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Cider Says turns two years old!

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A big thank you to my readers for helping Cider Says reach a new milestone, its second anniversary!  I’ve really enjoyed sharing my cider journey with all of you.  Its been fun, and I look forward to more years of blogging.  In the past year I’ve made over 200 posts, and had 35,000 visitors.  The majority are from the U.S., but folks from several dozen other countries have visited as well (Canada and the UK are the next two most common).  This summer I’ll be attending several cider tasting events (including the epic Cider Summit Seattle!), so look forward to some awesome posts here.

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Cider Says 1st Anniversary

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

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Cider Says Weekly Preview

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What posts to expect in the upcoming week at Cider Says:

  • Schilling Cider House Trip Report
  • Schilling Cider House – Cider Tasting Notes
  • Spotlight on Washington Cideries
  • Eaglemount Quince cider review
  • added: Do You Know How Many Cider Bars there are in the U.S.?
  • added: Countdown to Cider Summit Seattle!
  • added: Sea Cider Prohibition / Rumrunner review

Stay tuned, and remember to follow us on Facebook or e-mail (sidebar on right, or at bottom of page on mobile devices) or follow on WordPress (top left bar) to be notified of new posts here at Cider Says.  Have a great week!

Hard Cider Blogs & Websites I Enjoy

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Here are some great blogs & websites about hard cider which I enjoy:

Hard Cider News – A monthly newsletter which includes new cider releases, cider maker interviews, news, and more.

Bad Rider Reviews – A cider & beer review blog.  The cider reviewer Phoebe is also from the PNW.

Along Came a Cider – A more technical but enjoyable cider blog which includes reviews, trip reports, and more.  The author Meredith lives in New York.

Cider Sage – A cider blog which includes reviews, tutorials, trip reports, and more.  The author Dan lives in Colorado.

The Cider Journal – A more technical cider blog with reviews, news, events, and views.  They review a number of unique & rare ciders.

Cider Tasting 101 – An introductory cider tasting guide by Tilted Shed Ciderworks which includes tasting tips & descriptors.

Northwest Cider Association – Northwest cider events, news, recipes/pairings, and more.

Cidercraft Magazine – Online features of the biannual print magazine:  Cider 101, feature stories, features, recipes, reviews, and cider directory.

cidery websites – The website for a cidery can have some great additional information on their cider varieties and more.

There are some other great blogs I didn’t include as they don’t have current updates.
Have any recommendations of your own?

Cider Says Weekly Preview

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What posts to expect in the upcoming week at Cider Says:

  • Monday: Finding Good Cider While Out on the Town
  • Tuesday: Atlas Hard Apple Cider Review
  • Wednesday: Hard Cider Blogs & Websites I Enjoy
  • Thursday: Anthem Cider Review
  • Friday/Saturday: Trip Report, Seattle International Beerfest

Stay tuned, and remember to follow by e-mail (sidebar on right, or at bottom of page on mobile devices) or follow on WordPress (top left bar) to be notified of new posts here at Cider Says.  Have a great week!

Hard Cider, a Recently-Realized Hobby

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I’ve come to realize that sampling hard cider has become quite a hobby for me, and my husband has been suggesting I start a blog.  So, even if only to make a record of what ciders I’ve tried, I’m going for it.  Here is a bit about me, this blog, etc.

Name:  Kate
Location:  near Seattle, WA
Age:  30ish
Occupation:  engineer
Status:  married (very happily)
Pets:  one tortoise

First cider I tried:  Woodchuck Amber, around Dec 2013

Favorite types of ciders:  on the sweeter side of the spectrum, barrel aged, unique, local

Some of my favorite ciders:  Woodchuck Winter Chill, Spire Mountain Dark & Dry, Thistly Cross Whisky Cask, Reverend Nat’s Revival, Alpenfire Spark

Some of my least favorite ciders:  Strongbow, Angry Orchard Crisp Apple, Sonoma Cider The Washboard (the only literally undrinkable cider to date, although strangely enough my hubby loved it), Square Mile Cider Original Apple (maybe I got a bad batch, but it tasted like it had literally gone bad)

What I like about hard cider:  Its yummy, plain and simple!  I’ve never liked beer & wine, so cider is a great alternative.  There is so much variety & complexity as well.  Its fun to try new ciders, or old favorites.  I like that it is becoming more popular.  There are some really great products even in my own backyard (well, maybe not that close, but in my state at least).  Its pretty affordable, especially considering how much more they charge for many wines, when it isn’t all that different (fermented apple juice vs. grape juice).  I really enjoy trying new ciders, even if I’m not sure it’ll be quite up my alley and they are on the pricey side, just for the point of trying them.

One of my favorite cider experiences:  Winning a contest put on by Woodchuck to go to the grand opening of their new cidery (Ciderbration 2014).  It was an awesome VIP weekend in Middlebury VT.

Review style:  Simple.  I’m not into the fru fru reviews which discuss the hue, aroma, level of carbonation, food pairings, etc.  You either like a cider or you don’t.  Who cares about all that fancy stuff?

Blog name inspiration:  If the cider could speak, what would it say?