Manoir De Montreuil Cambremer

April 28, 2016April 22, 2016 cidersays Manoir De Montreuil, review Cambremer, cider, cider review, cider tasting, cidre, France, French cidre, hard cider, Manoir De Montreuil

Review of Manoir De Montreuil Cambremer, a cidre from Normandy France (and yes I’m very glad I only need to spell it correctly, not try to pronounce it!). I’m typically more of a fan of Breton than Normand French cidres, but the reviews of this one caught my interest.

Cider: Cambremer
Cidery: Manoir De Montreuil
Cidery Location: Cidre Pays d’Auge, Normandy, France
ABV: 4.5% or 5.0% (the front & back labels contradicted themselves)
How Supplied: 750ml corked & caged champagne bottle
Style: keeved Normand French cidre

Availability: semi wide release, international

Description: The Giard family has been producing Calvados in the Pays d’Auge for 11 generations. The Domaine du Montreuil orchard was planted on land formerly covered by the sea, hence its distinctive mineral flavor. They produce this cider in vats that are more than a century old, so you’re getting the classic, traditional-style cider of this region, although it is not too funky. Rustic yes, delicious yes, authentic yes, expensive no.

Price: $10.75
Where Bought: Full Throttle Bottles
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing. I’m a fan of sweet, bubbly, and rich French ciders, and after looking this one up, it sounded like I’d enjoy it.

First Impression: Pale caramel amber hue. Moderate to high carbonation and foam. Smells yeasty and a bit funky, although fairly simple–mainly of baked apples.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Frothy mouthfeel/texture. Light to medium bodied. Low tartness, acidity, funk, and tannins. No sourness or bitterness. Notes of yeast, baked apple, honey, and caramel. Quick finish length. Moderate apple flavor. Moderate sessionability. Moderate flavor intensity.

My Opinion: The taste of this cider seemed quite in between typical Breton (Brittany) and Normand (Normandy) French ciders. It had the sweetness and approachability of a Breton cider, with a bit of funk of a Normand cider. It avoided the sourness and strong funk of some other Normand ciders I’ve tried though. I don’t mind a bit of funk (often referred to as “barnyard” flavor), but I haven’t yet acquired the taste for sour ciders. Surprisingly my husband was much more put off by the scent of it than I was.

Most Similar to: Other French ciders. It reminds me a lot of Celt, with a bit of funk and more yeast.

Closing Notes: This was a unique and enjoyable cider. It showed me that not all Normand ciders are strongly sour, funky, and dry.

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

Aspall Imperial English Cider (Blue Label)

April 27, 2016April 22, 2016 cidersays Aspall, review aspall, cider, cider review, cider tasting, English Cider, hard cider, imperial

Review of Aspall’s Imperial English Cider. This time I tried the blue labeled version of their Imperial cider, having previously tried the black labeled version. I’ve also tried a number of their other varieties.

Cider: Imperial English Cider
Cidery: Aspall
Cidery Location: Suffolk England
ABV: 8.2%
How Supplied: 500ml bottles
Style: English Imperial

Availability: Semi wide release.

Cider Description: We called this cyder Imperial in honour of our great grandfather JB Chevallier’s success at the Imperial Fruit Show in 1921. Every year we craft a special vintage. This is our 285th….Rich fudgy, tantalising flavour enhanced by bitter-sweet apples from a single year’s crop. Notes of raisins, dates and prunes. Sweet mellow finish.

Apple Composition:
Sweet (35%): Orange Cox Pippin, Royal Gala
Sharp (35%): Bramley Seedling, Howgate Wonder
Bittersweet (30%): Tremlett’s Bitter, Yarlington Mill, Medaille d’Or, Kingston

Cidery Description: Our family cyder-making business was established in 1728 by Clement Chevallier. He planted the orchards at Aspall Hall in Suffolk. The Chevallier family still live and work among Clement’s orchards and today Aspall is run by the eighth generation of the family….Aspall has been home to our family for nine generations. A tiny hamlet north of the small market town of Debenham in mid-Suffolk. It’s a rural and agricultural area characterised by the young river Deben flowing through our orchards.

Price: ~$8
Where Bought: Schilling Cider House
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing. I’ve been curious for awhile if this was the same or different from the black labeled version of Imperial, and now I have my answer.

First Impression: Light copper orange amber hue. Low carbonation. Smells of rich sweet bittersweet apples, caramel, butterscotch, and melted butter.

Tasting Notes: Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Medium bodied. Mild tannins, tartness, acidity, and bitterness. No sourness or funk. Notes of bittersweet apples, caramel, butterscotch, orange, apple pomace, and yeast. Moderate length warming finish with more alcohol burn than expected. Strong apple flavor. Low sessionability.

My Opinion: Although I enjoyed this cider, I think it doesn’t even compare to their black label Imperial, which is one of my all time favorite ciders (and I believe an excellent value).

Most Similar to: Other English ciders, such as Aspall, Worley’s, and Sheppy’s, English-style ciders such as from Liberty Ciderworks (English Style and its barrel aged cousin, Stonewall) & Montana Ciderworks (Darby Pub), and ciders with significant bitterness / harshness. The yeast-forward flavor actually reminds me of many French ciders.

Closing Notes: I hope I can find the black label version of this cider again….so far my best guess is that this blue label version replaced it, as I haven’t seen it for awhile. That would be unfortunate.

Have you tried Aspall cider? What did you think?

Cider Brothers William Tell Dry Hard Apple Cider with Wild Cherry

April 26, 2016April 16, 2016 cidersays Cider Brothers, review california, Cherry, cider, Cider Brothers, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Lodi, William Tell

Review of William Tell Dry Hard Apple Cider with Wild Cherry, out of Lodi California. This is one of Cider Brothers’ new flavored William Tell ciders.

>>This is a review of a sample can provided to Cider Says by Cider Brothers. 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: William Tell Dry Hard Apple Cider with Wild Cherry
Cidery: Cider Brothers
Cidery Location: Lodi CA
ABV: 6.0%
How Supplied: four pack of 16oz cans
Style: American commercial cider made from dessert apples, with cherry concentrate

Availability: National distribution.

Apple Varieties: Granny smith, golden russet, gala, fuji, and red delicious (sourced from Washington).

Cider Description: Very complex flavors with a light cherry color. The generous effervescence carries aromas exploding with sour cherry and cinnamon. Flavors continue on the palate with spice and oak tannins. Medium bodied with rich mouthfeel and a hint of cinnamon. Pairings: Hard Cheeses, Fatty Duck, Smoked Meats, Burgers with Blue Cheese

Cidery Description: From early morning through late afternoon, we bring a winemaker’s approach to producing small batches of handcrafted hard apple ciders. It starts with cold fermenting small lots of fresh apple juice to capture the delicate flavors and complex balance that makes this Mother Nature’s most refreshing adult beverage. The result is our refreshing, lightly carbonated artisan cider, produced at our Lodi winery.

The cider brothers are Michael and Paul Scotto. The Scotto family has been in the wine industry for five generations, and Scotto Cellars is among the 30 largest wineries in California. They used their wine background when starting to make cider, and by mistake developed a method they call “frost fermentation”. They put the fresh apple juice into the refrigerated fermenter, as they would do for Chardonnay. They next morning there was a layer of ice on the inside edges and top of the tank. They remove the ice (water) and the result was a sweeter cider with more concentrated and rich flavor. This is more labor and time intensive, but they feel the result is worth it. (it reminds me of the process for ice cider)

Price: n/a (runs ~$3 / can)
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: n/a

First Impression: Light red hue. Very low carbonation upon pouring. Smells of mild sweet cherry.

Tasting Notes: Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Still (no noticeable carbonation). Medium bodied. Moderate cherry flavor. Mild tartness and acidity. No bitterness, sourness, funk, or tannins. Quick finish. No apple flavor. High sessionability.

My Opinion: I enjoyed this. The cherry flavor tasted fairly “real”. It was flavorful and not too sweet. However, the flavor is quite simple…I didn’t pick up on anything except cherry, far from what was described (which is fine by me, and typical for a flavored cider made from dessert apples).

Most Similar to: Other cherry ciders I’ve tried, such as from Elemental,, Jester & Judge, Julian, Locust, One Tree, Original Sin, Red Tank, Tieton, Washington Gold, and Woodchuck. My favorites of those are from Washington Gold and Woodchuck (the Private Reserve Barrel Aged Cherry).

Closing Notes: I enjoyed this cider, but my favorite of the five William Tell ciders remains the Mango Muscat. I imagine these ciders will do well as they are easy to drink and on the sweeter side.

Have you tried Cider Brothers William Tell? What did you think?

Stem Ciders Le Chene

April 25, 2016April 17, 2016 cidersays review, Stem Ciders barrel aged, cider, cider review, cider tasting, Colorado, Denver, hard cider, Le Chene, Stem

Review of Stem Ciders’ Le Chene, a red zinfandel barrel aged cider from Denver Colorado. This is the first cider I’ve tried from them. They aren’t available in Washington (or anywhere outside of Colorado), but my husband brought me back a bottle. Unfortunately I still haven’t got to try their widely-reviewed “Banjo” bourbon barrel aged cider (I had two people look, but I think its out of season).

Cider: Le Chene
Cidery: Stem Ciders
Cidery Location: Denver Colorado
ABV: 6.4%
How Supplied: 750ml bottles (and kegs)
Style: American craft cider made from traditional cider apples, red zinfandel barrel aged

Availability: Denver metro area, year round, at these retailers.

Cider Description: While it prides itself on being well-rounded, classy and complex, Le Chene is a cider that knows how to have a good time. A blend of fun-loving traditional cider apples are combined, fermented dry and then aged to perfection in oak wine barrels. The end result is a mature cider that puts just the right amount of Civilized into your Debauchery.

Red Zinfandel barrel aged. Smoke, caramel and vanilla on the nose, smooth, velvet mouth feel and slight oak tannin astringency on the finish. (Pronunciation: luh shen)

Cidery Description: At Stem Ciders, we are committed to creating ciders of the highest quality that honor the purity and complexity that is inherent to the apple. We can’t wait to introduce you to your perfect cider match. We are dedicated to reviving the cider tradition, which goes far beyond what you enjoy in your glass. We hold our growers in the highest regard, and by fostering relationships with them we reward their hard work and promote the regrowth of heirloom apple cultivation. We love our home-base in Denver, and embrace the Colorado lifestyle that makes us lug a bottle to share up a mountain to enjoy a drink with a view. Most importantly, we love nothing more than seeing that smile on your face when you have your first sip of one of our crisp, refreshing ciders.

Stem Ciders has a tasting room in Denver.

Price: $10.99
Where Bought: Daveco Liquors in Thornton CO
Where Drank: home
How Found: Stem Ciders’ website. I made my husband a list of ciders I’d be interested in him bringing home from Colorado. 🙂

First Impression: Light straw yellow with the slightest pink tint which actually showed more in the photo than in real life. Low carbonation upon pouring. Smells mild, of citrus, oak, green apple, and floral.

Tasting Notes: Dry with hints of residual sugar. Low carbonation. Light to medium bodied. Mild bitterness. Moderate tartness. Moderate to strong acidity. Hints of tannins, sourness, and funk. Notes of citrus, oak, green apple, floral, mineral, stone fruit, baked apple, and vanilla. Moderate length finish. Moderate oak barrel influence. I enjoyed this much more when it breathed and warmed up a bit from fridge temperature…it seemed to smooth it out a bit, and led to some hints of red zinfandel.

My Opinion: This is a probably a wine-lovers cider, which I’m admittedly not. I enjoyed it, but I don’t think I truly appreciated its subtle complexity. I think I would have liked to have picked up the smoke and caramel notes mentioned in the description. Also of note is that this cider was a great value–significantly less than comparable ciders in Washington would cost ($10.99 vs. $15-20).

Most Similar to: Sonoma Cider’s Dry Zider, which is also aged in red zinfandel barrels, dry, and wine-like. I prefer Le Chene, which I found to have more oak flavor (but less red zinfandel flavor) and more complexity.

Closing Notes: This is a really unique cider that I’m glad I got to try. I look forward to finding their Banjo cider someday, which seems to make every list of best barrel aged ciders.

Have you tried Stem Ciders? What did you think?

Apple Outlaw Cider Tasting & More at Around The Table

April 22, 2016April 22, 2016 cidersays Apple Outlaw, Elemental, Moonlight Meadery, review Apple Outlaw, Around the Table, cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, lynnwood, Round the Table, washington

I recently attended an Apple Outlaw cider tasting at Around the Table, a game pub in Lynnwood Washington, North of Seattle. Its a unique game shop with tables to play at, snacks, and beer/cider/mead/soda/etc on tap. They have quite a tap list, which usually includes a few ciders and a mead (which is more ciders than most places with even more taps have). They’ve had a few other cider tastings prior to this, which include having a mini cider tap takeover and bringing in a cidery representative to pour them and chat.

They had Apple Outlaw’s Ginger Bite, Original, and Tangerine Twist on tap. The rep Meghan also opened a bottle of their Cranberry Jewel while I was there. I met up with Nathan from The Cider Chronicles, who now also works part time for Elemental Hard Cider. He brought a growler of their Pomegranate-Rose cider with him. Around the Table also had Elemental’s NW Atomic Root Beer cider on tap (a cider-based hard root beer, which I reviewed here), and Moonlight Meadery’s Sumptuous Mango mead.

Apple Outlaw is an orchard-based cidery in Applegate Oregon, in the Applegate Valley in the Southern portion of the state. They actually sold non-alcoholic cider (juice) for quite awhile before starting to sell hard cider, which they make from dessert apples. Oddly enough they no longer sell their unfermented juice. Although the place was rather busy, the cider tasting wasn’t, so Nathan and I got to chat with Meghan for awhile. We learned that Apple Outlaw is still on the small side, and mainly family-run. They don’t currently have a tasting room, but their bottled (and draft) ciders have been sold since 2013, and are available in Oregon and Washington.

Elemental Hard Cider Pomegranate-Rose, 6.5% ABV: Light cherry pink hue. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Mild to moderate tartness. I mostly tasted pomegranate, but it was smoother than typical, presumably from the infusion of rose petals (although I didn’t pick up any floral notes). Elemental has infused rose petals with other ciders as well, such as Lavender-Rose (which I reviewed here).

Apple Outlaw Tangerine Twist, 5.5% ABV: Cider with tangerines and hops. It is their Spring/Summer seasonal. Semi-dry. Light bodied. The flavor started distinctly citrus and tart, and the finish was hopped (light bitterness and floral notes).

Apple Outlaw Original Hard Cider, 5.5% ABV: This is their flagship cider. Semi-sweet. Medium bodied. Mild tartness. Easy to drink and sessionable. Very apple forward (back sweetened).

Apple Outlaw Ginger Bite, 5.5% ABV: Made with Peruvian yellow ginger. Moderate to strong ginger scent. Semi-sweet. I’m not a ginger fan, but this was definitely more approachable for me than most ginger ciders, as most of the ginger remained in the scent…I really didn’t pick up too much ginger flavor. Most of all, it didn’t have any sinus burn. I think the sweetness also helped its approachability. This was described as being great for food pairings.

Apple Outlaw Cranberry Jewel, 5.5% ABV: This was a bottle pour. Made with cranberries, rose hips, and orange peel. I didn’t pick up the rose hips or orange peel (which I only read about later). It was definitely very cranberry (moderate to strong) and tasted juice-like to me. Semi-dry. Moderate tartness. Medium bodied.

Moonlight Meadery Sumptuous Mango Mead, 13.6% ABV: Nathan let me taste the glass he ordered. Very fruity and alcohol-forward, but the mango flavor isn’t particularly strong. Sweet. Moderate tartness. Full bodied. This was the first beverage from Moonlight Meadery that I didn’t think was amazing…I think I much prefer their ciders, meads, and cysers which are more honey-forward, with richer brown sugar type notes (see my prior reviews here). The fruitiness just didn’t seem to mesh with the whole 14% ABV mead vibe. I think as a lower ABV cyser (apple + honey) it would have worked better.

Of the Apple Outlaw selections, I liked the Original best. I’ve previously tried their Oaked Sweet Dark Cherry and Blackberry Bounty ciders on tap. However, none of the Apple Outlaw ciders are really a style I enjoy (and I’m not really a fan of hops, ginger, or cranberry). My favorite ciders are typically richer and/or made from cider apples. Its always fun to try new ciders though!

Snow Capped Cider 6130′ Dry

April 21, 2016April 21, 2016 cidersays review, Snow Capped 6130' Dry, Cedaredge, cider, cider review, cider tasting, Colorado, hard cider, Snow Capped Cider

Review of Snow Capped Cider’s 6130′ Dry. My husband brought this back with him when he visited Colorado. Its my first time trying their ciders, and only the second cidery in Colorado I’ve tried ciders from (previously I tried two from Big B’s; see here).

Cider: 6130′ Dry
Cidery: Snow Capped Cider
Cidery Location: Cedaredge CO
ABV: 6.9%
How Supplied: four pack of 12oz bottles
Style: American craft cider from heirloom apples infused with vanilla, molasses, and oak

Availability: Year round, currently only in Colorado (especially Aspen, Telluride, Grand Junction, and Boulder). They were self distributed up to 6 months ago, and are now with Tivoli Distributing with plans to move into other states next year (2017).

Cider Description: Snow Capped Ciders is part of the Williams Cellars family of wines and ciders. We are located in Cedaredge, Colorado – the heart of Colorado’s fruit growing country. We have 5 generations of fruit growing experience in our own orchards. We pride ourselves in being a family run business creating hand-crafted wines and ciders for your enjoyment.

Our ciders are made from hand-pressed apples picked from our own orchards. Our altitude of 6180 ft. creates warm days and cool nights – perfect for conditions for growing superior apples.

Our cider production facility is located in the AppleShed in Cedaredge, CO. The AppleShed was once an actual fruit packing shed which we have remodeled into one of the premier shopping spots on the Western Slope of Colorado. In addition to our cider and wine production areas the AppleShed contains art galleries, a restaurant, specialty shops and so much more.

We create ciders as the seasons change, as our mood changes. We embrace the wonderful local farm products that Colorado has to offer. Resulting in a true all Colorado, ‘Branch to bottle’ product.

Only a few fortunate people have had the experience of being in a Colorado orchard on a crisp October morning. Frost on the ground. The smell of ripe apples like perfume in the air. Picking an apple straight from the branch, the crisp snap when you bite into it. Perfectly balanced with sweetness and acidity. These are the only apples that go into a small handcrafted batch of Snow Capped Cider.

Cidery Description: A three apple blend that uses mostly heirloom apples to which we infuse hints of vanilla, molasses, and oak for a robust flavor experience.

I was told they use oak spirals and tannins for this cider. They actually grow everything themselves for their ciders (the apples and any fruits added), and source local ingredients for the rest (such as herbs). They currently offer 17 ciders, mostly on the drier end, including a Cider Makers Reserve made with 100% cider apple varieties. (Thanks to Kari Williams at Snow Capped for the extra info!).

Price: $10.98 / four pack
Where Bought: Hazel’s Beverage World in Boulder CO
Where Drank: home
How Found: My husband picked this up when he was in Colorado. I had given him a list of ciders to look out for (of which he found three), and he also found this one which I hadn’t found info online about. He knows I love barrel aged ciders, and the sales person said it was barrel aged. However, its actually only oak infused (which can actually impart more oak flavor quicker and less expensively, although in a different way than barrel aging).

First Impression: Golden dark straw yellow hue. Low carbonation upon pouring. Smells of baked apple, honey, brown sugar, and oak.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry. Strong tartness. Moderate acidity. A hint of tannins. No sourness, bitterness, or funk. Medium bodied. Low to moderate carbonation. Notes of baked apple, honey, brown sugar, oak, green apple, and citrus. The flavor starts quite tart and a bit sweet than mellows out and ends rather dry with some richness. Moderate length finish. Moderate apple influence. Low oak influence (other folks may say higher, but I have quite a high threshold for oakiness). Moderate to high sessionability. Moderate flavor intensity.

My Opinion: Tasty. I didn’t however pick up any molasses or vanilla, although I imagine they contributed to the other flavors I did pick up. It was however too tart for my liking (I imagine with more sweetness it would have been easier to tolerate). I liked the lack of bitterness, which I think would have been easy to have with this type of cider. I also enjoyed the overall flavor and slight richness. I’ll fathom a guess that a crabapple or similar heirloom variety was used, based on the flavor, tartness, richness, and hints of tannins. Crabapples are often a work around to a lack of cider apple varieties to impart some of the same qualities.

Most Similar to: This is probably one of the most tart ciders I’ve had (even compared to those flavored with cranberry, black currant, etc). However, it had some of those sweet & rich but not overly fruity type flavor notes, so I have trouble thinking of anything specifically similar. Its definitely unique, especially for a flagship type multipack cider, which tend to be unflavored and on the boring side.

Closing Notes: I liked this cider, and I think for Colorado folks its a great multipack option. When craft ciders are sold in multipacks they typically cost much less per ounce than when sold in a larger bottle.

Have you tried Snow Capped Cider? What did you think?

Cider Brothers William Tell Dry Hard Apple Cider

April 20, 2016April 16, 2016 cidersays Cider Brothers, review cider, Cider Brothers, cider review, cider tasting, Dry Hard Apple Cider, hard cider, William Tell

Review of William Tell Dry Hard Apple Cider from Cider Brothers, out of Lodi California. This is one of Cider Brothers’ original release ciders (also sold as Pacific Coast Cider).

Cider: William Tell Dry Hard Apple Cider
Cidery: Cider Brothers
Cidery Location: Lodi CA
ABV: 6.0%
How Supplied: four pack of 16oz cans (and 22oz bottles)
Style: American commercial cider made from dessert apples

Availability: National distribution. I’ve only seen this variety in the Seattle area in large bottles though (under both the William Tell and Pacific Coast Cider brands).

Apple Varieties: Granny smith, golden russet, gala, fuji, and red delicious (sourced from Washington).

Cider Description: Beautiful, clean and effervescent with a wisp of pale gold and a tint of green on the edge. The tiny bubbles are very active with enticing apple aromas that jump out of the glass. Green apple, and lemon and lime notes round out the aromatics. Hits the palate with carbonation, tartness and a hint of tannin balanced by ripe green apple and lime, leading to a creamy richness in the finish. Pairings: Oysters, Charcuterie, Aged Cheeses, Session-Style Drinking

Price: n/a (runs ~$3 / can)
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: n/a

First Impression: Very light straw yellow. Very low carbonation upon pouring. Smells of green apple candy, citrus, and floral.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Still (no perceptible carbonation). Mild to moderate tartness. Moderate acidity. No bitterness, sourness, funk, or tannins. Notes of green apple, citrus, mineral, blossom, and floral. Medium bodied. Quick finish. Low apple flavor. High sessionability.

My Opinion: I definitely got the ubiquitous green apple Jolly Rancher candy flavor here, although less so than the version of this cider with Pinot Grigio. I was also surprised by how sweet it tasted vs. the listed 7 grams of sugar per 12oz (which would be dry to semi-dry). The long ingredient list is a bit disappointing too (sugar, water, natural flavor…).

Most Similar to: Woodchuck Granny Smith, Cider Brothers William Tell Hard Apple Cider with Pinot Grigio, and other sweeter green apple type ciders.

Closing Notes: Although I didn’t really care for this cider, plenty of other folks do. What one person dislikes about a cider is what another person enjoys. Its always nice to try new ciders. So far their Mango Muscat continues to be my favorite, although I still have a can of the cherry variety left to try.

Have you tried Cider Brothers William Tell? What did you think?

Alpenfire Cider Glow

April 19, 2016April 10, 2016 cidersays Alpenfire, review Alpenfire, cider, cider review, cider tasting, Glow, hard cider, Hidden Rose, red fleshed, single varietal

Review of Alpenfire Cider’s Glow rosé cider, made from red-fleshed Hidden Rose apples. I’ve tried a number of their ciders; see here. They also make a Methode Champenoise version of this cider called Cinders, which is quite different; see my tasting notes on that cider here.

Cider: Glow
Cidery: Alpenfire Cider
Cidery Location: Port Townsend WA
ABV: 8.2%
How Supplied: 750 ml bottles
Style: American craft single varietal cider from Hidden Rose red-fleshed apples

These are actually a dessert apple variety (rare for Alpenfire, as they use primarily cider and heirloom apple varieties). Hidden Rose apples are rare in the U.S. as the majority are shipped to Japan, where they can fetch $12-$15 per apple! They tried to grow these in the Alpenfire orchard, but they weren’t thriving in the cool climate, so now they source them from Oregon, where the variety was discovered in the 1960s.

Availability: Likely only in Western Washington. This is part of their Burnt Branch Reserve, so it also isn’t as prevalent as some of their other varieties such as Pirate’s Plank.

Cider Description: Glow is a single varietal rosé cider. The color in this unique cider comes not from the skin like in a wine rosé, but from the bright red flesh of the Hidden Rose apple. This incredible apple makes a cider with a crisp acidity and a tropical fruit flavor.

Cidery Description: Alpenfire Organic Cider is made from our estate and locally grown organic apples. We planted our WSDA certified organic orchard in 2004 with over 800 trees and 10 varieties of English, French & Early American cider specific apples. These apples have been used for hundreds of years for the unique qualities they bring to cider production. Namely the tannins and bitters not found in dessert style apples. While the juice, much less the fruit, of many of these apples would be hard to enjoy by the glass they become amazing with a little fermentation. One of our favorites, the “Muscadet de Dieppe”, has a viscous, winey, yes, even musky juice. It takes months of slow, cool fermentation for that to develop the subtle aroma and flavor you will find in our bone-dry cider. We augment our juice and mellow the flavors with organic apples from other local orchards.

Price: $28
Where Bought: the Alpenfire cidery (although it is available near me in the Seattle area)
Where Drank: home
How Found: I was there for a tasting (my first time trying Glow). See my post here.

First Impression: Beautiful deep rosé hue. Smells sweet & apple forward (reminds me of ice cider) and fruity (strawberries & watermelon). Almost no carbonation upon pouring.

Tasting Notes: Semi-sweet to sweet. Moderate to high tartness when I first opened it, but after sitting overnight it was down to mild tartness. Moderate acidity. A hint of bitterness and tannins. No sourness. Still. Medium bodied. Notes of sweet apple, cherry, strawberry, and watermelon. The flavor starts tart and finishes sweet. Moderate finish length. Moderate to strong apple influence. Low to moderate sessionability.

My Opinion: Awesome! I love how unique, flavorful, and fruity this is. However, I like it better when it is lower tartness (I think the complexity can better shine through). So, when I have this again, I’ll let it breathe first.

Most Similar to: The only other rosé red-fleshed apple cider I’ve had is Snowdrift Red. That one is closer to $20 and has greater distribution, but isn’t a single varietal. I find Snowdrift Red to be slightly drier and much higher carbonated. Both cider are fairly tart and very fruity.

Closing Notes: Another winner from Alpenfire. This is one of my favorites from them. I think my absolute favorite however is Smoke. I love that they make such a wide range of ciders, and have a real commitment to being a small artisan cidery who produces outstanding ciders (and vinegars).

Have you tried Alpenfire Glow? What did you think?

Cider Brothers William Tell Dry Hard Apple Cider with Pinot Grigio

April 18, 2016April 16, 2016 cidersays Cider Brothers, review california, cider, Cider Brothers, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Lodi, pinot grigio, William Tell

Review of William Tell Dry Hard Apple Cider with Pinot Grigio from Cider Brothers, out of Lodi California. This is one of Cider Brothers’ original release ciders (also sold as Pacific Coast Cider).

Cider: William Tell Dry Hard Apple Cider with Pinot Grigio
Cidery: Cider Brothers
Cidery Location: Lodi CA
ABV: 6.5%
How Supplied: four pack of 16oz cans (and 22oz bottles)
Style: American commercial cider made from dessert apples, with 15% Pinot Grigio grape wine

Availability: National distribution. I’ve only seen this variety in the Seattle area in large bottles though (under both the William Tell and Pacific Coast Cider brands).

Apple Varieties: Granny smith, golden russet, gala, fuji, and red delicious (sourced from Washington).

Cider Description: DRY HARD APPLE WITH PINOT GRIGIO is a unique blend of freshly fermented Hard Apple Cider and premium California Pinot Grigio. We start with fresh juice from five types of apples and ferment it in three lots, each with different yeast to add flavor complexity. Then comes the creative touch: we add 15% of our Pinot Grigio and then Frost Ferment the blend to concentrate the fresh apple and wine character and enhance the flavors. If Frost Fermentation doesn’t sound familiar, it’s because we invented this technique to create our Pinot Grigio cider.

With pale straw color & perfect clarity. The candied apple aromas are layered with hints of crisp Pinot Grigio. Significant effervescence hits the palate with candied apple flavors and lime, citrus and Pinot Grigio accents, followed by a soft, lingering finish and a little tannic bite.

Pairings: White Meats, Asia-Themed Pork, Crab and Shrimp.

Price: n/a (runs ~$3 / can)
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: n/a

First Impression: Very light straw yellow with a slight green tint. Very low carbonation upon pouring with some large clinging bubbles. Smells of green apple candy, citrus, and white grape.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Still (no perceptible carbonation). Mild tartness. Moderate acidity. No bitterness, sourness, funk, or tannins. Notes of green apple, citrus, white grape, mineral, blossom, and floral. Although it is full-flavored, it also tastes a bit watered down, yet medium bodied…my palate was a bit confused! Quick finish. Low apple influence. High sessionability.

My Opinion: Although I enjoyed the first part of the first couple sips, I definitely got the ubiquitous green apple Jolly Rancher candy flavor here. I was also surprised by how sweet it tasted vs. the listed 6 grams of sugar per 12oz (which would be dry to semi-dry). The long ingredient list is a bit disappointing too (sugar, water, natural flavor…).

Most Similar to: Woodchuck Granny Smith, and other sweeter green apple type ciders.

Closing Notes: Although I didn’t really care for this cider, plenty of other folks do (even Cider Journal gave it 3.5/5 stars!). What one person dislikes about a cider is what another person enjoys. Its always nice to try new ciders. So far their Mango Muscat continues to be my favorite, although I still have cans of the original and cherry varieties left to try.

Have you tried Cider Brothers William Tell? What did you think?

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?

One Tree Hard Cider Dark Cherry

April 14, 2016April 13, 2016 cidersays One Tree, review Cherry, cherry cider, cider, cider review, cider tasting, Dark Cherry, hard cider, One Tree, Spokane, washington

Review of One Tree’s Dark Cherry Cider. I’ve tried a few of their ciders–see here.

Cider: Dark Cherry
Cidery: One Tree Hard Cider
Cidery Location: Spokane Valley WA
ABV: 6.8%
How Supplied: 22oz bottles
Style: American craft cider from dessert apples with cherries added

Availability: This is a new release which appears to be year round, in Idaho, Montana, and Washington (soon to be in Oregon).

Cider Description: Welcome to flavor town my friend. Step into the ring with a cherry hard cider that drops the press (get it?!) on the apples and makes them ride passenger! This is what cherry cider is supposed to taste like, bold & delicious. Lift your pinky finger cider friends! This one is for you!

Cidery Description: Founded in 2014, One Tree Hard Cider has quickly become a well-known, and highly sought after cider in the Pacific Northwest. We believe in bold, flavor-forward profiles using fruit sourced in our home state of Washington. We are naturally gluten-free, and use only the highest quality, natural ingredients. Customers love our bold flavor profiles, with ciders such as Lemon Basil and Caramel Cinnamon leading the pack.

They have a tasting room in Spokane Washington.

Price: $10.75
Where Bought: Full Throttle Bottles
Where Drank: home
How Found: I saw this was available on their Facebook page, and it sounded interesting. This is my first time reviewing a bottle from One Tree (previously I’ve only tried it on tap).

First Impression: Deep cherry hue. Low carbonation and foam upon pouring. Strong tart cherry scent.

Tasting Notes: Sweet. Definitely sweet. Low carbonation. Medium bodied. It has an almost frothy mouthfeel. Moderate tartness and acidity. No bitterness, sourness, funk, or tannins. The apple is well-hidden by the cherry flavor. I really didn’t pick up many other flavors besides cherry, which was strong…maybe some strawberries and watermelon? High sessionability.

My Opinion: I liked the strong cherry flavor, but it was too sweet for my liking. I only had half the bottle / 11oz (I had someone to share it with for once), but even that was too much. The sweetness is pretty on-par with their other ciders I’ve tried.

Most Similar to: Other sweeter full-flavored ciders with cherries / cherry juice added, such as from Woodchuck and Washington Gold.

Closing Notes: My favorite cherry cider remains the one from Washington Gold, which I find to be less sweet than this one. For fans of sweet ciders however, I think One Tree’s Dark Cherry cider will be a big hit (as all their other varieties have been).

Have you tried One Tree Dark Cherry? What did you think?

Cider Brothers William Tell Dry Hard Apple Cider with Strawberry

April 13, 2016April 15, 2016 cidersays Cider Brothers, review california, cider, Cider Brothers, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Lodi, Strawberry, William Tell

Review of Cider Brothers’ William Tell Dry Hard Apple Cider with Strawberry. This is one of the ciders in Cider Brothers’ new line of flavored canned William Tell ciders. They started with only William Tell Dry Hard Apple with Pinot Grigio and Pacific Coast Cider Hard Apple Cider. Now the William Tell line also includes this one, Apple Mango Muscat, and Cherry.

Cider: William Tell Dry Hard Apple Cider with Strawberry
Cidery: Cider Brothers
Cidery Location: Lodi CA
ABV: 6.0%
How Supplied: four pack of 16oz cans
Style: American commercial cider made from dessert apples, with strawberry concentrate

Availability: National distribution (although the bottled William Tell Dry Hard Apple with Pinot Grigio and Pacific Coast Cider Hard Apple Cider are probably more commonly seen). We get both of those in the Seattle area, but I haven’t seen these canned William Tell ciders yet.

Apple Varieties: Granny smith, golden russet, gala, fuji, and red delicious (sourced from Washington).

Cider Description: Resembles a crisp Rose wine in color and taste. Fruity aromas of fresh strawberries, vanilla cream and honey lead to sweet citrus, melon and mineral flavors. Medium bodied and very well balanced. Starts slightly sweet but finishes dry, soft and lingering. Pairings: Fresh Fruit, Goats Milk Cheeses, Spicy Latin and Asian Appetizers.

Price: n/a (runs ~$3 / can)
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: n/a

First Impression: Light red hue. Very low carbonation with foam upon pouring. Smells of candied strawberry.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Still. Light to medium bodied. Low tartness and acidity. No bitterness, sourness, funk, or tannins. Moderately flavored, primarily strawberry with some cherry, watermelon, and hints of green apple. Quick finish. Low apple influence. High sessionability.

My Opinion: I found this plenty drinkable, but the flavor didn’t excite me, and it was a bit candied tasting (although not overly sweet). Higher carbonation probably would have helped. I didn’t pick up all the flavor notes mentioned in the description (vanilla cream, honey, citrus, melon, mineral).

Most Similar to: The only other strawberry cider I’ve had is Bull Run Strawberry Fields. I prefer the flavor on that one. Both are semi-dry to semi-sweet and quite similar, but the Bull Run cider flavor seems more “real”.

Closing Notes: So far of the William Tell line I prefer the Apple Mango Muscat, although I have three more to try.

Have you tried William Tell cider? What did you think?

Carlton Cyderworks AHH!!! Apricot Honey Habanero

April 12, 2016April 11, 2016 cidersays Carlton, review Apricot, Carlton, cider, cider review, cider tasting, Habanero, hard cider, honey, oregon

Review of AHHH!!! Apricot Honey Habanero from Carlton Cyderworks in McMinnville Oregon. I’ve tried a few of their other ciders–Black Currant Scrumpy, Sugar and Spice, Slake, and First Fruits.

Cider: AHHH!!! Apricot Honey Habanero
Cidery: Carlton Cyderworks
Cidery Location: McMinnville Oregon
ABV: 6.9%
How Supplied: 22oz bottles (and kegs)
Style: American craft cider from dessert apples infused with apricot, honey, and habanero peppers

Availability: Oregon and Washington

Cider Description: The award winning AHH!!! starts with tangy Oregon grown apricots and fresh NW apple juice. Whole habanero peppers are added to the ferment, and when it is ready to bottle, we sweeten with honey from the Willamette Valley. Take one sip and you’ll know why we call this cyder “AHH!!!”.

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

Price: $7.50
Where Bought: Full Throttle Bottles in Seattle WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: I saw this was available in the Seattle area on Full Throttle Bottles’ Facebook feed, and decided to give it a try, despite usually not liking spicy ciders, as it sounded really interesting.

First Impression: Hazy straw yellow lemonade hue. Low carbonation with some foam upon pouring. Smells sour, of citrus, honey, and stone fruit.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry. Light bodied. Low sourness. Moderate tartness and acidity. No bitterness, tannins, or funk. Notes of honey, then stone fruit / apricots, green apple, citrus, and yeast, and finishing with a bit of habanero flavor & heat. The spiciness started rather mild and enjoyable, but the second half of the bottle was more in-line with what I’ve tasted with other spicy ciders, and too much for me and my friend I shared it with. Medium to long finish length. Low to moderate apple influence. Moderate sessionability.

My Opinion: I wasn’t a fan. I was pleased with the low level of spice (more flavor than heat) at first, but it became disappointing. I imagine lightly shaking the bottle before pouring would have more evenly distributed the spice. Also, I think a bit more sweetness and less sourness would have been nice.

Most Similar to: Other spicy ciders such as Sonoma Crowbar, Finnriver Habanero, and Schilling Siracha Lime. My favorite spicy cider remains Elemental Hard Cider’s Margarita (Jalapeno Lime Cilantro), which has only the flavor but not spice from the jalapeno. I’ve had plenty of other light semi-dry ciders with honey, stone fruit, citrus, and green apple notes though.

Closing Notes: I’m glad I tried this one, but its not something I enjoyed. My favorites from Carlton so far are Sugar and Spice and First Fruits.

Have you tried Carlton AHH!!!? What did you think?

Cider Brothers William Tell Apple Mango Muscat Cider

April 11, 2016April 15, 2016 cidersays Cider Brothers, review california, cider, Cider Brothers, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Lodi, mango, muscat, William Tell

Review of William Tell Apple Mango Muscat Cider from Cider Brothers, out of Lodi California. Here is a nice writeup Cider Brothers did on the cider industry, and here is an article on them from Cidercraft Magazine. This is one of the ciders in Cider Brothers’ new line of flavored canned William Tell ciders. They started with only William Tell Dry Hard Apple with Pinot Grigio and Pacific Coast Cider Hard Apple Cider. Now the William Tell line also includes this one, Strawberry, and Cherry.

Cider: William Tell Apple Mango Muscat Cider
Cidery: Cider Brothers
Cidery Location: Lodi CA
ABV: 6.0%
How Supplied: four pack of 16oz cans
Style: American commercial cider made from dessert apples, with mango concentrate and muscat wine (moscato)

Apple Varieties: Primarily granny smith, with some golden russet, gala, fuji, and red delicious (sourced from Washington).

Cider Description: Cider never tasted like this crisp, new creation: our unique blend of hand crafted hard apple cider, delicately floral Muscat wine and lush, tropical mango. Crack open a can today for instant sunshine and a perfect pouring partner! Pairings: Spicy treats, well seasoned meats and almost any tasty sweets!

Price: n/a (runs ~$3 / can)
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: n/a

First Impression: Light straw yellow. Low carbonation upon pouring. Smells sweet and fruity, with lots of mango and some apple, tropical fruit, and honey.

Tasting Notes: Semi-sweet to sweet. Low tartness and acidity. No bitterness, sourness, funk, or tannins. Medium bodied. The flavor is quite mango-forward, with some muscat grape, honey, tropical fruit, stone fruit, honey, and green apple notes. Moderate length finish. Moderate apple influence. High sessionability.

My Opinion: I really liked the mango. This was nice, but I think I would have liked less sweetness (it has 17 grams of sugar per 12oz) and higher carbonation. I imagine this will sell great though, as sweet and flavorful ciders do well.

Most Similar to: I haven’t had any ciders with mango oddly enough (I think its a great cider flavor). 2 Towns made one with muscat grapes though, Cidre Moscato.

Closing Notes: Enjoyable. Definitely easy to drink and nice for spring & summer. I look forward to trying the other four sample cans of William Tell varieties they sent! As a side note, I think the Cider Brothers vs. William Tell vs. Pacific Coast Cider thing can be a bit confusing for consumers…I didn’t really get it at first that William Tell and Pacific Coast Cider are both ciders from Cider Brothers, and now the William Tell line has multiple ciders (and I’ve seen the same confusion online).

Have you tried Cider Brothers William Tell? What did you think?

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?

Alpenfire Smoke Barrel Aged Cider

April 7, 2016April 9, 2016 cidersays Alpenfire, review Alpenfire, barrel aged, cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, port townsend, smoke, washington

Review of Alpenfire Cider’s Smoke Barrel Aged Cider. See my past reviews of their ciders here. I tried this cider before and loved it, but hadn’t been able to find it for awhile (it hasn’t been released for awhile and the next batch is still barrel aging…see my post here), so I was excited to stumble across some again.

2016-04-01 19.06.38.jpg

Cider: Smoke
Cidery: Alpenfire Cider
Cidery Location: Port Townsend WA
ABV: 16.0%
How Supplied: 500ml bottle
Style: American craft port-style triple barrel fermented cider made from cider apples

2016-04-01 19.06.45 2016-04-01 19.07.06 2016-04-01 19.07.16

Availability: Limited (and hasn’t been released in awhile), and only in Western Washington

Cider Description: Smoke, our smoky-oaky after dinner tipple style cider has been triple fermented in whiskey and mead barrels. It starts with Kingston Black, Dabinett and Vilberie apples for a very tannic base. Aging in charred oak concentrates all the best features of each apple variety.

Price: $17
Where Bought: Special Brews
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing, although I’ve tried it before. I was surprised to see they had a couple cases of this on the shelf, consider how long its been since its release, and that no other shops have any left (including at the Alpenfire Cidery).

2016-04-01 19.09.12

First Impression: Copper light orange amber hue. No carbonation. Smells rich & strong, of oak, peat, spice, orange, bourbon, scotch, honey, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, and baked apples.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Still. Medium to full bodied. Low acidity, tartness, and tannins. A hint of bitterness. No sourness or funk. Notes of oak, peat, spice, orange, bourbon, scotch, honey, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, and baked apples, with a focus on orange and spice (not as much spoke & peat as I remembered). Long warming finish. Moderate apple influence. Moderate barrel influence. High spirit influence. Very low sessionability.

My Opinion: Amazing! This one is definitely one of my all time favorite ciders, and my favorite Alpenfire cider. Its a great after dinner sipping cider, and one bottle lasted me awhile as a few ounces is plenty (and it keeps rather well as it isn’t carbonated). This cider is highly complex, rich, very smooth, and tastes a lower ABV than it is. I enjoyed this at a range of temperatures, from just out of the fridge to room temperature, although I think I tended towards colder. I saw another post that ice could be used, and I think for a higher ABV flavorful beverage that isn’t out of the question (I’ve done so for Pommeau).

Most Similar to: Not much else. Maybe Sea Cider Prohibition / Rumrunner? That is another high ABV complex (rum) barrel aged sipping cider, but even though its higher ABV, I’d say the flavor is a bit more harsh and in your face (its also drier though). Another is Liberty Ciderworks Manchurian Crabapple. It wasn’t barrel aged, but is a high ABV port-style single varietal with a lot of complexity. This is also kinda similar to Pommeau with its complexity and high ABV.

Closing Notes: I’m glad I bought two bottles of this one, as I still have another to tide me over until its next release. This is definitely my kind of cider, having all the aspects I enjoy most–local, craft, higher ABV, sweeter, complex, flavorful, rich, made from bittersweet cider apples, and barrel aged.

Have you tried Alpenfire Smoke? What did you think?

Book Review #7, Cider Made Simple by Jeff Alworth

April 6, 2016April 5, 2016 cidersays book, cider education, review book, book review, cider, cider book review, Cider Made Simple, hard cider, Jeff Alworth, portland

For the seventh book review here at Cider Says (see here for the first six): “Cider Made Simple – All About Your New Favorite Drink”, by Jeff Alworth with illustrations by Lydia Nichols, published September 2015, with a suggested price of $19.95 ($13.28 on Amazon). Jeff Alworth is best known for his writings on beer (online and in print), and lives in Portland Oregon. For this book he traveled to France, England, Spain, Canada, and around the United States for interviews.

I suggested that my local library add this book to their collection, and they bought it for me to borrow! I think libraries are great to check out a book to see if you may want to purchase it. And, this is one I think I do want my own copy of (same with World’s Best Ciders, which is an awesome coffee table book on cider). In fact, Cider Made Simple is my favorite general cider book so far. Unlike most books on cider, it doesn’t have a cider-making focus, so its great for a cider drinking enthusiast who doesn’t necessarily have an interest in making cider. While a quick read, I also found it quite detailed, and learned a lot new information.

Chapters:

Cider Basics: Don’t Call It Hard (info on cider apples, tasting, properties, regions, and types)

A is for Apple (history, growing, and orchards)

Sweating, Grinding, and Fermenting (cider apple types, back-sweetening, flavor enhancers, and how its made)

Proper English Cider (traditions, industrialization, small farms, producers)

Cider Under Cork (French cider, terroir, producers, and Calvados & Pommeau)

Breaking the Cider (Spanish cider, characteristics, producers, throwing the cider, sourness, and regions)

The American Cider Renaissance (Farnum Hill, EZ Orchards, Reverend Nat’s, and traditionalists vs. modernists vs. experimentalists)

Winter Harvest in Quebec (ice cider)

The writing style was spot-on, the book was well-organized, and the language was easy to understand. I think anyone from a cider newbie to someone with a bit more experience would get something from this book. It filled in a lot of gaps in my knowledge. I liked that it didn’t go as much into the history of cider, but into other details that aren’t covered in many other books (or at least not in this way). There wasn’t really a single portion of the book I didn’t enjoy or think wasn’t helpful.

I especially enjoyed the portions on cider tasting, and all his stories from his travels to visit different cideries and cider regions around the world (I’m jealous!). I was a bit apprehensive learning the author mostly had beer experience, but it wasn’t apparent. My only complaint is the cover shows a glass of beer, not cider…note all the foam and the hue (oops). Highly recommended!

Atlas Session Cider

April 5, 2016April 5, 2016 cidersays Avid (prev. Atlas), review atlas, Bend, cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, oregon, session cider, sessionable

Review of Atlas Cider Company’s Session Cider. I’ve tried most of their lineup (see here). This is their newest release, their first canned cider, and their first available in a multipack.

Cider: Session Cider
Cidery: Atlas Cider Company
Cidery Location: Bend Oregon
ABV: 5.5%
How Supplied: six pack of 12oz cans
Style: American craft sessionable cider made from dessert apples

Availability: Year round in ID, OR, NV, and WA.

Cider Description: During WW1 British legislation limited drinking to 2 sessions, lunch from 11am-3pm and evening from 7pm -11pm. During these 4 hour sessions workers wanted a highly drinkable beer with a lower abv, around 4-5%, so they could return to work without being drunk and disorderly. Some workers are said to have up to 8 pints per session. A true session drink also does not necessarily mean it will have less flavor like a light beer. We are aware that our session cider does contain 5.5% abv; this is above the threshold of a session beer, but being a cider it is still significantly lighter, just as flavorful, and more drinkable than other craft ciders with higher ABV’s. Thus we thought our apple in 6 pack-cans was the perfect “session cider” Enjoy.

Cidery Description: ATLAS Cider Co. produces authentic hard cider fermented from 100% fresh pressed fruit from our region. Partnering with Northwest farmers to source our fruit has been a priority of ours from the beginning. Our ciders start with a base of NW fruit that are pressed to achieve a balance of sweetness, tartness, and dryness. We forge our ciders in the heart of the NW in Bend, OR.

Price: <$2 / single can (retails for $10.99 / six pack)
Where Bought: Special Brews in Lynnwood WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: I had read about its release through Atlas Cider Co.’s Facebook page, but this was the first time I saw single cans available, so I picked one up.

First Impression: Pale straw yellow. Low carbonation upon pouring. Smells like crisp apples, citrus, honey, and apricots.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Medium bodied. Nearly still. Low tartness. Moderate acidity. No bitterness, sourness, or funk. Notes of honey, citrus, tropical fruit, green apple, and muscat grapes. Quick finish. Moderate apple influence. Very high sessionability. Best enjoyed very cold.

My Opinion: One of my favorite sessionable/canned ciders so far. It is more flavorful than many are, probably as it is a bit on the sweeter side, and was back sweetened (but avoids the overly apple juice flavor which I’ve often found). For being medium bodied, it still tasted very light (probably due to its crispness and light flavors). It also had some nice complexity and flavor notes, which surprised me. I also found it lacked the watered down type flavor which I often taste with similar ciders.

Most Similar to: Other slightly sweeter flagship/sessionable ciders, such as Atlas Hard Apple Cider (in 22oz bottles, and slightly different than this one…sweeter, less complex, and higher carbonation, Crispin Original, Flatbed Cider Crisp Apple, and Henry Hotspur’s Hard Pressed for Cider.

Closing Notes: I wouldn’t mind keeping this cider in the fridge. Session Cider is a probably a close second to their Apricot as far as my favorite Atlas cider. The only thing I would change is to increase the carbonation.

Have you tried Atlas Session Cider? What did you think?

2 Towns Ciderhouse Sun’s Out Saison

April 4, 2016April 3, 2016 cidersays 2 Towns, review 2 Towns, cider, cider review, cider tasting, Corvallis, hard cider, oregon, peach, saison, Sun's Out Saison

Review of Sun’s Out Saison from 2 Towns, their newest limited release cider with peaches and fermented with Saison beer yeast. I’ve tried a number of ciders from 2 Towns; see here.

Cider: Sun’s Out Saison
Cidery: 2 Towns Ciderhouse
Cidery Location: Corvallis OR
ABV: 5.8%
How Supplied: 500ml bottles and kegs
Style: American craft cider made from dessert apples with peaches added, fermented with Saison beer yeast

Availability: Limited release starting in late March 2016, in AK, CA, HI, ID, IL (Chicago), MN, NV, OR, and WA.

Cider Description: Sun’s Out Saison is made with tart, fresh-pressed Northwest apples fermented on peaches with an authentic French saison yeast. Roll up your sleeves, or better yet, rip ‘em off to get ready for this unfiltered, dry, slightly spicy and phenolic cider, with lots of big, clean, fresh-peach aromatics. Savor liquid sunshine from Oregon’s leading craft cider producer.

Made with over 46 pounds of peaches per barrel (a barrel is 238 bottles of 500ml if my math is right).

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: $7.59
Where Bought: Chuck’s Hop Shop in Seattle WA (my first time there)
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing. I had seen it mentioned online, but didn’t know it was in stores here yet (and didn’t see it at the other 3 bottle shops I went that week).

First Impression: Hazy light straw yellow lemonade hue. Low carbonation and foam upon pouring. Smells of citrus, peach, green apple, a hint of sour, and yeast.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry. Light bodied. Low carbonation. Moderate acidity. Mild tartness. A hint of sourness. No tannins, bitterness, or funk. Notes of citrus, peach, green apple, tropical fruit, honey, and yeast. Moderate length finish. Low apple influence. Moderate to high sessionability. Moderate flavor intensity.

My Opinion: Yum! This is a perfect spring and summer cider, as it is light and refreshing. However, I didn’t really pick up “slightly spicy” in it, although there is definitely some bite and tartness. I think I picked up a slight amount of “phenolic” flavor, which I read is described as an herbal flavour primarily produced during the malo-lactic fermentation in ‘bittersweet’ ciders.

Most Similar to: 2 Towns Cidre Moscato and Attila Scourge of God based on being light & fruity, plus other peach ciders I’ve had from Blue Mountain (Peach), Blackfin (Pacific Peach), Finnriver (Country Peach), and Fox Tail (Fuzzy Haven).

Closing Notes: Another tasty cider from 2 Towns. This isn’t my favorite style of cider (I usually prefer something richer), but I quite enjoyed it. Sun’s Out Saison also suited the warm temperatures we’ve been having in Seattle to start out Spring.

Have you tried 2 Towns Sun’s Out Saison? What did you think?

Traditions Ciderworks Bourbon Barrel – 2012 Vintage

April 1, 2016March 28, 2016 cidersays 2 Towns, review, Traditions 2 Towns, barrel aged, Bourbon Barrel, cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Traditions

Review of Bourbon Barrel (2012 Vintage) from Traditions Ciderworks (a 2 Towns brand, which they have now absorbed into their regular line). I bought a bottle of this after loving it at Cider Summit Seattle 2015 (tasting notes here). I’ve tried a number of ciders from Traditions Ciderworks (see here) and 2 Towns (see here).

Cider: Bourbon Barrel, 2012 Vintage
Cidery: Traditions Ciderworks (2 Towns)
Cidery Location: Corvallis OR
ABV: 6.9%
How Supplied: 750ml champagne bottles, corked & caged
Style: American Bourbon barrel aged cider made from French & English cider apple varieties

Availability: Very limited, plus I think it was released a couple years ago. In general however, ciders from 2 Towns are available in OR, WA, AK, HI, CA, ID, NV, MN, and Chicago IL.

Cider Description: Aged for four months in wheat and rye whiskey bourbon barrels, our Bourbon Barrel Cider is a hedonistic blend of floral, fruit, and sweet-bourbon aromas. Traditional French and English cider apples lend firm tannins and a dry, tart backing to this cider. Sweet wood and caramel notes finish off a cider made for bourbon lovers. 132 cases produced.

It was made with Dabinett & Kingston Black cider apples and aged in Buffalo Trace bourbon barrels. The only ingredients are “fresh local cider apples”, wine yeast, and sulfites. They also had a 2011 vintage of Bourbon Barrel, with 50 cases produced.

Cidery Description: Traditions Ciderworks produces handmade artisan ciders using only locally sourced Oregon farm grown apples. Inspired by the creativity and flair of Pacific Northwest craft brewers and winemakers, we use time-honored traditions & our own unique style to create exceptional, premium ciders. From the heart of Oregon, near the banks of the Willamette River, Traditions Ciderworks is dedicated to bringing artisan cider out of the past and into the present.

2 Towns has a tasting room in Corvallis Oregon. In late 2015 they absorbed their Traditions Ciderworks line, and have started producing those ciders under the 2 Towns label (starting with their Pommeau, then Riverwood Brut).

Price: $17
Where Bought: Full Throttle Bottles in Seattle WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: This was my favorite cider I tried at Cider Summit Seattle 2015. They didn’t have any in the on-site bottle shop, so I asked around, and Erika at Full Throttle Bottles was able to find a bottle for me.

First Impression: Light straw yellow hue with a slight haziness. Very low carbonation upon pouring. Smells of bourbon, oak, crisp apples, honey, and yeast.

Tasting Notes: Dry. Nearly still. Light bodied. Moderate bitterness and acidity. Mild tartness and tannins. Notes of bourbon, oak, honey, yeast, citrus, floral, and smoke. Moderate length slightly warming finish. Mild apple influence. Low sessionability. Moderate barrel influence. Strong spirit influence.

My Opinion: For whatever reason I enjoyed this much more when I tried it at Cider Summit. This time the bitterness was much stronger and it wasn’t quite as tannic or rich. The lovely strong bourbon flavor was still there however. I can’t figure out why it seems more bitter…it was the same vintage (presumably the same batch), it was one of the first ciders I tried at Cider Summit so I shouldn’t have had palate fatigue, my palate has only learned to tolerate bitterness better since then, and this cider should age well.

Most Similar to: Other ciders with a strong bourbon barrel influence include Locust Bourbon Barrel (although much higher ABV), Whitewood Whiskey Barrel Aged Kingston Black (although richer), and Moonlight Meadery How Do You Like Them Apples (although much higher ABV). I also tried the last two ciders at Cider Summit Seattle 2015.

Closing Notes: After saving this bottle for months it was a bit disappointing for it to not taste as I remembered, but still plenty enjoyable. I look forward to see what they come up with next at 2 Towns.

Have you tried Traditions Ciderworks Bourbon Barrel? What did you think?

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