although I didn’t have much interest in the actual game & prizes, just used it as an excuse to go. The event was a packed house! There were six Finnriver ciders on tap: Habanero, Black Currant, Barrel in the Forest, Cranberry Rosehip, Fresh Hopped, and Pear (all of which I’ve had except Fresh Hopped).

I started with a flight of six ciders.

Blue Mountain Estate Winesap, 6.75% ABV, Milton-Freewater OR: This is a single varietal made with Winesap apples which Blue Mountain sells year round. Nearly clear. Tart, dry, and slightly funky smell. Dry to semi-dry. Moderate tartness and acidity. Mild bitterness. Very mild tannins. Hint of funk. Slight floral and oak notes. Light bodied. Moderate to long finish. I thought this was a basic dry & tart cider, and pretty low on flavor.

Seattle Cider Oaked Maple, 6.9% ABV, Seattle WA: This is one of Seattle Cider’s winter seasonals (they also did a Cranberry cider this year). I couldn’t remember if I had tried this before, but I’m leaning towards yes. Dark straw yellow hue. Smells of sweet maple and oak. Semi-dry. Moderate acidity. Mild tartness. Light bodied. Very light oak and light maple flavor. Quick finish. I thought this was pretty good, but I would have liked more flavor.

Finnriver Barrel in the Forest, 6.5% ABV, Chimacum WA: This is a limited release of a barrel aged version of Finnriver’s Forest Ginger cider (which I haven’t tried). I usually don’t like ginger, but this sounded interesting. Smells of sweet ginger. Semi-sweet. Light oak notes. Very mild ginger notes, much less than most ginger ciders (which usually seem to hit me at the back of the throat and linger). Low acidity, tartness, and bitterness. Light bodied. Moderate length finish. The ginger flavor however increased as it warmed up. This paired well with the Thai food I had for dinner. Overall I didn’t mind this one, despite the ginger, but probably wouldn’t get it again.

Locust Ciderworks Pumpkin, 5.0% ABV, Woodinville WA: This is a seasonal release from Locust, apparently draft-only. Hazy pumpkin orange-yellow hue. Smells of sweet pumpkin spice. Very sweet. Mild pumpkin and spice flavors, but overall very full flavored. Low acidity and tartness. Full bodied. Moderate length finish. I really liked this (even though I usually don’t go for pumpkin or spice), except it was too sweet for my liking, so not something I could have a pint of.

E.Z. Orchards Semi-Dry, 6.9% ABV, Salem OR: This is a regular release cider from E.Z. Orchards which uses French bittersweet apples. After ordering this I remembered I had tried it before, at Cider Summit Seattle 2015. Light amber. Smells slightly rich. Semi-dry. Herbal notes. Very light boded. Low tannins and tartness. Low to moderate acidity. Quick finish. Overall mildly flavored. It tasted a bit off, and I wondered if the tap line could have used more flushing. I also liked it much better at Cider Summit. Different batches can turn out much differently.

Grizzly Ciderworks Pomnivore on Nitro, 6.7% ABV, Woodinville WA: This is a tap-only release from Grizzly. Light ruby red. On the drier side of semi-sweet. Low acidity and tartness. Moderately flavored. Quick finish. I liked the pomegranate flavor without too much tartness like many pomegranate ciders have.

I met Nathan from Cider Chronicles (we just happened to sit next to each other at the bar!), who was awesome enough to share bottle pours of a couple ciders with me. He said Sea Cider Wassail, J.K.’s Scrumpy Winterruption, and Elemental Seasonal Spiced Apple were his three favorite seasonal ciders, although Reverend Nat’s Winter Abbey Spiced may be replacing J.K.’s Scrumpy Winterruption in his cue. I haven’t seen Rev Nat’s Winter Abbey, but picked up a bottle of Elemental Spiced, and tried the other two.

Sea Cider Wassail, 14% ABV, Saanichton BC Canada: This is Sea Cider’s winter seasonal. Rich amber-orange hue. Smells like orange and holiday spices. Semi-dry. Well-hidden ABV! Low acidity, tartness, and bitterness. The orange and spice notes continued into the flavor. Rich and full-flavored. Medium bodied. Moderate length finish with lots of heat. I liked this a bit more as it warmed up from fridge temperature. Overall this was enjoyable, but I like their Prohibition best.

J.K.’s Scrumpy Cuvee Winterruption, 6.9% ABV, Flushing MI: This is J.K. Scrumpy’s winter seasonal. Very sweet. Honey, orange, and mild spice notes. Mild acidity and tartness. Moderate to full bodied. Apparently this cider usually has much more spice. It was very easy drinking, between the sweetness and low ABV. Overall I found it ok.

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

Elemental Seasonal Spiced Apple

January 6, 2016January 6, 2016 cidersays Elemental, review cider, cider review, cider tasting, Elemental, hard cider, Seasonal Spiced Apple, spiced, spiced cider, washington, Woodinville

Review of Elemental Hard Cider’s Seasonal Spiced Apple cider, from Woodinville WA. This is a seasonal release for them.

Cider: Seasonal Spiced Apple
Cidery: Elemental Hard Cider
Cidery Location: Woodinville WA
ABV: 6.5%
How Supplied: 22oz bottle (also available on tap)
Style: American spiced apple cider

Availability: During Winter in Western WA

Cider Description: none given

Cidery Description: Family owned and operated. Brian and Christina Callahan launched Elemental Hard Cider to bring quality, affordable, and delicious hard cider to the world. We strive to bring fun and exciting flavors to the experienced cider enthusiast, as well as novice cider drinkers. Hand-Crafted Micro ciders Designed For Taste, smoothness, and quality. Each of our hand-crafted ciders are made from only the finest Northwest apples and cold-fermented to preserve the fruit. Our ciders are reminiscent of champagne, they are lightly filtered and mildly effervescent for clean taste. Experience our quality for yourself. Come in often to grab a glass. We are constantly trying out new flavors, so the line-up is always changing.

They have a tasting room in Woodinville WA open on Saturdays & Sundays.

Price: ~$8
Where Bought: Schilling Cider House in Seattle WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing, upon recommendation from Nathan from The Cider Chronicles

First Impression: Light amber yellow-orange. Mostly still. Smells like sweet apples, cinnamon, and sugar.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry (so my nose deceived me into thinking it would be sweeter). Moderate tartness. Strong acidity. No sourness or funk. Mild bitterness. Cinnamon-forward, with a touch of nutmeg and cloves, but overall the spice remains moderate. Light bodied. Long finish.

My Opinion: Pretty good. I liked that it wasn’t crazy sweet or heavily spiced. I was surprised however with the level of tartness and acidity.

Most Similar to: This reminds me a bit of 2 Towns Nice & Naughty, which I also found to be semi-dry and not too spiced, but was a significantly higher ABV. I’ve found D’s Wicked Baked Apple and Carlton Cyderworks Sugar and Spice to both be semi-sweet. I had always thought I didn’t like spiced ciders, but I’ve found that to be false.

Closing Notes: This was a great cider to kick off my Christmas break with!

What is your favorite spiced hard cider?

Big B’s Pear Supply

January 5, 2016January 5, 2016 cidersays Big B's, review Big B's, cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, pear cider, Pear Supply, sample, sour

Review of Big B’s Pear Supply cider, made in Hotchkiss CO, from fermented pear & apple juices, part of their Farmhouse Cellar series.

>This is a review of a sample bottle provided to Cider Says by Big B’s. 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: Pear Supply
Cidery: Big B’s
Cidery Location: Hotchkiss CO
ABV: 6.2%
How Supplied: 750ml bottle
Style: Organic American Farmstead-Style Apple-Pear Cider

Availability: Only in CO, year round, although they take phone orders to ship to customers when their state allows it.

Cider Description: Pear Supply artisanal farm house hard cider is a blend of local organic pears and apples, fermented together and bottle conditioned. Our recipe uses time honored cider making traditions and is cellar aged to perfection. Pear Supply is semi sweet, the apple and pear combination are well rounded and bursting with ripe pear notes and crisp apple undertones.

Made from local organic Winesap apples and Bartlett pears (50-50). Only apples, pears, and yeast, without other ingredients (such as Sulfites).

Cidery Description: Big B’s Hard Ciders – Local, Organic, Delicious. Big B’s proudly handcrafts American Farmstead Hard Ciders in small batches using only organic apples, hand picked at the peak of ripeness. Our orchard and tasting room is located in the North Fork Valley on the Western Slope of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains.

Big B’s has an organic farm market and tasting room in Hotchkiss CO for their juices and hard cider (first sold in 2011), which re-opens for the season in May 2016. Pear Supply won silver at GLINTCAP 2015, and is in the running for a Good Food award for 2016 (along with Grizzly Brand & Orchard Original). Here is an article on Big B’s.

Price: n/a ($15.99 retail price)
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: Online. I read about Big B’s, such as from a blog entry from Cider Sage, and have heard only great things.

First Impression: Lemonade light yellow hue. Moderate carbonation. Smells like pears, citrus, sourness, funk, and tartness.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Mild to moderate sourness and tartness. Moderate acidity. Hint of funk. Medium bodied. Fizzy mouthfeel. Notes of citrus and pear. I couldn’t really pick up the apple though. Moderate length finish.

My Opinion: Definitely sour, which isn’t to my liking, but I know a lot of other folks enjoy it. My husband however thought it was really tasty. Its all a matter of preference.

Most Similar to: Sour ciders. This reminded me some of Millstone Cobbler, which also had a lot of sour citrus flavor, although this cider wasn’t quite as sour, sweeter, and had pear not peach notes.

Closing Notes: I wasn’t expecting a sour cider, so this surprised me. I think fans who don’t mind a bit of sour would really enjoy this one though, especially in Spring & Summer.

Have you tried Big B’s cider? What did you think?

Dan Kelly’s Irish Cider

January 1, 2016December 31, 2015 cidersays Dan Kelly's, review cider, cider review, cider tasting, Dan Kelly's, hard cider, hard cider review, irish cider

Review of Dan Kelly’s Irish Cider. This is the second Irish cider I’ve tried (the first was Cragie’s Ballyhook Flier, plus I’ve also tried Dublin’s Pub, a Canadian Irish-style cider).

Cider: Cider
Cidery: Dan Kelly’s
Cidery Location: Drogheda Ireland
ABV: 4.5%
How Supplied: 500ml bottle
Style: Irish craft cider

None of the sub-pages of their website worked, including the one to contact them, so I couldn’t find much info straight from the source.

Availability: Unknown, but it appears they have at least limited distribution in the U.S., plus in Ireland and Germany

Cider Description: Dan Kelly’s Irish cider is crisp blend of cider apples with Bramley and dessert fruit using hand-picked apples from our own family orchard. These combinations give our craft cider a refreshing, crisp and extremely flavoursome finish every time.

Aged at least a year (I assume in a tank, as they didn’t mention barrels). Fermented with wild yeast (which is rare, as typically ciders will add a predictable known yeast strain rather than rely on the yeast from the apples & environment).

Cidery Description: Dan Kelly’s Cider is a new Irish cider made from hand picked apples from our very own family orchard. We are one of the only cider producers in Ireland to grow our own fruit. Our apples are blended to ensure the full fruit flavour comes through in our craft cider.

Price: ~$9
Where Bought: Special Brews in Lynnwood WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing

First Impression: Light amber-orange. Low carbonation. Smells dry, funky, and of oak.

Tasting Notes: Between semi-dry and semi-sweet. Low tannins, acidity, tartness, and bitterness. Slight funk. Moderate apple flavor. Medium bodied. Notes of oak and herbalness. Moderate length finish. Moderate sessionability.

My Opinion: I thought this one was ok. My main issue was a slightly off flavor I detected that I didn’t enjoy, likely from wild yeast fermentation (which is what can cause a cider to taste a bit funky).

Most Similar to: English cider, although this one had a bit of unique flavor I assume is from the wild yeast.

Closing Notes: I think I prefer English cider to Irish cider so far. For a dollar or two less I can get an English cider I really enjoy, such as from Aspall or Sheppy’s.

Have you tried Dan Kelly’s cider? What did you think?

Cascadia Ciderworkers United Dry

December 31, 2015June 18, 2017 cidersays Cascadia, review Cascadia, cider, cider review, cider tasting, dry cider, hard cider, oregon, Portlant

Review of Cascadia Ciderworkers United’s Dry cider, produced by Reverend Nat’s in Portland Oregon.

Cider: Dry
Cidery: Cascadia Ciderworks United
Cidery Location: Portland OR
ABV: 6.9%
How Supplied: four pack of 16oz cans
Style: American New World Style dry canned cider

Availability: Year round in limited markets, such as OR, WA, & CA

Cider Description: This is a true dry cider, made with the finest American dessert apples and crafted with Belgian beer yeast. Cloudy and golden colored, it is best served chilled, not ice cold. The next time you’re in Portland Oregon, stop by for a pint. Our Ciderworkers will be glad to share one with you.

Cidery Description: The Pacific Northwest grows more apples than anywhere else in the country, so we make hard cider here. Our ciderworkers use only Cascadia-grown whole apples, never juice from concentrate.

Price: $9.50 for a four pack (although I got a single can for under $3)
Where Bought: Total Wine
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing. I had seen this on the shelves for awhile, and now that I’m open to drier ciders, I thought I might as well give it a try. Also, I’ve been wanting to find a local canned craft cider I like, and not having much luck.

First Impression: Light amber. Moderate carbonation. Smells acidic, tart, slightly rich, and of caramel, honey, and vanilla.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry. Moderate acidity. Low tartness and tannins. A hint of bitterness. No sourness or funk. The flavor is a bit yeasty and slightly apple forward, with a slight richness. It almost tastes barrel aged. Caramel and vanilla notes. Medium to high sessionability. Light to medium bodied. Moderate to full flavored. Moderate carbonation, which is rare to find. Moderate length finish, with some lingering booziness.

My Opinion: Yum! I enjoyed this cider, and think its a great value too. It was nice to have something that was drier but still fairly full flavored. I think its impressive they even got some tannins in there. Its actually the best local canned cider I’ve tried (my favorite canned cider so far is Downeast Original).

Most Similar to: This reminded me a bit of French cider, such as Celt, as it had a richer flavor and was carbonated (although its a bit drier than most ciders I’ve had from Brittany France).

Closing Notes: I think this would be a great everyday canned cider to keep in my house. Cascadia also makes a Granny Smith variety, and have a winter seasonal (at a whopping 9.5% ABV).

Update: Since I liked this so much I bought a four pack, and it was unfortunately undrinkable. It was like it was a completely different cider (a fruity cider gone bad). I e-mailed the cidery, but didn’t receive a response. Disappointing.

Have you tried Cascadia cider? What did you think?

Freyeisen Apfelwein German Cider

December 30, 2015December 20, 2015 cidersays Freyeisen, review Apfelwein, apple wine, cider, cider review, Freyeisen, german, german cider, hard cider

Review of Freyeisen Apfelwein, a german “apple wine”, and the first cider I’ve tried from Germany.

Cider: Freyeisen Apfelwein German Cider
Cidery: Freyeisen
Cidery Location: Frankfurt Germany (Hessen-Rhine-Main)
ABV: 5.5%
How Supplied: single 330ml bottles (which is a format you don’t see often)
Style: German Apfelwein

Availability: Unknown

Cider Description: Produced in the hills near Frankfurt, from the region of Hessen which has centuries of cider culture and tradition. Freyeisen uses a unique blend of local apple varieties, crushed and fermented using traditional methods only. Fine soft carbonation. Fresh, crisp and full of ripe fruits. Scents of honey, orange blossom, apple tree and almonds.

Note that I couldn’t find much info on this cider besides a few reviews online…even the cidery’s website wasn’t working.

Price: $4 or $5?
Where Bought: Schilling Cider House in Seattle WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing. Both my husband and I are of German heritage (my husband moreso), so I was quite curious to try a cider from Germany. This was the most affordable German cider they had (the others were larger format bottles), so I thought I’d start with it.

First Impression: Medium amber hue. Low carbonation. Smells of bittersweet apples, yeast, honey, spice, and oak.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry. Moderate tartness and acidity. Mild tannins and bitterness. No sourness or funk. I picked up the same notes as the scent, except add vanilla & citrus and subtract spice. It had a warming effect (tasted like it had a higher ABV than indicated). Well balanced and crisp flavors tending towards apple-forward. Medium bodied. Moderate flavor intensity. Moderate length finish.

My Opinion: Pretty tasty, definitely well above average, but not spectacular. Its an easily likable cider as long as someone isn’t expecting something significantly sweeter. I found its sessionability to be moderate (not higher mostly due to it tasting like the ABV was on the high end due to a warming effect).

Most Similar to: It seemed to have characteristics in between that which I’d associate with English & French (Brittany not Normandy) ciders. I don’t however have any other apfelwein experience to compare to.

Closing Notes: I’m curious to try other apfelweins!

Have you tried any ciders from Germany? What did you think?

Book Review #6, Craft Cider – How to Turn Apples into Alcohol

December 29, 2015December 29, 2015 cidersays book, cider education, review book, book review, cider, cider book, craft cider, hard cider, Jeff Smith

For the sixth book review here at Cider Says (see here for the first five): “Craft Cider – How to Turn Apples Into Alcohol”, by Jeff Smith, published September 2015, with a suggested price of $17.95. Jeff Smith is the one who started Bushwhacker Cider in Portland OR, a cider bar and cidery. I suggested that my local library add this book to their collection, and they bought it for me to borrow! I think libraries are great to check out a book to see if you may want to purchase it.

I always like reading about cider, and this was a nice quick weekend vacation read.

This book includes the following Chapters:

The World of Cider (the cider industry & some cider history)
Styles of Cider (English, Spanish, French, American, German, Irish, Scandinavian, Ice, & Pommeau)
Sourcing Fruit and Juice (Farmer’s Markets, Local Orchards, Grocery Stores, Juice, Neighbors, What Makes a Cider Apple Different?, and Apple Varieties)
A Cider Maker’s Necessary Equipment (Fermentation Vessel, Sourcing and Using Wood Barrels, Hydrometer, Wine Thief, Thermometer, pH Meter and pH Strips, Airlocks and Bungs, Cleaning Chemicals, Sanitizer, Siphons, Bottling Equipment, Kegging Equipment, More About Kegging)
Step by Step (process of making cider)
So You Want to Press Your Own Apples? (Presses, Basic Overview)
Recipes (Basic Dry, Bushwhacker Smoked, New England Style, Lingonberry, Local Cyser, Scrumpy, Cherry, Ginger, Pear Cider and Perry, Dry Oaked, Spanish-Style, Cranberry, High Gravity, Bushwhacker Italian Plum, Spiced, Sweet, Bushwhacker Alice, Forgotten Trail)
How to Taste Cider (Tasting at Home, Setting up a Tasting, Cellaring Ciders, Terms)
Cooking with Cider (Bushwhacker Cider Vinaigrette, Apple Coleslaw, Pulled Pork Butt, Cider House Fondue)
Cider Cocktails (Pommeau Manhattan, Bushwhacker G&T, Apply Brandy “Cide-Car”, Cherry 88, Cider Mule, Forgetful Rob, Basque-Tini, Cider Dark & Stormy, Cider Julep, Apple Cosmo, Big Apple Iced Tea)
Resources (Blogs, Organizations, Events, Country-Specific Cider Terms, Cider-Making Terms)

My favorite parts were those which were unique to this book, such as about using wood barrels, pros & cons of kegging, and cellaring cider.

Overall this book isn’t a bad choice for a newbie to cider, especially one who wants to get into making their own cider, but for others like me, they may not get much out of it. I also didn’t like how often the book mentioned the author’s cider bar & cidery, Bushwhacker (it literally seemed like almost every page), and its language was almost too informal (didn’t seem like it had much editing). I’m glad I got to get it from the library, but its not something I see the need to buy for my own collection.

Elemental Cider Tasting Notes

December 28, 2015December 19, 2015 cidersays Elemental, review Around the Table, cider, cider review, cider tasting, Elemental, hard cider, lynnwood, washington, Woodinville

Around the Table, a game pub in Lynnwood WA, recently hosted an Elemental Hard Cider tasting. Although I’m not really into the game portion of their shop, its a great place to pick up a growler of cider, as they usually have a few selections on tap (plus a mead), typically from local cideries. Elemental Cider hails from Woodinville WA, also in the greater Seattle area. Brian and Christina Callahan, founders of Elemental, were there pouring, and it wasn’t too busy so I got to talk with Brian about cider for awhile. Elemental has a tasting room in Woodinville WA. They started off making wine, founding Callahan Cellars, but have since transitioned to cider, closing Callahan Cellars.

I’ve had a number of Elemental’s selections, including past versions of the Carbon and NW Atomic Rootbeer varieties they were sampling. I was surprised how different the recipes were from what I had previously tried, but they said they have continued to tweak them after release, although the current versions should be the permanent ones. Even without knowingly tweaking a recipe, a cider can change significantly batch to batch, year to year.

Blood Orange is a newer variety for them and only available at their tap room, but Carbon and NW Atomic Rootbeer are available in bottles. I think Pom-Cherry is also a newer tap room only variety, but they have a Pomegranate variety dubbed”Oxygen” available in bottles & kegs, and I’ve had a Cherry variety from them from a keg previously.

I started with Carbon, which they describe as a traditional dry hard cider. The cidermaker Brian divulged that they have a special ingredient they use, a touch of lavender, for a little something special. I couldn’t pick up that flavor, but this was rather unique for a basic cider. I’d call it more semi-dry than dry. Its fairly apple-forward, moderately full flavored, and slightly rich. Moderate acidity, mild tartness, and a hint of tannins, with no detectable bitterness, sourness, or funk. Medium bodied.

I learned that they use colder fermenation temperatures than some other cideries to retain more apple flavor in their ciders. I really like when a cider is apple-forward without tasting juice-like (which often happens when they overly back-sweeten a cider with unfermented juice).

This version of Carbon was quite different than the version I tried a couple months ago (which was probably bottled many months before that), which was very pale in color, drier, less flavorful, and had more bitterness & tannins. I enjoyed this new version much better. I’d love if they would make it available in cans, as I’ve been searching for an affordable craft cider (which usually means a multi-pack) that I enjoy, and coming up empty as most are very mildly flavored.

Next was Cherry-Pom, which had a light cherry hue, and with which I picked up more cherry than pomegranate flavor (the Pom mostly presented as tartness), but it remained mild to moderately flavored. It was semi-dry, with mild to moderate acidity. I’m not really a big fan of fruity ciders, but I found no faults with it.

I then tried NW Atomic Rootbeer, which is their root beer made with a cider base (in contrast to a malt base like most hard root beers). It smells almost exactly like the soda version of root beer (moreso than the previous version), but has a hint of apple on the finish (also moreso than the previous version). However, in between, the root beer flavor seemed to be less than the previous version. Brian said that they ferment the apple base dry, so it shouldn’t have much apple flavor remaining, so it may be been perceived on my part (or I had some previous cider remaining in my glass). Overall it was enjoyable, but I remembered liking the previous version better, so I was a bit disappointed.

They’ve actually got some members of the cider community in uproar on this product, saying it isn’t craft cider. Although this is “Alcopop”, I don’t see it as much different than fruit, hopped, or spiced cider…the main difference is that they use caramel coloring. However, its cane sugar based, non-GMO, and the closest you can get to all natural (they are currently trying to go one step further and get the organic version of it). I personally don’t have an issue with the product as they are upfront about what it is.

The final cider was Blood Orange. This seems to be a new fad, as Ace recently released a “Space” blood orange cider (my tasting notes here), as well as some other cideries which don’t distribute in my area (2 Rivers, Bulmers, Country Cider Co, Common Cider Co, & FoxCraft. Thankfully I liked Elemental’s version much better than Ace’s, as it tasted real instead of fake, although rather juice-like. It was full-flavored, but the blood orange portion of the flavor remained mild instead of overpowering. It had a hazy orange hue with a hint of pink. Full bodied. This is a pretty easily likable cider, and seemed to be a hit during the tasting. I thought it was well-done, but its just not a flavor I enjoy.

My favorite of the four ciders was oddly enough the Carbon. I unfortunately liked the previous version of NW Atomic Rootbeer better. I decided to get a half growler of Carbon since I liked it, it was such a good price (about the same as a bottle of their cider which is half the size), and its no fun to leave a tasting empty handed.

They were doing a raffle for giveaways (mostly Elemental Hard Cider & NW Atomic Rootbeer branded glass growlers) for folks who bought a pint of cider. However, I didn’t have a reason to hang out after my cider tasting and a bit of Full Tilt ice cream, so I got a growler and headed home. They were doing the same deal they did with the last cider tasting (Finnriver) where you got the growler glass for free (instead of $5) with a fill, so now I have two 32oz cider growlers. I was able to drink the cider a few nights that week and it actually stayed perfectly fresh and lightly carbonated the whole time.

I look forward to the next cider tasting they have at Around the Table, and trying more ciders from Elemental. They have been commercially producing cider for just over a year, and already have a maximum capacity of 30 barrels a week.

Spire Mountain Red Apple

December 25, 2015December 18, 2015 cidersays review, Spire Mountain apple cider, cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Leavenworth, Red Apple, Spire, Spire Mountain, washington

Review of Spire Mountain’s Red Apple variety. I’ve had this one a couple times before, same with their Sparkling Pear, but this is the first time since starting Cider Says. My favorite cider from Spire Mountain is their Dark & Dry (which isn’t dry, but is a nice rich semi-sweet cider), which I reviewed here, one of my first reviews.

Cider: Red Apple
Cidery: Spire Mountain (Fish Brewing Company)
Cidery Location: Olympia WA
ABV: 5.0%
How Supplied: six pack of 12oz bottles, kegs
Style: American (New World) modern apple cider

Availability: AL, AK, CA, FL, HI, ID, IL, MI, MN, MT, ND, OR, PA, RI, SD, WA, Canada (Alberta & British Columbia), and online through BeerShip.com. Red Apple, Sparkling Pear, and Dark & Dry are available year-round in six packs & kegs, Spiced Cider is available Nov-Jan in limited markets in 22oz bottles, and they have a new variety I haven’t even seen yet, Habanero Apple, which is also available Nov-Jan (I also assume in limited markets) in 22oz bottles.

Cider Description: From the natural sweetness of famed Washington apples comes this delightful hard cider. Pleasant, light and with a snap of champagne effervescence, each glass is like a bite of crisp liquid apple. Perfectly balanced with just the right tartness, this is one of life’s natural pleasures.

Cidery Description: Deep in the very heart of the Cascade Mountain Range, legend has it that there is a hidden mountain with an enchanted orchard, where the climate is ideal for growing the world’s finest apples and pears. For centuries, the inhabitants of this magical place known as Spire Mountain, have spent their days doing nothing but nurturing the fruit on the trees, and making the best cider on earth. Is it any wonder that Spire Mountain Cider is the oldest premium cider brand in America? The next time you order a cider, ask for the one made in the enchanted orchard on Spire Mountain!

Spire Mountain was founded in 1985 (yes that is correct, before even Woodchuck) and have a tap room (under Fish Brewing) in Woodinville WA and a Brew Pub (under Fish Brewing) in Olympia WA.

Price: $6.50! / 12oz bottle (it runs around $8-$11 a six pack in stores)
Where Drank: J.J. Hills in Leavenworth WA, which we visited to satisfy my husband’s prime rib desires. Leavenworth is a quaint Bavarian-themed mountain town a couple hours East of Seattle WA, which we were visiting for one of their famous Christmas Lighting Festival weekends (it literally requires a reservation a year in advance to stay the weekend).
Their Cider Selection: J.J. Hills offered Spire Mountain’s Red Apple and Sparkling Pear varieties in bottles. The Spire rep must have hit up Leavenworth, as a couple years ago when we last visited, almost no cider was to be found, and now every place had an offering or two, mostly Spire (where in Seattle I rarely find it in a restaurant or bar).

I was able to order the following ciders during our weekend in Leavenworth:
– Spire Mountain Dark & Dry on draft at Bavarian Lodge (our hotel, which is awesome, and the only place we’ll stay in Leavenworth)
– Spire Mountain Dark & Dry on draft at Bavarian Bistro & Bar
– Seattle Cider Semi-Sweet on draft at Cured
– Spire Mountain Red Apple in a bottle at J.J. Hills
– Woodchuck Amber in a bottle at Icicle Brewery
– this one doesn’t really count, but I brought a can of Downeast Cranberry Blend with us to enjoy in the room, and it tasted nice and festive

First Impression: Light amber. Low carbonation. Smells like apple juice with a touch of acidity and tartness.

Tasting Notes: Semi-sweet. Moderate acidity. Mild tartness. No sourness, bitterness, or funk. Very apple-forward with crisp flavrs, but I also detected some mild tropical notes. Juice-like, but not syrupy. Highly sessionable and a well-hidden ABV. Light to medium bodied. Quick finish length.

My Opinion: Above average. Its a pretty standard tasting cider and doesn’t have any significant complexity. However, its tasty, easy to drink, apple forward, and on the sweeter side but not crazy sweet or syrupy like some other easily available ciders are (such as Angry Orchard Crisp Apple, Strongbow Gold Apple, and Smith & Forge). Still, its on the commercial side, and they even add sugar after fermentation (listed on the ingredient list).

Most Similar to: Semi-sweet apple-forward commercial and craft-commercial ciders.

Closing Notes: Dark & Dry is definitely my favorite Spire Mountain cider, especially on draft, but Red Apple definitely hit the spot, and I wouldn’t hesitate to order it if it was available, although its not something I’d buy to keep in the house.

Have you tried Spire Mountain ciders? What did you think?

Schilling Cider House Visit 8 Tasting Notes

December 24, 2015August 12, 2016 cidersays 2 Towns, AEppelTreow, Cider Riot, Eaglemount, Number Six, review, Schilling cider, cider flight, cider review, cider tasting, flight, Fremont, hard cider, Schilling Cider House, seattle, tasting notes

Yes, I made yet another trip to the Schilling Cider House! Check out my past posts here. This time it was for a random visit in early December, as I knew I wouldn’t have time to go for awhile with the holidays. I wasn’t disappointed, as there were a good number of ciders on tap I hadn’t tried previously.

I had a flight of six ciders, then picked up a half growler of Locust Bittersweet (which I have a bottle of, but was a really good deal and is quite tasty) and a few bottles. I was intrigued by a new Liberty Ciderworks (Spokane WA) cider called Garretza, but learned it is a barrel aged sour, and passed as I’m not into sours.

Schilling Pineapple Passion (aka Trouble in Paradise), 5% ABV, Seattle WA: This is a brand new currently tap-only release at Schilling which added pineapple & passion fruit juices to cider, and may be canned in the future. Slightly hazy pineapple-yellow hue. On the drier side of semi-sweet. Light bodied. Moderate pineapple flavor. I didn’t pick up any passion fruit flavor. The only other pineapple ciders I’ve had are Ace Pineapple (apple cider backsweetened with pineapple juice) and Reverend Nat’s Tepache (made only using pineapple juice, very low ABV, and lots of spice). In my mind I was comparing this to Ace’s pineapple cider. I liked Schilling’s much better, as it wasn’t as juice-like (I used to really enjoy Ace’s Pineapple, but my tastes moved away from ciders which taste like juice). However, Schilling’s Pineapple cider seemed to be missing something…maybe it needed more carbonation?

Number 6 Pomegranate, 5.4% ABV, Seattle WA: I’ve previously only had their “True Cider” variety. Light cherry / pomegranate type hue. Semi-sweet. Light bodied. Low acidity and tartness. It remained light to moderate on the pomegranate flavor, similar to Elemental’s “Oxygen” Pomegranate cider (Elemental is also in the Seattle area, in Woodinville WA). I found this to be rather average, as it left me wanting more flavor. I mostly tried it as I hadn’t had it before.

AeppelTreow Barn Swallow, 6% ABV, Burlington WI: This is the first cider I’ve had from them. Made from Red Delicious, Cortland, Ida Red, and Greenings apples. Semi-sweet. Medium straw yellow. Low acidity and tartness. No bitterness. Medium boded. There was a slight richness which I enjoyed. Overall definitely well above average, and quite tasty. I look forward to trying the bottle of their Appely Brut I have at home.

Eaglemount Cyser, 8% ABV, Port Townsend WA: Cysers are made by fermenting both apple juice and honey, so are classified in between cider and mead. Smells dry, of yeast & honey, with a slight funk. Medium straw yellow. Semi-sweet. Nice mild honey flavor. Medium bodied. Moderate acidity. Mild tartness. The higher ABV was noticeable. Really nice! However, I was more impressed with their Quince cider I had a bottle of awhile back, which was crazy complex and fruity. I want to try more from them.

2 Towns Nice & Naughty Bourbon Barrel Aged, 10.5% ABV, Corvallis OR: I had 2 Towns’ Nice & Naughty (their holiday seasonal) on tap only a couple weeks before this, but this one is a special bourbon barrel aged release of it which appears to be tap-only. Smells spiced, rich, and alcohol-forward. The spice remains very mild, even more so than the regular version. Moderate barrel influence and mild bourbon influence for the flavor, but this tastes quite boozy. Some caramel and vanilla notes, and oddly enough, ginger? Mild tartness, acidity, and bitterness. Medium bodied. Long finish with a lot of warmth. I drank it last, letting it warm up to close to room temperature, based on my previous experience with the regular version of Nice & Naughty tasting better that way. However, it may have been a mistake, as I didn’t really care for this version of the cider. The high ABV, spice, barrel aging, and bourbon influence seemed to be competing for attention. I much preferred the regular Nice & Naughty (which is odd as typically I love barrel aged ciders), but would be curious to try this one again when it was very cold.

Cider Riot Champoeg X-17 on Nitro, 4.6% ABV, Portland OR: This is a hopped cider, part of their new Champoeg line, and made using an experimental hops variety. Smells herbal & floral. Semi-dry. The hops flavor remains very mild, and is more herbal & floral than hoppy. It reminded me some of Portland Hop’rageous and Tod Creek Mala-Hop, which are also both mild (although this cider was even milder on the hops). Very light boded. The Nitro tap didn’t seem to add much except additional foam (I think it works best with Berry ciders). I’m not a hops fan, so I don’t think I fully appreciated it, but it wasn’t bad. Overall it left me wanting more flavor, but I wouldn’t have wanted any more hops flavor.

My favorites of the evening were Eaglemount Cyser, AeppelTreow Barn Swallow, and Schilling Pineapple Passion, in that order.

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

Nashi Orchards Asian Pear Perry 2013 – Chojuro Blend

December 22, 2015December 19, 2015 cidersays Nashi Orchards, review asian pear, Chojuro, cider, Nashi, Nashi Orchards, pear cider, perry, Vashon, Vashon Island

Review of Nashi Orchards’ Chojuro Blend Asian Pear Perry. Note that true perry is a fermented beverage made only from pears. In contrast, pear cider is typically apple cider back sweetened with pear juice. Pear cider will typically be sweeter and have a stronger pear flavor, but perry is more traditional.

Nashi Orchards specializes in perry, especially from asian pears, and Chojuro Blend is their flagship product. The word “Nashi” in Japaenese means “pear” by the way. This is my first time trying their perry, although I sampled one of their ciders at a tasting event with Bill Bradshaw last summer at Capitol Cider during Washington Cider Week (tasting notes on Issho Ni “Together” cider here).

Cider: Asian Pear Perry 2013 – Chojuro Blend
Cidery: Nashi Orchards
Cidery Location: Vashon Island WA
ABV: 6.7%
How Supplied: 187ml (6.2oz) clear glass bottle
Style: American perry made from Chojuro and Olympic varieties of Asian pears

Availability: Limited to the greater Vashon Island, Seattle, and Tacoma areas of WA. Nashi self-distributes to independent bottle shops, tap rooms, and fine restaurants in WA. They also welcome visitors to their orchard and tasting room on Vashon Island. Chojuro Blend is their most widely distributed perry. They usually offer an additional 3 or 4 other perries and ciders at a time, some of which are small batch and only available directly through them.

Cider Description: Our signature Chojuro Perry is lightly effervescent with a floral aroma, exhibits flavors of bright summer fruit and pear, and has a clean refreshing finish. Serve it as an aperitif or with NW oysters, halibut and turkey. We carefully control fermentation to preserve some of the natural sweetness, use 100% juice pressed at our winery and never add sugar or flavorings.

Cidery Description: PASSIONATELY PURSUING DELICIOUS LIBATIONS. Nashi Orchards uses sustainable practices to grow the finest Asian Pears and handcraft perry and hard cider. Our orchard and winery is located on beautiful Vashon Island, Washington where we are a part of a growing community of committed producers of artisanal foods, wines and spirits.

Additional Information: Jim Gerlach from Nashi was awesome enough to respond to my request for more info with some amazing detailed notes–thanks!

The Chojuro Asian Pear Perry is a blend of two varieties of Asian pear. The Chojuro pears are grown in our orchard on Vashon Island and are an orange bronze colored fruit with flavors of butterscotch. It is also called “the rum pear”. The second asian pear is a Korean Giant, also called Olympic. We source these from Kiyokawa Orchards in Hood River. It is a very late pear and likes a bit more heat than we get in Puget Sound. Both pears benefit from extended maturation to bring out the flavors and aromatics. This extended maturation process also serves to convert some of the simple sugars into complex sugars which do not ferment and this provides a bit of residual sweetness. I would describe it as off-dry .

We typically ferment the varieties separately using different yeasts and do bulk blending in the spring after fermentation is complete. We like Epernay2 and DV10 for a clean expression of the fruit and use sake yeast on a portion of the batch to provide improved mouthfeel and complexity.

In response to my question on perry from asian vs. other pear varieties: The flavors are similar but I would say that the flavor and aroma of asian pear perry is a bit more floral and delicate.

Traditional european perry pears (Pyrus domestica) may have tannin and commercially available asian pears do not. Tannins will provide some structure as well as astringency and/or bitterness. That being said we have access to a trial orchard of Asian Pears (pyres pyrifolia) and have found varieties with massive amounts of tannins. We are excited to propagate these and add these to our orchard.

The acidity of some Asian pears is thought to be quite low and this creates the need to blend or add acid to create an appropriate pH for fermentation. Most of the varieties of pears from our orchard have a relatively low pH. This is because we only irrigate as much as necessary to maintain tree health. More water in the fruit equals less flavor and less acidity.

Storage, milling and pressing of Asian Pears is much easier than with European pears. European and perry pears are notoriously fickle in terms of ripening and can go from hard as a marble to slime in a matter of days. As I mentioned before, a long maturation process is key to extracting as much flavor as possible from the fruit. Asian Pears store for long periods of time, and mill and press quite readily. Some European pears can be very slimy and difficult to press without aids such as enzymes or rice hulls.

Thanks again to Jim at Nashi for sharing all that awesome detailed info on this perry, asian pears, and their orchard!

Price: $6.50
Where Bought: Full Throttle Bottles in Seattle WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing. The cute bottle caught my attention. Once at home it sat for quite a few months however as I didn’t find the right time to drink it (with such a small bottle it was more of an aperitif), but lately I’ve been trying to drink some of my oldest ciders, so into the fridge and into the glass it went.

First Impression: Pale straw yellow. Light carbonation & foam. Smells of pear (light), vanilla, spice, sour citrus, floral, and wild yeasr / funk. Drank chilled.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry. Light sourness, funk, tartness, and bitterness. Mild to moderate acidity. Very mild flavored in general, but complex. The primary notes I picked up were pear and citrus, with some honey, floral, and vanilla. I also found it quite wine-like. Light bodied. Medium length finish. Moderate sessionability. I found it a touch alcohol-forward (warming), despite its mild flavor & body.

My Opinion: Although I think it was wonderfully complex and well-crafted, this perry wasn’t really to my tastes. I enjoy full-flavored ciders, yet similar to most other perries I’ve tried, the flavor of this one remained mild. It was nice to try it though. Oddly enough I would have guessed wild yeast was used due to the mild amount of funk, but it sounds like they used some unique fermentation techniques and yeast, so that probably explains what I picked up.

Most Similar to: Other perries and off-dry white grape wine (although I have no grape wine experience so I can’t be more specific than that…and I specify grape wine as cider & perry are actually classified as types of wine, which doesn’t technically only mean grape). The level of funk seemed in between that of for example Snowdrift Perry (almost non existent) and WildCraft (mild to moderate, although Pioneer Perry was less so than the Elderberry Perry). My favorite perry so far is Pear Essentials from Neigel Vintners (NV Cider), likely as it is sweeter and has a more intense pear flavor (as it is back sweetened), although I’ve also had their Half Past Prudent which was drier & milder. Back sweetening perry (and cider) isn’t traditional, but is a technique that is quite common, as its the easiest way to get a sweeter beverage which is fruit-forward. I don’t mind dry, but I prefer full-flavored, which often doesn’t occur with drier ciders & perries.

Closing Notes: I don’t think I truly appreciate perry…I have found perries to have a lot of qualities similar to white wine, which I also don’t care for. It was a nice aperitif though, and I’m glad I got to try it. I’d recommend this perry for folks looking for something unique and local. I think especially in summer it would be tasty.

Have you tried any true perries? What did you think?

Hard Cider News Edition 6

December 21, 2015December 20, 2015 cidersays news, review cider, cider blog, cider news, hard cider, hard cider news

These are some recent hard cider news/articles/links/posts I found interesting and have shared on Facebook lately. To get the latest scoop, like Cider Says on Facebook!

cider news

News

The CIDER Act passed! There are now new tax laws for cider, increasing the max ABV to be taxed as cider (instead of the much higher wine rate) from 7% to 8.5%, including pear juice and apple & pear concentrate in addition to apple juice, and increasing the allowable carbonation level (above which the much higher champagne rate applies). Its definitely a start, but still leaves a lot out. (some articles from CSP Net, Press Republican, Marketplace, & KTVZ)

New Taproom in Luna Center [New Mexico Hard Cider Taproom] Offers Hub for Cider Lovers (Santa Fe New Mexican)

Vegetarian Cider House Wassail Fizzes in the Glass and Dazzles on the Plate (Village Voice)

Surprise Family with Something New for Thanksgiving: Craft Cider (Seattle Times)

Big Cider Brands Aren’t Seeing the Boom They Used To (CNBC)

Cider Industry Body Calls for Alcohol to be Included in New Country of Origin Labeling System [in Australia] (ABC Australia)

HOOPS ON HOPS: The ABCs of Hard Apple Cider (Deluth News Tribune)

Seaport Sightseeing Route Leads to Hard-Cider Heaven (USA Today), article on Olympic Peninsula cider route near Port Townsend WA with Finnriver, Alpenfire, & Eaglemount cideries

Pabst Brewing Partners with Vermont Hard Cider (Vermont Biz), so now Pabst has complete control over distribution of Vermont Hard Cider’s cider brands, which most notably include Woodchuck

Rochester’s First Hard Cider-Only Bar Opening (Democrat & Chronicle)

Blogs

Eric West’s Cider Guide from Nov 20, Nov 27, Dec 4, Dec 11, and Dec 18, where #9 or #10 of each includes some of my reviews

5 Hard Ciders Seeking a Place at Your Holiday Table (The Street): Woodchuck Hot Cha Cha Cha, WILDCIDE, Square Mile Spur & Vine, Spire Mountain Dark & Dry, and Virtue Lapinette Cidre Brut

Woodchuck Winter Chill Snickerdoodles! (Woodchuck), recipe

DIY CiderTime (Farnum Hill / Poverty Lane Orchards), article on home cidermaking complete with infographics

American Hard Cider Hits the Sweet Spot (Gourmet Retailer)

Magazines

Cider Makes a Comeback in New York (High Brow Magazine), featuring Descendant (NY), Farnum Hill (NH), Aaron Burr (NY), West County Cider (MA), and Reverend Nat’s (OR)

Holiday Gift Guide: 10 Cider-Centric Presents (CiderCraft)

Carlton Cyderworks Slake

December 18, 2015December 19, 2015 cidersays Carlton, review barrel aged, Carlton, cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Slake

Review of Carlton Cyderworks’ Slake barrel aged cider. Carlton was founded in 2009, and this cider appear to have been released for the first time in September 2015.

Cider: Slake
Cidery: Carlton
Cidery Location: McMinnville OR
ABV: 6.75%
How Supplied: 22oz bottle

Availability: Limited release in OR & WA

Cider Description: Slake: (verb) to cool or refresh. Slake your thirst! Aged in whiskey barrels, this crisp apple cyder features notes of vanilla and oak and just a touch of sweetness.

Cidery Description: Family-owned Micro Cidery. We make some traditional cider. We make some modern cider. It’s all good stuff.

Price: $6.50
Where Bought: Full Throttle Bottles in Seattle WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing. I’m a big fan of barrel aged ciders, and pretty much buy every one I see.

First Impression: Light straw yellow. Still (no carbonation). Smells of tannins, oak, honey, yeast, acidity, vanilla, and mild apple.

Opinion: Semi-dry. The oak, honey, and vanilla notes continue. Mild whiskey and mild barrel influence. Low acidity, tartness, bitterness, and tannins. No funk or sourness. Light bodied. Quick finish. Very mild flavored, almost sessionable. Some warmth at the end.

Most Similar to: Mildly flavored barrel aged ciders. A lot of the flavor notes (vanilla, oak, honey) and that it is semi-dry and still reminds me of 2 Towns’ The Bad Apple, although that is over 10% ABV and more fully flavored. I also find some comparisons to Tieton Cidermaker’s Reserve.

Closing Notes: Pretty tasty, but it left me wanting more flavor in general. However, I’m a fan of very full-flavored ciders. I think the price was very reasonable though.

Have you tried Carlton Slake? What did you think?

Finnriver Black Currant

December 17, 2015December 10, 2015 cidersays Finnriver, review Black Currant, Chimacum, cider, cider review, cider tasting, Finnriver, hard cider, port townsend

Review of Finnriver’s Black Currant cider. I’ve had this a few times, but this is the first time I’ve had it since starting Cider Says. I picked up a growler of this cider at a Finnriver cider tasting at Around the Table in Lynnwood WA. They were pouring their Pear, Cranberry Rosehip, and Black Currant ciders, and offering a free glass growler with fill.

(stock photo as I got a half growler)

Cider: Black Currant
Cidery: Finnriver
Cidery Location: Chimacum WA (near Port Townsend)
ABV: 6.5%
How Supplied: 500ml bottles and on tap

Availability: Year round 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.)

Cider Description: A light, lovely cider, with a purple blush, that blends heirloom and organic dessert apples with the tart mysteries of organic black currant. Immensely drinkable.

Made from Gala, Granny Smith, and Pink Lady apples, which is the base that Finnriver uses for the majority of their ciders.

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.

Price: $9 / 32oz (usually runs $9 / 500ml, or 16.9oz bottle, so this was a great deal even before the free glass growler)
Where Bought: Around the Table in Lynnwood WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: Finnriver tasting, although I’ve had it a few times

First Impression: Deep purple grape juice-like hue. Nearly still (no carbonation) with a few large bubbles. Smells amazing, of grape, black currant, and cranberry. This was the type of cider where I sat and smelled it for quite awhile before diving in.

Opinion: Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Moderate acidity and tartness. No bitterness, sourness, or funk. Very fruity and full-flavored, with the same grape, black currant, and cranberry flavors. The apple however remained pretty well-hidden. The flavor was overall nice, not overpowering or overly juice-like, which often happens with fruity ciders. Light to medium bodied. Medium length finish.

Most Similar to: Other fruity ciders. This is the only black currant cider I’ve had, but I know Doc’s Draft and Slyboro also make one.

Closing Notes: Quite tasty, but a bit tart for my liking, especially having most of this growler myself over the course of the afternoon & evening. It went really well with Thanksgiving dinner, kinda akin to a cranberry sauce. However, I liked this better bottled as it seemed to have a higher carbonation level (I’m a big fan of carbonation). Even better is Finnriver’s Lavender Black Currant variety (part of their Botanicals line), which was especially amazing on Nitro at the Schilling Cider House in Seattle WA.

Have you tried any Finnriver ciders? What did you think?

Eden Heirloom Blend Ice Cider

December 16, 2015December 16, 2015 cidersays Eden, review apple ice wine, cider, cider review, cider tasting, Eden, hard cider, ice cider, Vermont

Review of Eden’s Heirloom Blend Ice Cider. I tried this at Cider Summit Seattle 2015 and fell in love. The night before Cider Summit I actually got to meet the cidermaker Eleanor Leger, chat for awhile, and sample a glass of her Sparkling Dry cider, which is also awesome (notes here). My husband bought me this bottle for our anniversary; its a bit of a splurge and not something I’d normally buy.

From Eden’s website: Ice cider (also sold as apple ice wine) originated in Southern Quebec, and is a dessert wine made using apples which have been concentrated by natural winter cold. Eden harvests apples from the trees at peak ripeness, puts them in cold storage until winter, presses them into juice, then sets the juice outdoors to freeze for 6-8 weeks. The freezing & melting-off process concentrates the flavor and sugar of the apples. The juice is then fermented over several weeks or months until the cider is cold stabilized, filtered, and bottled. Ice cider is typically 8-11% ABV and 12-15% residual sugar (in contrast, typical criteria puts dry cider below 0.9%, medium at 0.9-4.0%, and sweet above 4.0% residual sugar). The final amount of ice cider is typically less than 1/4 of the original amount of pressed juice, and it takes more than 8 pounds of apples to make just one 375ml bottle of ice cider. All this substantiates the high cost of ice cider. Here are photos of the process.

Cider: Heirloom Blend Ice Cider
Cidery: Eden
Cidery Location: West Charleston VT
ABV: 10%
How Supplied: 375ml tall clear glass bottle, corked (also available in some areas in 187ml bottles)

Availability: Year round in AK, CA, CO, CT, DE, IL, MA, MD, ME, MI, NC, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OR, SC, VT, WA, WA D.C., and Canada. See their list of distributors.

Cider Description: This is our flagship product, now in its sixth vintage. We’ve changed the name from ‘Calville’ to Heirloom to reflect more clearly the heritage and complexity of the the blend. In addition to MacIntosh and Empire, Russets provide full-bodied sweetness, Calville Blanc and Esopus Spitzenburg provide acidity and citrus notes for balance, and Ashmead’s Kernel provides natural tannins for structure. Serve it with artisanal cheeses, game or dessert.

Apple varieties: Empire, MacIntosh, Roxbury Russett, Calville Blanc, Cox’s Orange Pippin, Hudson’s Gem, Ashmead’s Kernel, Esopus Spitzenberg, Black Oxford, Belle de Boskoop, Reinettes

35 Brix after concentration, 10% ABV, 15% residual sugar, and 1.6% titratable acidity. No added sugar, coloring or flavoring of any kind.

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, and can ship ciders to 23 states (see their full page on how to buy). Their current product line includes at least four ice ciders, two Aperitif ciders, and dry & semi-dry sparkling ciders.

Price: $30
Where Bought: Special Brews in Lynnwood WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: browsing

First Impression: Rich deep amber-orange hue. Completely still (no carbonation). Smells of rich sweet ripe apples, caramelized sugar, brown sugar, caramel, vanilla, and honey.

Opinion: Very sweet, but in a refined and well-crafted way. Low acidity. No to low tartness. No bitterness, sourness, or funk. Mild tannins. Very full bodied. Medium finish length. The same rich sweet ripe apples, caramelized sugar, brown sugar, caramel, vanilla, and honey notes continue to the flavor. It is a tad alcohol-forward, but still tastes less than its 10% ABV. Rich and full-flavored. I tried it cold, room temperature, and warm, and enjoyed it best when very cold. When warmer the flavors were dulled.

Most Similar to: Other high quality ice ciders. When buying an ice cider (or actually any cider), I’d recommend researching how the product is made. For example, I’ve seen an imported product that retails for only $12 (instead of $20-$30 for 375ml) made from apple juice concentrate. Its at least good to made an educated purchase. Eden was the first to make ice cider in the U.S., but now other cideries make it, including Tieton (Frost), Eve’s (Essence), Newhall Farm, Slyboro (Ice Harvest), Sheldrake Point (Ice Apple Wine) and Angry Orchard (Iceman). You can also find imported ice ciders in the U.S., including from Domaine Etienne Dupont (Givre), Domaine Pinnacle, and Neige.

Closing Notes: Amazing! I highly recommend Eden ice cider, as long as someone doesn’t mind a sweet beverage. It isn’t intended to be drunk in large quantities, but instead small sips, such as with dessert. This ice cider paired especially well with apple pie….mmmm. This bottle easily lasted me a week, including sharing it with a couple other folks, and apparently can remain open in the fridge for quite awhile (I noticed no change in taste over that week, likely as it is still, high ABV, and high residual sugar). I really want to try Eden’s barrel aged ice cider, Northern Spy, but it isn’t sold in WA yet.

Have you tried any ice cider? What did you think?

Dragon’s Head Wild Fermented

December 15, 2015December 18, 2015 cidersays Dragon's Head, review cider, cider review, cider tasting, Dragon's Head, hard cider, wild fermented, wild yeast

Review of Dragon’s Head Wild Fermented cider. A wild fermented (wild yeast) cider uses the yeast naturally present on the apples and in the environment, in contrast to most ciders which destroy any natural yeast and add their own known strain. A wild fermented cider is typically more unpredictable and difficult to make than typical ciders. I’ve also tried Dragon’s Head Traditional cider, and also have a bottle of their Kingston Black cider in my collection.

Cider: Wild Fermented
Cidery: Dragon’s Head
Cidery Location: Vashon Island WA
ABV: 6.9%
How Supplied: 750ml bottle

Availability: Year round in WA and OR. See their list of locations.

Cider Description: This is the Dragon’s Head Cider version of a farmhouse cider. Rather than carefully selecting a yeast strain for the fermentation, we allowed the wild yeast present on the skin of the apples to ferment the cider. It’s a bit of a fun gamble, but one we believe is worth taking.

Cidery Description: From apple to bottle, all right here on our farm. At Dragon’s Head Cider, we take a traditional approach to cider making. Our focus is on the apple varieties that we use and the quality of the fruit. We love the story that apples alone can tell through cider, altering the flavor by changing the blend of apple varieties that we carefully select. The process is simple and the ingredients list is short. Perhaps we’re a little old fashioned.

Dragon’s Head has a tasting room.

Price: ~$15
Where Bought: Schilling Cider House in Seattle WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: browsing

First Impression: Slightly hazy pale straw yellow. Still (no carbonation). Smells of sour citrus, acidity, funk, yeast, and honey.

Opinion: I perceived it as completely dry, but it has 7 grams of sugar per liter. Moderate tartness and acidity. Mild sourness and funk. No bitterness. Moderate length finish. Light bodied and crisp. Honey, citrus, pear, oak, yeast, earthy, and slightly herbal & floral notes. The flavors remain rather mild yet complex. Best enjoyed chilled.

Most Similar to: Wild fermented ciders, Sidra, sour ciders, Farmhouse-style ciders, etc. This very much reminded me of WildCraft ciders, especially the Pioneer Perry for some reason, probably as I had this the day after trying the Pioneer Perry.

Closing Notes: I wasn’t really a fan. Since buying this I’ve found that I’m not a fan of ciders of this style, so knowing what I now know, I wouldn’t have bought it. Its still always nice to try new ciders though, and I was able to share it with a friend who liked it a bit more than I did. I’d suggest this for folks who don’t mind this style of cider–dry, sour, and funky. Its definitely unique and well-crafted.

Have you tried any ciders from Dragon’s Head? What did you think?

Sheppy’s Somerset Draught Cider

December 14, 2015December 10, 2015 cidersays review, Sheppy's cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Sheppy's, Somerset Draught

Review of Sheppy’s Somerset Draught Cider. This is the second Sheppy’s cider I’ve had; the first was their Oak Matured cider, which was truly amazing.

Cider: Somerset Draught Cider
Cidery: Sheppy’s
Cidery Location: Somerset, Taunton, UK
ABV: 5.5%
How Supplied: 500ml brown glass bottle

Availability: Wide release in UK, but likely limited in the U.S.

Cider Description: First created in 2010, this product combines traditional cider apples and eating apples to produce a crisp fruity cider. Medium taste.

This cider was oak barrel aged.

Cidery Description: Farming 320 acres at Three Bridges Farm since 1917, three generations of the Sheppy family have weathered the ups and downs of farming and cidermaking by embracing change and opportunity. Craftsmen cidermakers for over 200 years. Quality is central to all our ciders, which are produced from local and home-grown apples here at Three Bridges Farm. Modern technology has been used to assist the completely traditional production of fine English cider, but never to compromise the quality which is associated with the name Sheppy’s Cider. We are proud to share with visitors from far and wide our beautiful farm and orchards, and to show you as much as possible of how and where we make our delicious ciders.

Price: $6.50
Where Bought: Full Throttle Bottles in Seattle WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: browsing, after really liking Sheppy’s Oak Matured

First Impression: Medium straw yellow hue. Still (no carbonation), despite the label saying it was lightly sparkling. Smells dry, acidic, tart, yeasty, and appley.

Opinion: On the sweeter side of semi-dry (so my nose deceived me on the level of sweetness). Mild tannins, tartness, and acidity. No bitterness, sourness, or funk. Slightly rich, but still fairly sessionable. Medium bodied. Moderate finish length. Mild notes of honey, vanilla, and oak. This would particularly make a nice summer cider. I wouldn’t however call it overly fruity or apple-forward.

Most Similar to: Other English ciders, although its a bit on the lighter side (slightly less rich, less tannins, and less bitterness).

Closing Notes: Yum! I really enjoyed this cider. However, I preferred their Oak Matured, as it was more rich and had a lovely heavy oak influence. Both cider are very good values, especially for imported craft cider. Most other imported English ciders seem to run a couple dollars more per bottle, and I haven’t enjoyed them nearly as much.

Have you tried any Sheppy’s ciders? What did you think?

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