Chimacum

Finnriver Farmstead Cider Traditional Semi-Sweet

cidersays Finnriver, review , , , , , , ,

Review of Finnriver’s Farmstead Cider Traditional Semi-Sweet, from Chimacum Washington (in the Port Townsend / Olympic Peninsula area).  I’ve tried many ciders from their lineup (see my reviews here).

2016-03-18 17.02.18.jpg

Cider:  Farmstead Cider Traditional Semi-Sweet
Cidery:  Finnriver
Cidery Location:  Chimacum WA
ABV:  6.5%
How Supplied:  500ml bottle (I just love this style bottle by the way!)
Style:  farmstead-style craft cider made from Washington-grown homestead, cider, and dessert apple varieties

2016-03-18 17.02.27 2016-03-18 17.02.35 2016-03-18 17.02.43

Availability:  In general, 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.).  However, this cider might have slightly less availability than some of their more common ones.

Cider Description:  Each Autumn, on World Apple Day, Finnriver invites friends and neighbors from across the North Olympic Peninsula to bring over their buckets, bins, and boxes of backyard apples.  These apples, often wild and antique varieties, are full of tannins that bring out complex and bittersweet flavors.  We ferment this blend of homestead harvested fruit to create an earthy taste of frontier cider tradition.  A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this cider will benefit local Food Banks.  Enjoy with hearty food and a sense of adventure.

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.

Price:  $9
Where Bought:  Finnriver tasting room
Where Drank:  home
How Found:  I had heard of this one before but hadn’t got around to trying it.  When I saw it at their tasting room and was picking up some other bottles and merchandise, I thought I might as well since I was there.

2016-03-18 17.04.04.jpg

First Impression:  Medium honey straw yellow (the photo turned out a bit dark).  Very low carbonation upon pouring.  Smells of bittersweet apples with some tannins, yeast, honey, and citrus.

Tasting Notes:  Semi-dry to semi-sweet.  Nearly still (very low carbonation).  Low to moderate tannins.  Moderate acidity.  Low tartness.  A hint of bitterness.  No sourness or funk.  Medium bodied.  The flavor starts with acidity and finishes with tannins.  Notes of oak, honey, yeast, citrus, spice, and vanilla.  Moderate length finish.  Moderate apple influence.  Low to moderate sessionability.  Moderate to full flavor intensity.

My Opinion:  Tasty!  I liked how flavorful it was without resorting to any additions to the cider (fruit, hops, spice, etc).  It has some tannins but remains quite approachable, especially as it has some residual sweetness.

Most Similar to:  Eaglemount Homestead Semi-Sweet (see my tasting notes here).  Both are farmstead/homestead-style ciders on the sweeter side with significant tannins and honey & yeast notes.  Oddly enough I’m drinking the Eaglemount cider as I’m writing this review!

Closing Notes:   I enjoyed this cider, but their Fire Barrel remains my favorite (see my review here).  Fire Barrel tastes similar to Farmstead, but has a bolder flavor and the added complexity of barrel aging.  Plus, Fire Barrel only costs a couple dollars more if I remember correctly, so that seems like a good value.  Finnriver makes many cider varieties and they are easy to find in my area, so I’ll continue to try whatever they make.

Have you tried Finnriver Farmstead?  What did you think?

Finnriver Black Currant

cidersays Finnriver, review , , , , , , ,

Review of Finnriver’s Black Currant cider.  I’ve had this a few times, but this is the first time I’ve had it since starting Cider Says.  I picked up a growler of this cider at a Finnriver cider tasting at Around the Table in Lynnwood WA.  They were pouring their Pear, Cranberry Rosehip, and Black Currant ciders, and offering a free glass growler with fill.

finnriver_bottle_black_currant_cider
(stock photo as I got a half growler)

Cider:  Black Currant
Cidery:  Finnriver
Cidery Location:  Chimacum WA (near Port Townsend)
ABV:  6.5%
How Supplied:  500ml bottles and on tap

Availability:  Year round 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:  A light, lovely cider, with a purple blush, that blends heirloom and organic dessert apples with the tart mysteries of organic black currant. Immensely drinkable.

Made from Gala, Granny Smith, and Pink Lady apples, which is the base that Finnriver uses for the majority of their ciders.

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:  $9 / 32oz (usually runs $9 / 500ml, or 16.9oz bottle, so this was a great deal even before the free glass growler)
Where Bought:  Around the Table in Lynnwood WA
Where Drank:  home
How Found:  Finnriver tasting, although I’ve had it a few times

2015-11-26 13.44.47

First Impression:  Deep purple grape juice-like hue.  Nearly still (no carbonation) with a few large bubbles.  Smells amazing, of grape, black currant, and cranberry.  This was the type of cider where I sat and smelled it for quite awhile before diving in.

Opinion:  Semi-dry to semi-sweet.  Moderate acidity and tartness.  No bitterness, sourness, or funk.  Very fruity and full-flavored, with the same grape, black currant, and cranberry flavors.  The apple however remained pretty well-hidden.  The flavor was overall nice, not overpowering or overly juice-like, which often happens with fruity ciders.  Light to medium bodied.  Medium length finish.

Most Similar to:  Other fruity ciders.  This is the only black currant cider I’ve had, but I know Doc’s Draft and Slyboro also make one.

Closing Notes:   Quite tasty, but a bit tart for my liking, especially having most of this growler myself over the course of the afternoon & evening.  It went really well with Thanksgiving dinner, kinda akin to a cranberry sauce.  However, I liked this better bottled as it seemed to have a higher carbonation level (I’m a big fan of carbonation).  Even better is Finnriver’s Lavender Black Currant variety (part of their Botanicals line), which was especially amazing on Nitro at the Schilling Cider House in Seattle WA.

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

Finnriver Black Currant Wine

cidersays Finnriver, not cider, review , , , , , ,

Review of Finnnriver’s Black Currant wine with apple brandy.  I was lucky enough to host a cider tasting at my house where some friends brought this rarity for us to try.

2015-11-22 15.35.16 2015-11-22 15.35.27 2015-11-22 15.35.22

Cider:  Black Currant Wine
Cidery:  Finnriver
Cidery Location:  Chimacum WA
ABV:  18.5%
How Supplied:  375ml

Availability:  Likely difficult to find outside of their Port Townsend area cidery & farm and their booth at the Ballard Farmer’s Market.  In general, 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.).

Black Currant Wine Description: We believe there is an alchemy to making a fine fermented drink. First, sun, rain and soil work earthly magic to produce fruits full of possibilities. Then we handcraft our fruit wines by pressing, fermenting, and blending with apple brandy to bring forth the vital flavors of the fruit. We call these wines “fruit for grown-ups.” Enjoy sipped, as a sweet complement to dessert or as dessert itself!

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:  n/a (but I believe it runs $20)
Where Bought:  n/a
Where Drank:  home (my cider tasting event)
How Found:  n/a

2015-11-22 15.35.05.jpg

I tried it at room temperature, but I wouldn’t have minded it cold, or even, shocker, over ice (or maybe ice cream?).  It tasted a lower ABV than it was, which could be dangerous.

Tasting Notes:  Semi-sweet.  Intense black currant with blackberry and cranberry notes.  Low acidity and tartness.  No bitterness, sourness, or funk.  Full bodied.  Medium finish length.

Closing Notes:   Yum!  What a special treat.

Have you tried any Finnriver apple brandy products?  What did you think?

Finnriver Honey Meadow

cidersays Finnriver, review , , , , , , , , ,

Review of Honey Meadow from Finnriver, their Spring seasonal botanical release.  I’ve tried a number of other Finnriver ciders (Oak & Apple, Habanero, Black Currant, Lavender Black Currant, & Fire Barrel), but this is the first full Finnriver review at Cider Says!  Finnriver has gorgeous bottles, an awesomely informative website, and of course, tasty ciders!  They also make fruit wine (brandy and port-style).  Here is a great illustrated Finnriver product guide.

2015-08-21 16.03.17

Cider:  Honey Meadow
Cidery:  Finnriver
Cidery Location:  Chimacum WA
ABV:  6.5%
How Supplied:  500ml bottle

2015-08-21 16.03.30 2015-08-21 16.04.09 2015-08-21 16.04.21

Availability:  Spring time 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’s ‘Elijah K. Swan’ Infused Botanical Hard Ciders are named after the good folks who sold us the farm (Lige & Kay Christian) and who first planted apple trees here, as well as for the trumpeter swans that overwinter in the valley.  This cider is a tribute to our neighbors and to those big white birds who remind us that earth is still wild.  Each season the ‘Elijah K. Swan’ release seeks to capture the wild and garden-grown taste of life on the Olympic Peninsula.

The Honey Meadow cider is our SPRING release, featuring Finnriver’s bright base of fermented organic apples, backsweetened with Olympic Peninsula honey and infused with local lemon balm and chamomile.  With thanks to Denise at Mountain Spirit Herbal Company and Tinker Cavallero, local gardener extraordinaire, for finding us just the right herbs for this blend.  Drinking this might make you feel like a happy honeybee after a great green day among the blossoms…

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)

Price:  $7.99 (on sale from $9.99)
Where Bought:  Total Wine
Where Drank:  home
How Found:  Browsing, but I had heard of this cider before.

2015-08-21 16.06.48

First Impression:  Honey yellow hue.  Medium carbonation upon pouring, and tiny bubbles remain.  Smells of ripe apples, honey, and chamomile.

Opinion:  Semi-sweet.  Tastes of the honey and chamomile it smells like.  I think I pick up the lemon balm more with the moderate tartness (I wouldn’t have identified it without the description).  Carbonated mouthfeel and medium bodied.  Mild sourness and bitterness.  Mild earthy funk, and a flavor that makes me think of honeycomb?  Very unique and semi-complex.  I like the herbal qualities and don’t think it is overdone at all (which I was afraid of, but was unfounded).  Great for spring & summer time!  I picked this cider up a couple weeks ago and knew I wanted to drink it before the seasons changed (where has the summer gone?).

Most Similar to:  Woodchuck Out on a Limb Oopsy Daisy, which although it is a significantly sweeter and commercially-made cider, has some similar honey & chamomile flavors.  i think the Finnriver cider is much better done, with a more complex crafted balanced flavor.  I’ve had one other honey cider as well, Angry Orchard Summer Honey, but wasn’t a fan (tasted syrupy to me).

Closing Notes:   Tasty!  This makes me want to try more of their seasonal botanical line, as I liked both Honey Meadow and Lavender Black Currant.  I also really want to try some of Finnriver’s special releases (Artisan Sparkling, Apple Blueberry, Golden Russet, and Apple Abbey), but don’t remember seeing any of them near me.  Maybe now that I start looking I will though.

Have you tried Finnriver Honey Meadow?  What did you think?