Schilling Cider House Visit 22 Tasting Notes

November 18, 2016November 18, 2016 cidersays Cockrell, Pomarina, Schilling, Seattle Cider, Snowdrift cider, cider bar, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Schilling Cider House, seattle, tasting notes

Tasting notes from my 22nd visit to the Schilling Cider House in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle WA. Check out my past posts with tasting notes here.

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

Cockrell Brewing (Puyallup WA) Jonastar (6.9% ABV): This is a single varietal from Jonastar apples, and is likely draft-only. Slightly hazy medium straw yellow hue. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Moderate tartness. High acidity. Hints of bitterness and sourness. No funk or tannins. Notes of lemon, grapefruit, floral, and green apple. Low apple flavor. Low complexity. Low flavor intensity. High sessionability. I thought it was pretty average.

Schilling Cider (Auburn WA) Blueberry Cobbler (6.6% ABV): This is a spiced blueberry cider, barrel aged 12 months, primarily available in bottles at Bartell Drugs (a collaboration; see here). Cherry hue. Semi-sweet. Medium bodied. Low tartness. Moderate acidity. No bitterness, sourness, tannins, or funk. Notes of blueberry, pie spices, and a hint of vanilla. No apple flavor. Moderate sessionability. Moderate flavor intensity. Low complexity. I didn’t pick up any barrel influence, but I imagine the other flavors could have overwhelmed them. This cider was a bit weird for my tastes.

Seattle Cider (Seattle WA) Washington Heirloom (7.0% ABV): This is a special release made from heirloom and cider apple varieties, also available in bottles. Higher carbonation. Medium straw yellow hue. Semi-dry to dry. Moderate tartness. High acidity. No bitterness, sourness, tannins, or funk. Notes of lemon, lime, floral, and herbal. Low flavor intensity. Low to moderate complexity. Low apple flavor. Moderate sessionability. I thought it was pretty average. There was more heirloom than cider apple flavor.

Snowdrift Cider (East Wenatchee, WA) Seckel Perry (8.6% ABV): This is a single-varietal perry (no apples, only pears) made from Seckel pears, also available in bottles. Slightly hazy light straw yellow. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Medium bodied. Low tartness. Moderate acidity. Hints of bitterness, tannins, and sourness. No funk. Notes of pear, citrus, green apple, and floral. Moderate sessionability. Moderate pear flavor. Moderate flavor intensity. Moderate complexity. I enjoyed it (more than their regular Perry, which I found had a lot of bitterness).

Sarah also shared a bottle pour with me of a Spanish Sidra which is new to the U.S.

Pomarina (Asturias Spain, 7.0% ABV): This Spanish Sidra was made in the style of methode champenoise (to naturally carbonate it). Semi-dry. Light bodied, frothy texture (although it had been open awhile so it didn’t have much carbonation left). Moderate tartness. High acidity. Low sourness. Hints of bitterness. No tannins or funk. Notes of citrus and green apple. Moderate length finish. Moderate sessionability. Low apple flavor. Low flavor intensity. Low complexity. I found this more approachable than most Sidra, as it was less sour. I’m not a fan of sourness though, so I didn’t care for it.

The Snowdrift Seckel Perry was my favorite.

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

Schilling Cider House Visit 21 Tasting Notes

September 27, 2016January 13, 2018 cidersays One Tree, Rev Nat's, review, Schilling, Worley's cider, cider bar, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Schilling Cider House, seattle, tasting notes

Tasting notes from my 21st visit to the Schilling Cider House in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle WA. Check out my past posts with tasting notes here.

I was there on a random Tuesday. I started with a flight. This was one of the only times I’ve visited the cider house and not had a full flight of ciders to try which were new to me, but there were still 32 choices. Sometimes its good to not have much new to try, as I can focus on ciders I know I liked previously.

Wandering Aengus (Salem OR) Bittersweet (5.2% ABV): I recently tried this draft-only wild fermented cider from bittersweet apples from the Poverty Lane (Farnum Hill) orchard in New Hampshire, but wanted to give it another try as I was considering picking up a growler of it. Although still very tasty, I didn’t find this taste as impressive…it seemed milder in flavor, and less tannic.

Schilling (Auburn WA) Barrel #2 (21% ABV): This is the last keg of their 2nd series of barrel aged distilled cider, which I tried previously. Its more apple brandy than cider, very alcohol-forward. I didn’t really enjoy it as much this time around…it seemed all alcohol and less flavor (my notes from last time mentioned honey and floral notes).

Wandering Aengus (Salem OR) Cellar Door (8.5% ABV): This is a draft-only version of their Bloom cider which is fermented drier. Semi-dry. Sharp. Light to medium bodied. Moderate tartness and high acidity. Low to moderate bitterness. More astringent than tannic (low to moderate). Mild flavor notes of floral, herbal, honey, and citrus. Low apple flavor. Moderate sessionability. Low flavor intensity. Moderate complexity. I think I like the regular version of Bloom better, as it was more flavorful.

One Tree (Spokane WA) Raspberry (6.0% ABV): This is a draft-only raspberry cider. My sample was from the end of the keg, so it poured very smoothie-like. Semi-sweet to sweet, but it tasted like it was meant to be that sweet, not overdone. Full bodied. Very strong raspberry flavor. No apple/cider flavor. Low to moderate tartness and acidity. Simple but tasty, similar to Schilling’s Raspberry Smoothie, although One Tree’s is higher ABV.

Reverend Nat’s (Portland OR) The Passion (6.9% ABV): I tried this recently, but was curious whether my taste buds we off at Cider Summit, as it is described online as very sour, but I only found it mildly sour. However, Sarah at the Cider House confirmed that this year’s batch wasn’t nearly as sour as last year’s. I enjoyed it, but at Cider Summit I found it had more passionfruit flavor and even less sourness, which I preferred.

I also had a couple bottle pours shared with me.

Wandering Aengus (Salem OR) Pommeau Apple Dessert Wine (14.0% ABV): Pommeau is apple brandy with cider. Semi-sweet to sweet. Still. Full bodied. Mild in flavor for a Pommeau, not as booze-forward as you’d expect for the ABV, but still very apple-forward. Mild tartness, acidity, bitterness, and tannins. Notes of cider apples, oak, leather, and orange. Amazing!

Worley’s (Shepton Mallet, Somerset, UK) Premium Vintage 2013 (6.4% ABV): This is another one I’ve tried previously. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Low tartness, acidity, bitterness, and tannins. Low to moderate carbonation. Medium bodied. Its an English cider, but I found it quite similar to French cider, as it is rich, apple-forward, carbonated (although less so than when I previously tried it), and yeast-forward, but not overly tannic. Awesome.

This was an awesome tasting. The Wandering Aengus Cellar Door was the only cider I wasn’t too big a fan of. The Pommeau was probably my favorite though.

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

Schilling Trouble in Paradise (Passionfruit Pineapple)

September 15, 2016September 11, 2016 cidersays review, Schilling cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, passion fruit, passionfruit, pineapple, Schilling, tasting notes, Trouble in Paradise

Review of Schilling Cider’s Trouble in Paradise, a passionfruit pineapple cider. I’ve tried a lot of their ciders before (see here).

Cider: Trouble in Paradise (Passionfruit Pineapple)
Cidery: Schilling Cider
Cidery Location: Auburn WA
ABV: 5.0%
How Supplied: 22oz bottles (and draft)
Style: American craft cider from dessert apples, with pineapple and passionfruit juices

Availability: June-September. Schilling Cider is sold at least in AK, AZ, CA, CT, ID, MN, NC, NV, OR, SC, VA, and WA, but this is a seasonal release and is therefore likely to have more limited distribution.

Cider Description: YOU ASKED, WE ANSWERED! Introducing our unscheduled surprise seasonal, Trouble in Paradise! This pineapple passionfruit hard cider is a tropical paradise and a bit of trouble in a bottle!

Cidery Description: We capture the essence of the Pacific Northwest by creating hard ciders that are deliberately innovative, bold, and flavor forward.

Price: $7
Where Bought: Schilling Cider House in Seattle WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: I tried in on tap awhile back and thought it would be a nice summer cider to get a bottle of.

First Impression: Hazy yellow orange hue. Still (no carbonation). Smells of pineapple juice with a hint of passionfruit.

Tasting Notes: Semi-sweet to sweet. Medium bodied. Low to moderate tartness and acidity. No bitterness, tannins, sourness, or funk. Notes of pineapple, orange, passionfruit, and peach. Moderate length tart finish. No apple flavor. Low complexity. Moderate to strong flavor intensity. High sessionability.

My Opinion: Yum! A tropical vacation in a glass. However, this is very juice-like, and I couldn’t really taste any alcohol (or apple influence). It was more like juice with vodka or something neutral. I imagine it would make an awesome slushee. It had more orange flavor, was slightly sweeter, and more juice-like than I remembered it having on tap. Its curious they didn’t carbonate it.

Most Similar to: Other tropical/pineapple ciders, such as Ace Pineapple, Jester & Judge Pineapple Express, and Portland Cider Pineapple.

Closing Notes: I’ve been enjoying Schilling’s seasonal and special release ciders (especially King’s Shilling), although I don’t find their regular line of ciders too interesting (albeit better than they used to be).

Have you tried Schilling Trouble in Paradise? What did you think?

Schilling Cider House Visit 20 Tasting Notes

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

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

<can’t beat 32 cider taps!>

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Schilling Cider House Visit 19 Tasting Notes

August 12, 2016August 7, 2016 cidersays 2 Towns, Dragon's Head, Dupont, Incline, Locust, review, Schilling cider, cider bar, cider review, hard cider, Schilling Cider House, tasting notes

Tasting notes from my 19th visit to the Schilling Cider House in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle WA. Check out my past posts with tasting notes here.

<can’t beat 32 cider taps!>

I was there on a Monday for 2 Towns’ re-release of Made Marion (this time in cans) and the re-release of their Cot in the Act cider (this time as a Fruit Seasonal).

I enjoyed a flight of four ciders, then samples of Cot in the Act and Made Marion.

Incline (Auburn WA) Lemongrass Lure (6.5% ABV): This is a draft-only limited release cider with Citra hops and lemongrass. Smells of lemongrass, citrus, and herbs. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Light bodied with a nice frothy texture. Low tartness and acidity. No bitterness, sourness, tannins, or funk. Notes of lemon, grapefruit, herbs, and only a hint of hops. Low apple flavor. High sessionability. Low to moderate complexity. Moderate flavor intensity. I enjoyed it; I think it had just the right amount of hops–not overpowering (the flavor was primarily lemongrass).

Locust Cider (Woodinville WA) Berry Session (4.0% ABV): This is a draft-only sessionable berry cider. Smells of blackberries and strawberries. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Light to medium bodied. Low to moderate tartness and acidity. Hints of bitterness and tannins. No sourness or funk. The flavor is just berry, mostly blackberry with some strawberry. High sessionability. Low apple flavor. Moderate flavor intensity. Low complexity. I’m usually not a huge fan of berry ciders as I find them overly simple, but I thought it was pretty good.

Dragon’s Head (Vashon WA) Columbia Crab (6.0% ABV): This is a new draft & bottled cider made from crabapples. Smells of sharp crabapples, honey, and lemon. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Light bodied. Moderate tartness and acidity. Hints of bitterness and tannins. No sourness or funk. Light flavor, not as sharp as most crabapple ciders. notes of crabapples, honey, lemon, and white blossoms. Moderate apple flavor. Moderate sessionability. Moderate complexity. Low to moderate flavor intensity. This is much sweeter than the other ciders I’ve tried from them, which was surprising, but I’m guessing it may have been perceived. I enjoyed it.

Etienne Dupont (Pays d’Auge France) Aperitif / Pomme / Pommeau (17% ABV): This is a special release of Pommeau (cider mixed with apple brandy). It is Cidre Bouche from bittersweet apples, aged in a Calvados barrel, with 1998 reserve Calvados mixed back in. Smells boozy, like Pommeau, rich, and of caramel. Semi-sweet to sweet (although apparently it is very low residual sugar so it may just perceive sweeter). Still. Medium to full bodied. Mild tartness. Moderate acidity. Mild tannins. Hints of bitterness. No sourness or funk (which was surprising considering the base Cidre Bouche definitely had that going on). Notes of rich bittersweet apples, caramel, brown sugar, and vanilla. No sessionability. Moderate to high apple flavor. Moderate complexity. High flavor intensity. Amazing!

<2 Towns Cot in the Act>

2 Towns (Corvallis OR) Cot in the Act (6.0% ABV): Although this unfiltered apricot cider has been out for a few years, it is being newly released as a Fruit Seasonal, in both bottles and kegs. Smells mild and fruity. Semi-dry. Light bodied. Moderate tartness and acidity. Hint of bitterness. No sourness, funk, or tannins. Notes of apricot and peach. Low apple flavor. Moderate to high sessionability. Low complexity. Low flavor intensity.

<2 Towns Made Marion>

2 Towns (Corvallis OR) Made Marion (6.0% ABV): Smells strongly of blackberries. Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Medium bodied. Moderate tartness and acidity. No bitterness, sourness, funk, or tannins. The flavor is primarily blackberry, with hints of blueberry. Low apple flavor. High sessionability. Low complexity. Low flavor intensity.

The Etienne Dupont Pommeau was my favorite; I wish bottles were available of it locally. I thought it was worth the $5 for 2oz! Its probably my favorite Pommeau so far, although I also enjoy the 2 Towns and Finnriver varieties.

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

Schilling Cider House Visit 18 Tasting Notes

July 15, 2016July 9, 2016 cidersays Locust, One Tree, Portland Cider, review, Schilling, Tieton, Wandering Aengus cider, cider review, hard cider, Locust, One Tree, Portland Cider, Schilling Cider House, tasting notes, Tieton, Wandering Aengus

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

I was there last Thursday, for the One Tree Crisp Apple cider release party, and enjoyed a flight of four ciders, plus One Tree’s new cider.

Portland Cider Company (Portland OR) Pineapple (5.7% ABV): This draft-only pineapple cider poured foamy but settled down after awhile. This may be their “Maui Cruiser” variety, which also has coconut blossom nectar, as I couldn’t find any evidence that they have a strictly Pineapple cider. Smells of fresh pineapples. Semi-dry. Light bodied. Low to moderate tartness. Low acidity. The flavor is purely pineapple, with low flavor intensity. I felt this cider smelled much better than it tasted…it left me wanting more flavor. The pineapple aroma was so strong (especially in comparison to the cider’s flavor) that it makes me curious if it was added.

Wandering Aengus (Salem OR) Barrel Aged Wickson (8.0% ABV): This is a barrel aged draft-only version of their single varietal Wickson crab apple cider, which is available in bottles (which I tried previously and found overly harsh). Smells mild, with hints of crab apples and oak. Dry. Low flavor intensity. The barrel aging seemed to mellow the cider’s intensity compared to the original version. Light bodied. Moderate tartness and acidity. Low bitterness and tannins. Alcohol-forward with crab apple sharpness, oak, and honey notes. This is best drank cold as it becomes more harsh as it warms up. I found this more drinkable than the original version, but I still didn’t care for it.

Tieton (Yakima WA) Bourbon Peach (6.5% ABV): A draft-only bourbon barrel aged peach cider. Hazy lemonade hue. Smells of bourbon, peaches, and pineapple. Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Hints of boozy bourbon (but not overpowering) and peach & pineapple notes. Yum! Medium bodied. Moderate tartness and acidity. Moderate flavor intensity. Low apple flavor. Medium to high sessionability. I’m a fan of bourbon barrel aged ciders, but often they tend towards being overly boozy, harsh, dry, etc…this one was tasty and easy to drink.

Locust (Woodinville WA) Sweet Aged Apple (6.9% ABV): This is a barrel aged cider made from dessert apple varieties which is available on draft and in bottles. I’ve tried this previously (when it was called Aged Washington Dessert Apple; see here), but had heard they significantly changed the recipe, so I wanted to give it another try. Last time it was quite hazy and unfiltered looking, but this time there was no haziness. Smells mild and apple-forward. Semi-sweet (less sweet than the previous recipe). Less flavorful than the previous recipe, but much more sessionable. Mild tartness and acidity. Caramel, vanilla, and honey notes. Medium bodied. Moderate to high apple flavor. Moderate flavor intensity. I’m not sure which recipe I preferred, as there are pros & cons of each, but I enjoyed both versions.

One Tree Hard Cider (Spokane WA) Crisp Apple (6.8% ABV): This is their new flagship cider, sold in four packs of 16oz cans and on draft. Hazy. Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Medium bodied. Unfiltered baked apple flavor with honey notes. Moderate tartness and acidity. High sessionability. Strong apple flavor. I enjoyed this. I found it very similar to 2 Towns Out Cider, but slightly sweeter and slightly more flavorful. Much less sweet than any of the other ciders I’ve tried from them.

The Tieton Bourbon Peach cider was my favorite, and my favorite cider from Tieton so far.

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

Schilling Cider House Visit 17 Tasting Notes

June 23, 2016June 18, 2016 cidersays AEppelTreow, Cockrell, Finnriver, Greenwood, Honey Moon, review, Schilling cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Schilling Cider House, tasting notes

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

I was there on a random Tuesday afternoon and enjoyed a flight of six ciders. Even though I had just been there the week before, a good portion of the taps had turned over and there were plenty of ciders to choose from which were new to me.

Schilling (Auburn WA) Rhubarb Pear (6.0% ABV): I thought I hadn’t tried this one, but I actually had (its an apple cider with rhubarb & pear, also called Lumberjack and available in cans); see here. I’ve tried many of their ciders previously (see here). Pale peach hue. Smells sweet, fruity, and mild. Semi-dry. Medium bodied. Moderate tartness and acidity. Mildly flavored–rhubarb, strawberry, pear, and peach. Easy to drink. I think I liked it better canned, as it was higher carbonation and more tart.

Finnriver (Port Townsend WA) Pear Wood (6.9% ABV): This is a Crew Selection keg-only release, a rendition of their Pear cider (which I reviewed here). Its made from bittersweet apples with Malo-Lactic Fermentation and aged with oak staves, mixed with barrel aged cider, then backsweetened with pear juice. I’ve tried many of their ciders previously (see here). Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Medium bodied. Moderate tartness and acidity. Hints of bitterness. Notes of bittersweet apple, pear, and oak. Fairly simple.

Greenwood (Seattle WA) Cedar Cider (6.5% ABV): This is a keg-only release. I’ve tried a couple of their ciders previously (see here). Mild scent. Dry. Light bodied. Mild to moderate tartness, acidity, and bitterness. Earthy wood flavor with some bite that reminds me of crabapples. A hint of vinegar. Citrus and vanilla. Unique.

AEppelTreow (Burlington WI) Blackbird Berry-Apple (5.5% ABV): This cider is available in kegs and bottles, and is apple cider with black currant and elderberries. I’ve tried a few of their ciders previously (see here). Deep berry hue. Smells of raspberries and blackberries. Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Light to medium bodied. Moderate berry flavor, more raspberry than anything else. I didn’t really detect black currant or elderberries. Moderate tartness. Low acidity. Hints of tannins and bitterness. Not overly juice-like which I notice often happens with sweeter berry ciders. I found it to be very well-balanced and its one of my favorite berry ciders.

Honey Moon (Bellingham WA) CiderHead Bourbon Barrel (5.5% ABV): This is a keg-only release. I’ve tried a couple of their ciders previously (see here). Smells sour. Dry to semi-dry. Light bodied. Mild sourness and bitterness. Moderate tartness and acidity. Vinegar and citrus notes. Mild barrel and bourbon influence.

Cockrell (Puyallup WA) Pub Cider (6.2% ABV): This is a keg-only release. I’ve tried a couple of their ciders previously (see here). Smells sweet and rich. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Frothy. Very mildly flavored and it kinda tasted watered down, although it was medium bodied. Apple-forward.

The AEppelTreow Blackbird Berry-Apple was oddly enough my favorite, probably as it was the most flavorful. I would have guessed that I’d prefer the Bourbon Barrel or Pub Cider based on my typical preferences, but I didn’t really like either (especially the Bourbon Barrel, as I don’t like sour ciders).

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

Schilling Cider House Visit 16 Tasting Notes

June 17, 2016June 11, 2016 cidersays Alpenfire, Carlton, Eaglemount, Locust, review, Schilling Alpenfire, cider, cider bar, cider flight, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Schilling Cider House, seattle, washington

Tasting notes from my sixteenth visit to the Schilling Cider House in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle WA. Check out my past posts with tasting notes here. I was there on a Tuesday evening for a tasting event with Alpenfire Cider (from Port Townsend WA). Its pretty rare they do events, besides some pricey (but awesome sounding) dinners with cider pairings.

Philippe (Nancy & Bear’s son) was there from Alpenfire. The Cider House was featuring a flight of six ciders from Alpenfire (five of which were bottle pours, which was a first for the Cider House, and Apocalypso on draft, which is a rarity for Alpenfire) plus a Shrub cider cocktail.

I arrived early so I tried a few ciders before the event. I had been there just a week earlier, but quite a few of the taps turned over (although there weren’t too many I hadn’t tried).

Eaglemount (Port Townsend WA) Perry (8.0% ABV): Smells of pear and citrus, slightly sour. Semi-dry. Medium bodied. Mild to moderate tartness and acidity. Mild bitterness. Hints of sourness, funk, and tannins. Notes of pear, citrus, spice, and vanilla. Alcohol-forward and sharp. Moderate length finish.

Locust Cider (Woodinville WA) Apricot (6.0% ABV): Smells sweet, of apricot and peach. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Light to medium bodied. Moderate tartness and acidity. A hint of bitterness. No sourness, funk, or tannins. Medium flavor intensity with simple but real tasting apricot flavor. Quick finish.

Carlton Cider (McMinnville OR) Bourbon Peachy Keen (6.5% ABV): Foamy. Smells of bourbon and fruitiness (peach and apricot). Semi-dry to dry. Very light bodied with a frothy mouthfeel. Low tartness. Moderate acidity. Low bitterness. No sourness, funk, or tannins. Low barrel influence. Moderate spirit influence. Medium to long length finish. They also make a non barrel aged version of this cider.

The Alpenfire ciders were ready as it got closer to 6pm. I’ve previously tried all the ciders they were offering in the flight, so I decided to just order a pint of Apocalypso (a draft-only version of their Calypso blackberry rum barrel aged cider with double the blackberries and barrel aged 4 instead of 2 months).

Alpenfire (Port Townsend WA) Apocalypso (6.5% ABV): Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Medium bodied. Mild to moderate tartness. Mild acidity. Mild tannins. No bitterness, sourness, or funk. Mild rum influence. Moderate barrel (oak) influence. Moderate blackberry flavor. Moderate length finish.

I also tried a couple sips of the Shrub cocktail, made with Alpenfire bittersweet cider, Alpenfire apple cider vinegar, blackberry puree, and sparkling water.

Alpenfire (Port Townsend WA) Shrub: Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Medium bodied. Vinegar more in the scent than flavor. There is tartness and a hint of vinegar flavor, but not any sourness like I was expecting. No bitterness, sourness, funk, or tannins. Moderate blackberry flavor. Moderate length finish. Unique, but not my thing.

My favorite of the night was the Alpenfire Apocalypso cider. I liked this batch even better than the last one I tried for WA cider week 2015 at the Burgundian Bar (see here), as it was slightly sweeter, more fruity, and more oaky.

They even got in some bottles of Alpenfire Cinders (the Méthode Champenoise version of Glow, their rosé cider made with red-fleshed apples). Its a rare find outside of the Alpenfire tap room (which I visited in February; see here). I actually prefer Glow though, as its sweeter and more flavorful.

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

Schilling Bailout (Lemongrass Agave)

June 9, 2016June 4, 2016 cidersays review, Schilling agave, Bailout, cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, lemongrass, Schilling, seattle, washington

Review of Schilling’s new seasonal release, Bailout, made with lemongrass and agave nectar. I’ve tried a number of their ciders; see here.

Cider: Bailout
Cidery: Schilling Cider
Cidery Location: Auburn (Seattle) WA
ABV: 6.0%
How Supplied: 22oz clear glass bottles and kegs
Style: American craft cider made from dessert apples, with lemongrass and agave nectar

Availability: May-August (seasonal, although this is the first year). Schilling Cider is sold at least in AK, AZ, CA, CT, ID, MN, NC, NV, OR, SC, VA, and WA, but this is a special release and is therefore likely to have more limited distribution.

Cider Description: Sometimes you just need to Bail Out! This summer chiller is highly refreshing and perfectly balanced with subtle herbal notes and a kiss of agave nectar.

Cidery Description: In 1881, Colin Schilling’s great-great-grandfather, August, founded the Schilling Spice Company in San Francisco. He brought pure, natural, spices to everyone, at a fair price. Today, at Schilling Cider, we carry August’s core values forward and pair them with innovative cider-making techniques to produce quality, complex, hard ciders.

Based in Seattle, Washington, Schilling Cider captures the essence of the Pacific Northwest by creating ciders that are deliberately innovative, bold and flavor forward. Never back-sweetened, we use only 100% fresh pressed apples, locally sourced non-GMO ingredients and individually hand select yeast strains to create a cider experience that is truly unique.

Price: $6
Where Bought: Schilling Cider House in Fremont (Seattle) WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing

First Impression: Medium straw yellow hue. Almost no carbonation upon pouring. Smells mild, of apple, citrus, and what I assume is agave nectar (a tart sweetness).

Tasting Notes: Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Still. Light to medium bodied. Low tartness and acidity. No sourness, bitterness, funk, or tannins. Notes of lemon, agave nectar, pineapple, and a bit of herbalness. Quick finish. Low flavor intensity. Low apple flavor. High sessionability.

My Opinion: I liked this cider, but didn’t love it. I prefer a bit more intense of a flavor. Also not sure if I liked the slight herbal flavor.

Most Similar to: Light spring/summer type ciders with citrus notes. I looked it up online and see that Two Rivers also offers an agave cider.

Closing Notes: I imagine this will sell well, but I prefer their Pineapple Passion / Trouble in Paradise (which is coming out in bottles very soon).

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

Schilling Cider House Visit 15 Tasting Notes

June 8, 2016June 4, 2016 cidersays Farnum Hill, Jester & Judge, Longdrop, Red Tank, review, Schilling, Snowdrift, Whitewood cider, cider bar, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Schilling Cider House, seattle, tasting notes

Tasting notes from my fifteenth visit to the Schilling Cider House in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle WA. Check out my past posts with tasting notes here. I was there on a Tuesday evening for a tasting event with Longdrop Cider (from the Boise Idaho area).

I started with a flight before the event, then sampled four Longdrop ciders (2 on tap, 1 bottled, and 1 canned) and a bit of a Canadian ice cider which Sarah opened. There were supposed to be 4 kegs from Longdrop, but 2 didn’t make it in time. I hadn’t previously tried any of their ciders. Longdrop is relatively new to Washington (their ciders are sold throughout Idaho and in Seattle WA and Portland OR). I got to meet their “head apple wrangler” (Chris Blanchard) and they had some giveaways (I got a sweet t-shirt).

Schilling Peach Grapefruit Habanero, 5.0% ABV, Auburn WA: This is a one-off keg of their Grapefruit cider infused with peach and habanero. I’ve tried many of their ciders. Very hazy. Smells like grapefruit with some definite spiciness. Semi-sweet. Moderate tartness. Mild acidity. I didn’t really taste any peach, only grapefruit, and the spiciness was overwhelming for me. Long spicy finish. I learned that the Cider House will maintain one “spicy” tap line, and this currently replaces their Sriracha Lime. I couldn’t do more than two tiny sips of this one; my favorites from them remain King’s Shilling and Pineapple Paradise.

Red Tank Roughneck, 6.5% ABV, Bend OR: This is one of their flagship ciders. I’ve tried a few of their ciders. Semi-dry. Light bodied. Low tartness and acidity. A hint of bitterness and sourness. Kinda bland / low flavor intensity, but it had a bit of unfiltered apple juice flavor, yeast, and earthiness. For unfiltered ciders, I prefer 2 Towns OutCider.

Whitewood Winesap, 6.8% ABV, Olympia WA: A special release tap-only cider. I’ve tried a few of their ciders. Semi-dry. Moderate tartness and acidity. A hint of tannins. Slightly sharp, apple-forward, and citrus-forward. It mellowed out a bit as it warmed up. Medium bodied. I found this similar to the other single varietal winesap apple ciders I’ve tried from Blue Mountain and Locust, and slightly wine-like. My favorite from them is the Whiskey Barrel Aged Kingston Black, which is one of my all time favorite ciders (and I was only able to sample a bit twice; hopefully it is released in bottles sometime).

Farnum Hill Dooryard, 7.5% ABV, Lebanon NH: This is one of their best selling / flagship ciders; Farnum Hill typically labels the different batches of this cider with a code, and you can look up what is in them online (they vary apple varieties and such quite a bit under the same Dooryard label), but I don’t know what batch this was. Also available in bottles, and sold from their Poverty Lane Orchard in growlers. I’ve previously only tried their Extra Dry cider. Dry. Mild tartness and acidity. Mild to moderate bitterness. Mild funk. A hint of sourness as it warmed up. Mild tannins. Citrus, vanilla, mineral, and clove notes. Wine-like and nuanced. This isn’t really my cup of tea.

Jester & Judge Pineapple Express, 5.5% ABV, Stevenson WA: This is a new tap-only release. I’ve tried a few of their ciders. Hazy. Semi-sweet. Strong fresh pineapple flavor! Nice fizziness/frothiness. Moderate tartness and acidity. Light bodied. Quick finish. I really enjoyed this one, despite its simplicity. I found it similar to Schilling’s Pineapple Passion / Trouble in Paradise, but with slight lime instead of slight passion fruit notes.

Snowdrift Semi-Dry, 7.1% ABV, Wenatchee WA: This is one of their flagship ciders, and although I’ve tried most of them, I had only seen their Dry variety previously. Available in bottles and kegs. Dry. Moderate tartness and acidity. Mild bitterness. Mild tannins. Medium bodied. Sharp flavor with some crabapple, apple pomace, and brown sugar notes, and slight richness. Moderate length finish. My favorites from them remain Red, Cornice, and Cliffbreaks Blend.

Longdrop Tanager Pear Cider, 6.0% ABV, Eagle ID: This is their spring seasonal release, a pear cider (apple + pear, not perry), available in 22oz bottles. Smells like juicy pear. Semi-dry. Moderate tartness and acidity. Light bodied, with a fizzy/frothy mouthfeel. Quick finish. Simple apple & pear flavor, but it was nice & light and easy to drink.

Longdrop Vanilla Honey, 6.0% ABV, Eagle ID: This is one of their two most commonly found ciders. Available in 12oz cans and draft. Made from Fuji, Gala, Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, and Granny Smith apples, with Madagascar Vanilla beans and Idaho honey. Smells strongly of honey. Semi-dry. Light bodied. Low tartness and acidity. Honeycomb flavor with a hint of vanilla. Quick finish. I really loved the honeycomb flavor; you can tell it was high quality honey.

Longdrop Derby Canyon, 6.9%, Eagle ID: This is a special release for the 2016 Apple Blossom Festival, named after a landmark in Washington nearby where the apples for this cider are from. This cider was made with 100% Wenatchee Valley apples…”it’s got a big apple taste with some complexity – probably because it’s got one of every kind of apple out there in it”. Available in 220z bottles and kegs. Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Light bodied. Apple-forward with some unfiltered apple juice flavor.

Longdrop Semi-Sweet, 5.5% ABV, Eagle ID: This is one of their two most commonly found ciders. Available in 12oz cans and draft. Made from Fuji, Gala, Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, and Granny Smith apples. Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Light bodied. Apple-forward with some vanilla notes and a hint of vinegar/salt?

Pomme De Coeur ice cider, 6.9% ABV, Rougemont Canada: This is the first Canadian ice cider I’ve tried, and the lowest ABV I’ve seen. Its pretty widely available in boxed tall 375ml bottles. Ice cider originated in Quebec, and is made with either apples or apple juice which has been exposed to cold cycles, which concentrates the sugar (and thus flavor), and produces a higher ABV beverage as well. Smells like caramelized sugar. Sweet but not as sweet as other ice ciders such as from Eden. Medium bodied. Very juice-like, with less complexity than other ice ciders. It also doesn’t have the body and higher ABV of most ice ciders. I liked the first couple sips, but after that its inferior quality was apparent. I like the super concentrated intense flavor of other ice ciders; Eden Northern Spy (barrel aged) is my favorite so far. Although its about $15 (vs. $30+) for 375ml, I’d rather get the good stuff. I imagine there are much better Canadian ice ciders available than this (often the more commercial beverages are the ones which have the means to export their products), so I hope to try another in the future.

My favorite Longdrop cider was the Vanilla Honey, and my favorite cider from my flight was Jester & Judge’s Pineapple cider.

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

Schilling Cider House Visit 14 Tasting Notes

April 15, 2016April 13, 2016 cidersays 2 Towns, Cockrell, Red Tank, Rev Nat's, review, Schilling cider, cider bar, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Schilling Cider House, seattle, tasting notes

Tasting notes from my fourteenth visit to the Schilling Cider House in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle WA. Check out my past posts with tasting notes here. I was there on a Saturday afternoon with my husband and a friend, who was here from out of state.

I started with a flight of four ciders.

2 Towns Return of the Mac, Corvallis OR, 8.9% ABV: This is an unfiltered special release cider made with McIntosh apples, tap-only. Darker slightly unfiltered hue. Semi-sweet. Smells and tastes very apple-forward. Mild tartness and acidity. A hint of bitterness. Medium bodied. Simple in flavor, but tasty. This reminds me some of their Out Cider, but its sweeter and even more apple-forward.

Red Tank Sour Cherry, Bend OR, 5.4% ABV: A seasonal tap-only release made with Montmorency cherries. Mild cherry hue and scent. Semi-dry. Mild to moderate tartness and mild acidity. There was (thankfully) no sourness, so I think this could be more accurately called Tart Cherry not Sour Cherry. Light bodied. True but mild cherry flavor.

Reverend Nat’s Hallelujah Hopricot, Portland OR, 6.7% ABV: This is their flagship cider, but I’m not a huge hops fan, so I hadn’t tried it. My husband however requested I get a taster (he’s a big Rev Nat’s fan). Semi-dry. Very mild floral scent. Mild tartness and medium acidity with a hint of bitterness. Medium bodied. Stone fruit, floral, citrus, and hops notes. The hops remained quite mild, more floral & citrus than hops.

Schilling Cider Raspberry Smoothie, Auburn WA, 3.5% ABV: This is a new tap-only release, and literally a smoothie. I imagine this wouldn’t have the shelf life of a regular cider due to its high fruit content and low alcohol content. I couldn’t taste any alcohol or apples, but it was quite tasty and refreshing on a warm day. Semi-sweet. Mild to moderate tartness. Very raspberry-forward, and they definitely used the real thing. Very full bodied. I actually ordered a full pint of this one, although that ended up being a bit much for me (it was quite filling, although I think it was just cider and fresh raspberries).

While I was there they tapped a new keg, Cockrell Brewing’s Edgewood Heirloom cider. I asked for a taste.

Cockrell Brewing Edgewood Heirloom, Puyallup WA, 6.5% ABV: This is their first cider made exclusively with apples from their own farm. Smells mild, of crisp apples, champagne yeast, and citrus. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Light bodied. Mild tartness and acidity. Mildly flavored. Apple-forward.

My favorite was surprisingly the Raspberry Smoothie (I’d be interested in some background info on that one…very unique). I also really liked 2 Towns Return of the Mac. The Red Tank Sour Cherry, Rev Nat’s Hallelujah Hopricot, and Cockrell Edgewood were all rather average for me.

I actually didn’t buy any bottles, as I have quite a few at home at the moment.

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

Schilling Cider House Visit 13 Tasting Notes

April 8, 2016October 21, 2017 cidersays AEppelTreow, Elemental, Liberty, Portland Cider, review, Schilling, Zeffer cider, cider bar, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Schilling Cider House, seattle, tasting notes

Tasting notes from my thirteenth visit to the Schilling Cider House in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle WA. Check out my past posts with tasting notes here. I was there on a random Friday, as I was in the mood for some cider shopping and had some extra time as my hubby was out of town (I may have also gone to three other bottle shops that week…).

I brought some dinner with me from the PCC down the street, and ordered a flight of six ciders–Elemental Margarita Randall, Schilling Vanilla Clove, Liberty Cellar Series #G15, AEppelTreow Sparrow Spiced, Portland Cider Crooked Cock Scrumpy, and Zeffer Crisp Apple (left to right in photo below).

Elemental Margarita (Jalapeno Lime Cilantro) Randall with Strawberries, Mango, and Lime, 6.5% ABV, Woodinville WA: Schilling took Elemental’s Margarita (Jalapeno Lime Cilantro) cider and put it through a Randall (flavor infuser) with fresh strawberries, mango, and lime. The Cider House does a Randall most weekends. I’ve had this cider before, and its nice and flavorful without a real discernible spiciness when drinking small quantities. The additional lime and fruitiness was tasty, and would be awesome in summer. The additional ingredients however took away the cilantro and jalapeno flavor notes of the base cider. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Moderate tartness from the added lime. Light to medium bodied. Moderate to strong acidity. This one really hit the spot as we’ve been having summer-like heat in Seattle.

Schilling Vanilla Clove, 6.3% ABV, Auburn WA: I’ve had a lot of ciders from Schilling. This appears to be a tap-only release (weird time of year for a spiced cider though?). Smells rather strongly of vanilla with a hint of clove spice. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Medium bodied. Mild acidity and tartness. Very vanilla with hints of spice. It tastes dessert-like without being overly sweet. Moderate length finish.

Liberty Cellar Series #G15, 8.6% ABV, Spokane WA: I’ve tried a number of their ciders. This is a special tap-only release. Its made from Golden Russet, Chisel Jersey, and Empire apples, wild-yeast fermented, then barrel-aged. Semi-dry to dry. Light bodied. Mild acidity, tartness, bitterness, and tannins. A hint of sourness, but not as much as I’ve found with other wild yeast ciders. Notes of oak, spice, honey, stone fruit, and hops?. Moderate length finish.

AEppelTreow Sparrow Spiced, 5.8% ABV, Burlington WI: I’ve had a few ciders from them. This one is made from Red Delicious, Cortland, McIntosh, and Greenings apples, with mace, cinnamon, star anise, and cardamon. Its also available in bottles. It smells of cinnamon. Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Medium bodied. Mild to moderate tartness. Low acidity. A hint of bitterness. More cinnamon flavor than anything else, but the base cider had a bit of richness to it. There were also notes of oak (although not barrel aged), vanilla, and other spices. Moderate length finish.

Portland Cider Crooked Cock Scrumpy, 13.5% ABV, Portland OR: Wow! Quite boozy, without much else going for it. I think with some sweetness or flavor (richness or tannins) this would have been better. I wonder where the pinkish hue came from? Semi-dry to dry. Light bodied. Low acidity and tartness. Moderate bitterness. Long warming boozy finish.

Zeffer Crisp Apple, 5.0% ABV, Matakana New Zealand: This is my first time trying anything from this brand. I found it rather bland and apple juice-like. Semi-dry. Low tartness and acidity. Light to medium bodied. I didn’t really pick up any flavor notes besides apple juice, apple pomace, and yeast. I’d guess this is made with dessert apples and back sweetened. Quick finish.

My favorites of the evening were the Elemental Margarita Randall, plus Liberty #G15 and AEppelTreow Sparrow Spiced. I really didn’t like the Portland Scrumpy one though, and especially once it warmed up, didn’t feel like finishing it.

On my way out I picked up bottles of Aspall Imperial (blue instead of black label this time…I’m curious whether they are different) and E.Z. Orchards Poire (French-style perry).

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

Schilling Cider House Visit 12 Tasting Notes

March 23, 2016March 19, 2016 cidersays Anthem, Carlton, Cider Riot, Grizzly, Moonlight Meadery, Red Tank, review, Schilling cider, cider bar, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Schilling Cider House, seattle, tasting notes

Tasting notes from my twelfth visit to the Schilling Cider House in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle WA. Check out my past posts here. I was there on St. Patrick’s Day, and they were having a potluck. I also met David from Cider Expert (apparently I’m a superuser there and he wanted my feedback) and we had a spirited cider discussion for almost a couple hours. Cider Expert is a cider rating & review website currently in Beta testing. I think once it goes live it will be great, as the other beverage review websites like Untappd and RateBeer don’t really work well for cider (plus this one has ratings for taste properties specific to cider, and algorithms to actually suggest ciders).

I got there after work, around 4pm, and had a flight of 6 ciders. I was there for a few hours so I was expecting to order something else too, but they were large pours and one was high ABV, so that was it for me. I had thought that 5/6 were new for me, but after I ordered I realized I had 2 of them before, so only 4/6 were new for me. There were a couple other ciders on the tap list I hadn’t tried, but weren’t of interest. I brought in some Thai food takeout; I guess I must be picky as I’m 0/3 as far as liking the local Thai food options in Fremont. The PCC (natural grocery store with a large ready-made food section) remains my favorite takeout option nearby.

Carlton Cyderworks First Fruits, 6.5% ABV, McMinnville OR: Described as an apple cider fermented with plums and mulberry juice, aged in wine barrels for 5 months, which appears to be tap only. Light pink grapefruit hue. Semi-dry. Moderate acidity and mild tartness. Light bodied. I really liked the texture most of all with this cider; kinda frothy (note the foam in the photo). I didn’t recognize it as being barrel aged though (only read that later). It was lightly fruity and really refreshing.

Moonlight Meadery How Do You Like Them Apples (cider), 13.5% ABV, Londonderry NH: I’ve absolutely loved everything I’ve tried from Moonlight Meadery. I had tried this one before, and knew I wanted to include it in my flight as its a rare, and like all their ciders, tap-only. Them Apples is described as being aged with brown sugar for 6+ months in barrels from their Last Apple cyser (which were barrels from Jim Beam whiskey). Note that they also have a “How Do You Like Them Little Apples”, which is similar, but only 6.5% ABV (see my review here). Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Low acidity, low tartness, a hint of bitterness, and a hint of sourness. Very smooth, with a well hidden ABV. Medium bodied. Notes of baked apple, whiskey, oak, citrus, honey, brown sugar, and vanilla. This was different than I remembered previously…much less sweet, and with hints of bitterness and sourness. It was very good, but I think I prefer the Little Apples version (or at least the batch of this one I tried previously). On a side note as this was aged in Last Apple barrels, I also love that one, and have a bottle at home.

Red Tank Cider Yukon Cornelius, 6.0% ABV, Bend OR: Described as including vanilla, cranberry, and cinnamon. Schilling actually called it Vanilla-Cran-Cinnamon, probably as the keg was labeled that way, but with some research it looks like Yukon Cornelius is the actual name. Light punk hue. Strong cinnamon scent. Semi-dry. Mild vanilla, moderate cinnamon spice, and a hint of fruitiness but mostly tartness from the cranberry scent. Light bodied. Interesting combination, but it worked.

Grizzly Ciderworks Woodlander Wit, 6.9% ABV, Milton-Freewater OR: This is the one I thought I hadn’t tried before, but I had (see here). They modeled this cider after Belgian wit-style beer (they used that variety of beer yeast), and added orange peel and coriander. Semi-dry. Moderate acidity, low tartness, and low bitterness. Medium bodied. Mildly flavored, with notes of oak, spice, herbs, and citrus (I didn’t specifically identify orange or coriander). I like The Ridge from them better, which has more woody earthiness without the herbal & citrus flavors of this one, although is even drier.

Anthem Rose Pinot, 6.5% ABV, Salem OR: Described as being aged with pinot noir grapes (its unclear whether in a barrel or tank). Bright red hue. Semi-dry. Moderate tartness and mild acidity. Light bodied. Very mild flavor which to me had a lot of cranberry notes. I didn’t really like the flavor of this one. I imagine wine lovers would enjoy it.

Cider Riot! Burn Cider, 6.8% ABV, Portland OR: Described as being made with Oregon-grown English cider apples, tart wild apples, and dessert apples, and being inspired by English West Country pub draught ciders. Dry. Moderate bitterness, moderate acidity, low tannins, and low tartness. Light bodied. Hints of bittersweet cider apples, but overall it was on the mild end of the flavor spectrum, and kinda watered down tasting. Notes of vanilla and spice as well. I think if it had been more flavorful, slightly less bitter, and slightly more sweet, this would have been nice.

My favorite of the evening was the Moonlight Meadery cider, which I also loved the last time I had it (see my Cider Summit Seattle 2015 tasting notes here). I also enjoyed First Fruits, even though I usually don’t go for fruity ciders. Lately I’ve realized I enjoy ciders that best I can explain are very “textural” (Locust Winesap was another example; see my tasting notes here). Overall though I was a bit underwhelmed by my flight, but many I tried mostly just to try them. I wish Schilling would offer more unflavored ciders (not fruity, hopped, spiced, etc), English & French imports, etc, on tap, but I imagine the flavored stuff sells well.

On my way out I picked up another bottle of 2 Towns Pommeau, as its that awesome (see my review here), a great value, and the bottle says it ages well (up to 20 years?). I also bought a cider I hadn’t seen in this area before from ÆppelTreow, Kinglet Bitter, which sounds like something I’ll like (made from bittersweet apples); I’ve enjoyed a couple other ciders from them (Appely Doux and Barn Swallow).

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

Schilling Cider King’s Shilling

February 24, 2016March 6, 2016 cidersays review, Schilling barrel aged, brandy, cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, King's Schilling, Schilling

Review of Schilling Cider’s King’s Shilling, an apple brandy barrel aged & fortified cider. This was released at the very end of January, and will be a February-April seasonal for them.

Cider: King’s Shilling
Cidery: Schilling Cider
Cidery Location: Auburn WA (Seattle area)
ABV: 6.5%
How Supplied: 22oz bottles (and draft)
Style: American apple brandy barrel aged & fortified craft cider from dessert apples

Availability: February-April (seasonal, although this is the first year). Schilling Cider is sold at least in AK, AZ, CA, CT, ID, MN, NC, NV, OR, SC, VA, and WA, but this is a special release and is therefore likely to have more limited distribution.

Cider Description: King’s Shilling is a special collaboration with Mischief Distilling, using apple brandy they made from our cider, and then aged in their Mischief Bourbon barrels. Fortified to perfection, in this cider, you will find barrel notes of smoke, cinnamon, and vanilla, along with the slight sweetness of apple brandy.

THE STORY OF KING’S SHILLING: When drinking with scallywags, check your glass before you bottoms up. Finding a shilling in your glass means you are under contract to crew a pirate’s ship? You may unwittingly find yourself swabbing the decks… Never to return.

Price: $6.00
Where Bought: Schilling Cider House
Where Drank: home
How Found: They posted about it on their Facebook page, and it sounded awesome, so I bought a bottle at my next visit.

First Impression: Lemon-Honey straw yellow hue. Low carbonation with a few medium sized bubbles. Smells of must, sourness, oak, honey, spice, and citrus.

Tasting Notes: Between semi-dry and semi-sweet. Low to moderate acidity. Low tartness. Hints of sourness and bitterness. Medium bodied. Nearly still (low carbonation). Notes of honey and citrus, with hints of maple syrup, oak, and spice. Moderate length finish. Moderate apple influence. Low barrel influence. Low spirit influence. Moderate sessionability.

My Opinion: Tasty! I think this was a great value too…typically craft cider and especially craft barrel aged cider is more expensive than $6.00 / 22oz. The musty scent was off-putting at first, but I got past it once I tasted the cider. I was surprised how citrus-forward it was, but I like citrus notes in a cider. I was also surprised with the description that said its brandy fortified; if so, its not much, as the ABV remains fairly average at 6.5%.

Most Similar to: The honey notes remind me of Moonlight Meadery How Do You Like Them Little Apples, Crispin 15 Men, 2 Towns The Bad Apple, and Finnriver Honey Meadow.

Closing Notes: This is my favorite cider from Schilling so far (my others are Pineapple Passion and Barrel #2, which is more of a spirit than a cider). So far I think their new cider lineup is better than it previously was.

Have you tried King’s Shilling? What did you think?

Schilling Cider House Visit 11 Tasting Notes

February 19, 2016March 6, 2016 cidersays 101 Ciderhouse, Celt, Honey Moon, Original Sin, review, Schilling, Sonoma Cider cider, cider flight, cider house, cider tasting, hard cider, Schilling, Schilling Cider House, seattle, washington

Tasting notes from my eleventh visit to the Schilling Cider House in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle WA. Check out my past posts here. I was there mostly as I wanted to pick up a couple bottles (Schilling’s new seasonal King’s Shilling brandy barrel aged & fortified cider and this year’s version of Two Towns’ Pommeau), but this isn’t exactly the kind of place where I can stop in without having some cider!

I got there after work, around 4pm, and started with a flight of five ciders (I had tried everything else so skipped out on #6). I brought some take out food I picked up from PCC (the Caprese sandwich went well with 101 Cider House Piña Mint).

Schilling Blackberry Pear (Auburn WA), 5.5%: This is a new draft-only release. I believe it is apple cider with blackberry and pear juice infused after fermentation (vs. being a blackberry flavored perry). Semi-sweet. Full flavored with blackberry and a hint of pear. Fruity, refreshing, and flavorful without being over the top sweet. The apple remains pretty well hidden. Medium bodied. This was pretty good (and I’m usually not a big berry cider fan), although maybe I was just underwhelmed with most of the rest of the flight. It reminded me of Atlas Blackberry (although less tart) and Crispin Blackberry Pear (although sweeter).

Schilling London Dry (Auburn WA), 6.5%: Described as an English pub style cider, sold in four packs of 16oz cans and kegs. Somehow I had never tried this one even though its been out awhile. Dry. High acidity. Moderarate tartness. Light bodied. It was lacking the richness of English cider, likely as I doubt they used high tannin cider apples. I thought this was a pretty average cider, but many people ordered pints of it while I was there (although maybe because it was the most inexpensive drier cider by far?).

Sonoma Cider Dry Fuji (Healdsburg CA), 6.5%: This is a reserve series release from Sonoma Cider, an organic Fuji apple single varietal, oak barrel aged, sold in 22oz paper wrapped bottles and kegs. Nearly clear hue. Completely Dry (0 residual sugar). High acidity. Moderate sourness. Mild tartness. Light bodied. Kinda Sidra-like due to the sourness, although it also reminded me of white grape wine. Mildly flavored. I wasn’t a fan at all, mostly due to the sourness.

Original Sin Northern Spy (York NY), 6.9%: This Northern Spy single varietal is part of Original Sin’s Heirloom series. This appears to be tap-only at this time (although they had similar heirloom series releases in 750ml bottles, like Newtown Pippin). Semi-dry. Low acidity. Low tartness. A hint of sourness. Citrus notes. Light bodied. Overall mildly flavored. Average.

101 Cider House Piña Menta (Los Angeles CA), 6.9%: This is a new 101 Cider House release, a pineapple mint cider. Smells of citrus and mint. On the sweeter side of Dry. A hint of sourness. Citrus and mint notes. I didn’t really pick up pineapple? Moderately flavored. Light bodied. Unique with the mint flavor, but overall I thought it was average.

They also put Honey Moon CiderHead Quince on tap while I was there.

Honey Moon CiderHead Quince (Bellingham WA), 8.3%: This is described as their Quince mead with cider, so that would make it a cyser. Semi-dry. Mild tannins, tartness, and acidity. Mildly fruity. Light and refreshing. Mild to moderate flavored. Tropical notes, passion fruit and pineapple. This was good, but I prefer Eaglemount Quince, which was more complex and flavorful.

I wanted a little something else, but didn’t feel the need for another pint, so I bought a bottle of Celt for $3 and drank it there. The Cider House is pretty awesome as they don’t charge extra to drink their bottled cider there (vs. taking it home). An awesome cider for an awesome price! Its the only French cider I’ve seen that comes in a multipack (4 bottles). Check out my previous review here. I had forgotten how I much I enjoy this cider, and picked up a couple more bottles to take home.

I’m excited to compare the last two years of Two Towns’ Pommeau in a vertical pour, now that I have a bottle of each. I highly recommend it by the way, and if anyone is in the Seattle area, at $25 for an amazing 375ml bottle of 19% ABV Pommeau at the Schilling Cider House, its also a good buy. I also spotted it at The Cave in Kirkland.

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

Schilling Cider LumberJack (Rhubarb)

February 17, 2016February 7, 2016 cidersays review, Schilling cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Lumberjack, rhubarb, Schilling, seattle, washington

Review of Schilling Cider LumberJack, their Rhubarb variety, from Seattle Washington.

Cider: LumberJack (Rhubarb)
Cidery: Schilling Cider
Cidery Location: Auburn Washington (Seattle area)
ABV: 6.0%
How Supplied: boxed six pack of 12oz cans (and kegs)
Style: American craft fruit-infused canned cider
Ingredients: fresh pressed apple juice, pear, rhubarb, yeast

Availability: At least AK, AZ, CA, CT, ID, MN, NC, NV, OR, SC, VA, and WA.

Cider Description: This axe-swinging Lumberjack will make you want to get lost in the woods! He’s earthy, rugged, and just the right amount of dry. But, underneath all of that rough and tough, he’s as sweet as an early autumn pear.

Price: I’ve seen it sold anywhere from $10.99 to $13.50 / six pack
Where Bought: n/a (a fellow customer at the cider house shared a can with me from the six pack he bought – thanks John!).
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing the Schilling Cider House

First Impression: Light pink-peach hue. Low carbonation (large bubbles) and foam. Smells lightly fruity.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry (2 Brix). Moderate tartness and acidity. No bitterness, sourness, or tannins. Notes of rhubarb, pear, tropical fruit, peach, and honey. Light bodied with a smooth buttery texture. A bit champagne-like although not nearly as bubbly (only low carbonation). Moderate finish length. Moderate apple flavor. Moderate sessionability.

My Opinion: Tasty and refreshing. I think this one would be a great summer cider. However, its a tad on the tart side for my liking, and overall fruity ciders aren’t my favorite. I also don’t know if I would have been able to specifically identify rhubarb as the flavor.

Most Similar to: Other semi-dry fruity ciders. The only other rhubarb cider I’ve had is 2 Towns Rhubarbarian, and I’d say Schilling’s LumberJack is more flavorful.

Closing Notes: This is part of Schilling Cider’s re-launch. I’m curious to see what else they will come up with. They discontinued their Hopped and Oak Aged ciders, and have had a number of new releases in their cider lineup lately.

Have you tried Schilling LumberJack (Rhubarb)? 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?

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?

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?

Schilling Cider House Visit 7 Tasting Notes

December 3, 2015November 26, 2015 cidersays 2 Towns, Attila, Avid (prev. Atlas), Greenwood, Julian, local, Locust, Portland Cider, review, Schilling, William's cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Schilling, Schilling Cider House, Seatttle

Yes, I made yet another trip to the Schilling Cider House! Check out my past posts here. This time it was for a monthly potluck, with a “Thanksgiving Recipe Trial Run” theme. I actually opted out of the potluck as I’m not a big Thanksgiving type food fan (and it ended up having a low turnout anyways), but there were plenty of folks at the cider house.

I started with a flight of six ciders.

2 Towns Ciderhouse Nice & Naughty, 10.5% ABV: I started off not really liking this one much at all, but it became one of my favorites of the night once it warmed up to closer to room temperature. This one had less spice scent than the other two spiced ciders I had in this flight. Semi-dry. The spice hit more at the back of the palate, and wasn’t so much cinnamon as it was clove and nutmeg. I bet this would be amazing served warm. The alcohol remained pretty well-hidden, and it reminded me of Imperial-style cider.

Atlas Hard Cider Company Cinnamon Pear, 8.5% ABV: Very mild cinnamon scent, and I don’t detect any pear scent. This one is an apple-based cider with some pear juice (not perry). Semi-sweet. A bit boozy (alcohol-forward). Only a hint of pear flavor. The cinnamon came across more in the finish. This one remained rather mild flavored.

Portland Cider Company London Dry Gin, 6.8% ABV: Dry. Smells like tannins, spice, herb, and dry cider. Quick finish. Acidic with some bitterness. Higher tannins but light bodied, which is an interesting and rare combination. Quite herbal. This one grew on me a bit and I ended up liking it. It reminds me of Liberty Ciderworks Abbess, which used gin botanicals.

Julian Hard Cider Apple Pie, 6.9% ABV: Very strong cinnamon scent, but less so in the flavor. Semi-sweet. I was surprised with the moderate tartness. I’m not a huge spiced cider fan to begin with, but this was my least favorite of the three spiced ciders I tried in this flight. Its fairly popular though.

Attila Hard Apple Cider Rapture (Concord Grape), 6.5% ABV: Deep berry color with foam from the Nitro process. Semi-sweet to sweet. I pick up grape, with hints of pomegranate, cranberry, and huckleberry. Juice-like and the apple is well-hidden, but it was tasty and full flavored.

Schilling Cider Company Grumpy Bear Cold Brew Coffee Nitro, 5.0% ABV: Another very unique cider. Deep hazy amber with froth from the Nitro process. Semi-sweet. Smells mildly of coffee grounds, and I don’t pick up any apple. Moderate to full bodied. Some spice and herbal qualities. The coffee comes across more in the scent than the flavor, but still, the apple remains hidden. Its a bit like an iced coffee drink with some alcohol. This one became a bit more bitter as it warmed up. Its not really my thing, but not as bad as I was expecting.

I got handed a sample of Greenwood Sweet Orange Cinnamon. This batch ended up having the carbonation really mellow out the flavor (per the cidermaker), so it mostly had a hint of spice in the scent and that was it. They put together a Randall while I was there to add additional orange and cinnamon flavor, using ingredients from the cidery.

Next I got tastes from some sample bottles.

I had a few sips of Locust Washington Dessert Apple Aged Hard Cider. I had this one a few months ago (review here), but this batch definitely was a bit wonky, as it continued to aggressively bottle condition. Like my bottle, it was very fizzy, even after being open for awhile. However, the additional time in the bottle had made it significantly drier than mine.

William’s Excalibur: This one tastes like a typical sweet commercial cider (and has an ingredient list to confirm this). It had the slightest bittersweet flavor, but was otherwise quite disappointing. I can’t believe they import this type of cider!

William’s Sir Perry: A bit more drinkable than Excalibur, but its still a sweet commercial cider. I don’t pick up much pear flavor at all. Slightly less sweet than Excalibur.

Locust Bittersweet Reserve: This is a special release cider for them which benefits Hydrocephalus (which the owner’s daughter and 1/1,000 babies has). Only 1,000 bottles and some kegs were released Nov/20/2015. Made from French and English bittersweet apple varieties. Bittersweet apple scent with hints of orange and spice. Semi-sweet to sweet. Rich, smooth, and luscious! Caramel notes, full flavored, and medium bodied. Lovely mild to moderate tannins. This reminds me of English-style cider, but its a bit more approachable than some, and the hints of orange and spice are nice (even though I usually don’t like those sorts of flavors). No bitterness, which can be difficult to pull off. This was definitely my favorite cider of the evening! I’m happy I was able to pick up a bottle (so look for a future full review of it here). $18 for 750ml, likely only found in the Seattle WA area. Oddly enough I was told it must stay refrigerated (although it didn’t say that on the bottle)?

I definitely tried a lot of cider and had a blast, as always. Stay tuned for more Schilling Cider House tasting notes here at Cider Says! Have you had any good draft cider / cider flights recently?

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