Cascadia

Cascadia Grapefruit Tangerine

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Review of Cascadia Ciderworks United Grapefruit Tangerine cider.  It is my first time trying this one, but I’ve had their Dry cider.

Cider:  Grapefruit Tangerine
Cidery:  Cascadia Ciderworks United
Cidery Location:  Portland OR (at the Reverend Nat’s facility)
ABV:  4.5%
How Supplied:  four pack of 16oz cans
Style:  American craft cider from dessert apples, with grapefruit & tangerine concentrates added

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Availability:  I’m guessing this is a seasonal (not year round) release, and as far as I know, Cascadia cider is only sold in Oregon, Washington, and California

Cider Description:  Only the best Ruby Red grapefruits and ripe tangerines are used for this easy-drinking cider.  We use choice ale yeast to ferment apple juice then add enough citrus for a tart kick.

Cidery Description:  The Pacific Northwest grows more apples than anywhere else in the country, so we make hard cider here.  Our ciderworkers use only Cascadia-grown whole apples, never juice from concentrate.

Price:  $3.49 / single can (runs $10.99 / four cans)
Where Bought:  Total Wine
Where Drank:  home
How Found:  Browsing.  I had seen this at Bartells (a local drugstore), but this is the first time I saw single cans, so I was game to try it.

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First Impression:  Pale orange hue.  Low carbonation.  Very mild orangey scent.

Tasting Notes:  Semi-dry.  Light to medium bodied.  Moderate tartness and acidity.  Low bitterness.  No tannins, sourness, or funk.  Notes of real tangerine, grapefruit, and lemon.  Moderate length finish.  Low apple flavor and complexity.  Moderate flavor intensity and sessionability.

My Opinion:  I thought this was pretty average.  I’m not the biggest fan of grapefruit, but I think it was more the natural bitterness of the tangerine which I found slightly off-putting with this cider.  It is plenty refreshing though, and relatively flavorful without being sweet.

Most Similar to:  I’ve had a few ciders with grapefruit, but none were really like this – Gumption Citrus Freak, Schilling Grapefruit & Chill, Elemental Hydrogen, and Schilling Peach Grapefruit Habanero.  The only tangerine (and mandarin orange) cider I’ve had is Reverend Nat’s New Moon Mandarin, which was very dry and very mild.  Of those, my favorite was the Elemental Hydrogen.

Closing Notes:  This is a nice spring/summer cider for folks who enjoy both grapefruit & tangerine.

Have you tried Cascadia Grapefruit Tangerine?  What did you think?

Cascadia Ciderworkers United Dry

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Review of Cascadia Ciderworkers United’s Dry cider, produced by Reverend Nat’s in Portland Oregon.

Cider:  Dry
Cidery:  Cascadia Ciderworks United
Cidery Location:  Portland OR
ABV:  6.9%
How Supplied:  four pack of 16oz cans
Style:  American New World Style dry canned cider

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Availability:  Year round in limited markets, such as OR, WA, & CA

Cider Description:  This is a true dry cider, made with the finest American dessert apples and crafted with Belgian beer yeast. Cloudy and golden colored, it is best served chilled, not ice cold. The next time you’re in Portland Oregon, stop by for a pint. Our Ciderworkers will be glad to share one with you.

Cidery Description: The Pacific Northwest grows more apples than anywhere else in the country, so we make hard cider here.  Our ciderworkers use only Cascadia-grown whole apples, never juice from concentrate.

Price:  $9.50 for a four pack (although I got a single can for under $3)
Where Bought:  Total Wine
Where Drank:  home
How Found:  Browsing.  I had seen this on the shelves for awhile, and now that I’m open to drier ciders, I thought I might as well give it a try.  Also, I’ve been wanting to find a local canned craft cider I like, and not having much luck.

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First Impression:  Light amber.  Moderate carbonation.  Smells acidic, tart, slightly rich, and of caramel, honey, and vanilla.

Tasting Notes:  Semi-dry.  Moderate acidity.  Low tartness and tannins.  A hint of bitterness.  No sourness or funk.  The flavor is a bit yeasty and slightly apple forward, with a slight richness.  It almost tastes barrel aged.  Caramel and vanilla notes.  Medium to high sessionability.  Light to medium bodied.  Moderate to full flavored.  Moderate carbonation, which is rare to find.  Moderate length finish, with some lingering booziness.

My Opinion:  Yum!  I enjoyed this cider, and think its a great value too.  It was nice to have something that was drier but still fairly full flavored.  I think its impressive they even got some tannins in there.  Its actually the best local canned cider I’ve tried (my favorite canned cider so far is Downeast Original).

Most Similar to:  This reminded me a bit of French cider, such as Celt, as it had a richer flavor and was carbonated (although its a bit drier than most ciders I’ve had from Brittany France).

Closing Notes:  I think this would be a great everyday canned cider to keep in my house.  Cascadia also makes a Granny Smith variety, and have a winter seasonal (at a whopping 9.5% ABV).

Update:  Since I liked this so much I bought a four pack, and it was unfortunately undrinkable.  It was like it was a completely different cider (a fruity cider gone bad).  I e-mailed the cidery, but didn’t receive a response.  Disappointing.

Have you tried Cascadia cider?  What did you think?