Incline Explorer Hopped Cider

July 7, 2016July 7, 2016 cidersays Incline, review Auburn, cider, cider review, cider tasting, Explorer, hard cider, hopped cider, Incline, washington

Review of Incline Cider Company’s The Explorer – Hopped Cider. Its the first time I’ve tried their cider, and this was the first cider this company released (January 2016).

Cider: The Explorer – Hopped Cider
Cidery: Incline Cider Company
Cidery Location: Auburn WA
ABV: 6.5%
How Supplied: six packs of 12oz cans
Style: American craft hopped cider made from dessert apples

Availability: Year round in Washington and Oregon

Cider Description: On the drier end of the scale while remaining very smooth and well balanced. The Explorer Hopped Cider is produced from our blend of Yakima apples. A hearty dose of hops is added in to create a extremely balanced, complex, and refreshing cider. NO added sugar, no concentrates, nothing funky.
Cheers!

Cidery Description: On a mission to share craft cider with the nation. Incline Cider Company was established by dreamers turned cider adventurers. Founded through a long time passion with the industry and for quality craft cider, Incline was born. Our mission is to produce craft cider of the highest quality and share it with the world.

We stay true to “craft”. This means no apple concentrates and no artificial additives. To put it simply – we let the apples, yeast, and our expertise do the talking. GMO and Gluten Free. Family owned and operated..

Price: ~$2 for a single can
Where Bought: Whole Foods
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing, although I had read about this cider online and seen full six packs in other stores

First Impression: Pale straw yellow hue. Low carbonation. Smells of hops, citrus, floral, and honey.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry. Light bodied. Hop-forward (moderate). Moderate tartness and acidity. Low bitterness. No tannins, sourness, or funk. Notes of hops, citrus, floral, and honey. Moderate finish length. Low apple flavor. High sessionability. Low flavor intensity.

My Opinion: I found this easy to drink, but its not something I’d buy again, as I prefer a higher flavor intensity and less overt hoppiness (ie. citrus & floral notes vs. actual hop flavor). I liked that the bitterness didn’t linger, which I’ve found some some hoppier ciders.

Most Similar to: Other moderately hopped ciders, such as Portland Cider Hop’Rageous and Tod Creek Mala-Hop.

Closing Notes: I’m glad I got to try this. I can no longer say that I don’t enjoy hopped ciders, although they aren’t my first choice. I think Incline did well staying middle of the road as far as hoppiness to appeal to both cider and beer drinkers. I’m curious what they will come out with next. Their website lists The Scout Hopped Marionberry Cider, but I haven’t seen it yet.

Have you tried Incline Explorer? What did you think?

Gabbie’s Premium Cider Semi Dry

July 6, 2016July 2, 2016 cidersays Gabbie's, review British Columbia, Canada, cider, cider review, cider tasting, Gabbie's, hard cider, Semi-Dry

Review of Gabbie’s Premium Cider Semi Dry. I picked this up in Victoria B.C., a stop on our Alaska cruise. Its the first time I’ve tried their cider.

Cider: Semi Dry
Cidery: Gabbie’s Premium Cider, from Ravenskill Orchards
Cidery Location: Gabriola Island, British Columbia, Canada
ABV: 6.5%
How Supplied: 750ml bottle
Style: Canadian craft cider from apples from B.C. Canada, including cider apple varieties

Availability: only in British Columbia, Canada (Gulf Islands, Victoria, and Vancouver Island); see here

Cider Description: Diverse, Semi-dry and Delicious! Golden in the glass, this semi dry cider opens up with a supple rustic apple fragrance. The acidity creates the perfect balance between sweet and salty.

Cidery Description: Nearly 100 years ago, B.C.’s Gulf Island farmers concocted exceptional hard cider. Legend has it, those makers then journeyed out to sea to share their libations with the mainland. To those Cider Makers, we salute you. Today we join you.

Gabbie’s Premium Ciders are perfected by Ravenskill Orchards at our unique island location. Amongst 1,000 heritage trees, 25 varieties of apples, grow fresh, crisp, sun-kissed and gently-breezed by the salty sea air. We are a family of farmers, sea lovers and makers crafting the best small batch premium cider the Gulf Island have enjoyed since prohibition. A distinct taste and cider experience.

Our premium hard ciders are handcrafted in a traditional “old-world” style using “new world” techniques. A perfect blend of distinctive flavour and colourfully named apples varieties such as Yarlington Mill, Newton Pippin, Kingston Black & Porter’s Perfection.

Price: $20 CAN (~$15 USD)
Where Bought: The Strath in Victoria B.C. Canada
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing

First Impression: Moderate straw yellow. Low carbonation. Smells of tart apples, citrus, and honey.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry. Light bodied. Moderate to high tartness. Moderate acidity. Low bitterness. Low tannins. Slight richness. No sourness or funk. Notes of apple pomace, tart apple varieties like granny smith and crabapples, citrus (lemon), honey, and floral. Moderate length finish. Moderate apple flavor. Moderate sessionability. Moderate complexity.

My Opinion: I enjoyed this cider. However, I found it a bit tart for my liking. I liked the tannins and complexity, but it left me wanting more. I’m curious as to the apple blend; they mention cider apple varieties, but not that those are the only apple varieties used.

Most Similar to: Liberty Ciderworks New World Style and Raven’s Moon Apple Cider

Closing Notes: Gabbie’s Semi Dry is well suited for lovers of tart ciders, and would pair well with food. I’m glad I got to try it. They also offer a “Real Dry” variety of cider (which won Gold in the Traditional Dry category of the 2016 PNW Cider Awards).

Have you tried Gabbie’s cider? What did you think?

Moonlight Meadery Last Apple Cyser

July 5, 2016July 2, 2016 cidersays Moonlight Meadery, review cider, cider review, cider tasting, cyser, hard cider, Last Apple, Londonderry, mead, Moonlight Meadery, New Hampshire

Review of Moonlight Meadery’s Last Apple, a cyser (made from apples and honey). I tried this previously on tap (see here), and have also previously tried some ciders, meads, and cysers from Moonlight Meadery (see here).

Cider: Last Apple
Cidery: Moonlight Meadery
Cidery Location: Londonderry New Hampshire
ABV: 16.0%
How Supplied: 375ml bottles (and kegs)
Style: American craft cyser (made from apple juice and honey), barrel aged

Availability: AL, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, MD, ME, MI, MO, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, TX, VA, WA, and WA D.C. in the USA (see here), plus Australia, China, Japan, and through their online shop (shipped to 36/50 states)

Cider Description: We took the very last New Hampshire apples that were available to us and had them fresh pressed into apple cider. We then blended it with True Source Honey and let it ferment and age in freshly emptied Jim Beam barrels for over 6 months. The end result is nothing short of heavenly. It is unlike any of the other honey apple meads that we make, that’s why we felt it deserved its own unique label design. Take your time with this precious liquid and allow its complexities to dance along your palate.

Cidery Description: We are a world class meadery and cidery from Londonderry, New Hampshire that specializes in meads, the world’s oldest alcoholic beverage made from honey, as well as hard ciders. The diversity of our offerings often leave people speechless, while the flavors have them asking for it from their local retailers. Stop by and try the oldest fermented beverage to find out why “History never tasted so good”™.

Price: $26.99
Where Bought: The Cave in Kirkland WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing. I tried this previously at the Schilling Cider House in Seattle WA and remembered loving it, and didn’t even know bottles were available (I picked this up awhile back and haven’t seen it since), so I decided to jump on it, despite the high price tag.

First Impression: Light to medium amber hue. Still (no carbonation). Smells boozy, of honey and caramel.

Tasting Notes: Semi-sweet. Full bodied. Low tartness and acidity. Hints of bitterness and tannins. No sourness or funk. Notes of honey, sweet ripe apples, caramel, oak, and coffee. Long warming finish. Low apple influence. Low barrel influence. Moderate to high honey influence. Very low sessionability. Moderate complexity.

My Opinion: I enjoyed this, but I think the batch I tried awhile back which was kegged was far superior; it didn’t have the coffee notes, had more oak flavor, was sweeter & fuller bodied, and was more complex. In this price range, I think I’d prefer an ice cider from Eden (see here). This reinforces how much I like cider bars, especially for high end ciders, as a sample can be had for $2-$5, vs. spending a good deal on an entire bottle.

Most Similar to: This is more mead than cider, both in flavor and its high ABV. It has more honey notes and a higher ABV than most cysers, such as the ones I’ve tried from Finnriver (Cyser Cider), Eaglemount (Cyser), and Sea Cider (Birds and the Bees). Its even higher ABV than the meads I’ve tried, such as Skyriver Solas (see here) and Superstition Honey Highway (see here), yet is smooth and easy to drink.

Closing Notes: I look forward to continuing to try more ciders, meads, and cysers from Moonlight Meadery; they offer quite a large selection.

Have you tried Moonlight Meadery Last Apple? What did you think?

Pacific Northwest Cider Awards Festival 2016 Tasting Notes

July 1, 2016September 23, 2016 cidersays Apple Outlaw, Carlton, Longdrop, Phillippi, review, Spire Mountain, Wandering Aengus, Wards cider, cider awards, cider festival, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Pacific Northwest, tasting notes

The third-annual Pacific Northwest Cider Awards Festival took place on Saturday June 25th 2016. Its a chance for the public to try some of the ciders which were judged on the day prior. It took place outside The Woods in Seattle WA, which hosts both Seattle Cider and the Two Beers Brewing company. I attended the event with some cider friends. Here is a list of the 2016 winners.

Wandering Aengus (Salem OR) Bittersweet (5.2% ABV): This is a draft-only one-off release using only bittersweet cider apple varieties from Poverty Lane Orchards (Farnum Hill) in New Hampshire, wild yeast fermented. Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Medium bodied. Low carbonation. Lovely rich bittersweet apple flavor with notes of caramel and honey. Mild bitterness, tannins, acidity, and tartness. Long finish length. I wouldn’t have guessed at all that this was wild fermented, as it lacked any sourness or funk, although they mentioned it was a very long fermentation. This is the first cider I’ve truly enjoyed from this cidery (see here for previous reviews)…they tend to be too bitter for my liking. This won Silver in the Wild Ferment category.

Phillippi Fruit (Wenatchee WA) Snow Dance (16% ABV): This is a Pommeau-inspired apple brandy fortified cider, and the first time I’ve tried anything from Phillippi (they aren’t even distributed to Seattle WA yet). Semi-sweet. Full bodied. Rich and boozy with notes of honey and caramel. I really enjoyed it. This would be nice served ice cold after dinner, but was a bit much just after noon! I’m a big fan of Pommeau, ice cider, mead, etc.

Longdrop Cider (Eagle ID) Electric Cherry (6.0% ABV): I previously tried a few of their ciders at a tasting event at the Schilling Cider House (see here). Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Moderate to high tartness. Light bodied. Moderate cherry flavor intensity. The tartness was a bit overpowering for me, but fans of tart cherry would like this. The flavor was true and non-medicinal, which can be tough to pull off with a cherry cider.

Apple Outlaw (Applegate OR) Thompson Creek (9.0% ABV): I’ve previously tried a few of their ciders (see here). This is a new keg-only rye whiskey barrel aged cider, the first in their Heritage line. Awesome whiskey and oak scent. Semi-dry. Light bodied. Mild bitterness, tannins, acidity, and tartness. Overall the flavor was a bit harsh. I think I would have liked it with more sweetness or less ABV.

Wards (Kelowna B.C. Canada) Original Hard Cider (5.5% ABV): I’ve actually never tried anything from this cidery, although I’ve seen them. Semi-sweet. Light bodied. Moderate carbonation. Low to moderate tartness and acidity. Low flavor intensity and simple apple juice flavor. I found this to be average.

Wards (Kelowna B.C. Canada) Festive Apple Cider (5.5% ABV): This ended up being cherry. I had assumed it would be spiced (although its not really the season for that…). I didn’t enjoy this semi-sweet cider at all…the cherry flavor seemed medicinal. Someone else said it tasted like a Shirley Temple.

Carlton (McMinnville OR) Citizen Cider (6.75% ABV): I’ve tried a few ciders from them (see here). This is their flagship cider, but I actually hadn’t tried it yet. It is made from traditional English cider apple varieties. Semi-dry. Medium bodied. Mild to moderate tannins and bitterness. I liked the flavor, and I’m probably being over critical, but I found it a tad bitter and not quite rich enough. This won Bronze in the Traditional Sweet category.

Spire Mountain (Olympia WA) Crisp and Dry (5.0% ABV): I’ve tried a few ciders from them (see here). This is their newest release. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Moderate carbonation. Medium bodied. Apple-forward. Notes of mineral and honey. Quick finish. We discussed this cider and decided that it may taste sweeter than it actually is as its tangy and fuller bodied. However, its likely not anywhere near truly try, just dry for their cider lineup. I found it to be average.

My favorite of the afternoon was the Wandering Aengus Bittersweet. Overall the event was a bit disappointing, as they listed quite a few ciders online (and even in the handout they gave us) which they didn’t end up having. I imagine cideries had said they would drop off kegs/bottles/cans and didn’t end up doing so, or changed what they brought. These were about the only ciders I hadn’t tried before, and many of those were more commercial than I usually enjoy.

Admission was $25 + tax at the door for 8 cider tokens and a tasting glass. A few ciders were 2 tokens instead of 1, and most were 4oz pours. The venue was also a bit lacking in shade and seating. Apparently they previously had this be an indoor-outdoor event, but this year switched to outdoor only. The cider booths were under tents, they had a few standing tables, one food cart, kegs of water, and a few port-a-potties. Its always fun to try new ciders and hang out with folks with a common interest though.

Common Cider Company Hibiscus Saison

June 30, 2016June 26, 2016 cidersays Common Cider Co, review california, cider, Common, Common Cider, Drytown, hard cider, Hibiscus, saison

Review of Common Cider Company’s Hibiscus Saison cider. My husband picked this up for me in Northern California, and its the first cider I’ve tried from them.

Cider: Hibiscus Saison
Cidery: Common Cider Company
Cidery Location: Drytown CA
ABV: 6.5%
How Supplied: four pack of slim 12oz cans
Style: American craft cider from dessert apples with hibiscus flower extract

Availability: Northern CA and Las Vegas NV, per their Locator page

Cider Description: Hibiscus Saison pours a rosy red color with a bubbly head. The aroma is light & floral with hints of sweet apples and hibiscus.

It won Silver in the “Specialty Cider and Perry” category at GLINTCAP 2016.

Cidery Description: We don’t brew ciders, we craft moments. If it has anything to do with bringing people together, sparking conversation, bolstering friendships, and creating memories, it has everything to do with our approach to cider.

Just ask Fran. As founder of Common Cider, Fran Toves was inspired into the cider realm by a simple desire: to utilize her foodies’ passion for flavor experimentation and her love of shared times to create something rare and delicious. Her dream was a portfolio of ciders painstakingly designed to pair beautifully with food while moving people to find common ground and celebrate the simple act of being human. In 2012, Fran shared her dream with the world at homebrew competition in Reno, NV. And the response, three ciders placing in the top 10, was all the validation she needed to go all in. Thus Common Cider was born.

In Fran’s world, flavor is everything. Surprising flavor, adventurous flavor, flavor as gift to one’s family and friends. And it’s in the “layering of flavors,” as Fran likes to call it, where her artistry fully expressed. Only the juiciest, fresh-pressed, locally sourced apples. Only the choicest, natural fruit extracts and botanicals – local and organic wherever possible. Flavor profiles that lean more towards wine than beer. Light, crisp, a sweetness hinted but never overstated.

These are ciders that taste like poems, enjoy them in the spirit of togetherness. Common ciders are naturally low in sugar, gluten-free, and feature slightly lower-than-typical alcohol levels (6.5%).

See this article for more information.

Price: ~ $10 / 4 pack
Where Bought: a grocery store outside of Sacramento CA
Where Drank: home
How Found: I looked online for ciders available in Northern California and made my husband a list.

First Impression: Medium red orange hue. Nearly still (no carbonation). Smells mild – fruity, floral, and tart.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry. Light to medium bodied. Moderate tartness and acidity. No bitterness, sourness, funk, or tannins. Moderate length finish. Notes of pomegranate, strawberry, floral, honey, cranberry, and cherry. Low apple flavor. Moderate sessionability. Moderate flavor intensity.

My Opinion: Nice. However, it wasn’t what I expected…way more fruity than floral. The cidermaker said the use of Belgian Saison yeast helps retain more flavor in the cider, and I agree–the flavor was more intense than typically found with a semi-dry cider.

Most Similar to: Elemental Oxygen (Pomegranate) cider, which was also fruity and tart. I’ve had a few floral infused ciders, but this cider didn’t really line up with those.

Closing Notes: I’m glad I got to try it. This is a nice summer cider.

Have you tried Common Cider? What did you think?

d’s Wicked Chanilla (Cherry Vanilla)

June 29, 2016June 26, 2016 cidersays D's Wicked, review Chanilla, cherry vanilla creme, cider, cider review, cider tasting, d's, D's Wicked, hard cider, Kennewick, washington

Review of Chanilla (Cherry Vanilla) cider from d’s Wicked, their newest release. I’ve previously only tried their Baked Apple cider (see here).

Cider: Chanilla
Cidery: d’s Wicked Cider Co.
Cidery Location: Kennewick WA
ABV: 6.9%
How Supplied: 22oz bottle
Style: American craft cider from dessert apples with cherries & Madagascar vanilla beans

Availability: WA, OR, and HI; see here

Cider Description: d’s Wicked Cider Chanilla is a hand crafted hard apple cider made with the freshest Pacific Northwest grown apples. We’ve infused fresh cherry and Madagascar vanilla bean to create this cidergasmic new flavor. This cider has expressive notes of pie cherries and cream soda with a lush marshmallow finish.

Cidery Description: We started brewing cider because we love great ciders! Try the wicked delicious flavors that inspired us…you deserve it! Wicked good ciders…wicked good times!!

Using the very best apples from Washington State, we let the unique character of each apple variety guide our crafting, resulting in our sinfully delicious varietals. d’s ciders are crisp with the freshness of just picked apples, not too sweet, not too tart, just playful layers of flavor that are just plain WICKED GOOD. d’s ciders are naturally gluten free, rough filtered to maintain the richest apple flavor, contain no colorants, and use natural ingredients.

They have a tasting room in Kennewick WA.

Price: $8
Where Bought: Special Brews in Lynnwood WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing, although I had heard about it online

First Impression: Cranberry red with slight brown & orange hue. Moderate to high turbity. Moderate carbonation upon pouring, medium size bubbles. Smells of granny smith apples, cherries, and a slight sourness.

Tasting Notes: Sweet. Moderate to full bodied. Creamy texture. Moderate carbonation. Moderate tartness and acidity. No bitterness, funk, or tannins. Hints of sourness. Notes of cherry, vanilla, marshmallow cream, cranberry, pomegranate, and green apple. Low apple flavor. Moderate to full flavor intensity. Moderate sessionability.

My Opinion: Quite sweet and rich…a bit much for me. Definitely more suited to sip on with dessert than with dinner.

Most Similar to: Cherry vanilla creme soda. The alcohol remains well hidden under all the sugar in this beverage, the flavor is quite a good match, and even the carbonation is almost as high as soda. Chanilla seems more like hard soda than cider. It reminds me a bit of Elemental’s NW Atomic Root Beer (see here), which is a cider-based hard root beer (although that one is less sweet than its soda counterpart).

Closing Notes: Although this was too sweet and rich for me, I liked the creamy flavor; I’m curious how they pulled that off. I imagine this will be a great seller, as sweet cider is popular and hard soda is a current trend.

Have you tried d’s Wicked Chanilla? What did you think?

Rhinegeist Cidergeist Dry Hopped

June 28, 2016June 27, 2016 cidersays Cidergeist, review cider, cider review, cider tasting, Cidergeist, Cincinnati, Dry Hopped, hard cider, hopped cider, Ohio, Rhinegeist

Review of Cidergeist Dry Hopped, a dry hopped cider made by Rhinegeist, a brewery in Cincinnati Ohio. They released two ciders for the first time in Fall 2015, Semi Dry and Dry Hopped. They sent me samples of both.

>>This is a review of a sample can provided to Cider Says by Rhinegeist. 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: Dry Hopped
Cidery: Rhinegeist Cidergeist
Cidery Location: Cincinnati Ohio
ABV: 6.2%
How Supplied: 6 pack of 12oz cans (and kegs)
Style: American commercial cider made from dessert apple juice concentrate, with hops

Availability: year round in areas including Ohio, Kentucky, and Massachusetts

Cider Description: Dry hopped with Centennial hops from the Pacific Northwest for citrus aromatics, this fine dry cider builds layers of delight upon the essence of the apples.

Cidery Description: Countless days and nights were spent studying the art of making cider, drinking the best we could find across the country and testing a variety of juices, yeasts and techniques in fermentation—the result is Cidergeist. Semi Dry and Dry Hopped will be sure to blow your buds with the bright snap of delicious apples.

Cidergeist gives us the opportunity to play in a lighter and drier zone than beer is able to achieve, introducing a flavor profile more akin to white wine and refreshing in a uniquely fruity way. Fermented with juices from the Pacific Northwest, these Cidergeist Hard Ciders sparkle to deliver a blend of acidity and apple-ness with bountiful aromatics that strike the right balance of refreshingly dry with just a shy suggestion of sweetness.

Price: n/a (retails around $10 / 6 pack)
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: Rhinegeist contacted me

First Impression: Light orange amber hue. Nearly still (no carbonation). Smells strongly of Citra hops.

Tasting Notes: Completely dry (3 grams sugar / 12oz). Mild tartness and acidity. Moderate bitterness. Hints of tannins. No sourness or funk. Strong hoppiness with milder notes of citrus (orange) and floral. Low apple flavor. Low sessionability.

My Opinion: Wow! This is quite a hoppy cider. I’m not a fan of beer, so unfortunately I wasn’t a fan. My husband thought this was quite similar to IPA beer. There have been a few hopped ciders I enjoyed, but they were much more mild, such as 2 Towns Hop and Stalk, Tod Creek Mala-Hop, and Portland Cider Hop’Rageous. I think I would have enjoyed this with more sweetness and less hops.

Most Similar to: Reverend Nat’s Hopland #5 / Envy, which was also heavily hopped.

Closing Notes: Fans of heavily hopped beers such as IPA would probably enjoy this cider.

Have you tried Cidergeist? What did you think?

Rhinegeist Cidergeist Semi Dry

June 27, 2016June 27, 2016 cidersays review cider, cider review, cider tasting, Cidergeist, Cincinnati, hard cider, Ohio, Rhinegeist, Semi-Dry

Review of Cidergeist Semi Dry, a cider made by Rhinegeist, a brewery in Cincinnati Ohio. They released two ciders for the first time in Fall 2015, Semi Dry and Dry Hopped. They sent me samples of both.

Cider: Semi Dry
Cidery: Rhinegeist Cidergeist
Cidery Location: Cincinnati Ohio
ABV: 6.2%
How Supplied: 6 pack of 12oz cans (and kegs)
Style: American commercial cider made from dessert apple juice concentrate

Availability: year round in areas including Ohio, Kentucky, and Massachusetts

Cider Description: Cider fermented to amplify the fragrance and essence of the apples whilst achieving a delightful, lip-smacking dryness.

Price: n/a (retails around $10 / 6 pack)
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: Rhinegeist contacted me

First Impression: Light amber orange with foam. Low carbonation upon pouring. Smells of beer yeast and rich & sweet apple juice.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry. Low to moderate carbonation. Mild tartness. Moderate acidity. Hints of bitterness and tannins. No sourness or funk. Medium bodied. Moderate length finish. This cider is apple-forward, quite yeasty, foamy, and beer-like. Notes of apple juice and pomace, caramel, and a slight must. Moderate to high apple flavor. Moderate to high sessionability.

My Opinion: I enjoyed this cider. It exceeded my expectations considering its made by a brewery from concentrate. I find it superior in taste to many commercial ciders and its easy to drink.

Most Similar to: French cidre such as Celt and Reverend Nat’s Revival, although Cidergeist Semi Dry is not quite as clean and less complex.

Closing Notes: I look forward to drinking the other two cans; too bad its not available here in Washington. Next up is my review of the Dry Hopped.

Have you tried Cidergeist? What did you think?

NV Cider Watermelon Hard Pear Cider (Perry)

June 24, 2016June 18, 2016 cidersays NV Cider, review cider, hard cider, Neigel Vintners, nv cider, pear cider, perry, washington, watermelon, Wenatchee

Review of NV Cider’s Watermelon Hard Pear Cider. Its actually a perry as no apples were used, but I imagine they called it a pear cider as a lot of folks don’t know what perry is. I’ve tried a few varieties from them before; see here.

Cider: Watermelon Hard Pear Cider
Cidery: NV Cider (Neigel Vintners)
Cidery Location: East Wenatchee WA
ABV: 5.3%
How Supplied: 500ml green Aluminum bottle
Style: American craft perry with watermelon extract

Availability: WA and OR; see here.

Cider Description: This is a perry made using native pear varieties from East Wenatchee, with watermelon extract. Note that they refer to it as a pear cider, but that is typically reserved for beverages made from both apples and pears, often fermented apple juice with pear juice added afterwards.

Cidery Description: Neigel Vintners is a family affair. Our cider company is run on our family property. Some of the first pears we press each year come off of remnants of the first pears planted by the family. Over 100 years old, these trees have had their heart-wood rot out and survived. There are several places a person can reach through the center of the tree with a hand. These trees have been a staple of the property for generations.

Price: $5
Where Bought: Special Brews in Lynnwood WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing

First Impression: Pale straw yellow with hints of pink. Low carbonation. Smells of fresh sweet watermelon, pear, and white grape. The watermelon scent is quite strong at first but quickly dissipates.

Tasting Notes: Semi-sweet. Medium bodied. Low carbonation. Low tartness but it has some bite. Moderate acidity. No bitterness, sourness, funk, or tannins. Notes of pear, watermelon, white grape, strawberry, and rhubarb. Quick finish. Low pear flavor. High sessionability. Low flavor intensity/fruitiness.

My Opinion: This was tasty, but it left me wanting more watermelon flavor. Right after opening it had an awesome strong watermelon scent, but that diminished. I know that watermelon juice isn’t very flavorful, but I think this would have been a great cider to leave fairly unfiltered, which likely would have made it easier to get the watermelon flavor.

Most Similar to: NV Cider’s Cherry Perry, which was also a fruity perry (see my tasting notes here). That one had a nice unfiltered aspect to it though, which I think helped add to the complexity. I like watermelon more than cherry, but I think the Cherry was pulled off better. The Cherry Perry was also sweeter, so I think that helped make it seem more flavorful.

Closing Notes: I’m a huge watermelon fan, and although the flavor intensity was a bit lacking, it was an enjoyable perry. I look forward to seeing what else they come up with.

Have you tried any perries? What did you think?

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?

AEppelTreow Kinglet Bitter

June 22, 2016June 22, 2016 cidersays AEppelTreow, review AEppelTreow, bittersweet, cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Kinglet Bitter

Review of AEppelTreow’s Kinglet Bitter Draft Cider, part of their Songbird line of estate ciders. I’ve previously tried a few of their ciders; see here.

Cider: Kinglet Bitter Draft Cider
Cidery: AEppelTreow
Cidery Location: Burlington WI
ABV: 6.0%
How Supplied: 750ml bottles and kegs
Style: American craft cider made from English & French bittersweet apple varieties

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

Cider Description: Kinglet Bitter is one of our proud ‘estate’ ciders. It’s all grown at Brightonwoods, within sight of the Winery. It’s more subtle and complex than Barn Swallow – being fermented from 100% bitter English and French cider apples. It differs from an authentic European cider by being ‘immature’. Kinglet has very little post-ferment changes made by wild Lactic Acid Bacteria. Instead, we ferment it with a Sangiovese yeast that we think really brings out the tannin characters of the cider-specific cultivars. These apples are rare, and not easy to grow. When we get the question ‘Then why use them?’, we pour a glass of Kinglet.

Apple Varieties: Dabinette, Domaine, Frequin Rouge, White Jersey, Muscadet Deippe, and other English & French bittersweet cider apples.

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

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

Price: $12
Where Bought: Schilling Cider House in Seattle WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing. I’ve enjoyed a few of their ciders previously and am a fan of bittersweet ciders, so especially for only $12 I wanted to try it.

First Impression: Dark straw yellow with copper hue. Still. Smells of apple juice with a slight bit of “farmhouse”.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry. Completely still (no carbonation), and tasted a bit flat (like it previously had carbonation but sat out). Mild tartness. Moderate acidity. Moderate to strong bitterness. Mild tannins. A hint of funk. No sourness. Notes of bittersweet apples, apple juice, honey, apple pomace, caramel, and earthiness. Moderate to long bitter finish. Moderate apple flavor. Moderate sessionability.

My Opinion: This was much too bitter and harsh for my liking. Although “bitter” is in the name, many ciders made from bittersweet apples don’t have significant bitterness. I think with some aging and a bit of tweaking it would have been more to my liking. I didn’t really like the backsweetening (obvious apple juice flavor) of this cider, yet if anything, more sweetness would have helped balance the flavor. I was surprised I didn’t detect more tannins. Along Came a Cider also did a nice review of this cider (see here); it looks like Meredith found it more carbonated, more tannic, and less bitter than I did. I imagine this is a different batch as her review was awhile ago.

UPDATE: The cidery noted this bottle may not have traveled well, as it is usually lightly carbonated and more astringent than bitter. Unless a bottle is obviously bad, its always tough to know whether what we are tasting was the intended product. Hopefully I get a chance to try this one again.

Most Similar to: Ciders made from bittersweet apples, such as many English-style ciders. The flavor in particular was similar to Colorado Cider Company Ol’ Stumpy (see my review here). My favorite bittersweet ciders include those from Sea Cider (Bittersweet), Locust (Bittersweet Reserve), Finnriver (Fire Barrel), and Aspall (Imperial – Black Label).

Closing Notes: Although I didn’t care for this cider, I look forward to continuing to try more ciders from AEppelTreow . Their Appely Doux is my favorite so far–rich and bubbly (see my review here).

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

Cider Says 1st Anniversary

June 21, 2016 cidersays misc anniversary, blog, cider, cider blog, hard cider

Thank you to my readers for helping Cider Says reach its first anniversary! I never imagined how popular it would become. Its been a fun ride and I look forward to more cider-related debauchery. This summer I’ll be attending several cider tasting events (including the epic Cider Summit Seattle!), so look forward to some awesome trip reports and tasting notes.

Tasting Notes on Merridale House Craft Cider, Gowans 1876 Heirloom, and Raven’s Moon Apple Raspberry

June 21, 2016June 22, 2016 cidersays Gowans, Merridale, Raven's Moon, review cider, cider review, Gowans, hard cider, Merridale, Raven's Moon, tasting notes

At the same time I had friends over to try the 2 Towns La Mure and three ciders from Brooklyn Cider House, we opened up a few other bottles. All three were picked up out of state by some friends; two from British Columbia Canada and one from California.

Merridale (Cobble Hill B.C. Canada) House Craft Cider (6.0% ABV): This Canadian cider is uniquely sold (only in British Columbia) in a 1 liter plastic bottle (which is common especially for affordable ciders in England). It was very very carbonated, dry, sour, and off tasting. The description mentioned English & French cider apples, so we were confused. Then we noticed the “always refrigerate” note on the label…it appears the cider may have re-fermented in the bottle due to the lack of refrigeration. Its rare to find a cider sold commercially that isn’t shelf stable, but some exist. It certainly didn’t taste good, so I won’t bother with tasting notes. Hopefully we can try a new bottle some other time. I recently tried their Scrumpy cider (see here) and enjoyed it.

UPDATE: Merridale confirmed that their ciders in plastic bottles are unpasturized / unsulfited, so need to stay refrigerated or risk re-fermentation.

Gowans (Napa CA) 1876 Heirloom (6.1% ABV): Gowans has been in the apple business in California since 1876, but only recently got into cider. Only sold in CA. Dark straw yellow hue. Very low carbonation. Smells sweet, rich, and of caramel, reminding me of ice cider. Semi-sweet. Medium bodied. Caramel, honey, and vanilla notes. Very apple-forward. Moderate length warming finish. Moderate apple flavor. Moderate sessionability. The scent of this cider was quite luscious, and seemed too good to be true, like it was added. We ended up seeing the ingredient includes water and sugar…which often means the cider is made from apple juice concentrate (why else would you add water to cider?). The use of concentrate is common in Europe even with high quality ciders made from high tannin cider apples, but you only hear of it here in the U.S. for commercial ciders. For $15 for 500ml (a friend picked this up in CA), the ingredient list is disappointing [UPDATE: Apparently the retail price is $10; it was $15 for Cider Summit San Francisco]. The flavor was awesome and the clear winner of the popularity contest of these three ciders, but we had doubts about this being a true craft cider.

UPDATE: Sharon Gowan responded to my e-mail with some additional information:

Here’s some background on our family farm: We’re celebrating our 140th harvest this year! We are 100% estate grown farm to table! Gowan’s is a ‘Grand Cru’ Orchard, one of the oldest heritage orchards in California. Warmer days and cool nights provide a longer growing season—the very best for flavor development. Plus we have older orchards-also great for tannin development.

What apple varieties are used?

….that’s kind of a secret family blend! Over the last few years we’ve fermented hundreds of small batch single variety apples paired with different yeasts, in a huge experiment to discover the best pairing between apple and yeast. We’re not divulging these results just yet…

I’ve never had a cider that smelled so delicious besides cider,,,how were you able to get such a strong rich scent?

Wow! Yeah!! So glad you like it! We’re honored. You’d recognize these rich aromatics if you visited our orchards in October! The secret is the varieties we grow, the terroir, and our 6 generations of orcharding expertise on this family farm. For a 140 years our family has been curating this unique collection of heirloom apples on this same land. You probably wouldn’t believe the endless debates around kitchen tables about how one variety is better than another; better earlier, mid, or late season; better this year vs last year. As farmers we may only replant an orchard 1-2 times in our lifetime—picking the right apple is important. So 6 generations have continued to select, plant trees, graft, grow and harvest the apples to produce the best flavor in this terroir. And of course the 80 plus heirloom varieties we grow. We don’t use any flavorings of any sort.

I was surprised by the ingredient list. I’ve only seen commercial ciders add water and sugar, due to the use of apple juice concentrate. Why is water listed as an ingredient? Was juice or concentrate used? Was the sugar added before or after fermentation?

If there was more consistency in ingredient labeling across the industry, you probably wouldn’t be surprised at all. The FDA is in charge of labeling ciders under 7% ABV, but they don’t pay much attention to it, and the rules are open to broad interpretation.

No ingredient label is required if “the person claiming the exemption employs fewer than an average of 100 full-time equivalent employees and fewer than 100,00 units. www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/GuidanceDocumentsRegulatoryInformation/LabelingNutrition/ucm053857.htm (for cider under 7% ABV : FDA regulations) We are definitely a small producer, and qualify for this exemption, but chose to list all ingredients anyway.

No ingredient label is required if sold within the state (for cider over 7% : TTB regulations), If sold interstate, only required to declare few of things. See the info that the TTB presented to cidermakers at Cidercon this year.) It’s a confusing mishmash of regulations that the industry struggles with, and at best is incomplete for consumers.

We simply take the apples we grow, and ferment them, and let the cider mature. Then, if it’s a ‘beer style’ cider we blend, sweeten, add water to reduce the alcohol—like beer. A beer-style cider makes a great ’session’ drink ( 4-6% ABV). A pint to quench a thirst, or a couple of of 8 oz glasses with dinner works great, but won’t get you tipsy. We believe it is extremely important to have a low alcohol option.

Our apples naturally range from 7-11% alcohol. There is no way to produce a ‘beer style’ (lower alcohol) cider from our tree ripened apples without water, unless we harvest our apples before they are ripe. But you get much better flavor from ripe apples, as you’ve noticed! Truly dry ciders are seldom palatable. We chose to back sweeten with sugar because it is neutral and doesn’t change the flavor of the cider. (Fun Fact: Cider naturally ferments to dry, any sweetness is introduced somehow. In general, apples don’t have unfermentable sugars, like grapes do.)

We also craft wine-style ciders: the alcohol content is often higher, depending on the apple’s natural sugar content that year.

Blue Moon Winery (Courtenay B.C. Canada) Raven’s Moon Apple Raspberry (9.0% ABV): Only sold in British Columbia Canada. Light cranberry red hue. Nearly still. Smells like alcoholic raspberry candy. Semi-dry. Light bodied. High tartness. Moderate acidity. Low bitterness. No sourness. Low tannins. No funk. Raspberry and crab apple notes (the high ABV supports my guess that they use crab apples). Moderate length finish. Low apple flavor. Low sessionability. This cider is best drank very cold, as it becomes more harsh as it warms up. I thought the high ABV and fruitiness competed with each other. It reminds me of Eaglemount’s ciders, from Port Townsend WA, which also tend to be higher ABV. Also, I think this is the most tart cider I’ve ever drank! Truly mouth-puckering. I preferred their plain Apple cider (see here).

Left Field Little Dry

June 20, 2016June 11, 2016 cidersays Left Field, review cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Left Field, Little Dry

Review of Left Field Cider Company’s Little Dry. I picked this up in Victoria B.C., a stop on our Alaska cruise. Its the first time I’ve tried their cider.

Cider: Little Dry
Cidery: Left Field Cider Company
Cidery Location: Logan Lake, British Columbia, Canada
ABV: 6.5%
How Supplied: 500ml bottles
Style: Canadian dry craft cider

Availability: Only in British Columbia and Alberta Canada; see Left Field’s list

Cider Description: Light and refreshing with a slight effervescence, our Little Dry is blended to highlight the natural characteristics of the crisp, fresh apples from which it was made.

They also have a drier flagship cider, Big Dry, but it sounds quite different, not just a drier version of Little Dry.

Cidery Description: Family-owned and operated by sisters Theresa and Kate, Left Field focuses on a small batch approach to traditional cider-making which brings out the natural characteristics of the apples. We make handcrafted, artisanal English-style cider by blending English and French cider varieties with BC dessert apples.

They started in 2012 and have a tasting room in Logan Lake B.C.

Price: $9.00 CAN (~$5.85 USD)
Where Bought: The Strath in Victoria B.C.
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing. Their ciders have been recommended online to me a few times.

First Impression: Pale straw yellow hue. Nearly still. Smells of citrus, white blossom, mineral, green apple, floral, and slight sourness & funk.

Tasting Notes: Dry to semi-dry. Medium to full bodied (much more than I’d expect from a drier cider, almost syrupy). Moderate carbonation. Moderate tartness. Moderate to high acidity. Mild bitterness. Hints of sourness, funk, and tannins. Notes of citrus, white blossom, mineral, green apple, floral, pineapple, and honey. Quick finish. Mild to moderate apple flavor. Moderate sessionability.

My Opinion: I enjoyed this cider. It had a nice subtle wine-like complexity.

Most Similar to: Stem Ciders Le Chene, Original Sin Extra Dry, and Boonville Bite Hard

Closing Notes: I’m glad I got to try this. I wish I would have picked up their Big Dry, as although its drier (which I don’t usually prefer), the description mentions bittersweet apples and tannins, which I love.

Have you tried Left Field ciders? What did you think?

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?

Brooklyn Cider House Kinda Dry

June 16, 2016June 11, 2016 cidersays Brooklyn Cider House, review Brooklyn, Brooklyn Cider House, cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Kinda Dry, New York

Review of Brooklyn Cider House’s Kinda Dry cider. This is the first time I’ve tried their cider. They awesomely sent me a bottle of this one as well as their Still Bone Dry and Half Sour ciders. Interesting note – this cider shares its name with a cider from Portland Cider in Oregon.

>>This is a review of a sample bottle provided to Cider Says by Brooklyn Cider House. 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: Kinda Dry
Cidery: Brooklyn Cider House
Cidery Location: Geneva NY
ABV: 5.5%
How Supplied: 750ml bottles (this is the first time I’ve seen a twist-top; usually they use crown caps and sometimes corks for cider; I imagine it would work well for ciders with low carbonation)
Style: American craft semi-dry cider

Availability: Only in New York; see this page of retailers.

Cider Description: Kinda Dry transports you to an orchard on a crisp, fall day. Fresh tart apples greet you, waking the palate up. But give it a second and it transforms into a friendly finish that is an ideal picnic companion. We think of it as our perfect casual sipper. Like your favorite jeans, our Kinda Dry is ready for anything.

Each of their ciders are made from a blend of 7-9 apple varieties, ranging from table apples (like Macintosh and Cortland) to bitter apples and crab apples. This cider won silver in the “New World Cider – Heritage” category at GLINTCAP 2016.

Cidery Description: All our ciders are born out of traditions from Spain, France, and America. They are made as naturally as possible from apples hand picked in upstate New York. Our apples are simply crushed and their juice left to ferment the same way the traditionalists do it in Europe and the way it used to be done in Brooklyn before the Temperance Movement ended the party.

Like fine wines our ciders are expressions of place, but unlike wine our ciders are meant to be gulped not sipped! Some are bubbly, some are dry, and some have a hint of natural sugar, but all are meant to celebrate the simple pleasures. So join us in a toast to tradition, friendship and, of course, to Brooklyn.

Brooklyn Cider House was started in 2014. They have an orchard and tasting room in the Hudson Valley in New Paltz New York, Twin Star Orchards.

Price: $10
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: n/a

First Impression: Light straw yellow. Low carbonation. Smells mild, of white grape juice.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry. Medium bodied. Low tartness and acidity. No bitterness, sourness, tannins, or funk. Notes of white grape, mineral, pineapple, citrus, and green apple. Moderate flavor complexity. Low apple flavor. High sessionability.

My Opinion: This was by far my favorite of the three ciders (and all my tasting companions agreed). I enjoyed it as I prefer ciders with more flavor intensity, which most often occurs with sweeter ciders. I found it sweeter than their Half Sour, although it has less residual sugar per the label. This is a great spring and summer cider as its light and fruity.

Most Similar to: 2 Towns Cidre Moscato (although that special release cider had higher acidity) and Cider Brothers William Tell Dry Hard Apple with Pinot Grigio (although that was sweeter and had green apple candy notes). This cider also reminded me some of Moscato grape wine, although not as sweet.

Closing Notes: I think this cider is a great value for a $10 retail price, being that its a craft product made from local fresh-pressed New York apples. I’d recommend it for folks who like a slightly fruity semi-dry cider.

Have you tried Brooklyn Cider House ciders? What did you think?

Brooklyn Cider House Half Sour

June 15, 2016June 11, 2016 cidersays Brooklyn Cider House, review Brooklyn, Brooklyn Cider House, cider, cider review, cider tasting, Half Sour, hard cider, New York

Review of Brooklyn Cider House’s Half Sour cider. This is the first time I’ve tried their cider. They awesomely sent me a bottle of this one as well as their Still Bone Dry and Kinda Dry ciders.

Cider: Half Sour
Cidery: Brooklyn Cider House
Cidery Location: Geneva NY
ABV: 5.8%
How Supplied: 750ml bottles (this is the first time I’ve seen a twist-top; usually they use crown caps and sometimes corks for cider; I imagine it would work well for ciders with low carbonation)
Style: American craft dry slightly sour cider

Availability: Only in New York; see this page of retailers.

Cider Description: Half Sour is our most thought-provoking cider. It begins with the aromas of wild flowers and honey, followed by a hint of pickled pear. Take a sip and pow! It hits the palate with a wave of citrus fruit flavors that are edgy, refreshing and tickle your tongue – ultimately providing endless possibilities for pairings. Our Half Sour answers to no one.

Each of their ciders are made from a blend of 7-9 apple varieties, ranging from table apples (like Macintosh and Cortland) to bitter apples and crab apples.

Brooklyn Cider House was started in 2014. They have an orchard and tasting room in the Hudson Valley in New Paltz New York, Twin Star Orchards.

Price: $10
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: n/a

First Impression: Very light straw yellow, nearly clear. Still (no carbonation). Smells mild with hints of sour & citrus.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry to dry. Very light bodied. Low tartness and acidity. Hints of sour and funk. No bitterness or tannins. Notes of green apple, citrus, and mineral. Quick finish. Low apple flavor. Low flavor intensity. Subtle wine-like complexity. High sessionability.

My Opinion: Less sour than I was expecting from the description (I’d say more like 10% than 50% sour cider…nowhere near that of an Austrian Spanish cider), which was good for me as I’m not a sour cider lover. I found this to be too bland for my liking (and my three friends and husband agreed). I think its an ideal cider for food pairing (we had some cheese with it). I’d also recommend it as a base for cider cocktails or mimosas.

Most Similar to: Slightly sour ciders, such as from WildCraft in Eugene Oregon.

Have you tried Brooklyn Cider House ciders? What did you think?

Brooklyn Cider House Still Bone Dry

June 14, 2016June 14, 2016 cidersays Brooklyn Cider House, review bone dry, Brooklyn, Brooklyn Cider House, cider, cider review, hard cider, New York, still, Still Bone Dry

Review of Brooklyn Cider House’s Still Bone Dry cider. This is the first time I’ve tried their cider. They awesomely sent me a bottle of this one as well as their Half Sour and Kinda Dry ciders.

Cider: Still Bone Dry
Cidery: Brooklyn Cider House
Cidery Location: Geneva NY
ABV: 6.8%
How Supplied: 750ml bottles
Style: American craft still (non-carbonated) bone dry flagship cider

Availability: Only in New York; see this page of retailers.

Cider Description: Warning: our Still Bone Dry is not like other ciders. With zero carbonation and zero sugar, it’s the driest cider that has passed our lips. Aged for 12 months on the lees and 6 months more in the bottle–unfiltered–it’s as zesty and racy as a cider can get. Discover why this low-alcohol, high-acid drink is changing people’s perceptions about what is possible for the artisanal cider movement.

Each of their ciders are made from a blend of 7-9 apple varieties, ranging from table apples (like Macintosh and Cortland) to bitter apples and crab apples. They also make a carbonated version of this cider. At GLINTCAP 2016 in the “New World Cider – Heritage” category, the Still version won Bronze and the Carbonated version won Silver.

Brooklyn Cider House was started in 2014. They have an orchard and tasting room in the Hudson Valley in New Paltz New York, Twin Star Orchards.

Price: $10
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: n/a

First Impression: Light straw yellow hue. Completely still. Smells mild, of sour citrus. I was surprised to see a still cider in such a thick glass bottle (especially compared to them using thinner green glass bottles for the other two ciders I got).

Tasting Notes: Dry, but in a more approachable way (as it doesn’t have the high tannins or acidity which is often found with bone dry ciders which causes them to be mouth-puckering). Very light bodied. Very low tartness and acidity. No bitterness, sourness, funk, or tannins. Very low flavor intensity. Notes of green apple and citrus. Low apple flavor. High sessionability.

My Opinion: I found this to be too bland for my liking (and my three friends and husband agreed). I think its an ideal cider for food pairing (we had some cheese with it). I’d also recommend it as a base for cider cocktails or mimosas. However, I think I’d prefer their carbonated version of this cider.

Most Similar to: I’ve tried a couple other ciders advertised as bone dry, such as Pirate’s Plank from Alpenfire in Port Townsend WA, which comparatively had some carbonation and more flavor complexity.

Closing Notes: I think this cider is a great value for a $10 retail price, being that its a craft product made from local fresh-pressed New York apples (and this one was aged a total of 18 months). I’d recommend it for folks who like a really dry still cider whose flavor won’t overpower food pairings.

Have you tried Brooklyn Cider House ciders? What did you think?

2 Towns Cellar Series La Mûre

June 13, 2016June 11, 2016 cidersays 2 Towns, review 2 Towns, Blackberry, cider, cider review, Corvallis, hard cider, La Mûre, lambic, oregon, sour cider

Review of 2 Towns’ newest Cellar Series cider, La Mûre, a sour blackberry cider aged in Pinot Noir red wine barrels for over a year. It is inspired by Belgian-style sour lambic beer. I’ve tried most of their cider line-up; see my past reviews here.

>>This is a review of a sample bottle provided to Cider Says by 2 Towns. 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: La Mûre
Cidery: 2 Towns
Cidery Location: Corvallis OR
ABV: 6.9%
How Supplied: 750ml bottle
Style: American craft sour Belgian lambic beer inspired cider with blackberries, aged in Pinot Noir barrels

Availability: Limited release of 70 cases, mostly in the 2 Towns tap room and a few select accounts in Oregon. In general 2 Towns ciders are available in AK, CA, HI, ID, IL (Chicago), MN, NV, OR, and WA.

Cider Description: La Mûre is made with 100 percent fresh-pressed Northwest apples and whole, Oregon-grown blackberries…Inspired by the Flemish beers of Belgium, La Mûre is 6.9% ABV, bone dry, and holds complex fruit character. La Mûre is aged in local Pinot Noir barrels with lactobacillus for over a year, resulting in a strong backbone, light oak flavors and a wild lactic tang. “This cider is for the more adventurous cider drinker who dabbles in wild ales, sour beers and farmhouse or Asturian-style ciders,” said Dave Takush, head cider maker at 2 Towns Ciderhouse. “La Mûre is French for blackberry. We named this cider after the berry to pay homage to the Flemish ciders of Belgium, and echo wild lambic beers like framboise and cassis.”

Cidery Description: At 2 Towns Ciderhouse we believe that the long history of cidermaking demands respect and deserves to be done right. Starting with the highest quality whole ingredients from local farms, we take no shortcuts in crafting our ciders. We never add any sugar, concentrates or artificial flavors, and instead use slow, cold fermentation methods to allow the fruit to speak for itself. As a family-owned company, we are committed to the growth of our team and enrichment of our communities. We take pride in producing true Northwest craft cider.

Price: unknown (probably ~$20)
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home, with a group
How Found: n/a

First Impression: Red wine hue. Still. Slight turbidity and sediment. Smells of blackberries, red wine, oak, sourness, and funk.

Tasting Notes: Dry. Light to medium bodied. A balance of moderate tartness, acidity, and sourness. However, the sourness is more at the front of the palate than a typical sour cider where the sourness hits further back. Hints of funk and bitterness. Tannic blackberry flavor. Moderate to high red wine influence. Low to moderate oak influence. Moderate length finish. Moderate flavor intensity. No apple flavor. Very low sessionability.

My Opinion: I’m not a sour cider fan, so no surprise, I wasn’t a fan of this cider. And thats ok…not everyone likes every cider. I knew going into it that I needed some backup, so I had three cider friends over. They are all sour cider lovers, especially berry sour ciders, and loved this one. We opened a lot of ciders and this was one of the few that actually got finished.

Most Similar to: Finnriver Barrel Berry Sour from Port Townsend WA (although less sour) and WildCraft berry ciders from Eugene OR (all their ciders have a slight sourness although most aren’t advertised as sours).

Closing Notes: If you love sour & farmhouse-style cider, Belgian-style lambic beer, etc, and can find this special release, give it a try. 2 Towns really branched out with this one, making something that won’t be a crowd pleaser, but will be truly appreciated by those who enjoy these types of uniquely crafted ciders.

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

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?

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