Review of Sea Cider’s Ruby Rose, a summer seasonal cider made with rhubarb and rose hips, part of their Canadian Invasion Series.  I previously tried this at last year’s Cider Summit Seattle; see here.  I’m a fan of Sea Cider, and have also previously tried their Kings & Spies, Prohibition, Bramble Bubbly, Bittersweet, Wassail, Birds and the Bees, Flagship, and Witch’s Broom.

Cider:  Ruby Rose
Cidery:  Sea Cider
Cidery Location:  Saanichton, B.C., Canada
ABV:  9.9%
How Supplied:  750ml bottles, flip top attached
Style:  Canadian craft cider made with British Columbia apples, rhubarb, and rose hips

Availability:  semi wide release, at these locations (including in Canada, WA, OR, and CA), in summer (beginning each year in July)

Cider Description:  A captivating semi-sweet cider infused with rhubarb, Ruby Rose is a beguiling vixen and part of our Canadian Invasion Series. She may be as aromatic as rhubarb pie, but her namesake is the merciless Rosa Rugosa, an invasive plant that threatens many coastal regions. Proceeds from our Canadian Invasion Series support efforts to combat invasive species in sensitive ecological areas. Ruby Rose pairs fabulously with light summertime meals and is perfect as a patio sipper. Consider sautéed prawns, a creamy brie, candied salmon salad and salty snacks.

See their full detailed product page here.

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
Where Bought:  Schilling Cider House in Seattle WA
Where Drank:  home
How Found:  I first tried this at Cider Summit last year; see here.  I picked up this bottle last Fall I think.

First Impression:  Rose hue.  Low carbonation.  Smells fruity (rhubarb and strawberry) and herbal, reminiscent of a fruity herbal tea.

Tasting Notes:  On the sweeter side of semi-dry.  Medium bodied.  Moderate tartness and acidity.  Hints of bitterness and tannins.  No sourness or funk.  Notes of rhubarb, cranberry, strawberry, watermelon, and fruity herb tea.  Long warming finish.  Low apple flavor.  Moderate flavor intensity.  Moderate complexity.  Low to moderate sessionability.

My Opinion:  I enjoyed this.  The fruitiness makes you think this would be best for Spring & Summer, but the alcohol content and herbal notes open it up for all seasons.

Most Similar to:  Snowdrift Red, Alpenfire Glow, Eden Imperial 11 Rosé, and Schilling Lumberjack

Closing Notes:  This seems a bit less sweet and more herbal than when I previously tried it (comparing to my tasting notes).  My favorite selections from Sea Cider are Prohibition, Bittersweet, Birds and the Bees, and this one.  All their ciders are around 10% ABV, in between that of typical ciders and grape wine, which is unique, tasty, and a good value too.

Have you tried Sea Cider Ruby Rose?  What did you think?