Blackfin

Blackfin Splash Semi Sweet Cider

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Review of Blackfin’s Splash Semi Sweet cider.  They are a relative new cidery, since November 2015 (see this article), and made at the Blue Mountain facility in Milton-Freewater Oregon.  I’ve previously tried their Pacific Peach cider (see here).

Cider:  Splash
Cidery:  Blackfin Hard Cider
Cidery Location:  Milton-Freewater OR
ABV:  5.7%
How Supplied:  four or six pack of 12oz cans (or kegs); they are currently switching from 4 to 6 packs
Style:  American craft cider made from dessert apples

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Availability:  OR and WA

Cider Description:  Fresh pressed apple blend fermented to perfection and back sweetened with fresh more cider from the orchard just before packaging.

Cidery Description:  At Blackfin Hard Cider we create top quality craft beverages from the freshest local ingredients.  Our apples are handpicked and fresh pressed within sight of the orchards from which they came.  Our ciders are created to deliver the best possible quality and value at an affordable price.  Proudly produced in the state of Oregon, we celebrate all the adventure and beauty of our beloved Northwest in each and every can.

Price:  ~$2.50 / single can (runs ~ $8 / four pack)
Where Bought:  Total Wine
Where Drank:  home
How Found:  Browsing.  I had tried their Pacific Peach cider but not this one, the only other cider from Blackfin available in the Seattle area at this time.  In Oregon they also have Tidebreak Crisp Apple and Northwest Berry.

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First Impression:  Pale straw yellow hue.  Low carbonation.  Smells very mild, of tart apples, honey, citrus, and floral.

Tasting Notes:  Semi-dry.  Light to medium bodied.  Moderate tartness and acidity.  Hints to mild bitterness and tannins.  No sourness or funk.  Notes of apple pomace, honey, citrus (lemon), and floral.  Moderate finish length.  Low apple flavor.  Moderate to high sessionability.  Low complexity.  Low flavor intensity.

My Opinion:  I found this to be an average cider…I found the flavor on the boring / bland side (almost watered down tasting) and quite tart.

Most Similar to:  Blue Mountain Semi Sweet, 2 Towns Bright Cider, Snow Capped Cider 6130′ Dry, and Honey Moon Ciderhead Original

Closing Notes:   I’m glad I tried this, but this type of cider isn’t really my thing.  Its ideal for someone wanting a tart easy to drink cider.  I preferred their Peach cider, as although it was also more tart than I prefer, it was more flavorful.

Have you tried Blackfin Splash?  What did you think?

Blackfin Cider Company Pacific Peach

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Review of Pacific Peach from Blackfin.  This is a new cider company out of Oregon that is part of the Apple Beverage Alliance, started by Grizzly Ciderworks (Woodinville WA) and Blue Mountain Cider Company (Milton-Freewater OR).

Cider:  Pacific Peach
Cidery:  Blackfin Hard Cider
Cidery Location:  Milton-Freewater OR
ABV:  5.8%
How Supplied:  four pack of 12oz cans (or kegs)

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Availability:  OR & WA

Cider Description:  Clean, bubbly and bursting with peach flavor. This cider is vibrant and delivers just the right amount of fruit sweetness.

Cidery Description:  At Blackfin Hard Cider we create top quality craft beverages from the freshest local ingredients.  Our apples are handpicked and fresh pressed within sight of the orchards from which they came.  Our ciders are created to deliver the best possible quality and value at an affordable price.  Proudly produced in the state of Oregon, we celebrate all the adventure and beauty of our beloved Northwest in each and every can.

Price:  $8 for a four pack of 12oz cans (which I split with a cider friend)
Where Bought:  Schilling Cider House in Seattle WA
Where Drank:  home
How Found:  The announcement of this new cider had been making the rounds on Facebook, so when I saw it at the Cider House, I was game to give it a try, especially for the very reasonable price.

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First Impression:  Straw yellow with honey-peach-orange hue.  Higher (force) carbonation upon pouring.  Smells of ripe apples, peach, tropical fruit, and apricot.

Opinion:  Semi-dry.  Very tart.  Highly acidic.  No bitterness or sourness.  Moderate astringency.  Light bodied.  Carbonated mouthfeel.  Peach flavor with a hint of tropical fruit and apricot, but they remain mild to moderate, so the apple (including some green apple notes) still shines through.  I wouldn’t be surprised if the residual sugar content was higher than my received semi-dry level, but the tartness was quite high on this cider, which could have balanced it out.

Most Similar to:  Atlas Apricot, which although was sweeter and not nearly as tart, had some similar apricot, peach, and tropical notes.  I’ve had at least two peach ciders, from Blue Mountain (it was quite awhile ago but I remember the peach being very mild), and Finnriver (Country Peach, which was sour, so quite different from this one as well).

Closing Notes:   Pretty good, but it was a bit too tart for my liking.  My husband was a huge fan though, however that may have mostly been because it was peach (he is a huge peach fan).  I’m intrigued to try some of their other varieties, which at this point also include Splash Semi-Sweet, Tidebreak Crisp Apple, and Northwest Berry, although I haven’t yet seen the later two in the Seattle area.  The price is definitely right!  Plus its great they use local fresh pressed juice and no additives (although that is the norm in this area with craft cider).  Here is a neat article from New School Beer on Blackfin.

Have you tried Blackfin Pacific Peach, or any other Peach ciders?  What did you think?