Big B’s Grizzly Brand Bourbon Barrel Aged Cider

Review of Grizzly Brand, an organic bourbon barrel aged cider from Big B’s out of Hotchkiss Colorado, part of their small batch Farmhouse Cellar series.

>>This is a review of a sample bottle provided to Cider Says by Big B’s. Although I will take care to treat it the same as any other review, there is always the potential for bias as I received it for free. The only consideration I knowingly made was pushing this up in my cider review cue. I love free stuff, especially cider! Want your cider or cider-related product reviewed here? Contact me.<<

<aren’t these cool bottle labels & stickers they sent?>

Cider: Grizzly Brand
Cidery: Big B’s
Cidery Location: Hotchkiss CO
ABV: 6.9%
How Supplied: 750ml bottle
Style: American New World Style Bourbon Barrel Aged Cider

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

Cider Description: For over 80 years the Growers Trading and Supply Co. in Hotchkiss Colorado sold millions of lbs of Apples as Grizzly Brand Apples. Big B’s took over this location in 1973 and to pay homage to the Grizzly Brand we created a Hard Cider with historic roots and time honored traditions. Grizzly Brand Hard Cider is aged in used bourbon barrels, it’s unfiltered and bottle conditioned. It’s a crisp and dry cider that’s laced with woody vanilla like tones and finishes with the warmth of fine bourbon. USDA Certified Organic. ABV 6.9% and available in 750ml bottle.

Local organic Winesap apple single varietal aged 12-15 months in High West Distillery barrels from Park City UT. Only apples and yeast, without other ingredients (such as Sulfites).

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

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

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

First Impression: Slightly hazy honey-lemon hue. Carbonation level between still and very low. Smells of sweet honey, oak barrels, citrus, and bourbon. The smell really reminds me of Crispin’s 15 Men–barrel aged and a lot of honey (although that one was rum not bourbon barrel).

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry (which was a bit difficult to decide on as there were some completing aspects). Mild acidity, tartness, and bitterness. No sourness or funk. The flavor was complex, starting with honey & citrus, then moving to oak wood & vanilla, then into the lingering warming bourbon. Moderate barrel and bourbon spirit influence. Medium bodied. Long finish length. Low to moderate sessionability.

My Opinion: Pretty tasty! Definitely unique. I liked that they went a bit stronger on the barrel & spirit influence than most spirit barrel aged ciders.

Most Similar to: The honey combined with barrel aged most reminded me of Crispin 15 Men (rum barrel), followed by Carlton Slake (whiskey barrel), 2 Towns The Bad Apple (bourbon barrel), and Moonlight Meadery How Do You Like Them Little Apples (whiskey barrel). The difficulty in determining the level of sweetness with a barrel aged cider with sweet notes reminded me of Thistly Cross Whisky Cask (which is sweeter). The other bourbon barrel aged ciders I’ve had include Tieton Cidermaker’s Reserve and Traditions Bourbon Barrel 2012 (the Traditions one, made by 2 Towns, is literally one of my favorite ciders by the way).

Closing Notes: Too bad Big B’s Grizzly Brand isn’t available outside of Colorado yet. I think they will do very well with expanded distribution. Barrel aged cider is typically my favorite variety, and this one didn’t disappoint. I look forward to trying the other cider they sent, Pear Supply.

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

Carlton Cyderworks Slake

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

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

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

Availability: Limited release in OR & WA

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have you tried Carlton Slake? What did you think?

WildCraft Snake River Rye Barrel Aged Hard Cider

December 1, 2015December 1, 2015 cidersays review, Wildcraft barrel aged, cider, cider review, Eugene, hard cider, oregon, Snake River Rye, Wildcraft

Review of Snake River Rye, a barrel aged cider from WildCraft Cider Works. WildCraft opened in Eugene Oregon in November 2014. They were nice enough to send me a box full of their cider (which is especially awesome as they aren’t yet available in WA), so I have a number of varieties from them to review in the coming weeks. Barrel aged is my favorite cider variety, so I figured it was a good place to start. Aren’t their labels beautiful? I especially like the uneven edges.

>>This is a review of a sample bottle provided to Cider Says by WildCraft Cider Works. 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: Snake River Rye
Cidery: WildCraft Cider Works
Cidery Location: Eugene OR
ABV: 7.5%
How Supplied: 500ml bottle

Availability: Year round, but currently only in Eugene, Portland, and Medford Oregon.

Cider Description: Dry settler style Cider aged 3 months in American Oak Stein Rye Whiskey barrels from eastern Oregon. Deep whiskey notes and a full oak finish compliment smooth vanilla flavor & apple aromatics. Unpasteurized & bottle conditioned.

Made from Jonagold apples.

Cidery Description: At WildCraft Cider Works, we pride ourselves on developing innovative, artisanal dry ciders inspired by traditional and wild methodology. Insisting on whole fruit and botanicals grown in Oregon to create pure ciders without artificial flavorings, sulfites or added sweeteners. WildCraft cider is uniquely dry cider unpasteurized & bottle conditioned. We consider ourselves stewards of the outdoors; always acting consciously to ensure that our ingredients are regional.

WildCraft sets themselves apart from most other cideries by using mostly fruit from old homesteads that would otherwise go unused, plus unwanted fruit from community drives. All their fruit is Oregon-grown and pressed at the cidery. In addition to ciders, they also have a line of perries (made from pears). They avoid the use of sulfites in their ciders, which is quite rare and can be difficult to pull off.

WildCraft has a tap house at their Eugene OR cidery with 10 of their ciders & perries on tap at a time, plus they have a full bar (including cider cocktails), and a full farm to table restaurant! This article from Feb 2015 has a nice writeup on them.

Price: n/a (but retails for $7.99)
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: Facebook and word of mouth

First Impression: Slightly hazy straw yellow with a few large bubbles at the edge of the glass. Slightly funky, dry, sour, tart, oaky apple scent. Surprisingly I didn’t pick up much barrel or spirit influence in the scent.

Opinion: Completely dry. Moderate sourness, tartness, acidity, astringency, funk, spirit (whiskey), and barrel influence. No to low bitterness. Light to medium bodied. Moderate carbonation. Relative quick finish with the flavor of the cider, but there is lingering warmth and sourness. I found citrus, herbal, oak, and smoke notes with this unique alcohol-forward cider.

Most Similar to: A barrel aged Spanish Sidra? I found some of the aspects I’ve come to associate with Sidra and Sidra-like rustic ciders, such as sourness, astringency, dryness, and citrus notes. Yet it had definite barrel and spirit influence. It is more approachable than some ciders of a similar style (Millstone comes to mind), but may be a big leap for someone used to approachable sweet commercial cider.

Closing Notes: Snake River Rye was quite an interesting cider, but it wasn’t really to my liking. Without the sourness and with a bit more residual sugar, I think I would have found it more enjoyable…the aspects I enjoyed reminded me of a barrel aged Imperial-style cider (typically characterized by a high ABV). I think folks looking for a unique cider on the dry end of the spectrum which aren’t opposed to some sourness and funk should give this a try. I look forward to trying the rest of the ciders that came in my sample box!

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

Finnriver Fire Barrel

November 25, 2015November 23, 2015 cidersays Finnriver, review barrel aged, bittersweet, cider, cider review, Finnriver, Fire Barrel, hard cider, hard cider review, washington

Review of Finnriver Fire Barrel. I’ve tried probably 10 other Finnriver ciders. Here is a great illustrated Finnriver product guide.

Cider: Fire Barrel
Cidery: Finnriver
Cidery Location: Chimacum WA
ABV: 6.5%
How Supplied: 500ml bottle

Availability: Limited release. Finnriver ciders are sold in WA, OR, CA, AZ, NV, TX, IL, CO, and Alberta & BC Canada (detailed info here). They also have an online store (which can ship to WA, OR, CA, AK, CO, MN, FL, & WA D.C.)

Cider Description: Finnriver is honored to present master cidermaker Drew Zimemrman’s award-winning Fire Barrel cider. Pressed from traditional bittersweet apples and aged in fire charred Kentucky bourbon barrels, this full-flavored cider offers a hint of whiskey, oak aroma, notes of caramel and vanilla, a lingering soft tannin finish.
Drew’s passion for cider helped ignite the cider renaissance in the Pacific Northwest and now, here at Finnriver, we are grateful for his mentorship as we strive to carry on a rooted cider tradition. Made with a seasonal blend of heirloom and traditional cider apples.

The label has “814” handwritten after “Bottled:”…it looks like this may indicate a bottling date of August 2014, although I only bought this a few months ago.

Cidery Description: At Finnriver we gather and ferment the flavors of the land to offer you farmcrafted hard ciders and spirited fruit wines. We are inspired by the allure of the fruit, the ancient history of the craft of fermentation and the lively traditions we now seek to revive. Our mission is to inspire a deeper connection to the land that sustains us….Some of these ciders are small-batch, seasonal and labor-intensive. Others are produced with contemporary methods and more readily available year-round…Finnriver grows over twenty varieties of traditional and heirloom apples in our organic orchard, to feature in our traditional and specialty ciders. They have a tasting room open seven days a week, noon to 5pm, and are on the Olympic Pennsylvania cider route along with Eaglemount and Alpenfire cideries.

Price: $11?
Where Bought: Special Brews in Lynnwood WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing. I tried this a couple years ago and didn’t like it oddly enough. Then I had it again at a Capitol Cider tasting with Bill Bradshaw and nine WA cideries (notes here) and really enjoyed it. I imagine my tastes had changed since the first time I tried it, as then although I enjoyed barrel aged, I wasn’t into higher tannin ciders. I had actually bought the bottle before the tasting, as I wanted to give it another try now that this type of cider is my favorite.

First Impression: Orange-amber hue. A few large bubbles at the edge of the glass but otherwise still. Smells like ripe apples, tannins, oak, vanilla, spice, and rum?.

Opinion: Semi-dry. Ripe apple, caramelized sugar, bourbon, oak, earth, smoke, and vanilla notes. Lovely bittersweet apple flavor. Although I picked up rum oddly enough in the scent (probably as I got a hint of spice), the flavor is more bourbon/whiskey, and I don’t pick up any spice. Moderate to heavy tannins. Low acidity. Low bitterness. Low tartness. Very light funk (more earthiness than anything else). Mild to moderate barrel influence. Mild to moderate spirit influence. Pretty much still (no carbonation). Medium bodied. Moderate to long finish. It start off with the tannins, then mellows out quite a bit.

Most Similar to: Other tannin-forward ciders. This reminds me of English style cider, but there is the added nice barrel & spirit flavor.

Closing Notes: Awesome! I really enjoyed this cider–one of my favorites, and definitely my kind of cider. Bold and unique. It definitely isn’t an introductory type cider (although still less harsh than for example Sea Cider Prohibition / Rumrunner and Alpenfire Smoke, which I also really enjoy), but is a great example of what can be made when you use cider apples and barrel age.

Have you tried Finnriver Fire Barrel? What did you think?

2 Towns The Bad Apple

November 20, 2015November 9, 2015 cidersays 2 Towns, review 2 Towns, Bad Apple, barrel aged, cider, cider review, hard cider, hard cider review, honey, imperial, oregon

Review of The Bad Apple from 2 Towns. I’ve had this cider before, and many other 2 Towns varieties. Isn’t their bottle styling awesome? Really eye-catching.

Cider: The Bad Apple
Cidery: 2 Towns
Cidery Location: Corvallis OR
ABV: 10.5%
How Supplied: 500ml bottle (or kegs)

Availability: Year-round, at least in OR, WA, CA, AK, HI, NV (limited), ID, IL (Chicago), & MN (Minneapolis)

Cider Description: Big & bold, The Bad Apple is an imperial style cider, fermented with local meadowfoam honey and aged on Oregon White Oak. Complex notes of apples and wood make the Bad Apple a NW favorite. Sometimes…it’s good to be Bad!

Cidery Description: 2 Towns was founded in 2010 by partners Lee Larsen and Aaron Sarnoff. Dave Takush joined us shortly thereafter. All three of us grew up together in the Corvallis, OR area. We’ve had explosive growth since our inception at which point we had intended to produce and distribute cider to the Corvallis, OR and Eugene, OR areas only (incidentally, the 2 Towns of our namesake). It became readily apparent that our initial vision needed to grow as we hit our maximum capacity in our first production space (a converted 1,000 sq ft garage) in roughly 2 months. We’ve since built 2 new production facilities with a total of 25,000 sq ft of production space and our team has grown to over 30 people to help us to distribute to 9 states and counting.

Over this time, we’ve kept to our original goal of bringing craft hard cider back to the people. We feel that a craft cider is made with fresh-pressed fruit and contain no artificial flavorings. Our fruit is all sourced in Oregon & Washington and all of our ciders are also free from added sugars other than those present in the juice and in some cases local honey. We feel that cider doesn’t need to be sweet to express the natural flavors of the fruits we ferment.

2 Towns Ciderhouse planted an orchard in 2011 with all traditional cider apple varieties such as Kingston Black, Dabinett, Jersey Brown Snout, and many others. 2 Towns has also contracted with several growers in the Willamette Valley and beyond to grow additional traditional cider fruit.

Price: $7.50
Where Bought: Special Brews in Lynnwood WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: Initially, browsing. I’ve had this cider at least once before and was in the mood to have another bottle.

First Impression: Yellow/orange tinted straw gold hue. Moderate carbonation upon pouring with a light foam ring and tiny bubbles. Smells like rich apples, honey, booze (whisky?), yeast, and oak.

Opinion: Semi-dry. Quite apple-forward, with rich apple, honey, vanilla, and oak notes. The perceived barrel influence remains mild. Moderate acidity and tartness. I almost pick up some citrus with the tartness. Mild bitterness and astringency. No sourness or funk. Medium bodied. Low to moderate carbonation. Longer finish with lingering tartness and acidity. Well-hidden ABV, which mostly presents as warmth. Complex but simple at the same time. I enjoyed this fridge cold, which surprised me as usually with this style of cider I like it closer to room temperature than fridge temperature…when it warmed up the tartness seemed more present.

Most Similar to: This kinda reminds me of Moonlight Meadery ‘How Do You Like Them Little Apples’ cider for some reason…probably as that one tasted like it was higher ABV (but wasn’t), and had honey and oak notes (but it was sweeter and more full bodied). By the way, I find this cider very different from the other 2 Towns Imperial-Style cider I’ve tried, Serious Scrump, which is an 11% ABV English-Style cider available seasonally, which I found to be quite dry and bitter and not to my liking.

Closing Notes: Awesome! This is actually my favorite cider from their regular line so far (and I’ve tried at least 10 ciders from 2 Towns). I think its a great value. I also think 2 Towns is a really cool cidery in general…really down to earth and fun-loving. Their tag line is “Damn Fine Cider” lol. I hope to visit them someday in Corvallis OR. I’ve actually met co-founder Aaron Sarnroff-Wood (at Cider Summit Seattle 2015 and a Schilling Cider House 2 Towns tasting event) and communicated with him by e-mail about their Cider Master Reserve Batch No 01, and he is super helpful. I highly recommend this cider if you enjoy higher-ABV ciders and want something unique.

Have you tried any ciders from 2 Towns? What did you think?

Virtue The Mitten Bourbon Barrel Aged Cider

November 2, 2015October 25, 2015 cidersays review, Virtue barrel aged, cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, hard cider review, Michigan, Mitten, Virtue

Review of Virtue Cider’s The Mitten, a bourbon barrel aged cider made using only Michigan apples. This is the first cider I’ve tried from Virtue.

Cider: The Mitten
Cidery: Virtue Cider
Cidery Location: Fennville MI
ABV: 6.9%
How Supplied: 750ml green champagne bottle, capped (also available in kegs)

Availability: Limited release, winter seasonal. Virtue cider may be available in GA, MD, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PN, RI, VA, VT, IL, ID, KY, MI, MN, OH, WI, CA, OR, WA, & TX.

Cider Description: When the leaves fall, there’s a chill in the air and the evening greedily takes hours from daylight, we stand strong and embrace the wintertime. It’s a time of rich foods, roaring fires and our favorite sweaters. Drinks change from refreshing to intense and satisfying. The Mitten is a Winter cider, a blend of last seasons best, aged in bourbon barrels, with the new season’s fresh pressed apple juice. Straight cider, aged for 3 seasons, finds notes of vanilla, caramel and charred American oak, balanced with the best of the orchard, over-ripe apples and their sweet, tart, earthy juice. Many barrels are filled, but only a small portion, the very smoothest, will find their way into The Mitten. We love wintertime, especially when we have The Mitten to keep us warm and happy through the long, cold night.

Northern Spy, Cox’s Orange Pippin, McIntosh, and Jonathan apples blended with cider aging in our barrel house that is made from more than forty varietals of apples.

See Virtue’s info page on this cider.

Cidery Description: Virtue Farm is located in Southwest Michigan, part of the state’s thriving Cider Coast. Michigan’s Cider Coast boasts 200 miles of apple orchards, changing leaves, and stunning vistas best enjoyed with a glass of crisp cider. All along the coast, great cider being made by a bevy of wonderful cider makers, all working hard to revive dozens of varieties of heirloom apples ideal for juicing and fermenting. Virtue Cider is proud to be part of this burgeoning revival of an important Michigan tradition.

They have a tasting room. Also see this page on their barrel aging program. This cider was bourbon barrel aged at least 6 months (depending on the vintage). I’m guessing I tried the 2014 vintage. The 2015 vintage is expected to be released in December by the way.

Price: ~$24
Where Bought: Capitol Cider in Seattle WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: I’ve read a number of articles & reviews on this cider, which is quite well-received. I’ve been on the lookout for it ever since (although I can find a number of Virtue’s other varieties, this one is more rare in WA). I was very excited to see it on the bottle list at Capitol Cider, and just my luck, they still had it (they only update their printed bottle lists so often, so its possible they have since run out of items).

First Impression: High carbonation (foamed over when I opened it!). Gold amber hue. Lots of tiny bubbles and foam. Hazy. Rich medium sweet very ripe apple, bourbon, vanilla, oak, caramel, and brown sugar scent.

Opinion: Semi-dry. Frothy almost mousse-like sparkling/carbonated mouth feel. Rich bold flavors but light bodied. Very warming. Mild to moderate barrel influence. Moderate to heavy bourbon influence. Moderate to high acidity. Moderate bitterness, Low to moderate tannins. Moderate tartness. Moderate astringency. Ripe apple, bourbon, vanilla, oak, and caramel notes (quite similar to the scent, but tasted less sweet then it smelled). Slightly earthy and smokey. Long bitter finish. The other reviews I’ve read didn’t seem to mention this high of a level of carbonation and the significant bitterness, but each palate is different, and they could have been from a different vintage (a craft product like this varies year to year).

Most Similar to: Other drier bourbon barrel aged ciders with bitter notes. My favorite bourbon barrel aged cider so far is Traditions Bourbon Barrel 2012, made by 2 Towns, which I tried at Cider Summit Seattle 2015. This one definitely had the highest level of carbonation I’ve seen in this type of cider (often barrel aged ciders are presented almost still). The level of heat reminded me of Sea Cider Prohibition / Rumrunner. I would have guessed this cider was a much higher ABV, but it was very smooth and relatively easy to drink.

Closing Notes: I think I psyched myself up a bit too much for this one. I really liked it, but didn’t love it. I think if it wasn’t for the bitterness in the finish, I would have been really impressed. I think it also smelled better than it tasted (more sweetness came across in the scent). Maybe all the sweet-type notes made me want a sweeter cider? All in all it is a nice cider selection which makes me want to try more ciders from Virtue and from the Finger Lakes region (which similar to WA & OR is known for cider).

Second day update: I didn’t finish this cider the first night (as its just me and I have a tendency to make small pours). On the second night, I oddly enough found it had developed a distinct sourness (and remained pretty high carbonation). I’m used to ciders losing flavor / mellowing out, but sour is a new one. It was well-sealed with a flip top. So, I’d recommend drinking this in one night.

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

Crispin 15 Men (Rum Barrel Aged)

October 29, 2015October 25, 2015 cidersays Crispin, review 15 Men, barrel aged, cider, cider review, cider tasting, Colfax, Crispin, hard cider, rum

Review of Crispin’s newest barrel aged limited release, 15 Men. It is a dark rum barrel aged Colfax apple cider with wildflower honey and dark candi syrup. The name 15 Men alludes to the book Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. Crispin’s previous barrel aged limited release cider before this was Venus Reigns (my review here). They have had a barrel aging program for 6 years.

Cider: 15 Men
Cidery: Crispin
Cidery Location: Colfax, CA
ABV: 6.9%
How Supplied: 22oz bottle

Availability: limited availability, but wide release, since early October 2015

Cider Description: Buccaneers & buried treasure. Mutiny & murder. For the love of adventure and a barrel of rum. Drink and the devil had done for the rest. An epic saga of Colfax classic apple wine matured in dark rum casks, then laced with wildflower honey and dark candi syrup. 15 Men rolls strong like a deep ocean swell with notes of burnt caramel and oak, gentle hints of ripe fall fruits, vanilla and exotic floral fruit carried on the trade winds. Before pouring, give a solid bottoms-up tilt and swirl to disperse sediment evenly and experience the complex aroma and bouquet. Best enjoyed at cellar temperature, 50/55F. With or without 1 or 2 ice cubes.

Cidery Description: Classically refined, but not styled as a traditional “sweet beer” beer alternative, Crispin ciders are crisp and clean, not sweet and sticky and never sacrifice superior quality refreshment satisfaction for overbearing complexity. Always true to the fruit, Crispin Hard Ciders are naturally fermented using fresh-pressed apple or pear juice, not from concentrate, from a premium blend of fruit from the west coast. Additionally, Crispin Ciders do not contain added malt, grape wine, or spirit alcohol. Crispin Ciders are all Gluten Free.

Price: $9.99
Where Bought: Total Wine
Where Drank: home
How Found: I read about this release online, then started the search for it. Total Wine has a convenient online inventory, so I knew before I went in that it was in stock.

First Impression: No carbonation upon pouring. Hazy honey orange amber. Smells of ripe apples, honey, tropical fruit, light floral, caramel, and brown sugar.

Opinion: Between semi-dry and semi-sweet. Still (no carbonation). In the taste, I again pick up the ripe apples, a lot of honey, some fruitiness & floral, and the caramel and brown sugar notes. Additionally, some mild wood barrel notes, a bit of citrus, and mild spiced rum in the finish. I thought the rum presented more in the lingering heat than the actual flavor. I’m surprised by how much honey flavor there is! Mild tartness and bitterness. Medium acidity. No significant tannins or astringency. Medium bodied. Average finish length. The barrel and spirit influence stays mild. This was better between fridge and room temperature, where it became very smooth and the honey flavor mellowed out a bit.

Most Similar to: Rum barrel aged cider always reminds me of Sea Cider Prohibition / Rumrunner (my review here). Honey reminds me of ciders such as Finnriver Honey Meadow (my review here). However, this cider wasn’t anything like either of those. The honey seemed to be competing with the rum & barrel aspects. So, there aren’t really any similar ciders I’ve tried.

Closing Notes: Overall this was a good but not great cider in my opinion. The amount of honey flavor seemed to be too much, and I would have liked more rum & barrel influence. A bit of carbonation wouldn’t have hurt either. Overall it was unique. However, $10 seems a bit steep for what it is, as at the end of the day, Crispin is a commercial cidery.

Have you tried Crispin 15 Men? What did you think?

Moonlight Meadery How Do You Like Them Little Apples Cider

October 22, 2015October 15, 2015 cidersays Moonlight Meadery, review barrel aged, cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, How Do You Like Them Little Apples, Moonlight Meadery

Review of “How Do You Like Them Little Apples”, a cider from Moonlight Meadery. Note that they also offer “How Do You Like Them Apples” (without “Little”), which is quite a different cider, mostly as it has a significantly higher ABV, 13.5% instead of 6.9%. I’ve also tried that one (at Cider Summit Seattle 2015; tasting notes here).

Cider: How Do You Like Them Little Apples
Cidery: Moonlight Meadery
Cidery Location: Londonderry NH
ABV: 6.9%
How Supplied: draft-only (I got a half growler, 32 oz)

Side Note: This is the first time I’ve got a growler fill of cider! I’ve always decided against it as 64 oz of cider is way too much for just me to drink in a short period of time, but my husband came home with a half growler of beer recently. These half growlers (and even quarter growlers, only 16 oz) seem to be a newer thing. Two pints of cider is more easily doable. The place where I got it filled (see below) actually only sells half growlers, although I’m sure if you brought in a full size one they would fill it for double the cost. Also, check out my new cider glass!

I’ve been wanting to buy some real cider glasses for awhile, and picked up three (see above, with one of my usual cider glasses on the right for reference) at World Market, each between $2 and $4. They are officially a goblet, brandy snifter (pictured with cider above), and sangria glass (curved). I think the brandy one is my favorite as it isn’t as large/tall as the other two, although similar to wine glasses, none of these would be filled up all the way.

Availability: Regional. See the list on Moonlight Meadery’s website.

Cider Description: A hard cider, made with the finest New Hampshire apples that were available to us, which we had fresh pressed into apple cider. This fresh cider was delivered the day it was pressed to our Meadery, where we blended it with just a touch of honey, and some brown sugar and let it ferment, then we let it age in freshly emptied rye whiskey barrels, for a minimum of 3 months. This is a DRAFT only release.

Cidery Description: We are a world class, cidery and meadery from Londonderry New Hampshire, specializing in meads: wines made from honey, and ciders. The diversity of the offerings often leaves people speechless, while the flavors have them asking for it at their local stores. Stop by to find out why “History never tasted so good”™. Try the oldest fermented beverage, “Romance By the Glass”^®. Distributed nationwide both here in the United States, and Australia. It all started back in 1995, when Michael, our founder and head mead maker, tried a cyser (apple and honey mead) for the first time.

Since that first sip Michael has developed a passion, and a masterful skill at making international award winning meads. Michael Fairbrother has started Moonlight Meadery^®, with a mission to bring ultra premium meads to the market place. It is more than a product and it is more than a process, it’s our obsession. Our meads will be unique, and unlike anything you have ever tried, you will find it incredible! We are going to embrace the unique nature of natural honey as minimally processed as possible. Since starting production in May of 2010, we have grown beyond our wildest dreams. We hope you will stop by to hear our story and try our meads, and tell your friends.

Moonlight has a tasting room in Londonderry NH, and an online store selling their products which ships to 20 states (WA not included unfortunately). We get a few of their bottled meads in the Seattle area, but nowhere near the full lineup.

Price: $10 / 32 ounce half growler
Where Bought: Around the Table Game Pub in Lynnwood WA. This is a great option for draft craft cider in the greater Seattle area by the way, as they typically have 3 ciders and 1 mead on tap (and 8 beers, a coffee, and a soda). Although its not really my type of atmosphere (gamer types), the cider selection is pretty awesome. Special Brews up the street has more taps but less cider on tap (although they have a bottle shop).
Where Drank: home
How Found: I tried this for the first time at the Schilling Cider House (see my post here). Schilling Cider House has Moonlight Meadery’s ciders & cysers on tap pretty often. When I saw this cider was on tap at Around the Table, I went out of my way to get a half growler of it! Very reasonably priced too. I’m doing a full review of it now vs. my previous one which was only a quick writeup. I typically only do tasting notes when sampling ciders away from home as its tough to get a full picture of a cider when doing a quick tasting, and especially when trying it with other ciders.

First Impression: Shiney straw yellow champagne-like hue. Large bubbles. Complex rich sweet apple scent with a hint of oak wood.

Opinion: Semi-sweet to sweet. Rich ripe apple, honey, oak, brown sugar, and floral notes. The slightest hint of whiskey from the barrel in addition to the oak flavor from the barrel itself (which is on the mild side). Complex flavor, but low acidity, tannins, tartness, astringency, bitterness, etc. No funk (clean). Very low carbonation. Medium to full bodied. Longer finish, which is where some mild tarrtness and bitterness presents. Very smooth. I’d guess it was a higher ABV (maybe due to how full bodied it is), but its not really booze-forward.

Most Similar to: Not too much. Most barrel aged ciders don’t also have other flavors (honey & brown sugar in this case), and there aren’t too many barrel aged ciders that are this sweet (although Thistly Cross Whisky Cask comes to mind).

Closing Notes: Awesome! One of my favorite ciders. Even my friend who is very new to hard cider and whose tastes haven’t extended beyond very plain sweet juice-like commercial ciders enjoyed it (I thought she might be put off by the barrel notes). So, I can recommend this as a good introduction to barrel aged ciders (vs. some others that are very dry, strong barrel influence, lots of spirit notes, etc). I’ve been very impressed with everything I’ve tried from Moonlight Meadery so far (a few ciders, a cyser, and a mead)!

Have you tried Moonlight Meadery How Do You Like Them Little Apples? What did you think?

My Visit to Superstition Meadery in Prescott AZ

October 13, 2015October 18, 2015 cidersays mead, not cider, review, Superstition Aesir, Arizona, barrel aged, honey, honey wine, mead, meadery, Prescott, Superstition

Yes, another mead post! This time around our travels brought my husband and I back to Prescott (pronounced press-kit) Arizona, where we went to college (at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University). A friend had told us about Superstition Meadery, and I just had to go. This is a smaller mountain town (at least when I left over 7 years ago) so I was surprised to learn it now has a meadery! Especially because they don’t even have a cidery, and only a handful of breweries. Superstition also makes some cider, so its still semi on-topic for this blog. Superstition Meadery is located in downtown Prescott, on “Whiskey Row”, under the “Old Capitol Market” shop (which sells spices and jams and such). This tasting room has only been open about a year (they will have their first year anniversary party on Oct 24), but they have been selling their meads since 2012, and making them for about 10 years.

You oddly enough have to walk through the shop to get to the meadery (although apparently they only lease the space and aren’t associated with the shop). If we hadn’t known it was there, it would have been easy to miss, even with the sidewalk sign and their name on the window.

They make the mead (and cider) on-site, and one of the coolest parts of the tasting room is the window which looks into their workshop. We visited on a Saturday afternoon with a few friends. We had actually dropped by Friday night as some other friends were hanging out there (it was a big alumni reunion type weekend for us), but didn’t stay as the live music was way too loud. I wanted to be able to enjoy my mead with less folks around, and maybe even chat up the staff. During our Saturday visit my husband Aaron was lucky enough to spot an employee walking into the workshop and asked it we could have a tour. Lucky us. Thanks Justin!

It was a really classy place just to chill with friends, with a bar, comfy chairs & tables, and a nice overall vibe. Pretty unusual for Prescott!

They serve mead (a type of wine made from fermenting honey & water), cider, grape wine, and appetizers/tapas. Something to please most folks. Plus, it appears to be an all ages place (they even have some kids food selections on the menu). They offer a flight of all 12 selections (11 mead and 1 cider that day), or you can choose taster size pours individually, plus a few off-flight mead options (two which were barrel aged versions of the on-flight meads, and one cocktail). Of course I opted for the full flight of 12, which was lower cost than purchasing individually as it worked out to only $2 each, when some were $3 individually.

Although it was $24, it was plenty for 2 people. There were four of us to start (more showed up later), so after the flight we each got a couple more sample size glasses or a full glass of what we liked (and one person chose red wine instead of mead lol). The pours were quite generous too. Click to biggify the menu photos. The only food we tried was the bread with oil & vinegar, which was a good choice considering the amount we drank! No standard bar fare to be had here (I was kinda craving a soft pretzel). The mead menu is laid out from dry to sweet, and they really ran the full spectrum.

Tasting notes:

Except for the cider, these were meads noted to be in order from Dry to Sweet, which I found mostly true:

Blueberry Spaceship Box, 6.9% ABV: Blueberry cider. Semi-dry. Tart. I get a lot of blueberry skin flavor, definitely from adding real blueberries, not just juice (or what some cideries do, artificial flavor). Noticeable tannins and astringency. Unique, but I didn’t find it to my liking (although all my table mates did). I found it very interesting that this cider is actually the top user rated cider on RateBeer.com! Its pretty limited availability, so its interesting they got so many folks to try it and rate it highly.

Lagrimas de Oro, 13.5% ABV: Bourbon barrel aged mead. Dry. More barrel notes in the scent than taste. Alcohol-forward (boozy). Tart and astringent. Not a fan, and I don’t think anyone at the table was.

Alexander the Grapefruit, 8.5% ABV: Grapefruit and hops mead. Dry to semi-dry. Floral and citrus notes, tart, and definitely hopped (although mild, I’m just a wuss when it comes to hops)! Not a fan, but one or two folks at the table were.

Tahitian Honeymoon, 13.5% ABV: Tahitian vanilla bean mead, oak barrel aged. Semi-dry. Lovely vanilla, honey, and oak notes. The vanilla notes were on the tart side, and the barrel influence was moderate. Kinda wine-like. I enjoyed this one (my fourth favorite).

Amnesia, 14% ABV: Cyser (made from apples & honey) with Welsh Mugwort. Semi-dry. Check out this issue of American Mead Maker for an article on Superstition and the backstory on Amnesia, which was a Welsh collaboration. It tasted like cyser with a hint of weird herbal notes to me. A couple folks at the table didn’t mind it though.

Let Them Eat Cake, 12% ABV: Raspberry mead. Semi-dry. Sweet raspberry scent, but this was a drier tart mead. This one was rather well received at our table. Not bad.

Maple Stinger, 13.5% ABV: Maple mead, bourbon barrel aged. On the drier side of semi-sweet. Maple-oak scent. Maple start and barrel notes with the finish. Not too much honey flavor came through. Longer finish. Awesome! My second favorite. I don’t remember anyone else at the table noting they liked it though. I’m a huge maple and barrel aged fan however.

Mad Hatter, 16.5% ABV: Apple, mango, and Belgian dark candi mead. On the drier side of semi-sweet. I picked up berry notes in the scent oddly enough. Tart. All in all weird; I just didn’t get this one, and it seemed to have too many competing flavors. I think it was aptly named! I don’t think anyone at our table liked it too much.

Marion Mead, 13.5% ABV: Marion berry, blueberry, and raspberry mead. On the sweeter side of semi-sweet. Very berry indeed. Nicely balanced tart-sweet. This was a big crowd pleaser at our table, but I wasn’t too big of a fan (I’m usually not too impressed by berry ciders though, so I wasn’t surprised).

Safeword, 12% ABV: Belgian Dark Strong Mead (BDSM). Sweet. I picked up brown sugar, molasses, and a hint of coffee. Slight herbal & spiced finish. Very complex. Another crowd pleaser at our table. My third favorite. However, I don’t think I’d want more than a small glass of it, as it was really rich. I bet this would taste awesome warm. This is the mead our friend who recommended Superstition said was his favorite, and it was my husband’s favorite.

Honey Highway, 12% ABV: Prickly pear mead aged in new oak barrels. Sweet. Smelled of honey, tartness, and oak. This one was pretty weird, and I don’t think any of my table mates liked it. I didn’t find that the prickly pear directly came across; it only seemed to add tartness.

Ragnarok, 14% ABV: Mead with local catclaw honey and mango nectar. Sweet to very sweet (more like a desert mead I think). The honey flavor came across with this mead more than the others. Very smooth. Lovely tropical notes. I had this with the flight, then ordered another taster, as it was my favorite. Well-hidden ABV. Bold flavors. This was another crowd pleaser at the table. Amazing!

Barrel Aged Ragnarok, 14% ABV: The same as above but barrel aged. Sweet to very sweet. As I was drinking the second Ragnarok taster, I realized they had an off-flight barrel aged version of it! So, I ordered a taster and compared the two side by side. Definitely oak barrel notes, mild to moderate. Even smoother than the regular Ragnarok. I think barrel aging really makes any cider or mead better.

Overall Superstition Meadery was a tad pricey (especially the bottles to take home), but its a local craft product, mead is expensive to produce, and we were on vacation. I kinda wished they had half size bottles as many dessert wines do instead of the 750s, as that cuts down the commitment (both quantity and cost). My husband had to convince me a bit to drop the $48 on my favorite mead there, the Barrel Aged Ragnarok, as that is far more than I’ve ever spent on a bottle of anything. Their bottles were $28-$48 for 750ml (compared to $25 at Æsir Meadery for reference).

I was surprised they didn’t charge any more for the barrel aged version of the Ragnarok versus the regular, considering a barrel costs hundreds of dollars, and the mead ages for months or possibly years, taking up floor space and tying up money. Its awesome they had so many barrel aged meads. I learned they have a broker they use just to obtain barrels. Also, they collaborate with some folks such as breweries to pass the barrels back and forth, which will add different flavor notes. Check out the Barrel page on their website for great info.

However, in the end I was happy to splurge, and I think alcohol makes a great souvenir. Apparently mead can stay open for quite awhile in the fridge as it doesn’t oxidize very quickly, so I’ll probably open a bottle when the mood strikes and work on a bottle for awhile. I’m intrigued to try these warm, as I liked the mead selections at Æsir best when warm. I ended up getting a bottle each of the Barrel Aged Ragnarok and Maple Stinger. I had come prepared with bags, rubber bands, and bubble wrap, and am happy to report both bottles made it home in our checked luggage safely. I should have taken a photo of my handiwork as it looked pretty funny.

I even got a chance to try the Tahitian Honeymoon mead again later in the night at Granite Mountain Brewing down the street. They offer one mead and one cider from Superstition (on tap) at a time, but were out of the cider (although I probably would have chosen the mead anyways). My drinking buddies all enjoyed their beer from there, and we were happy to find their outdoor patio tucked way in the back, to escape the ever-present live music which was way too loud to be able to converse.

I highly recommend Superstition Meadery if you find yourself in Prescott AZ, or if you can find them elsewhere. They have the most availability in AZ, a couple spots in CA, IA (soon), and even Denmark, Singapore, Japan, and Thailand (soon). They will also soon be shipping bottles to 33 states through VinoShipper (same as Æsir; VinoShipper appears to be the only mead-friendly online market). Check out the Availability page on their website.

They are also expanding. To start, they have secured a production facility location at the Prescott airport, where they plan to make most of their meads, and only make sours (which they don’t currently sell yet) at the current tasting room. I really wish we still lived in Prescott as Superstition Meadery has a club where you get special access (such as tasting their mead experiments), behind the scenes info, special releases etc. They actually have a waiting list just to get into the club next year!

So, you may ask, how does Superstition compare to the meads I had from Æsir (and to a lesser extend, Moonlight)? I think they are all rather on-par for quality, but they had as many similarities as differences in their flavors. From each I preferred the sweeter selections, as I found them more flavorful. I’ve also confirmed I don’t like spiced or overly tart mead, same as I don’t like spiced or overly tart or bitter cider. However, just because I don’t like something doesn’t mean you won’t; they make so many varieties of mead & cider for a reason!

Liberty Ciderworks Stonewall (Dry Fly Whiskey Barrel Aged)

October 12, 2015October 11, 2015 cidersays Liberty, review barrel aged, cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, liberty, Spokane, Stonewall

Review of Stonewall (a Dry Fly whiskey barrel aged cider) from Liberty Ciderworks, part of their Reserve series. I’ve tried a number of ciders from Liberty, including Manchurian Crabapple, English Style, Crabenstein, and Abbess.

Cider: Stonewall (Dry Fly Whiskey Barrel Aged)
Cidery: Liberty Ciderworks
Cidery Location: Spokane WA
ABV: 8.4%
How Supplied: 750ml bottle

Availability: Fairly limited. Per the cidery they currently self-distribute to Spokane and Seattle. In Seattle, I have seen them at Capitol Cider, Schilling Cider House, Total Wine, Full Throttle Bottles, and Special Brews. Look for them in bottle shops in WA which specialize in local craft cider. Liberty’s website lists some locations to find their ciders.

Cider Description: Named for General “Stonewall” Jackson – who reportedly enjoyed blending cider and whiskey – ‘Stonewall’ is our English blend aged in Dry Fly™ whiskey barrels. This oaky, dry cider serves up scents and flavors reminiscent of vanilla, ripe apple, and coconut. (GLINTCAP 2015 Gold Medal & “Best In Class” Winner)

Cidery Description: Carrying the torch for Artisan Cider. Located in the largest apple-growing region on the planet, Liberty Ciderworks is all about the apple, showcasing the diversity and wonders of locally grown fruit. From well known apples like McIntosh and Jonathan to rare, cider-specific fruit like Kingston Black and Dabinett, Liberty ciders put apples in their proper place: Front and center. We started Liberty Ciderworks in 2013 with a simple, two-part mission: 1) Using apples from local farms and fields, create unique, wonderful ciders, and 2) Share them with friends and neighbors across the great Pacific Northwest. Welcome to the cider revolution. Cheers! Rick & Austin

Liberty has a tap room in Spokane and offers over 10 varieties of cider. Here are links to two articles discussing this cider’s win at GLINTCAP, from Inlander and NW Cider.

Price: $13.99
Where Bought: Total Wine
Where Drank: home
How Found: I was on the lookout for this variety after reading about it online, as I’m really into barrel aged ciders.

First Impression: Copper amber hue. Lovely brilliant sheen. Very little carbonation. Mild rich apple, whiskey, and barrel scent.

Opinion: Dry. Moderate acidity, tannins, bitterness, astringency, and tartness. Medium bodied. Long finish. Rich caramel, vanilla, and ripe apple notes. The whiskey and barrel notes are mild to moderate. Note that I don’t like aged spirits at all, but love those flavors in a barrel aged cider. At first the tannins, astringency, and bitterness were a bit harsh, but as the cider warmed up and I had a few sips, I warmed up to it. I definitely find some similarities to their English style cider, which is what this cider is, except it was aged in whiskey barrels. I’m not really sure if I like this one or the English style better…I like the whiskey & barrel notes, but I found this one to have a bit more bitterness.

Most Similar to: Other barrel aged ciders made from cider apples, such as Traditions Ciderworks Bourbon Barrel 2012 and Whitewood Cider Kingston Black Whiskey Barrel Aged, which I tried at Cider Summit Seattle 2015 (tasting notes here).

Closing Notes: Tasty! The price point is also quite good considering this is a craft cider from a small cidery, made using cider apples, is a higher ABV, and was barrel aged. Another great selection from Liberty Ciderworks! I look forward to continuing to try their ciders.

Have you tried Liberty Stonewall? What did you think?

Angry Orchard The Muse

September 25, 2015September 20, 2015 cidersays Angry Orchard, review Angry Orchard, barrel aged, cider, Cider House Collection, cider review, hard cider, hard cider review, Iceman, Strawman, The Muse

Review of Angry Orchard’s The Muse, part of their Cider House Collection (along with Iceman and Strawman). I had forgotten about this bottle, as for some reason it was in with our champagne & white wine, instead of with my ciders. So, especially since I didn’t know how long ago I bought it, I thought I’d better drink this one!

Cider: The Muse
Cidery: Angry Orchard
Cidery Location: Cincinnati OH
ABV: 7.7%
How Supplied: 750ml corked & caged champagne bottle

Availability: wide release, year round

Description from Angry Orchard: Our Cider House Collection includes rare and innovative ciders, harvested from our cider makers’ passion and creativity. To bring you these new distinct styles, we experimented with juice blends, wood aging, fermentation techniques, and other traditional processes learned from 15 years of cider making exploration and craftsmanship.

Inspired by the festive nature of slightly sweet demi-sec champagnes and sparkling wines, The Muse is a bubbly, effervescent cider made from traditional culinary and bittersweet apples and aged on French oak. The cider is sweet upfront with a juicy apple aroma and bright acidity, and slightly drying on the finish with a lingering sweet apple note. The French oak adds a subtle wood impression, imparting notes of clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and hints of vanilla. 7.7% ABV.

Price: ~$15
Where Bought: Costco? Its pretty widely available though, even at the supermarkets near me.
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing. I’ve had The Muse and Iceman probably a few times each.

First Impression: Darker amber. High foam & carbonation. Cooked apple scent.

Opinion: Sweet to very sweet. Tastes like a sparkling ice wine. High carbonation. Moderate acidity. Medium bodied. Effervescent mouthfeel. No noticeable bitterness, tartness, or astringency. I don’t pick up any barrel influence or the spices that are mentioned in the description. I do however pick up some bittersweet apple, cooked apple, and vanilla notes. There are some poor syrupy and juice-like qualities to this cider. Longer length finish. Slightly less sweet than Iceman. In contrast, Iceman has a higher ABV, some discernible barrel influence, and less carbonation.

Most Similar to: Angry Orchard’s Iceman. Check out this post I did with mini reviews of all the Angry Orchard ciders I’ve tried.

Closing Notes: This cider is pretty good, but I think much better can be had for the money. Also, I’d really rather support a local craft cidery. This is however a good introduction to a more craft-like cider product for those with limited cider availability and for those whose palates like a sweet cider. I have tended towards drier ciders lately and this one is a bit too sweet now for me.

Have you tried Angry Orchard The Muse? What did you think?

Tieton Cidermaker’s Reserve

September 18, 2015September 13, 2015 cidersays review, Tieton barrel aged, cider, cider review, Cidermaker's Reserve, hard cider, hard cider review, Tieton, Tieton Cider Works

Review of Cidermaker’s Reserve from Tieton Cider Works.

Cider: Cidermaker’s Reserve
Cidery: Tieton Cider Works
Cidery Location: Yakima WA
ABV: 6.9%
How Supplied: 500ml mini champagne bottle, corked & caged

Availability: Year round. Tieton ciders are available in WA, OR, AK, HI, B.C., ID, CA, NV, MT, WY, UT, CO, AZ, NM, TX, FL, MI, IL, and OH (per their website). They also take orders by phone to be shipped in WA (info here) and have a tasting room (info here).

Cider Description: This two-year-old bourbon barrel-aged bittersweet cider has a nose that brings out the haze of vanilla, plum, and slight bourbon notes. Pours a golden hue with hints of charred oak, vanilla, and late harvest apples on the palate.

Cidery Description: We are continually asked: how did you get into the cider business? The answer is easy: we were in the apple growing business. Period. If we had not been a farming family, cider would not have held an interest. The fruit that is used in Tieton Cider Works cider comes from Craig and Sharon Campbell’s Harmony Orchards. This land has been in our family since the 1920’s when our grandfather planted his first trees in Tieton, Washington. We take our stewardship of the land seriously and have been farming organically for the last 25 years. As a third generation Yakima Valley farmer with a degree in horticulture from Washington State University and over thirty five years’ experience in marketing produce, Craig has always been curious about the back-story: the history, production, science, and industry of food. Growing different varieties of trees is truly what makes Craig happy and he is always looking for new varieties to plant and nurture. In 2008 he was introduced to cider apple varieties, those gnarly, inedible wild apple varieties needed to make great cider. He planted twenty five varieties in a test block of two acres to study the growing patterns: did each fit into the existing bloom and harvest schedule of the farm, what were the flavor profiles of the fruit and how did that variety add to the cider that we wanted to make. From that original twenty five, Craig has narrowed it down to the eight most suitable for commercial production, never closing the door on annual experimentation when he learns of a new variety. We now have the largest acreage of cider apples and Perry pears in the state of Washington with 55 acres. The Yakima Valley is the largest apple producing region in Washington and there is an infrastructure existing in our valley that provides many advantages when you are making cider. Whether we are storing our apples in controlled atmosphere, sending our apricots and cherries to be processed, or selecting the complementary hops and pumpkin for our seasonal ciders – it all exists in the valley we call home. A love of land, food and drink has inspired us to make cider with the fruit we are growing at our ranch, Harmony Orchards. We know the ciders we make are an expression of the harvest and reflective of the fruit and the place that it is grown. We are thrilled to be involved in re:interpreting the tradition of cider making.

Price: $9.99
Where Bought: Total Wine
Where Drank: home
How Found: I’ve seen this cider at Total Wine, and even tried it awhile back (can’t remember if it was a tasting or an entire bottle). However, I wanted to give it another go as I didn’t really remember it, and am now more into drier ciders than I was a year or two ago.

First Impression: Medium carbonation upon pouring. Light champagne yellow. Smells of ripe acidic apples and oak.

Opinion: Dry to semi-dry. I definitely pick up the oak barrel influence, but it isn’t overpowering in the least. I also pick up some vanilla and bourbon notes. Moderate acidity, tartness, and bitterness. Medium bodied. Some astringency. Moderate length finish with some lingering acidity, tartness, and bitterness. Clean refreshing taste. Its awesome they are a Washington cidery and have such a large cider apple orchard. Overall a solid well-balanced and well-composed cider, but isn’t one of my favorites. It is tending towards the bold & unique category that I like, but not quite there yet.

Most Similar to: Other local craft oak aged ciders I’ve tried such as Schilling Oak Aged, Finnriver Oak & Apple, and Snowdrift Cornice, although slightly more dry & acidic.

Closing Notes: I look forward to trying more Tieton ciders! I’ve tried a good deal (Cidermaker’s Reserve, Apricot, Smoked Pumpkin, Wind, Wild Washington, Cherry, and Blossom Nectar), but this is the first I’ve reviewed here at Cider Says. I’d especially like to try their Sparkling Perry and Frost (ice cider) varieties.

Have you tried Tieton Cidermaker’s Reserve? What did you think?

Locust Washington Dessert Apple Aged Hard Cider

September 17, 2015September 13, 2015 cidersays Locust, review Aged Hard Cider, barrel aged, cider, cider review, hard cider, hard cider review, Locust, Locust Cider, Washington Dessert Apple, Woodinville

Review of Washington Dessert Apple Aged Hard Cider from Locust Cider. This is their first limited release offering, and also the first to be packaged in a large bottle (instead of a multi pack of cans or bottles, or on tap only).

There is a bit of a funny story with this bottle of cider: Upon arriving home from the bottle shop with this cider I found it on its side in my car in my bottle tote in a small puddle of cider. Thank goodness for waterproof floor mats… The bottle was hissing slightly. I guess the cap hit something in my car when it rolled around a bit and the edge got lifted slightly. It definitely could have been worse though. After cleaning up the mess I decided I needed to finish opening the cap and put on the attached flip-top cap before putting it in the fridge. I hadn’t been planning to drink it that night, and it wasn’t cold anyways. The following night I opened the bottle and it proceeded to violently foam over! So, I had cleaned up after this cider twice before even drinking any… I definitely got a foamy bottle which went a bit overboard in bottle conditioning! Thankfully only a few ounces of cider was lost in those messes.

Cider: Washington Dessert Apple Aged Hard Cider
Cidery:  Locust Cider
Cidery Location:  Woodinville WA (Northeast of Seattle)
ABV:  6.9%
How Supplied: 750ml clear flip-top bottle

Availability: Locust Cider is currently available in WA and ID. This is a limited release however so it may not be available everywhere that Locust Cider is sold.

Thanks to Jason Spears, co-founder of Locust Cider, for extra info on this cider!

Cider Description: Made from Golden Delicious, Fuji, Gala, Red Delicious, and Granny Smith dessert apples. Fermented with wild yeast (the yeast on the fruit itself, in contrast to most ciders which add new yeast). The outcome of a wild yeast fermentation is more unpredictable, and Locust described losing several batches of cider that didn’t turn out well. The cider is then tank aged for 6 months, where they allow a small amount of oxygen into the system to initiate malolactic fermentation. This is from secondary bacteria, as opposed to yeast, and changes the cider, reducing acidity and adding body & mouthfeel. This technique is not always desirable, but is what they were going for with this cider variety. Then the fermented cider is blended with fresh pressed juice and bottled ulfiltered, to allow for bottle conditioning.

Cidery Description: Real people making a cider for real people. They aim to make extremely drinkable ciders, with balanced flavors, not overly sweet or sour. All ciders are made from Pacific Northwest apples and fruit, with no artificial sweeteners, only apples and yeast. Founded by two brothers, Jason & Patrick Spears, from Texas, in early 2015. Their name is a reminder to embrace life without compromise, after Jason was calmed by a gentle orchestra of locusts in a field after a near death experience.

Their tap room is open Thursday thru Sunday in the Woodinville WA warehouse district.

Locust Cider currently offers Original Dry, Green Tea Infused, Sweet Dark Cherry (had been tap only but bottles are on their way to stores now), Summer Berry (tap only), Thai Ginger (tap room only), and Washington Dessert Apple Cider.

Price: ~$10
Where Bought: Full Throttle Bottles in Georgetown area of Seattle WA, where they were having a tasting of Locust Cider (Original Dry and Green Tea Infused) and Argus Fermentables (Ciderkin and Ginger Perry). Of those I only liked the Ciderkin, which I reviewed here previously.
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing. I hadn’t heard of this one before.

First Impression: Foam! Hazy/unfiltered honey hue. Smells of sweet unfiltered cider, honey, and a slight earthiness.

Opinion: Sweet but not very sweet. Taste is similar to unfermented sweet cider, except with that hard cider kick. High acidity. Moderate carbonation, high foam/fizz, and a bit of tang. No noticeable funk, but a bit of earthiness. Moderate finish length. No significant bitterness or astringency. Mild tartness. Medium bodied. Notes of honey and cooked apples. Moderate complexity. This cider is slightly booze-forward, and I probably would have guessed it to have an even higher ABV.

Most Similar to: Farmhouse style unfiltered ciders such as J.K.’s Scrumpy (from whom I’ve tried Orchard Gate and Northern Neighbor, which are a bit sweeter than this cider).

Closing Notes: Overall this cider is a solid unique selection. However, I’m curious how the taste was affected by the apparently aggressive bottle conditioning. I opened this cider on a Wednesday, had a small glass Thursday, a small glass Friday, and the rest on a Saturday, and even on Saturday it had plenty of fizz left and tried to overflow the glass upon pouring!

I’ve tried most of Locust Cider’s other offerings: their Sweet Dark Cherry on tap at Schilling Cider House and their Original Dry (canned) and Green Tea Infused (bottled) at the tasting at Full Throttle Bottles when I picked up this cider, all of which I found to be a bit lacking in flavor. The Washington Dessert Apple however is much different and much more full-flavored than the other three. I’ll definitely try any other limited release and/or full-flavored cider from Locust Cider, even though their current regular offerings don’t appeal to me.

Have you tried Locust Washington Dessert Apple Aged Hard Cider? What did you think?

Millstone Cobbler

August 20, 2015August 20, 2015 cidersays Millstone, review barrel aged, cider, cider review, Cobbler, hard cider, hard cider review, Maryland, Millstone, Millstone Cobbler, peach, wild yeast

Review of Millstone Cellar’s “Cobbler” variety. This is the first cider I’ve tried from Millstone Cellars, the first highly rustic cider, and I believe my first East Coast craft cider. Lots of firsts this time around. I love the bottle design and color with this one!

Cider: Cobbler
Cidery: Millstone Cellars
Cidery Location: Monkton MD
ABV: 8.0%
How Supplied: 750ml clear glass resealable bottle (wax covered top)

Availability: MD, VA, DC, DE, NY, WA, and soon to be CA

From Kyle Sherrer, Owner/Fermentologist at Millstone:

The Cider: The Cobbler was 8 barrels of peach wine fermented and aged in bourbon barrels using wild yeast for the fermentation and aging for 6 months. The cider was 22 barrels blended in after oak barrel aging in nuetral oak for 6 months and consisted of Goldrush and York Imperial varietals. We then bottle conditioned the cider using house made unfermented ice cider. The cider has characteristics of peach skin and a lactic soft cheese like quality as well as a hint of vanilla from the bourbon barrel. Like all of our ciders it is dry has high acid and a moderate helping of funk.

The Cidery: We are a cidery that focuses solely on rustic ciders and by that I mean we do all unfiltered, unsulfited, unpastuerized naturally dry ciders that are all wild yeast influenced. All of our ciders are fermented single varietal and then we blend varietals after aging (generally 6-8 months) for the final ciders. All of our ciders are fermented and aged in oak aging Sur Lie (on top of the lee’s) the entire time which helps round out the flavor profile and encourage a natural malolactic fermentation for all of our ciders. Lastly we source all of our ingredients within 150 miles of our cidery.

Price: $17
Where Bought: Schilling Cider House in Fremont neighborhood of Seattle WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing cider stuff on the internet, then I saw a post on Schilling’s Facebook that they carried this one, so I looked for it at the Cider House. I love the idea of a barrel aged peach cider.

First Impression: Cloudy lemonade yellow color. Significant yeast sediment, especially stuck inside the bottom of the bottle. Mild carbonation. Yeasty citrus scent.

Opinion: Dry. Overwhelmingly mouth-puckering farmhouse funky tangy sour tartness. I only detect citrus, not peach. Very very long finish (oddly enough I couldn’t eliminate the taste for hours). High tannin thick mouthfeel. Heavy bodied. I couldn’t detect any barrel influence as the other qualities were a bit overwhelming to the palate for me. I had three other taste-testers, and all four of us agreed it was unfortunately undrinkable. I don’t mind a dry & funky cider, but the mouth-puckering astringent tang was intolerable.

I hadn’t been expecting this style of cider from the description on the bottle & their website (it only mentioned cask aged cider, bourbon barrel aged rustic peach wine, & farmhouse style). However, after I purchased the bottle, from the reviews and the information the cidery gave me, I discovered this is supposed to be a funky cider style. I think I got a bit too excited about barrel aged & peach and didn’t do enough detailed research before buying this cider. Millstone utilized wild yeast fermentation, bottle conditioning, and kept the cider unfiltered, all of which appear to make very unique funky ciders. Although I wasn’t expecting a sweet cider, with a name like Cobbler and the addition of peach wine, I was expecting some significant peach flavor, but none was detectable.

Most Similar to: Nothing I’ve had! Apparently this is comparable to Basque or Austrian Spanish ciders, but the couple I’ve tried weren’t this polarizing.

Closing Notes: This cider was unfortunately a big disappointment. I just don’t think this style of cider is my cup of tea. Its probably a love it or hate it thing. However, if you enjoy a funky high acidic tart rustic cider, you may like ciders from Millstone…they are definitely unique! It seems that plenty of folks do enjoy their ciders (see UNTAPPD and RateBeer), just not me.

Have you tried Millstone Cobbler? What did you think?

2 Towns Cider Master Reserve Batch No. 01, Barrel Select Blend

August 18, 2015August 18, 2015 cidersays 2 Towns, review 2 Towns, barrel aged, Barrel Select Blend, Batch No. 01, cider, Cider Master Reserve, cider review, hard cider, hard cider review

Review of Cider Master Reserve Barrel Select Blend Batch No. 01 from 2 Towns. Special thanks to Dave Takush (head cidermaker & co-owner) and Aaron Sarnoff (co-owner) to answering my e-mail and providing some great additional information about this rare cider!

Cider: Cider Master Reserve Batch No. 01, Barrel Select Blend
Cidery: 2 Towns
Cidery Location: Corvallis OR
ABV: 6.9%
How Supplied: 750ml glass bottle

Availability: special release (May 2015), probably only found in WA & OR. However, 2 Towns cider is general is available in OR, WA, CA, AK, HI, NV (limited), ID, IL (Chicago), & MN (Minneapolis).

Cider Master Reserve Description: Inspired by the rich history of cidermaking, our Cider Master Reserve Series holds nothing back. We utilize rare heirloom cider fruit from the Pacific Northwest to create ciders that pioneer beyond the modern palate. You are holding in your hand the ultimate culmination of science, culture, and history,. Enjoy the result.

Barrel Select Blend Description: Batch No. 01 of the Cider Master Reserve series is a traditional English-style cider made from a blend of our finest locally-sourced heirloom cider apples. Aging in a variety of select vintage casks lends a depth of uncommon character to this bold, dry cider.

Locally Sourced Apple Varieties: Ashmead’s Kernal, Bramley’s Seedling, Chisel Jersey, & Newtown Pippen apples

Barrel Blend: rum (35%), bourbon (27%), white bordeaux (20%), & brandy (18%)

Ingredients: Fresh-pressed NW heirloom apples, sulfites

Additional Information from 2 Towns: This is No. 1 in a forthcoming series of Cider Master Reserve batches, focusing on specific ingredients, orchards, and styles that pioneer beyond the modern palate. This barrel blend was meant to be a high-acid, food friendly, dry cider, that has subtle hints of sugar cane, oak, and floral/fruit notes from the rum, white bordeaux (chardonnay), and brandy barrels respectively. The ciders in the series are meant to be elegant, complex and not ‘oak bombs’ or overly sweet modern style ciders. The majority of the acidity comes from Bramley’s Seedling, an old-world English apple used for baking and cider back in the UK. All the apples were sourced locally from small heirloom apple orchards in the Willamette Valley and Hood River.

Price: $16.25
Where Bought: Full Throttle Bottles in Georgetown area of Seattle WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: I believe I saw a press release at NW Cider and a review at Cider Journal. So, I was happy to get a newsletter from Full Throttle Bottles that said they had some in stock! I hurried over to get my hands on it. I am a huge sucker for both barrel aged and special release ciders.

First Impression: Pale yellow, moderate carbonation, dry apple-champagne scent.

Opinion: Dry. This is a very crisp, refreshing, and pleasantly acidic champagne-like cider. Effervescent mouthfeel and light body. No significant bitterness or tartness. I usually avoid dry ciders, but due to the lack of bitterness, this cider was very drinkable for me. I think between the lack of bitterness and the flavor & body, I perceived this cider as slightly sweeter than it is. It was even smoother when it warmed up a bit. So, I would recommend trying this cider somewhere between fridge and room temperature. However, I found there was little discernible barrel influence. I picked up some notes of citrus, pear, and possibly vanilla.

I wouldn’t describe this cider as complex or bold. However, it was very tasty! The bottle was quickly emptied, as I had houseguests to share it with, and it was very well-received. We opened it before dinner and unfortunately there was none left to actually accompany the meal. I look forward to whatever 2 Towns comes up with next! It appears they are tasting Reserve Batch No. 02 at their Harvest Party in October, so it shouldn’t be too long of a wait.

Most Similar to: Ace Blackjack 21, another special release cider. It is a Gravenstein single varietal, Oak Chardonnay barrel aged. I also found it to be very champagne-like. However, I liked the 2 Towns cider much better.

Closing Notes: Try 2 Towns’ Cider Master Reserve Barrel Select Blend if you can find some! This is a very well-composed cider, great for summer, or as a champagne alternative (although not fully sparkling).

Have you tried 2 Towns Cider Master Reserve Batch No. 1 ‘Barrel Select Blend’? What did you think?

Sea Cider Prohibition / Rumrunner

July 26, 2015July 26, 2015 cidersays local, review, Sea Cider barrel aged, cider, cider review, hard cider, Prohibition, rum barrel aged, Rumrunner, Sea Cider, Sea Cider Prohibition, Sea Cider Rumrunner

Review of Sea Cider Prohibition (sold as Rumrunner in Canada). This is my second time trying this cider. I’ve tried a couple other Sea Cider varieties as well. Prohibition is aged in rum barrels!

Cider: Prohibition
Cidery: Sea Cider
Cidery Location: Vancouver Island near Victoria B.C.
ABV: 12.5%
How Supplied: 750ml clear glass bottle (although I bought it by the glass)
Availability: Canada (B.C., Alberta, & Manitoba) and the U.S. (WA, IL, & OR)

Cider Description: Crafted with home-grown heritage apples, Rumrunner’s apples are hand-pressed using our traditional rack and cloth press, slowly fermented with Champagne yeast, then aged in rum-soaked bourbon barrels for a minimum of six months. Aromas of brown sugar and rum show the complexity of this semi-dry sparkling cider. The secret to Rumrunner lies in the barrel. Rich, full-bodied and intriguing, Newfoundland Screech barrels were the inspiration for this semi-dry cider, which opens up to reveal complex notes of molasses, apples, and rum.

Rumrunner cider is our homage to the people who, during Prohibition, ran illicit boats full of liquor across the international line in the coastal waters that can be seen from our Ciderhouse. This seafaring connection was first formed when we obtained Newfoundland “Screech” barrels to age one of our cider blends. Rum and bourbon barrels were once a cidermaker’s only storage option and their use imparted distinctly spirited notes to traditional cider. Our Rumrunner cider blends the juice of highly aromatic apples, such as Stayman’s Winesaps and Winter Bananas (all certified organic), so that the apple aromas match the intensity of the oak and rum notes.

Cidery Description: Sea Cider is a farm-based cidery located on the Saanich Peninsula just minutes from Victoria, on Vancouver Island. Our ten acre farm is home to over 1,300 apple trees, made up of over 50 varieties of heritage apples. Sea Cider opened its farm gate for business in 2007 when owner Kristen Jordan purchased the property with a vision of creating an organic farm and orchard and producing traditional fermented artisan ciders. Since then, we’ve grown to an annual cider production of over 7,000 cases and growing. We continue to pride ourselves on crafting traditionally fermented ciders from organically grown apples.

Price: ~$20 / bottle, but I paid $8 for an approximately 8oz pour
Where Drank: Special Brews in Lynnwood WA, which is an awesome bottle shop & bar combo, with about 15 taps, where usually 1 or 2 are cider. They also sell Sea Cider Prohibition & Pippins by the glass, or will open up a bottle for you for $2. Its a great hangout spot and pretty chill.

First Impression: Deep copper amber. Still. Smells inviting, rich, earthy, and likely to pack a punch.

Opinion: I pick up so many different flavors with this one. Very bold / aggressive / intense and complex. Caramel, brown sugar, rum, brandy?, vanilla, molasses, the list goes on. I find it interesting how most of these are “sweet” flavors, yet I’d call this a semi-dry cider. This cider isn’t very apple-forward, but then again, good craft cider doesn’t / shouldn’t taste like apple juice. It has a woody earthy flavor and a bit of a bite. Long smooth dry slightly acidic finish. Prohibition packs a lot of heat/warmth. Like Liberty Ciderworks Manchuran Crabapple and other high ABV ciders, the word boozy comes to mind, but for me, in a good way. I like the different flavor of the rum barrel aging as opposed to the more common oak / bourbon (or red wine or tequila as I’ve also had).

As it warms up I liked the flavor a bit more, but it also seemed to linger more on the palate. The mouthfeel was thick. I was glad this wasn’t served ice cold. I enjoyed an interesting pairing this this cider, as I munched on some pub mix (cheesy pretzels & crackers). I imagine this would be good with some cheese or even as a cider float. Sea Cider also says it can be served warmed, which would be interesting. its odd how I don’t like aged spirits but enjoy ciders like this.

Closing Notes: Tasty! However, this is something that I enjoyed more with the first half of the glass, as it is a bit hefty to enjoy more than a small pour of. So, I was thankful to have it by the glass instead of a 750ml bottle (although apparently it keeps well).

Have you tried Sea Cider Prohibition / Rumrunner? What did you think?

Snowdrift Cornice

June 26, 2015July 12, 2015 cidersays review, Snowdrift apple, apple cider, barrel aged, cider, cider review, Cornice, hard apple cider, hard cider, hard cider review, review, Snowdrift

This is an interesting barrel aged special release from Snowdrft, and my first time trying anything from them.

Cider: Cornice
Cidery: Snowdrift
Cidery Location: East Wenatchee WA
ABV: 7.3%
How Supplied: 750ml bottle
Availability: This appears to be a special release. Although they could have done another run, the last run of this I see info about online was in 2013! So, this may be an old bottle.

Description on Bottle: In our region, winter tends to whip layers of snow into majestic formations called cornices. They hang in a gravity-defying balance – ready to cascade at any moment into a rushing avalanche. We wanted to craft a cider to carry these traits…So we aged cider in oak barrels, knitting tannins and aromas into an avalanche of flavors. Notes of bourbon vanilla, fall fruit, and toffee coalesce into this off-dry cider. 60% culinary cider, 40% bittersharp cider, aged 12 months in oak barrels. Bottle 107. Batch 113.

Price: $16.99 (yeah, ouch, but it is a large bottle of specialty local cider)
Where Bought: The Wine Shop in Arlington WA (interesting place by the way, which out of about 10 ciders they had, I hadn’t seen 4 or 5 of them anywhere else!)
How Found: Browsing. I had wanted to try something by Snowdrift, but was still deciding.
Where Drank: home

Opinion: This is a unique cider, quite different than what I usually try, although barrel aged varieties are my favorite. It is more dry than I usually like, but I’d still only call it semi-dry. The flavor is well-balanced, not too much oak taste, and some vanilla. It is a bit on the tart side for my taste, but I imagine some of that is the dryness. Very low carbonation, and a nice hue. The label on the bottle and even the cork itself is well-designed and has their pretty logo. I’m glad I tried this one, and I can definitely see how their ciders are very well received, but I don’t think its quite for me, mostly due to the dryness (or at least not worth the additional cost in my eyes). I’d recommend it for those who like drier barrel aged ciders and who like to try what awesome craft ciders Washington has to offer. It would be a good intro to barrel aged ciders as the barrel taste isn’t too strong.

Update: In case anyone is curious, day 2 of being open was the sweet spot for this cider for me. On the first day it had a bit more bite / tartness. On the second day it seemed to have lost some of that. By the third day however it was flat and pretty tasteless. I imagine the flip closed stopper I have helped though. Guess I need to drink quicker, or find someone to share it with!

Woodchuck Winter Chill

June 21, 2015July 12, 2015 cidersays review, Woodchuck apple, apple cider, barrel aged, cider, cider review, hard apple cider, hard cider, hard cider review, review, vanilla, Winter Chill, Woodchuck

This is probably my favorite cider, especially for the price. Not too many barrel aged ciders are available in affordable six packs (most are expensive single larger bottles). I like this stuff so much I bought six 6 packs to try to tide me over for the year, since it is a seasonal release.

Cider: Winter Chill
Cidery: Woodchuck
Cidery Location: Middlebury VT
ABV: 5%
How Supplied: six pack of 12oz bottles
Availability: Winter (approx. Nov-Feb)

Description on Bottle: The chill of winter sends some running for the mountains, while others prefer to stay cozy in the comfort of the great indoors. Whichever way you enjoy winter, this cider is built to get you through. Aged in premium french and traditional american oak, Winter Chill brings a rich depth of apple flavor with hints of vanilla and Oak throughout.

Price: $7.99 / six pack
Where Bought: Total Wine
How Found: I think I originally found this just by browsing.
Where Drank: home

Opinion: This is some really tasty stuff. It is one of Woodchuck’s more dry offerings, but definitely still on the sweeter side. I definitely pick up the vanilla & oak flavors, and can tell it is barrel aged. It is very easy to drink, and although it is more of a wintery cider, I like it year round. I sure wish it was available year-round. To me this cider is a very good value, as typically barrel aged ciders start at a higher price point (as they are typically from craft cideries). I definitely did some stocking up this winter between Woodchuck Winter Chill & Barrel Select. It is part of Woodchuck’s seasonal line of ciders, which currently include Summer Time, Fall Harvest, and Winter Chill (now that they aren’t releasing the Spring one). When I went to the Woodchuck cidery I got to see the giant stack of barrels which held the aging cider. Apparently this flavor has been available since 2008. I highly recommend it! Its a good intro to barrel aged ciders, as it isn’t as strong of a barrel aged flavor (I’d guess it is aged less than some of the others).

Crispin Venus Reigns

June 21, 2015July 12, 2015 cidersays Crispin, review apple, apple cider, barrel aged, cider, cider review, Crispin, hard apple cider, hard cider, hard cider review, pear, red wine, review, Venus Reigns

I drank this interesting cider two weeks ago:

Cider: Venus Reigns
Cidery: Crispin
Cidery Location: Colfax CA
ABV: 6.9%
How Supplied: 22oz brown glass bottle

Description on Bottle: The gift of the Golden Pear. To distract the gods while he stole fire for mortal man, Prometheus threw a Golden Pear into the courtyard of Olympus with the inscription, “For the most beautiful goddess”. This coveted pear was awarded to Venus, goddess of love, sensuality, and beauty. A goddess of nature, revered at springtime, the bringer of joy to gods and mortals. Venus Reigns caresses your lips with purity and charm. A soaring achievement of elegance and simplicity. Colfax golden pear wine aged to full maturity in specially selected red wine casks, finished with a gentle kiss of honey. Before pouring, give a solid bottoms-up tilt and swirl to disperse sediment evenly and best enjoy the complex aroma and bouquet. Best enjoyed at cellar temperature, 50/55F. With or without 1or 2 ice cubes.

Price: about $9
Where Bought: Total Wine
How Found: Hubby actually found this at the supermarket and texted to ask if I wanted it, but I said no because I don’t like red wine. I’m surprised it was there as this is a limited release. Later in the week we were browsing Total Wine and I saw it, did some research on my phone about the flavor profile, and thought, why not?
Where Drank: home

Opinion: This is the first barrel-aged pear cider I’ve seen, as well as the first wine barrel aged cider I’ve seen. Quite the interesting combination. Even though I don’t like red wine, I pushed myself to try it, as it sounded really interesting. Surprisingly, I enjoyed it. I really didn’t pick up too much wine flavor, although my wine drinking hubby did. It did however have a considerable amount of sediment from the wine. I think a lot of what we pick up in cider flavors is a matter of perception. I was surprised to read this was aged 26 months–wow!

I picked up a lot of fruit/berry flavor, and could taste that it was a perry (pear cider) and was barrel aged (although I wouldn’t have guessed for so long). I’d recommend it for wine lovers and folks just wanting something different. As with many of these special release ciders, I’m glad I tried it, but don’t see a reason to buy it again. I’ve had quite a number of other Crispin ciders, including their regular release Original, Pear, & Blackberry Pear, and special releases such as Honeycrisp, Bohemian, The Saint, & Steeltown.

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