Argus

Argus Apple Bomb

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Review of Argus’ Apple Bomb, part of their ‘Fermentables’ line.  It is my first time trying this cider, but I have had their Ciderkin, Ginger Perry, and Perennial 2013.

Cider:  Apple Bomb
Cidery:  Argus Cidery
Cidery Location:  Austin TX
ABV:  6.2%
How Supplied:  multipack of 12oz cans (and draft)
Style:  American craft cider

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Availability:  this is a newish year round release, in over 20/50 states; see here

Cider Description:  Apple Bomb is a demi-sec, or slightly sweet, full bodied cider that delivers a blast of fruit and finishes big with a tannic, fruity pucker. This is not a subtle cider, but a fresh apple explosion derived from a collection of fermentation techniques and patience. Cans and draft offerings available.

Cidery Description:  Argus Cidery was founded in 2010 in Austin, Texas, simply because the dry, effervescent ciders we liked to drink weren’t available to us. We set out to create ciders that would [hopefully] make one rethink how an American hard cider should taste. Our roots began working only with Texas apples, utilizing a medium that was often overlooked and never before used in cider available for public consumption within our great state. Those small release, large format-only days afforded us the time to figure out how to work with fruit we love and yield ciders and other fruit fermentables that are distinctly dry, bright, and, at the end of the day, excite us.

Price:  $2.83 / single can
Where Bought:  Special Brews in Lynnwood WA
Where Drank:  home
How Found:  My husband put this in my Christmas stocking!

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First Impression:  Moderate yellow hue.  Moderate to high carbonation with some foam.  Smells mild, of yeast and a hint of sulfur.

Tasting Notes:  On the sweeter side of dry.  Light bodied.  Moderate tartness.  High acidity.  Low bitterness, tannins, sour, and funk.  Notes of sharp apple (crabapple?), lemon, grapefruit, mineral, yeast, and must.  Long slightly bitter finish.  Low apple flavor, sessionability, and flavor intensity.  Moderate complexity.

My Opinion:  I didn’t care for this one at all, and neither did my husband.  However, it was in line with the rest of their lineup (especially Perennial).  It was interesting that they called this demi-sec / sweet.  Maybe in relation to their very dry lineup?  To me it was on the dry end of the spectrum.  It was also way more complex than I’d expect for a canned cider, as they are typically of the more easy drinking variety.

Most Similar to:  This was like a more complex & sour/funky/bitter version of their Ciderkin.

Closing Notes:  After four of their ciders, I think I can conclude that Argus’ ciders aren’t for me.  There is nothing wrong with that, as each cider won’t be for everybody.  I would recommend their ciders for folks of truly dry, sparkling, subtle, unique ciders.  Their Ciderkin (at least when I tried it 2-3 years ago) was the most easy to drink and my favorite so far.  However, I like ciders a bit sweeter and more flavorful.  Argus has really expanded distribution since I first heard of them in 2015.

Have you tried Argus Apple Bomb?  What did you think?

Argus Cidery Perennial 2013

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have you tried Argus Perennial?  What did you think?

Argus Fermantables Ciderkin

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Review of Ciderkin from Argus Fermentables, a traditional dry sparking cider.  This is the first cider I’ve tried from Texas!  The Fermentables line is a newer branch from Argus, offering cider in six packs instead of 750ml bottles, and currently includes Ciderkin and Ginger Perry (link).  Ciderkin was released Match 2015.  Their traditional cider line is released by vintage and includes a number of sparking options, and they even have a sparkling Tepache (fermented pineapple juice with spices).

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Cider:  Ciderkin
Cidery: Argus Cidery, Argus Fermentables line
Cidery Location:  Austin TX
ABV:  4.5%
How Supplied: 12oz glass bottle (six pack)
Availability:  year round, semi-limited release (mostly TX?)

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Cider Description:  Based on nostalgic profiles of ciders everyone first experienced, Argus Ferementables Ciderkin delivers a straightforward apple palate, yet finishes dry and tannic. Traditional Ciderkin is made from reconstituted apple pomace that is pressed and fermented wild to produce a low ABV-dry cider style. Expounding on that tradition, we have employed a yeast blend that finishes dry, yet still preserves a prominent stone fruit nose and apple palate.

Tasting Notes:  Apple, Cherry, Caramel, and Citric Nose. Round apple palate with dry, tannic quick finish. No candy-liger, and exceptional with food.

Cidery Description:  Argus Cidery is the first cidery in Texas, founded in 2010.  They specialize in sparkling and still European-style Basque-influenced ciders and currently use only Texas-grown apples. The Argus Fermentables brand expands the cidery’s reach by featuring ciders that are not necessarily European in style and by sourcing apples from outside the region.

Price:  $2.50 for a single 12oz bottle (priced individually; one source said $10 for a six pack though)
Where Bought:  Full Throttle Bottles in Georgetown neighborhood of Seattle WA
Where Drank:  home
How Found: Browsing.  The unique neck-less bottle drew me in, the the low cost and cidery location (Texas of all places) convinced me to give this cider a try.

First Impression: Definitely sparkling (I even waited a minute to take this photo).  Pretty champagne-like color.  Smells dry, of apples & pears?, earthy, of citrus, and acidic.

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Opinion:  Dry, but of an easier to drink variety that doesn’t immediately turn me off to the cider like many drier ciders do.  This is a clean & crisp tasting smooth cider which is light & citrusy.  It has a quick finish but some lingering (pleasant) aftertaste.  There is a bit of acidity, bitterness, and astringent drying tannins at the end, but not overly so.  This cider has a bit of an earthy funk.  I even pick up a hint of vanilla.  There is only a slight tartness.  The sparking mouthfeel was enjoyable (I’m typically a big fan of sparkling ciders).  I don’t however notice cherry or caramel as Argus’ tasting notes specified, but I admit my palate isn’t refined.  I would describe Ciderkin as unique but not bold.  I nibbled on some crackers while enjoying this cider before dinner, which worked well.  Ciderkin is a refreshing cider for summer.

Interesting Fact:  As discussed a bit in Argus’ description of this cider, Ciderkin is a traditional term to describe cidermaking by fermenting reconstituted apple pomace (pulp remaining after crushing apples). As the pulp is diluted, the alcohol content is significantly reduced.

Closing Notes:  This is a great introduction to drier ciders, and fairly unique.  Give it a try if you can find some!  From what I’ve found online, it appears very lucky that I was able to find this in my area as I can’t find much of anything about it being released outside of TX.

Have you tried Argus Fermentables Ciderkin, or anything else Argus Cidery produces?  What did you think?