Schilling Cider House Visit 36 Tasting Notes

February 10, 2020February 9, 2020 cidersays Channel Marker, Cider Riot, Finnriver, Independent Cider, review, Schilling cider, cider bar, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Schilling Cider House, tasting notes

Tasting notes #36 from the Schilling Cider House in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle WA. Check out my past posts from the cider house here.

I was here on a Monday afternoon with my husband and a friend from out of town. We skipped work to hang out with our friend at Pike Place and the cider bar. I ordered most of the ciders they had that I hadn’t previously tried. It appears that most if not all of these are draft-only.

Schilling (Auburn WA) Imperial Brut (8.5% ABV): On the sweeter side of dry, tart, with rich bittersweet cider apple flavor

Independent Cider (Dryden WA) Barreled Blackberry Perry (5.9% ABV): On the sweeter side of semi-dry, with berry, and a hint of oak (barrel), but no detectable pear

Channel Marker Cider (Seattle WA) Quince (7.8% ABV): Dry to semi-dry, tart, with mild general fruitiness

Finnriver (Port Townsend WA) Bourbon Barrel Aged Heritage (9.5% ABV): Semi-dry, with heirloom apple flavor with some tannins and bitterness

Cider Riot (Portland OR) New Wave (5.1% ABV): Dry to semi-dry with sharp heirloom apple flavor

I liked the Blackberry Perry, but wasn’t too into the others, mostly as they were on the drier / tart / sharp / bitter side. I probably should have just ordered something I knew I would like, but I like to try new ciders, especially at the lower price of a taster. I was more excited about the bottle shopping I did – I picked up a bunch of Dunkertons (an English cider which is a favorite of mine that hasn’t been available for quite awhile) and Alpenfire (a local favorite), plus a few others.

Stay tuned for more Schilling Cider House tasting notes here at Cider Says. Have you had any good draft cider / cider flights recently?

Schilling Cider House Visit 35 Tasting Notes

September 13, 2019September 8, 2019 cidersays Alpenfire, Brownrigg, Longdrop, Rev Nat's, review, Schilling cider, cider bar, cider flight, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Schilling Cider House, tasting notes

Tasting notes from my 35th visit to the Schilling Cider House in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle WA. However, its actually been a few times more than that as sometimes I just pop in to buy bottles. Check out my past posts with tasting notes here.

I was a bit distracted and totally forgot pictures this time, but I thought I might as well share tasting notes. I was there on a Thursday afternoon, the day before Cider Summit Seattle 2019, for the cider house’s 5th birthday. I ordered a flight, as always. Its awesome even with how many ciders I’ve tried, they always have at least a few new to me selections.

Alpenfire (Port Townsend WA) Golden Fox (6.9% ABV): This is their 17th draft-only Traditional Heirloom Cider release, this time from Golden Russet, Golden, and Foxwhelp apples. Dry, with notes of heirloom apple and lemon, with hints of bitterness & tannins.

Brownrigg (Seattle WA) Rum Barrel (7.5% ABV): I had forgotten I actually tried this 1 year ago. Their rum barrel aged cider, which like all their ciders appears to be draft-only, and super limited release. Dry and tart, with oak, citrus, and herbal flavor, and low sourness (back of the palate).

Longdrop (Boise ID) Strawberry Vanilla (5.5% ABV): This appears to be a draft-only release. Semi-dry to semi-sweet, with mild berry flavor, and vanilla on the nose and finish.

Reverend Nat’s (Portland OR) Watermelon (4.5% ABV): This is seasonal, and also available in bottles, as Holy Water(melon), and advertised to also have ginger and lime in addition to the walermelon. Semi-dry, with a mild watermelon flavor and a hint of grapefruit and ginger, and a sour finish (back of the palate).

Schilling (Auburn WA) Blueberry Pommeau (21% ABV): This is a draft-only birthday release, where Pommeau = apple brandy + apple juice, then barrel aged, with blueberry added. Semi-sweet, fuller bodied, with a tart fruity berry start and a rich boozy finish.

Schilling (Auburn WA) Guava Mint (8.5% ABV): This is a draft-only release for the fruit cider challenge at Seattle Cider Summit. Semi-sweet, full bodied with a guava pulp mouthfeel, lots of guava flavor, and a hint of mint on the finish. Hidden ABV.

I didn’t care for the Rev Nat’s or Brownrigg selections, due to the sourness, but liked all the others, especially the Schilling Guava mint, which I ordered more of.

Stay tuned for more Schilling Cider House tasting notes here at Cider Says. Have you had any good draft cider / cider flights recently?

Schilling Cider House Visit 34 Tasting Notes

November 7, 2018November 7, 2018 cidersays Cider Riot, Liberty, Moonlight Meadery, review, Schilling, Wildcraft cider, cider bar, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Schilling Cider House, seattle, tap room, tasting notes

Tasting notes from my 34th visit to the Schilling Cider House in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle WA. Its actually been a few times more than that as sometimes I just pop in to buy bottles. Check out my past posts with tasting notes here.

<“firkin” options from Wildcraft Ciderworks – my husband tried both and liked them, but I don’t do 20% ABV at room temperature>

I was there on a Friday afternoon with my husband and two out of town friends, after taking the day off and visiting Pike Place market. I got another awesome poke (sushi) bowl from Just Poke a few doors down to share with my husband. I ordered a couple flights for our friends and a few tasters for me, getting about half of the 32 ciders on tap (basically everything but the driest and sweetest ones).

Its awesome even with how many ciders I’ve tried, they always have at least a few new to me selections. And they always have some really interesting stuff too, like Earl Grey tea infused, rhubarb-hops, and grapefruit gin, plus occasionally some imported selections (this time they had Louis Raison – see my previous tasting notes here). I only have tasting notes on the few I ordered just for myself though.

Moonlight Meadery (Londonderry NH) Last Apple (16% ABV): A barrel aged cyser (cider from apples + mead from honey). Also available in bottles, such as on their website, $27-28 / 375ml. See my previous full review here. Sweet. Full bodied. Full flavored sweet rich apple and honey notes with a quick finish. I didn’t detect any barrel influence this time, but I’m guessing it smoothed out the flavor and contributed to the well-hidden ABV. I may have drank it a bit too cold – warmed may have maximized its complexity.

Cider Riot! (Portland OR) La Luna (7.0% ABV): Made from bittersweet cider apples with some dessert apples, then oak barrel aged. Also available in bottles, but probably only in their taproom. Completely dry. Predominately oaky (more so than most barrel aged ciders I’ve had) with a hint of rich bittersweet cider apple flavor. Low tartness and tannins. I think I would have liked this more with some sweetness, as it had a low flavor intensity, especially in comparison to the next selection – the oak was my favorite part.

Liberty Ciderworks (Spokane WA) Kingston Black (8.0% ABV): A single varietal from Kingston Black cider apples. Previously available in bottles for ~ $15, although they don’t have any current availability on their website, and I haven’t seen it locally, so this specific batch may be draft-only. On the sweeter side of semi-dry. Lovely bold bittersweet cider apple flavor with hints of honey and oak. High tartness and moderate tannins. I liked that they went a tad sweeter with this, as often they seem to go full dry, which can make a cider seem a bit harsh, especially if it is tart.

Both me and my husband loved the Liberty Kingston Black – its probably my favorite Kingston Black single varietal to date (including from Farnum Hill, Eve’s, Whitewood, and Dragon’s Head). So, we split a pint.

I picked up some awesome bottles to take home, and even an Eric Bordelet (French cidre) 5L mini keg! A bit spendy, but a rare opportunity. Unfortunately it is getting more difficult to get English ciders, like Newton’s Court Gasping Goose and Dunkertons Black Fox, due to distributors going out of business or dropping cideries, but at least I was able to pick up some Worley’s Mendip Hills, my favorite of their four varieties available in the U.S.

Stay tuned for more Schilling Cider House tasting notes here at Cider Says. Have you had any good draft cider / cider flights recently?

Schilling Cider House Visit 33 Tasting Notes

September 14, 2018September 9, 2018 cidersays Channel Marker, Honey Moon, review, Schilling cider, cider bar, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Schilling Cider House, seattle, tasting notes

Tasting notes from my 33rd visit to the Schilling Cider House in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle WA. Its actually been a few times more than that as sometimes I just pop in to buy bottles. Check out my past posts with tasting notes here.

I was there on a Thursday afternoon, before the event for the 4th anniversary of the cider house. It has been so long since my last visit as its not on my way home from work anymore, as I now both live and work up North, so its a bit of a long drive. I got a flight, as usual. Its pretty sweet that even with all the ciders I’ve tried, there were still plenty of new-to-me varieties (I skipped some which didn’t sound interesting though).

Schilling (Auburn WA) Passionfruit Lime (8.0% ABV): This is a draft-only trial of a passionfruit cider with lime. Semi-sweet. Full bodied, and juice-like. Notes of tart passionfruit and orange with a lime finish. Hidden ABV. I especially enjoyed the lime flavor.

Schilling (Auburn WA) Imperial Passport (8.5% ABV): This is a draft-only trial of an imperial (higher ABV) version of their “Passport” cider, pineapple-passionfruit. Very similar to the one above, except with pineapple instead of lime. On the sweeter side of semi-sweet. Full bodied, and juice-like. Tart notes of passionfruit with hints of pineapple and mango. Hidden ABV. I like both this and the original version of Passport (see my review of a similar cider here).

Channel Marker (Seattle WA) Cucumber Blackberry (7.0% ABV): This is my second time trying their cider. On the sweeter side of semi-dry. Very tart. Slightly fruity, but to me it was more cranberry-pomegranate than blackberry, and I didn’t pick up any cucumber. I thought it was average.

Schilling (Auburn WA) Impearial (8.5% ABV): This is a draft-only trial version of sweeter version of their new Excelsior (see my review here), except with pear. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Medium bodied. Notes of tart pear, bittersweet apple, and oak. Hidden ABV. I liked this, especially as it is less tart as the canned version of Excelsior.

Honey Moon Mead & Cider (Bellingham WA) Cider Head Pineapple Rum (6.1% ABV): This appears to be a draft-only new release. Nearly clear and nearly scent-less. On the drier side of semi-dry. Mild pineapple flavor with an alcohol-forward rum & oak finish. I would have preferred more flavor with this one.

My favorites were the three Schilling releases. I also got a pint of the Passionfruit Lime, but didn’t finish it, as it was a bit filling and sweet to have in that quantity. I was able to pick up some bottles to take home, but they were out of my favorite English ciders, so I guess I’ll just have to come back! I tried a new food option this time, a poke bowl from Just Poke (a few doors down the street), which was awesome.

Stay tuned for more Schilling Cider House tasting notes here at Cider Says. Have you had any good draft cider / cider flights recently?

Schilling Cider House Visit 32 Tasting Notes

June 4, 2018June 22, 2018 cidersays Channel Marker, Redstone, review, Schilling, Woodbox cider, cider bar, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Schilling Cider House, seattle, tasting notes

Tasting notes from my 32nd visit to the Schilling Cider House in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle WA. Its actually been a few times more than that as sometimes I just pop in to buy bottles. Check out my past posts with tasting notes here.

I was there on a Friday around lunchtime as I got off work early. It has been so long since my last visit as its not on my way home from work anymore, as I now both live and work up North, so its a bit of a long drive. I got a flight, as usual. Its pretty sweet that even with all the ciders I’ve tried, there were 5 new-to-me varieties.

Schilling (Auburn WA) Excelsior (8.5% ABV): This is their new Imperial-style cider made from bittersweet and dessert apples, also available in bottles (I picked one up – $7 / 500ml – an amazing value), and soon, cans. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Nice rich bittersweet apple flavor with some caramel and orange. Hints of tannins and bitterness. Noticeable ABV. The tartness picked up as it warmed. I liked that they left this a bit sweeter, which makes it even more flavorful, and likely helps cut down on the bitterness. This is quite different from English cider, but was not advertised as English-style, which I appreciate (it seems like every U.S. cider I’ve had that was labeled as English-style didn’t come even close, which is understandable as even if the same techniques and apples were used, which often isn’t the case, the terrior and cidermaker experience is different here). Excellent, and a great use of the bittersweet apples. Lately I’ve been seeing them used in blends with heirloom apples, which I think tends to hide their flavor. Its great to see a cidery use them exclusively, make a product that is likely to be fairly widely appealing (vs. going dry & bitter with it), and still come in at an awesome price point!

Schilling (Auburn WA) Campfire (6.5% ABV): This is their new draft-only “Smokey Vanilla Bourbon” cider, bourbon barrel aged. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Smells of vanilla extract. The vanilla flavor is less intense than it smells, and it finishes with smoke, bourbon, and oak. Moderately flavored. I really enjoyed it, and wouldn’t consider it a novelty at all. It would be neat to see this bottled.

Woodbox (Portland OR) Heritage (8.1% ABV): This is the first cider I’ve tried from them besides their barrel aged ice cider (see here). This is their flagship cider, made from heirloom, English, and French apple varieties, partially wild fermented, and also available in bottles. Smells sour. Semi-dry to dry. The flavor is tart heirloom apples with some citrus. Moderate tartness and acidity. Low bitterness and tannins. Hints of sourness. I didn’t personally care for this due to the sourness and bitterness and as the flavor was a bit nuanced. These sorts of farmstyle ciders seem to be getting more common though, so there must be a demand.

Channel Marker (Seattle WA) Lavender Bergamot (6.9% ABV): This is the first time I’ve tried anything from this cidery, which was established in 2016 but I didn’t start to hear about until quite recently. This variety is made with lavender and bergamot (a type of oranage – I had to look that up), and said to be their cidermaker’s favorite. Hazy hue. Semi-dry to dry. Very tart and bitter. The lavender was only present in the scent and the finish for me. In between was a tart bitter apple-citrus flavor. I didn’t like this one at all.

Redstone (Boulder CO) Cyser (8.0% ABV): The meads (honey wines) from this meadery are fairly widely distributed, in blue glass bottles. This is the first cyser (from apples and honey) I’ve seen from them, although I’ve tried at least one of their meads previously. Sweet. Full bodied. Simple honey-apple flavor (with more honey than apple) with hints of caramel. Well-hidden ABV. I liked it. However, although they are a nice budget-friendly mead & cyser option, but don’t really stand up against some of the higher quality more complex (and admittedly mostly more expensive) meads I’ve tried, such as from Superstition (Prescott AZ), Æsir (Everett WA), Sky River (Woodinville WA) and Moonlight (Londonderry NH).

I also had a taste of a new cider they just tapped.

Schilling (Auburn WA) Watermelon Mint (6.6% ABV): This is a brand new tap-only release. Smells of watermelon toothpaste. On the sweeter side of semi-dry. Very light bodied. The mild flavor was all watermelon, with a hint of mint on the finish. Refreshing. I liked it, although its not something I’d really choose to drink a pint of.

My favorites were Schilling’s Excelsior and Campfire and the Redstone Cyser. I also picked up some bottles, as usual, as they have an excellent selection (and prices) – I got a bottle of the Excelsior (for $7, why not?), Alpenfire’s new Foxwhelp single varietal, a new to this area Worley’s English cider (Red Hen), restocked my supply of go-to English ciders (Newton Court’s Gasping Goose and Dunkertons Black Fox), and got a fancy barrel aged Moonlight cyser. Plus at PCC down the street I picked up a four-pack of Locust Watermelon (it was the first time I had seen it in cans – I tried it on draft awhile back).

Stay tuned for more Schilling Cider House tasting notes here at Cider Says! Have you had any good draft cider / cider flights recently?

Schilling Cider House Visit 31 Tasting Notes

January 10, 2018January 10, 2018 cidersays review, Schilling cider, cider bar, cider flight, cider house, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Schilling Cider House, tasting notes

Tasting notes from my 31st visit to the Schilling Cider House in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle WA. Check out my past posts with tasting notes here.

I was there on a Tuesday afternoon with my husband, during our Winter Break. I got a flight, as usual.

Dragon’s Head (Vashon WA) Manchurian (6.9% ABV): This is made from Manchurian Crabapples, and also available in bottles. Dry. Moderate tartness and high acidity. Mild flavor, with notes of citrus, honey, stone fruit, and floral.

Number 6 (Seattle WA) Peach (unknown ABV): This appears to be a draft-only cider, but I couldn’t find anything online about it. Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Definite moderate peach flavor, but it finished with an odd sourness I wasn’t a fan of.

Sea Cider (Saanichton, B.C., Canada) Sassamanash (9.9% ABV): This is a new seasonal release, with cranberry and hibiscus, and also available in bottles. On the sweeter side of semi-dry. Mild cranberry flavor with a hint of floral. I enjoyed this more once it warmed up a bit, and you’d never guess it was nearly 10% ABV.

Alpenfire (Port Townsend WA) Traditional Heirloom (6.9% ABV): This is the name for their rotating draft-only cider from heirloom apples. Dry. Low tartness and moderate acidity, with some mild tannins. The flavor was very mild, mostly citrus with some floral. This one was also more enjoyable once it warmed up a bit, as it was less sharp. I’ve had this previously, but it was likely a different batch; see here.

Elemental (Woodinville WA) Acai (6.0% ABV): This appears to be a tap-only release. Semi-dry. I don’t know what acai tastes like, but I found it to have a mild pomegranate-cranberry flavor. Moderate tartness and acidity.

2 Towns (Corvallis OR) Nice & Naughty (10.5% ABV): This is an imperial spiced cider, also available in bottles. Semi-dry. Apple-forward with some mild pie spices. I’ve had this before, see here (and I’ve also had the draft-only barrel aged version of it; see here).

I also got a larger pour of Reverend Nat’s The Passion, which I’ve had previously (see here). Then, my friend and manager of the cider house Sarah shared some ciders.

Reverend Nat’s (Portland OR) The Passion (6.9% ABV): This cider is made using passion fruit juice, coconut, and vanilla, and also available in bottles. On the drier side of semi-sweet. Moderate tartness. Moderate passion fruit flavor with hints of coconut, vanilla, and pineapple. Yummy!

Carlton Cyderworks (McMinnville OR) Summer Set (7.1% ABV): This is made from heirloom apples. Semi-dry. Moderate tartness and high acidity. Sharp heirloom apple flavor, with notes of citrus, floral, and honey.

Oliver’s (Hereford UK) Desire (4.2% ABV): This is a keeved English cider, which drank similar to a French cider, except it was still. Semi-sweet. Lovely rich bittersweet apple flavor with some caramel and brown sugar notes, and even some tannins. Awesome!

My favorites were the selections from Sea Cider, Alpenfire, Reverend Nat’s, and Oliver’s.

Stay tuned for more Schilling Cider House tasting notes here at Cider Says! Have you had any good draft cider / cider flights recently?

Schilling Cider House Visit 30 Tasting Notes

October 20, 2017October 20, 2017 cidersays Alpenfire, Greenwood, review, Schilling, ^ 5 Cider cider, cider bar, cider flight, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Schilling Cider House, tasting notes, wa cider week, Washington Cider Week

Tasting notes from my 30th visit to the Schilling Cider House in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle WA. Check out my past posts with tasting notes here.

I was there on a Monday during Washington Cider Week. They had a Finnriver event with cider trivia that evening, but I left before it got underway. I got a flight, as usual. Four were new to me, and the two Alpenfire ciders were repeats that I’m always happy to retry.

Greenwood (Seattle WA) Blush (7.3% ABV): Hazy orange hue. This is also newly available in bottles (as well as their Dry, Hopped, and Huckleberry ciders). Smells of citrus, specifically, tangerine. Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Low sourness, tartness, and acidity. Low to moderate flavor intensity. The flavor was odd for me, sour tangerine with a hint of berry, but my palate doesn’t like sour / it tends to overwhelm the other flavors for me.

^ Five (Portland OR) Hop Hearder (6.5% ABV): Hi Five is newly distributed to the Seattle area, and this cider is also available in cans (including at the Schilling Cider House). Dry. Moderate to strong hops flavor, plus citrus. Moderate tartness and acidity. Low to moderate bitterness. Moderate flavor intensity. I’ve been getting more into hopped ciders, but I think this was a bit much for me, between it being fully dry and quite hoppy.

Greenwood (Seattle WA) Peach (7.8% ABV): Another likely tap only release, left over from the Greenwood tap night. Semi-dry. Low tartness, acidity, and sourness. More citrus and general stone fruit than specific peach flavor. Low flavor intensity. It was a popular option for folks who like sour ciders, but I don’t.

Schilling (Auburn WA) Boysenberry Pommeau (21.5% ABV): This is a tap-only special release, probably from the Schilling Cider House’s 3rd birthday party the previous week. Pommeau is a mix of apple brandy (distilled) and apple cider (either fermented or non-fermented). Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Medium bodied. Low tartness, acidity, bitterness, and tannins. Intense berry and rich red wine flavor (I wouldn’t be surprised if it was apple brandy + apple juice + boysenberry juice, then red wine barrel aged). Long warming finish. High flavor intensity. This was really unique and tasty, and the first flavored Pommeau I can remember trying or even hearing about.

I’ve had the two Alpenfire ciders a number of times, but I always order their ciders if I see them on draft, as they don’t do many kegs (mostly Apocalypso and their Traditional Heirloom Cider series, plus some Glow every so often).

Alpenfire (Port Townsend WA) Apocalypso (6.9% ABV): This is a tap-only version of their Calypso rum barrel aged blackberry cider which has extra blackberries. Semi-sweet. Moderate tartness and acidity. Hints of tannins. Compared to other batches I’ve tried (like this one), it seems like it had less rum & oak influence, but more berry flavor. I liked it, but I wish it had been the other way around.

Alpenfire (Port Townsend WA) Glow (6.8% ABV): This cider is made from red-fleshed Hidden Rose apples. Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Less flavorful than I remember, likely as this batch is drier than I remember as well. Small cideries often have some variation in their ciders batch to batch. However, it still had the characteristic strawberry and watermelon notes from the special apples, and maybe even a hint of kiwi type flavor and extra tartness this time around. See my previous review here.

My favorites were the Pommeau and the two Alpenfire ciders. I didn’t really care for the other three, as two were sour and the other was a bit too hoppy.

Stay tuned for more Schilling Cider House tasting notes here at Cider Says! Have you had any good draft cider / cider flights recently?

Schilling Cider House Visit 29 Tasting Notes

August 18, 2017August 12, 2017 cidersays 2 Towns, Double Mountain, Finnriver, Newton Court, review, Whitewood cider, cider bar, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Schilling Cider House, tasting notes

Tasting notes from my 29th visit to the Schilling Cider House in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle WA. Check out my past posts with tasting notes here.

I was there on a Tuesday afternoon with my husband, following the Washington Cider Week preview at Capitol Cider. These definitely aren’t my best tasting notes, as we were in a rush to beat the traffic home, and my husband distracted me from taking notes.

Whitewood Cider (Olympia WA) Jonathan (6.9% ABV): This is a single varietal cider from Jonathan apples, also available in bottles. Dry to semi-dry. Light to medium bodied. Apple forward with citrus and honey notes. This is one of my favorite dry ciders ever, as it is very approachable, without a harsh acidity, and more flavorful than expected.

Double Mountain (Hood River OR) Dry (6.7% ABV): This cider is made by a brewery, and appears to be draft-only. I tried their Jumpin Jack Heirloom Cider on draft at Cider Summit Seattle last year (see here). Dry. Low sourness and funk. Moderate tartness and acidity. Primarily heirloom apple and citrus notes.

2 Towns (Corvallis OR) Afton Field (6.4% ABV): I thought I had tried this one, but can’t find any reviews, so maybe not. Also available in bottles. This farmhouse-style cider is part of their Traditions line, and also available in bottles. Dry. Low sourness and funk. Moderate acidity and tartness. Notes of citrus and mineral.

Newton Court (Herefordshire England) Panting Partridge Perry (5.3% ABV): This is an English perry, also available in bottles, new to the Seattle area at least. They also have a bottled (and likely draft) cider available, Gasping Goose. Semi-sweet. Medium bodied. Low sourness and funk. Pear-forward and fruity.

Seattle Cider (Seattle WA) City Fruit (6.3% ABV): This cider was made using community apples from City Fruit, and is also available in bottles (this was previously only exclusively sold at Whole Foods). Dry. High acidity. Moderate tartness. Notes of citrus and stone fruit.

Finnriver (Chimacum WA) Lavender Black Currant (6.5% ABV): I’ve had this cider on numerous previous occasions, but I never turn down having some on Nitro tap. Also available in bottles. Semi-sweet. Awesome fluffy texture. Moderate acidity and tartness. It is a yummy flavorful combination of fruity black currant and herbal lavender.

My husband’s favorite was Double Mountain Dry, mine was Finnriver Lavender Black Currant, and the most unexpected (in a good way) was Whitewood Jonathan. There were a surprising number of sour / farmhouse-style ciders (3), which isn’t my thing, but maybe I’ll eventually acquire the taste for them.

Stay tuned for more Schilling Cider House tasting notes here at Cider Says! Have you had any good draft cider / cider flights recently?

Schilling Cider House Visit 28 Tasting Notes

July 7, 2017July 7, 2017 cidersays Aspall, Finnriver, Incline, NV Cider, Portland Cider, review, Snowdrift cider, cider bar, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Schilling Cider House, seattle, tasting notes, washington

Tasting notes from my 28th visit to the Schilling Cider House in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle WA. Check out my past posts with tasting notes here.

I was there on a random Friday afternoon. There were only 2 ciders on the board out of 32 that I hadn’t tried, so that meant I got to order some of my favorites.

Incline (Auburn WA) Compass Rosé (6.5% ABV): This was the only new-to-me cider in my flight. It appears to be a year round release, and is also available in cans. Like all their ciders, it is hopped, plus hibiscus, elderflower, ginger, and rose petals were added (no grape, which is typical for a rosé). Pale pink hue. Very mild fruity scent. Notes of grape, watermelon, and strawberry to start. As it warmed up, I got a hint of hops and some floral & herbal flavor. I didn’t pick up any ginger (which is good, as I don’t like it). On the sweeter side of semi-dry. Light to medium bodied. Low tartness. Moderate acidity. No bitterness, sourness, tannins, or funk. Mild flavor intensity. Interesting that I found it more fruity than floral, but maybe I was tasting what I expected (I only found out later what was added). I enjoyed it.

Finnriver (Chimacum WA) Lavender Black Currant (6.9% ABV): This is a special release, also available in bottles, which I’ve tried previously (see here), similar to their regular Black Currant (see here). This batch seemed a bit less sweet, with more lavender. Too bad it wasn’t on one of their 2 Nitro taps, as that is a special treat. I enjoyed it.

Portland Cider (Portland OR) Sangria (5.5% ABV): This is a relatively new year round release, also available in bottles, which I’ve tried previously (see here). This batch was a bit less flavorful and a bit fuller bodied, but still plenty fruity. I enjoyed it.

Pear Up / NV Cider (East Wenatchee WA) Watermelon Pear (5.3% ABV): This is a year round release, also available in bottles, which I’ve tried previously (see here). This batch had much more pear than watermelon flavor, and had a hint of vinegar flavor & sourness. I didn’t really care for it this time around with the slightly off flavor. Their raspberry perry is my favorite so far (see here).

Aspall (Suffolk England) Dry (6.8% ABV): This is an English import, available year round, also in bottles, which I’ve tried previously (see here). Their Dry is actually my least favorite of their line-up, but still plenty good. Their Imperial is my favorite so far (see here); too bad they stopped selling the black label version of it though, as that was a truly amazing cider.

Snowdrift (Wenatchee WA) Cornice (7.5% ABV): This is a year round release, also available in bottles, which I’ve tried previously see here). This batch of this barrel agsed cider was a bit more fruity / less rich. I enjoyed it.

Stay tuned for more Schilling Cider House tasting notes here at Cider Says! Have you had any good draft cider / cider flights recently?

Schilling Cider House Visit 27 Tasting Notes

May 22, 2017May 12, 2017 cidersays Anthem, Aspall, Cockrell, Elemental, Finnriver, Jester & Judge, Locust, One Tree, review, Schilling cider, cider bar, cider flight, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Schilling Cider House, tasting notes

Tasting notes from my 27th visit to the Schilling Cider House in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle WA. Check out my past posts with tasting notes here.

I was there on a Sunday afternoon, with my husband and a friend from out of town. The good thing about having folks with me was I got to order more ciders! I chose all the ciders for our group, which was fun.

Schilling (Auburn WA) Pippin (6.5% ABV): This is a draft-only special release, a single varietal from Pippin apples I believe. Semi-dry. Moderate tartness. High acidity. Mild to moderate bitterness. Hints of sourness. Lots of citrus! I wasn’t really a fan with the sourness and acidity.

Locust (Woodinville WA) Seckel Perry (6.5% ABV): I rounded out my flight with this, as I enjoyed it my last visit (see here). However, this time I found it sour, and wasn’t a fan. I’m curious if it was the same keg or not.

Anthem (Salem OR) Pear (6.5% ABV): This is a pear-flavored cider, also available in bottles. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Medium bodied. Low tartness and acidity. Very mildly flavored, apple and pear. I found it plenty drinkable, but boring.

Finnriver (Port Townsend WA) Dry Hopped (6.9% ABV): I’ve tried this previously, and mostly ordered it for my husband. It is also available in bottles. Semi-dry to dry. Light bodied. Moderate tartness, acidity, and bitterness. Citrus notes with hints of floral and hops. Not bad.

Cockrell (Puyallup WA) Raspberry Habanero (7.8% ABV): This is a popular cider of theirs, also available in bottles. Semi-dry. Moderate berry flavor. Moderate to strong level of spiciness, especially on the finish. I’m not a fan of spicy ciders, and mostly tried this out of curiosity. This was the only one we didn’t finish.

Schilling (Auburn WA) Afterglow (5.1% ABV): This is a special release, also available in bottles, made with cranberries, blood orange, and rose hips. Semi-sweet. Light to medium bodied. Mild to moderate tartness. Moderate acidity. Mild to moderate berry flavor with a hint of herbs. I didn’t pick up any blood orange. I enjoyed it.

We also ordered 2 more flights, with:
– Schilling Pineapple Passion (which I’ve reviewed here)
– Schilling Grumpy Bear Cold Brew Coffee (which I’ve reviewed here)
– Schilling Blackberry Pear (which I’ve reviewed here)
– One Tree Huckleberry (which I’ve reviewed here)
– Elemental Margarita (which I’ve reviewed here)
– Elemental Blood Orange (which I’ve reviewed here)
– Schilling King’s Schilling (which I’ve reviewed here)
– Jester & Judge Pineapple (which I’ve reviewed here , although this batch wasn’t so great, as it was less flavorful than usual)
– Elemental Pom-Lavender (which I really enjoyed, semi-sweet and flavorful, fruity with a hint of lavender)
– Elemental Black Currant (which I thought was good, but I like Finnriver’s better, as the flavor is more intense – see here)

We also ordered a bottle of Aspall Imperial (which I’ve reviewed here). I love that all their bottles at the cider house are pre-chilled and there isn’t a markup for drinking them onsite.

My favorite was the Aspall. After that, the Schilling Afterglow, Elemental Pom-Lavender, Schilling Pineapple Passion, and Schilling’s King Schilling.

Stay tuned for more Schilling Cider House tasting notes here at Cider Says! Have you had any good draft cider / cider flights recently?

Schilling Cider House Visit 25 Tasting Notes

April 14, 2017April 14, 2017 cidersays 2 Towns, Alpenfire, Aval, Carlton, Cockrell, Finnriver, Locust, North Idaho Cider, review, Schilling, Sea Cider cider, cider bar, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Schilling Cider House, tasting notes

Tasting notes from my 25th visit to the Schilling Cider House in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle WA. Check out my past posts with tasting notes here.

I was there on a Tuesday when they were having a 2 Towns event (they had Return of the Mac, Made Marion, Cherried Away, Flight of the Kiwi, and Sun’s Out Saison on tap). I started with a flight.

Finnriver (Chimacum WA) Fire Barrel (9.0% ABV): This year’s Fire Barrel was just released (I’ve tried it previously; see here). It is made from cider apples (this year they are all Organic and all from Finnriver’s own orchard), then Whiskey barrel aged for 5 months (previously it was aged in charred Bourbon barrels). They have a detailed fact sheet on this and all their other ciders now too. This time around it is a higher ABV, and is being released in a 750ml corked bottle (part of their Orchard Series) for $23, instead of a 500ml bottle for $11. I prefer smaller bottles for lower prices. I think it was underpriced before (I recognize these barrel aged ciders from real cider apples cost significantly more to produce), but $23 is a bit steep.
Darker hue. Semi-dry. Medium bodied. Low tartness, acidity, bitterness, tannins, and funk. No sourness. Notes of apple pomace, caramel, and molasses. Long warming finish. Oddly enough I liked this better as it warmed up, as it seemed to have more depth (often for a higher ABV cider, they become harsh as they warm). Moderate flavor intensity, apple flavor, sessionability, and complexity. Low to moderate oak and spirit flavor. I really enjoyed it, but the previous version was better, as it seemed more complex (I didn’t pick up the vanilla this time) and had more oak & spirit flavor, likely as it was a bit sweeter.

2 Towns (Corvallis OR) Peach Saison / Sun’s Out Saison (5.8% ABV): I thought this was something I hadn’t tried, as it was labeled Peach Saison (they write whatever the keg label says on the tap list board, so sometimes it varies from the official name), but it turns out it is Sun’s Out Saison, back for its 2nd seasonal release (also available in bottles); I’ve tried it previously (see here). Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Light bodied. Low tartness and acidity. Notes of peach, pear, citrus, and green apple. Quick finish. Low apple flavor. Low to moderate flavor intensity. Moderate to high sessionability. Low to moderate complexity. I really enjoyed it. This year’s release seemed slightly sweeter and more flavorful.

Locust Cider (Woodinville WA) Seckel Perry (6.0% ABV): This draft-only perry is made from Seckel pears. Smells slightly of vinegar, sourness, funk, and citrus. Hazy hue. On the sweeter side of semi-dry. Medium bodied, with a nice texture. Low tartness. Moderate acidity. Mouth-puckering without being overly tart or acidic. Hints of sourness, funk, bitterness, and tannins. Pear-forward with some citrus, even lime. I enjoyed it. Snowdrift also makes a nice Seckel Perry (see here).

Sea Cider (Saanichton B.C.) Wolf in the Woods (9.9% ABV): This is a special release cider, part of their Canadian Invasion Series, with hops and pine tips, also available in bottles (for more info see here). Dry to semi-dry. Medium bodied. Moderate tartness and acidity. Low to moderate bitterness. Low tannins. Flavor notes were on the earthy and botanical side, with hops, wood, and citrus. Long warming finish, but that was the first time the ABV showed up. Low apple flavor. Moderate flavor intensity and complexity. Low sessionability. I enjoyed it.

Cockrell Cider (Puyallup WA) Call Me Dusty / Dusty Dry (6.8% ABV): This is their flagship dry cider, also available in bottles. Dry to semi-dry. Light to medium bodied. Moderate tartness and acidity. Hints of bitterness and tannins. Rather apple-forward and flavorful for a drier cider. Hints of peach, pineapple, and lemon. Low to moderate flavor intensity. Moderate sessionability, complexity, and apple flavor. I enjoyed it.

Alpenfire (Port Townsend WA) Traditional Heirloom Dry (8.0% ABV): This is a draft-only new cider release from heirloom apples. Dry to semi-dry. Moderate tartness and acidity. Low tannins. No bitterness, sourness, or funk. Apple-forward flavor with some citrus and floral notes. Moderate apple flavor, flavor intensity, complexity, and sessionability. I enjoyed it. Even Alpenfire’s simpler ciders are exceptional (like their Simple Cider).

Sarah also shared a few sample ciders with me.

Carlton Cyderworks (McMinnville OR) Sidra Natural (6.9% ABV): This is a special release Spanish Sidra-style cider (first available November 2016), made from bittersweet & bittersharp PNW apples. Semi-dry to dry. Low to moderate tartness, acidity, and sourness. Low funk. Notes of citrus but not much else. Low flavor intensity and complexity. I found this rather uninspiring, plus I’m not really a fan of Sidra / sour ciders. However, this would be a good introductory Sidra for someone as it isn’t overly harsh. Interestingly, imported real Spanish Sidra can be bought around here for significantly less than local Sidra-style cider, so I’m curious how these cider styles will sell. Rustic and farmhouse-style ciders seem to be gaining in popularity in the PNW (or at least, in production).

Aval (Bretagne France) Cidre Artisinal (6.0% ABV): This is a semi widely available French cider from the Brittany region, known for sweeter and higher carbonated apple-forward ciders, typically without the sourness & funk which is common is ciders from the Normandy region. Darker hue. Smells sweet, of caramel. Unknown carbonation level (this had gone flat, but I’m guessing it was higher to start with). On the sweeter side of semi-dry. Low tartness, acidity, tannins, and bitterness. Notes of apple pomace and caramel. Quick finish. High sessionability. Moderate flavor intensity. Moderate to high apple flavor. Low to moderate complexity. I enjoyed this; it is a very easy-drinking French cider, similar to Celt, which is a staple cider in my house and a steal at $7.99 for four 11.2oz bottles.

North Idaho Cider (Hayden ID) Logger (6.9% ABV): This cidery’s ciders are new to the Seattle area (see this article), and this one retails for ~ $7.99 / 22oz. Logger is a dry cider aged on oak and pine. Dry. Low sourness. Moderate tartness and acidity. Hints of bitterness. Notes of oak/wood, earth, and citrus. Mild flavor intensity and apple flavor. Moderate sessionability and complexity. I thought this was nice, and reminded me of Grizzly Ciderworks The Ridge.

For probably the first time, I actually enjoyed every cider in my flight. However, my favorites were the Finnriver Fire Barrel and 2 Towns Sun’s Out Saison. Of the bottle pours, I enjoyed the Aval best. It was awesome to have several true artisan cider selections on tap (those made from cider apples by cideries with their own orchards), as most of the draft selections tend towards ciders made from dessert apples with added flavors (fruit, hops, etc).

Stay tuned for more Schilling Cider House tasting notes here at Cider Says! Have you had any good draft cider / cider flights recently?

Tasting Notes from Reverend Nat’s Tap Room in Portland Oregon

April 3, 2017March 31, 2017 cidersays Rev Nat's, review cider, cider bar, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, oregon, portland, reverend nat's, tasting notes

Reverend Nat’s tap room was the next stop in our Portland Oregon cider weekend adventure after Cider Rite of Spring (see my event review and tasting notes), checking into our hotel (the Embassy Suites on Pine St – nice for being in a historic building), and dinner at The Ringside steakhouse (I’m not a steak eater but my husband was a big fan…dinner there was his only request of the weekend).

Reverend Nat’s Cider has been around officially since 2011, and moved into the current building in 2013, although “The Reverend” Nat West (he is actually ordained online) has been making cider since 2004. They specialize in making weird & interesting ciders that no one else would have the guts to make, and they actually sell very well.

It was shockingly quiet in the tap room for a Saturday night, but I guess its not really in an area which gets a lot of foot traffic, despite being in the downtown area. Its a cool building, with high ceilings, and one wall was a roll-up garage door. There were about four barstools at the main bar, a few at a center bar, one booth, and the rest were stools pulled around wine barrel tables. There were maybe six other patrons and one bartender there with us.

They have 12 ciders on tap (and sometimes bottle pours), and sell bottles & growlers of their ciders as well as some merchandise. Many of the ciders poured in the tap room are varieties which never leave the tap room. They also offer a “Tent Show” cider club which gives members first pick at special release ciders (and only if any bottles are left are they sold in the tap room); there is currently a waiting list to even sign up for their cider club.

The tap room is also the production area (although obviously not in use late at night), so I got to have a peek at the cidery itself. I was surprised how small it was compared to how large Reverend Nat’s (and Cascadia Ciderworks United‘s) cider distribution is.

the full menu

My husband and I ordered some tasters to share ($2-$5 for 4oz) of #7 Viva la Pineapple!, #10 Tent Show Wooden Hellfire, #11 Tassjara Peach Book, and #12 Belle de Boskoop (I’ve previously tried the Revival, Sour Cherry 2016 and 2015 versions, Hallelujah Hopricot, and New Moon Mandarin).

Viva la Pineapple! (6.0% ABV): Described as a granny smith apple cider with pineapple juice and cinnamon. Semi-sweet. Medium bodied. Low tartness. Moderate acidity. Moderate pineapple flavor. Mild spice. This was reminiscent of their Tepache, but apple not pineapple based, less spiced, and more drinkable by itself. I really liked it.

Revelation Belle de Boskoop (6.8% ABV): Described as a single varietal cider from an heirloom apple variety. Semi-dry. Apple forward. However, the flavor for me was overwhelmingly vinegary with some sourness too. I wasn’t a fan.

Wooden Hellfire (16.6% ABV): This is a very unique cider which was started by boiling cider for 18 hours, making a concentrate (similar to freezing is used when making ice cider), then barrel aged for one year. Very dark hue. Dry to semi-dry. Rich flavor with notes of caramel, prune, oak, and smoke. High complexity and flavor intensity. I liked the flavor (although the prune was odd), but this is something more to sip on a shot of than drink in any quantity or frequency. My husband fell in love with it, saying it was the best cider he had ever tried, and ended up buying a bottle ($30, although its 750ml of 16.6% cider, if you can really call it cider anymore), plus two more bottles for some friends he told it about. I really wish they would have sold this in smaller bottles, as 750ml is a lot of an intense high ABV cider, plus that would decrease the price point.

Tassjara Peach Book (8.5% ABV): A cider with Mosaic hops, which are described as adding the scent and flavor of peaches to this cider without using any actual peaches. Semi-dry. There was definitely a very subtle peach flavor in addition to some citrus and hops notes. Moderately bitter finish. I found it to be average.

Bottom Line: To be honest, most of the ciders Rev Nat’s makes aren’t to my liking…they tend towards the weird, dry, spicy, sour, etc. However, some of the staples such as Revival are awesome. I also had a draft-only special release from them for last year’s Cider Summit (Whiskey Barrel Aged Golden Russet with Black Currant) which I really enjoyed.

Schilling Cider House Visit 23 Tasting Notes

March 8, 2017March 8, 2017 cidersays Alpenfire, Bad Granny, Liberty, Portland Cider, review, Sandford Orchards, Schilling, Snowdrift, Tieton cider, cider bar, cider flight, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Schilling Cider House, tasting notes

Tasting notes from my 23rd visit to the Schilling Cider House in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle WA. Check out my past posts with tasting notes here.

I was there on a Thursday for a Portland Cider tap takeover / luau / potluck. I started with a flight.

Alpenfire Cider (Port Townsend WA) Glow (6.8% ABV): This is a drier version of their Glow (made from red fleshed apples) than is found in bottles (which I’ve reviewed here), apparently as it had to be significantly more filtered when kegged. Semi-dry, compared to the bottled version which is semi-sweet to sweet. Compared to the bottled version, its not nearly as flavorful (strawberry and watermelon notes) or complex, and is more tart and lighter bodied. Very nice, but I prefer the intensely flavorful and sweet bottled version (which I have a bottle of in the fridge that my husband got me for Valentine’s Day).

Sandford Orchards (Crediton UK) The General (8.4% ABV): This is the first time I’ve seen any cider from this English cidery. This variety is made from Devon cider apples, then spirit-aged and casked. Semi-dry. Light bodied. Moderate tartness, acidity, and bitterness. Low tannins. Apple-forward flavor with some sharpness. Moderate to long finish. Low to moderate complexity. Moderate apple flavor, sessionability, and flavor intensity. This tasted like a typical English cider, although more bitter and less complex than I prefer. Its good to see an international cider on tap, and made from cider apples too.

Liberty Ciderworks (Spokane WA) Cellar Series (8.0% ABV): This is an unknown variety of their Cellar Series (they are usually named with a letter and two numbers), draft only. Most of their cellar series ciders are wild yeast fermented and barrel aged. Orange amber hue. Dry. Light bodied. Moderate tartness. Moderate to high acidity. Hints of sourness and funk. Low bitterness. Sharp flavor with crabapple notes and hints of oak. Moderate to long finish length. Moderate apple flavor. Low to moderate sessionability. Low flavor intensity. Moderate complexity. I didn’t really like this one, as I found it a bit harsh.

Bad Granny (Lake Chelan WA) Green Apple (6.9% ABV): This cider is made from dessert apples and sold both in tallboy cans and on draft. Nearly clear hue. Semi-sweet. Medium bodied. Low tartness. Moderate acidity. No bitterness, sourness, funk, or tannins. Definite green apple flavor, plus some white grape. Moderate apple flavor. Low complexity. Moderate flavor intensity. High sessionability. I liked it.

Portland Cider (Portland OR) Mojito (6.7% ABV): This draft-only limited release cider had mint, lemon, and lime added. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Medium bodied. Low tartness and acidity. Notes of mint, citrus, and a hint of soap? Low apple flavor. Moderate sessionability, flavor intensity, and complexity. The flavor of this seemed weird, but maybe it is just me.

Tieton Ciderworks (Yakima WA) Russian Red (6.9% ABV): This draft-only special release cider is made from red fleshed apples (like Snowdrift Red and Alpenfire Glow). Bright red hue. Semi-sweet. Medium bodied. Low to moderate tartness and acidity. Notes of cranberry and cherry. Low apple flavor. Moderate to high flavor intensity and sessionability. Moderate complexity. I liked it.

They also had Portland’s Sangria and Pineapple ciders on tap. The Sangria is especially awesome by the way.

Sarah also shared a new Snowdrift release with me:

Snowdrift Cider (East Wenatchee WA) Cidermakers Reserve (8.3% ABV): They have had this Méthode Champenoise cider listed on their website for awhile, but I haven’t ever seen it, so I think they took a few years off from production (or else it was very limited release). This batch is only available in bottles. Odd scent which none of us could accurately describe, but it didn’t transfer to the flavor. Semi-dry. High carbonation. Moderate tartness. High acidity. Hints of tannins and bitterness. Fruity, with notes of sharp pomegranate and some crabapple. I really liked the flavor and the bubbles, but the scent was bizarre.

My favorites were the Alpenfire Glow, Tieton Russian Red, and Snowdrift CIdermakers Reserve. The Bad Granny was good too, especially for its simplicity. I really wanted to like Sandford Orchards The General as I’m an English cider fan, but it was quite bitter.

Stay tuned for more Schilling Cider House tasting notes here at Cider Says! Have you had any good draft cider / cider flights recently?

Schilling Cider House Visit 22 Tasting Notes

November 18, 2016November 18, 2016 cidersays Cockrell, Pomarina, Schilling, Seattle Cider, Snowdrift cider, cider bar, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Schilling Cider House, seattle, tasting notes

Tasting notes from my 22nd visit to the Schilling Cider House in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle WA. Check out my past posts with tasting notes here.

I was there on a random Thursday. I started with a flight.

Cockrell Brewing (Puyallup WA) Jonastar (6.9% ABV): This is a single varietal from Jonastar apples, and is likely draft-only. Slightly hazy medium straw yellow hue. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Moderate tartness. High acidity. Hints of bitterness and sourness. No funk or tannins. Notes of lemon, grapefruit, floral, and green apple. Low apple flavor. Low complexity. Low flavor intensity. High sessionability. I thought it was pretty average.

Schilling Cider (Auburn WA) Blueberry Cobbler (6.6% ABV): This is a spiced blueberry cider, barrel aged 12 months, primarily available in bottles at Bartell Drugs (a collaboration; see here). Cherry hue. Semi-sweet. Medium bodied. Low tartness. Moderate acidity. No bitterness, sourness, tannins, or funk. Notes of blueberry, pie spices, and a hint of vanilla. No apple flavor. Moderate sessionability. Moderate flavor intensity. Low complexity. I didn’t pick up any barrel influence, but I imagine the other flavors could have overwhelmed them. This cider was a bit weird for my tastes.

Seattle Cider (Seattle WA) Washington Heirloom (7.0% ABV): This is a special release made from heirloom and cider apple varieties, also available in bottles. Higher carbonation. Medium straw yellow hue. Semi-dry to dry. Moderate tartness. High acidity. No bitterness, sourness, tannins, or funk. Notes of lemon, lime, floral, and herbal. Low flavor intensity. Low to moderate complexity. Low apple flavor. Moderate sessionability. I thought it was pretty average. There was more heirloom than cider apple flavor.

Snowdrift Cider (East Wenatchee, WA) Seckel Perry (8.6% ABV): This is a single-varietal perry (no apples, only pears) made from Seckel pears, also available in bottles. Slightly hazy light straw yellow. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Medium bodied. Low tartness. Moderate acidity. Hints of bitterness, tannins, and sourness. No funk. Notes of pear, citrus, green apple, and floral. Moderate sessionability. Moderate pear flavor. Moderate flavor intensity. Moderate complexity. I enjoyed it (more than their regular Perry, which I found had a lot of bitterness).

Sarah also shared a bottle pour with me of a Spanish Sidra which is new to the U.S.

Pomarina (Asturias Spain, 7.0% ABV): This Spanish Sidra was made in the style of methode champenoise (to naturally carbonate it). Semi-dry. Light bodied, frothy texture (although it had been open awhile so it didn’t have much carbonation left). Moderate tartness. High acidity. Low sourness. Hints of bitterness. No tannins or funk. Notes of citrus and green apple. Moderate length finish. Moderate sessionability. Low apple flavor. Low flavor intensity. Low complexity. I found this more approachable than most Sidra, as it was less sour. I’m not a fan of sourness though, so I didn’t care for it.

The Snowdrift Seckel Perry was my favorite.

Stay tuned for more Schilling Cider House tasting notes here at Cider Says! Have you had any good draft cider / cider flights recently?

Schilling Cider House Visit 21 Tasting Notes

September 27, 2016January 13, 2018 cidersays One Tree, Rev Nat's, review, Schilling, Worley's cider, cider bar, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Schilling Cider House, seattle, tasting notes

Tasting notes from my 21st visit to the Schilling Cider House in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle WA. Check out my past posts with tasting notes here.

I was there on a random Tuesday. I started with a flight. This was one of the only times I’ve visited the cider house and not had a full flight of ciders to try which were new to me, but there were still 32 choices. Sometimes its good to not have much new to try, as I can focus on ciders I know I liked previously.

Wandering Aengus (Salem OR) Bittersweet (5.2% ABV): I recently tried this draft-only wild fermented cider from bittersweet apples from the Poverty Lane (Farnum Hill) orchard in New Hampshire, but wanted to give it another try as I was considering picking up a growler of it. Although still very tasty, I didn’t find this taste as impressive…it seemed milder in flavor, and less tannic.

Schilling (Auburn WA) Barrel #2 (21% ABV): This is the last keg of their 2nd series of barrel aged distilled cider, which I tried previously. Its more apple brandy than cider, very alcohol-forward. I didn’t really enjoy it as much this time around…it seemed all alcohol and less flavor (my notes from last time mentioned honey and floral notes).

Wandering Aengus (Salem OR) Cellar Door (8.5% ABV): This is a draft-only version of their Bloom cider which is fermented drier. Semi-dry. Sharp. Light to medium bodied. Moderate tartness and high acidity. Low to moderate bitterness. More astringent than tannic (low to moderate). Mild flavor notes of floral, herbal, honey, and citrus. Low apple flavor. Moderate sessionability. Low flavor intensity. Moderate complexity. I think I like the regular version of Bloom better, as it was more flavorful.

One Tree (Spokane WA) Raspberry (6.0% ABV): This is a draft-only raspberry cider. My sample was from the end of the keg, so it poured very smoothie-like. Semi-sweet to sweet, but it tasted like it was meant to be that sweet, not overdone. Full bodied. Very strong raspberry flavor. No apple/cider flavor. Low to moderate tartness and acidity. Simple but tasty, similar to Schilling’s Raspberry Smoothie, although One Tree’s is higher ABV.

Reverend Nat’s (Portland OR) The Passion (6.9% ABV): I tried this recently, but was curious whether my taste buds we off at Cider Summit, as it is described online as very sour, but I only found it mildly sour. However, Sarah at the Cider House confirmed that this year’s batch wasn’t nearly as sour as last year’s. I enjoyed it, but at Cider Summit I found it had more passionfruit flavor and even less sourness, which I preferred.

I also had a couple bottle pours shared with me.

Wandering Aengus (Salem OR) Pommeau Apple Dessert Wine (14.0% ABV): Pommeau is apple brandy with cider. Semi-sweet to sweet. Still. Full bodied. Mild in flavor for a Pommeau, not as booze-forward as you’d expect for the ABV, but still very apple-forward. Mild tartness, acidity, bitterness, and tannins. Notes of cider apples, oak, leather, and orange. Amazing!

Worley’s (Shepton Mallet, Somerset, UK) Premium Vintage 2013 (6.4% ABV): This is another one I’ve tried previously. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Low tartness, acidity, bitterness, and tannins. Low to moderate carbonation. Medium bodied. Its an English cider, but I found it quite similar to French cider, as it is rich, apple-forward, carbonated (although less so than when I previously tried it), and yeast-forward, but not overly tannic. Awesome.

This was an awesome tasting. The Wandering Aengus Cellar Door was the only cider I wasn’t too big a fan of. The Pommeau was probably my favorite though.

Stay tuned for more Schilling Cider House tasting notes here at Cider Says! Have you had any good draft cider / cider flights recently?

Schilling Cider House Visit 20 Tasting Notes

September 9, 2016October 8, 2017 cidersays Christian Drouin, Greenwood, Red Tank, Rev Nat's, review, Schilling, Seattle Cider, Steelhead cider, cider bar, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Schilling Cider House, seattle, tasting notes

Tasting notes from my 20th visit to the Schilling Cider House in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle WA. Check out my past posts with tasting notes here.

<can’t beat 32 cider taps!>

I was there on Labor Day for a random visit, since I had the day off work. I started with a flight.

Steelhead (Manson WA) Peargatory (Vanilla Pear), 5.5%: This is from a brand new cidery, and available in bottles as well. Semi-sweet. Medium bodied. Pear-forward, with green apple, pineapple, and mineral notes. I didn’t notice the vanilla, but I didn’t know about it until I looked it up later either. Low to moderate tartness. Moderate acidity. No bitterness, sourness, funk, or tannins. High sessionability. High pear flavor. Low complexity. Moderate flavor intensity. Pretty good (I definitely preferred it over Red Tank’s as it was more flavorful).

Greenwood (Seattle WA) Lavender Blackberry, 7.4%: This is a draft-only release. Semi-dry. Light bodied. Moderate tartness and acidity. Low bitterness and tannins. No sourness or funk. Notes of lavender, blackberry, and a weird herbalness. Low flavor intensity. Low complexity. Moderate sessionability. No apple flavor. I didn’t care for this one.

Red Tank (Bend OR) Tropical, 5.8%: This appears to be a draft-only release. Semi-dry. Medium bodied. Low to moderate tartness. Moderate acidity. Hints of bitterness and tannins. No sourness or funk. Notes of pineapple and green apple. Low flavor intensity. Low complexity. Low apple flavor. Moderate sessionability. I thought this was ok, but needed more flavor.

Red Tank (Bend OR) Pear Bear, 5.8%: This appears to be a draft-only release. Semi-dry. Medium bodied. Moderate tartness and acidity. Hints of bitterness and tannins. No sourness or funk. Pear and pineapple notes. Long boozy finish. High sessionability. Low to moderate pear flavor. Moderate flavor intensity. Low complexity. The flavor was a bit weird on this one.

Seattle Cider (Seattle WA) Gin Botanical, 6.5%: This seasonal release is also available in bottles. Semi-dry. Medium bodied. Light herbal flavor from the gin botanicals. Low to moderate tartness and acidity. Hints of bitterness and tannins. No sourness or funk. Low flavor intensity. Moderate complexity. Low apple flavor. Moderate sessionability. Not bad; I can see why its popular.

Christian Drouin (Rouen Normandy France) Pays d’Auge, 4.5%: This is also available in bottles, made from cider apples, and wild yeast fermented. Smells rich and a bit funky. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Light to medium bodied, frothy and foamy. Low tartness and acidity. Low sourness, funk, tannins, and bitterness. Notes of bittersweet apples, brown sugar, and orange. Moderate to high apple flavor. Moderate sessionability, flavor intensity, and complexity. Great! I was expecting more sourness and funk, but it was quite tolerable.

Reverend Nat’s Revival Dry: Although this shares the name with their popular sweeter Revival variety, its quite different…2/3 English & French bittersweet and 1/3 American heirloom varieties, partial wild fermentation, multiple yeast strains, and no piloncillo. Only in 750ml bottles. A friend shared some with me. Smells fruity. Dry. Light bodied. Mild sharp tropical flavor. Mild sourness, tannins, and funk. Moderate tartness, acidity, and bitterness. Low apple flavor. Low sessionability. Moderate complexity. Moderate flavor intensity. I prefer the regular version. This would probably appeal well to wine lovers.

The Christian Drouin Pays d’Auge was my favorite, which isn’t a surprise as it is the only one made from cider apple varieties.

Stay tuned for more Schilling Cider House tasting notes here at Cider Says! Have you had any good draft cider / cider flights recently?

Schilling Cider House Visit 19 Tasting Notes

August 12, 2016August 7, 2016 cidersays 2 Towns, Dragon's Head, Dupont, Incline, Locust, review, Schilling cider, cider bar, cider review, hard cider, Schilling Cider House, tasting notes

Tasting notes from my 19th visit to the Schilling Cider House in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle WA. Check out my past posts with tasting notes here.

<can’t beat 32 cider taps!>

I was there on a Monday for 2 Towns’ re-release of Made Marion (this time in cans) and the re-release of their Cot in the Act cider (this time as a Fruit Seasonal).

I enjoyed a flight of four ciders, then samples of Cot in the Act and Made Marion.

Incline (Auburn WA) Lemongrass Lure (6.5% ABV): This is a draft-only limited release cider with Citra hops and lemongrass. Smells of lemongrass, citrus, and herbs. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Light bodied with a nice frothy texture. Low tartness and acidity. No bitterness, sourness, tannins, or funk. Notes of lemon, grapefruit, herbs, and only a hint of hops. Low apple flavor. High sessionability. Low to moderate complexity. Moderate flavor intensity. I enjoyed it; I think it had just the right amount of hops–not overpowering (the flavor was primarily lemongrass).

Locust Cider (Woodinville WA) Berry Session (4.0% ABV): This is a draft-only sessionable berry cider. Smells of blackberries and strawberries. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Light to medium bodied. Low to moderate tartness and acidity. Hints of bitterness and tannins. No sourness or funk. The flavor is just berry, mostly blackberry with some strawberry. High sessionability. Low apple flavor. Moderate flavor intensity. Low complexity. I’m usually not a huge fan of berry ciders as I find them overly simple, but I thought it was pretty good.

Dragon’s Head (Vashon WA) Columbia Crab (6.0% ABV): This is a new draft & bottled cider made from crabapples. Smells of sharp crabapples, honey, and lemon. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Light bodied. Moderate tartness and acidity. Hints of bitterness and tannins. No sourness or funk. Light flavor, not as sharp as most crabapple ciders. notes of crabapples, honey, lemon, and white blossoms. Moderate apple flavor. Moderate sessionability. Moderate complexity. Low to moderate flavor intensity. This is much sweeter than the other ciders I’ve tried from them, which was surprising, but I’m guessing it may have been perceived. I enjoyed it.

Etienne Dupont (Pays d’Auge France) Aperitif / Pomme / Pommeau (17% ABV): This is a special release of Pommeau (cider mixed with apple brandy). It is Cidre Bouche from bittersweet apples, aged in a Calvados barrel, with 1998 reserve Calvados mixed back in. Smells boozy, like Pommeau, rich, and of caramel. Semi-sweet to sweet (although apparently it is very low residual sugar so it may just perceive sweeter). Still. Medium to full bodied. Mild tartness. Moderate acidity. Mild tannins. Hints of bitterness. No sourness or funk (which was surprising considering the base Cidre Bouche definitely had that going on). Notes of rich bittersweet apples, caramel, brown sugar, and vanilla. No sessionability. Moderate to high apple flavor. Moderate complexity. High flavor intensity. Amazing!

<2 Towns Cot in the Act>

2 Towns (Corvallis OR) Cot in the Act (6.0% ABV): Although this unfiltered apricot cider has been out for a few years, it is being newly released as a Fruit Seasonal, in both bottles and kegs. Smells mild and fruity. Semi-dry. Light bodied. Moderate tartness and acidity. Hint of bitterness. No sourness, funk, or tannins. Notes of apricot and peach. Low apple flavor. Moderate to high sessionability. Low complexity. Low flavor intensity.

<2 Towns Made Marion>

2 Towns (Corvallis OR) Made Marion (6.0% ABV): Smells strongly of blackberries. Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Medium bodied. Moderate tartness and acidity. No bitterness, sourness, funk, or tannins. The flavor is primarily blackberry, with hints of blueberry. Low apple flavor. High sessionability. Low complexity. Low flavor intensity.

The Etienne Dupont Pommeau was my favorite; I wish bottles were available of it locally. I thought it was worth the $5 for 2oz! Its probably my favorite Pommeau so far, although I also enjoy the 2 Towns and Finnriver varieties.

Stay tuned for more Schilling Cider House tasting notes here at Cider Says! Have you had any good draft cider / cider flights recently?

Schilling Cider House Visit 16 Tasting Notes

June 17, 2016June 11, 2016 cidersays Alpenfire, Carlton, Eaglemount, Locust, review, Schilling Alpenfire, cider, cider bar, cider flight, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Schilling Cider House, seattle, washington

Tasting notes from my sixteenth visit to the Schilling Cider House in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle WA. Check out my past posts with tasting notes here. I was there on a Tuesday evening for a tasting event with Alpenfire Cider (from Port Townsend WA). Its pretty rare they do events, besides some pricey (but awesome sounding) dinners with cider pairings.

Philippe (Nancy & Bear’s son) was there from Alpenfire. The Cider House was featuring a flight of six ciders from Alpenfire (five of which were bottle pours, which was a first for the Cider House, and Apocalypso on draft, which is a rarity for Alpenfire) plus a Shrub cider cocktail.

I arrived early so I tried a few ciders before the event. I had been there just a week earlier, but quite a few of the taps turned over (although there weren’t too many I hadn’t tried).

Eaglemount (Port Townsend WA) Perry (8.0% ABV): Smells of pear and citrus, slightly sour. Semi-dry. Medium bodied. Mild to moderate tartness and acidity. Mild bitterness. Hints of sourness, funk, and tannins. Notes of pear, citrus, spice, and vanilla. Alcohol-forward and sharp. Moderate length finish.

Locust Cider (Woodinville WA) Apricot (6.0% ABV): Smells sweet, of apricot and peach. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Light to medium bodied. Moderate tartness and acidity. A hint of bitterness. No sourness, funk, or tannins. Medium flavor intensity with simple but real tasting apricot flavor. Quick finish.

Carlton Cider (McMinnville OR) Bourbon Peachy Keen (6.5% ABV): Foamy. Smells of bourbon and fruitiness (peach and apricot). Semi-dry to dry. Very light bodied with a frothy mouthfeel. Low tartness. Moderate acidity. Low bitterness. No sourness, funk, or tannins. Low barrel influence. Moderate spirit influence. Medium to long length finish. They also make a non barrel aged version of this cider.

The Alpenfire ciders were ready as it got closer to 6pm. I’ve previously tried all the ciders they were offering in the flight, so I decided to just order a pint of Apocalypso (a draft-only version of their Calypso blackberry rum barrel aged cider with double the blackberries and barrel aged 4 instead of 2 months).

Alpenfire (Port Townsend WA) Apocalypso (6.5% ABV): Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Medium bodied. Mild to moderate tartness. Mild acidity. Mild tannins. No bitterness, sourness, or funk. Mild rum influence. Moderate barrel (oak) influence. Moderate blackberry flavor. Moderate length finish.

I also tried a couple sips of the Shrub cocktail, made with Alpenfire bittersweet cider, Alpenfire apple cider vinegar, blackberry puree, and sparkling water.

Alpenfire (Port Townsend WA) Shrub: Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Medium bodied. Vinegar more in the scent than flavor. There is tartness and a hint of vinegar flavor, but not any sourness like I was expecting. No bitterness, sourness, funk, or tannins. Moderate blackberry flavor. Moderate length finish. Unique, but not my thing.

My favorite of the night was the Alpenfire Apocalypso cider. I liked this batch even better than the last one I tried for WA cider week 2015 at the Burgundian Bar (see here), as it was slightly sweeter, more fruity, and more oaky.

They even got in some bottles of Alpenfire Cinders (the Méthode Champenoise version of Glow, their rosé cider made with red-fleshed apples). Its a rare find outside of the Alpenfire tap room (which I visited in February; see here). I actually prefer Glow though, as its sweeter and more flavorful.

Stay tuned for more Schilling Cider House tasting notes here at Cider Says! Have you had any good draft cider / cider flights recently?

Schilling Cider House Visit 15 Tasting Notes

June 8, 2016June 4, 2016 cidersays Farnum Hill, Jester & Judge, Longdrop, Red Tank, review, Schilling, Snowdrift, Whitewood cider, cider bar, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Schilling Cider House, seattle, tasting notes

Tasting notes from my fifteenth visit to the Schilling Cider House in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle WA. Check out my past posts with tasting notes here. I was there on a Tuesday evening for a tasting event with Longdrop Cider (from the Boise Idaho area).

I started with a flight before the event, then sampled four Longdrop ciders (2 on tap, 1 bottled, and 1 canned) and a bit of a Canadian ice cider which Sarah opened. There were supposed to be 4 kegs from Longdrop, but 2 didn’t make it in time. I hadn’t previously tried any of their ciders. Longdrop is relatively new to Washington (their ciders are sold throughout Idaho and in Seattle WA and Portland OR). I got to meet their “head apple wrangler” (Chris Blanchard) and they had some giveaways (I got a sweet t-shirt).

Schilling Peach Grapefruit Habanero, 5.0% ABV, Auburn WA: This is a one-off keg of their Grapefruit cider infused with peach and habanero. I’ve tried many of their ciders. Very hazy. Smells like grapefruit with some definite spiciness. Semi-sweet. Moderate tartness. Mild acidity. I didn’t really taste any peach, only grapefruit, and the spiciness was overwhelming for me. Long spicy finish. I learned that the Cider House will maintain one “spicy” tap line, and this currently replaces their Sriracha Lime. I couldn’t do more than two tiny sips of this one; my favorites from them remain King’s Shilling and Pineapple Paradise.

Red Tank Roughneck, 6.5% ABV, Bend OR: This is one of their flagship ciders. I’ve tried a few of their ciders. Semi-dry. Light bodied. Low tartness and acidity. A hint of bitterness and sourness. Kinda bland / low flavor intensity, but it had a bit of unfiltered apple juice flavor, yeast, and earthiness. For unfiltered ciders, I prefer 2 Towns OutCider.

Whitewood Winesap, 6.8% ABV, Olympia WA: A special release tap-only cider. I’ve tried a few of their ciders. Semi-dry. Moderate tartness and acidity. A hint of tannins. Slightly sharp, apple-forward, and citrus-forward. It mellowed out a bit as it warmed up. Medium bodied. I found this similar to the other single varietal winesap apple ciders I’ve tried from Blue Mountain and Locust, and slightly wine-like. My favorite from them is the Whiskey Barrel Aged Kingston Black, which is one of my all time favorite ciders (and I was only able to sample a bit twice; hopefully it is released in bottles sometime).

Farnum Hill Dooryard, 7.5% ABV, Lebanon NH: This is one of their best selling / flagship ciders; Farnum Hill typically labels the different batches of this cider with a code, and you can look up what is in them online (they vary apple varieties and such quite a bit under the same Dooryard label), but I don’t know what batch this was. Also available in bottles, and sold from their Poverty Lane Orchard in growlers. I’ve previously only tried their Extra Dry cider. Dry. Mild tartness and acidity. Mild to moderate bitterness. Mild funk. A hint of sourness as it warmed up. Mild tannins. Citrus, vanilla, mineral, and clove notes. Wine-like and nuanced. This isn’t really my cup of tea.

Jester & Judge Pineapple Express, 5.5% ABV, Stevenson WA: This is a new tap-only release. I’ve tried a few of their ciders. Hazy. Semi-sweet. Strong fresh pineapple flavor! Nice fizziness/frothiness. Moderate tartness and acidity. Light bodied. Quick finish. I really enjoyed this one, despite its simplicity. I found it similar to Schilling’s Pineapple Passion / Trouble in Paradise, but with slight lime instead of slight passion fruit notes.

Snowdrift Semi-Dry, 7.1% ABV, Wenatchee WA: This is one of their flagship ciders, and although I’ve tried most of them, I had only seen their Dry variety previously. Available in bottles and kegs. Dry. Moderate tartness and acidity. Mild bitterness. Mild tannins. Medium bodied. Sharp flavor with some crabapple, apple pomace, and brown sugar notes, and slight richness. Moderate length finish. My favorites from them remain Red, Cornice, and Cliffbreaks Blend.

Longdrop Tanager Pear Cider, 6.0% ABV, Eagle ID: This is their spring seasonal release, a pear cider (apple + pear, not perry), available in 22oz bottles. Smells like juicy pear. Semi-dry. Moderate tartness and acidity. Light bodied, with a fizzy/frothy mouthfeel. Quick finish. Simple apple & pear flavor, but it was nice & light and easy to drink.

Longdrop Vanilla Honey, 6.0% ABV, Eagle ID: This is one of their two most commonly found ciders. Available in 12oz cans and draft. Made from Fuji, Gala, Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, and Granny Smith apples, with Madagascar Vanilla beans and Idaho honey. Smells strongly of honey. Semi-dry. Light bodied. Low tartness and acidity. Honeycomb flavor with a hint of vanilla. Quick finish. I really loved the honeycomb flavor; you can tell it was high quality honey.

Longdrop Derby Canyon, 6.9%, Eagle ID: This is a special release for the 2016 Apple Blossom Festival, named after a landmark in Washington nearby where the apples for this cider are from. This cider was made with 100% Wenatchee Valley apples…”it’s got a big apple taste with some complexity – probably because it’s got one of every kind of apple out there in it”. Available in 220z bottles and kegs. Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Light bodied. Apple-forward with some unfiltered apple juice flavor.

Longdrop Semi-Sweet, 5.5% ABV, Eagle ID: This is one of their two most commonly found ciders. Available in 12oz cans and draft. Made from Fuji, Gala, Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, and Granny Smith apples. Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Light bodied. Apple-forward with some vanilla notes and a hint of vinegar/salt?

Pomme De Coeur ice cider, 6.9% ABV, Rougemont Canada: This is the first Canadian ice cider I’ve tried, and the lowest ABV I’ve seen. Its pretty widely available in boxed tall 375ml bottles. Ice cider originated in Quebec, and is made with either apples or apple juice which has been exposed to cold cycles, which concentrates the sugar (and thus flavor), and produces a higher ABV beverage as well. Smells like caramelized sugar. Sweet but not as sweet as other ice ciders such as from Eden. Medium bodied. Very juice-like, with less complexity than other ice ciders. It also doesn’t have the body and higher ABV of most ice ciders. I liked the first couple sips, but after that its inferior quality was apparent. I like the super concentrated intense flavor of other ice ciders; Eden Northern Spy (barrel aged) is my favorite so far. Although its about $15 (vs. $30+) for 375ml, I’d rather get the good stuff. I imagine there are much better Canadian ice ciders available than this (often the more commercial beverages are the ones which have the means to export their products), so I hope to try another in the future.

My favorite Longdrop cider was the Vanilla Honey, and my favorite cider from my flight was Jester & Judge’s Pineapple cider.

Stay tuned for more Schilling Cider House tasting notes here at Cider Says! Have you had any good draft cider / cider flights recently?

Schilling Cider House Visit 14 Tasting Notes

April 15, 2016April 13, 2016 cidersays 2 Towns, Cockrell, Red Tank, Rev Nat's, review, Schilling cider, cider bar, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Schilling Cider House, seattle, tasting notes

Tasting notes from my fourteenth visit to the Schilling Cider House in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle WA. Check out my past posts with tasting notes here. I was there on a Saturday afternoon with my husband and a friend, who was here from out of state.

I started with a flight of four ciders.

2 Towns Return of the Mac, Corvallis OR, 8.9% ABV: This is an unfiltered special release cider made with McIntosh apples, tap-only. Darker slightly unfiltered hue. Semi-sweet. Smells and tastes very apple-forward. Mild tartness and acidity. A hint of bitterness. Medium bodied. Simple in flavor, but tasty. This reminds me some of their Out Cider, but its sweeter and even more apple-forward.

Red Tank Sour Cherry, Bend OR, 5.4% ABV: A seasonal tap-only release made with Montmorency cherries. Mild cherry hue and scent. Semi-dry. Mild to moderate tartness and mild acidity. There was (thankfully) no sourness, so I think this could be more accurately called Tart Cherry not Sour Cherry. Light bodied. True but mild cherry flavor.

Reverend Nat’s Hallelujah Hopricot, Portland OR, 6.7% ABV: This is their flagship cider, but I’m not a huge hops fan, so I hadn’t tried it. My husband however requested I get a taster (he’s a big Rev Nat’s fan). Semi-dry. Very mild floral scent. Mild tartness and medium acidity with a hint of bitterness. Medium bodied. Stone fruit, floral, citrus, and hops notes. The hops remained quite mild, more floral & citrus than hops.

Schilling Cider Raspberry Smoothie, Auburn WA, 3.5% ABV: This is a new tap-only release, and literally a smoothie. I imagine this wouldn’t have the shelf life of a regular cider due to its high fruit content and low alcohol content. I couldn’t taste any alcohol or apples, but it was quite tasty and refreshing on a warm day. Semi-sweet. Mild to moderate tartness. Very raspberry-forward, and they definitely used the real thing. Very full bodied. I actually ordered a full pint of this one, although that ended up being a bit much for me (it was quite filling, although I think it was just cider and fresh raspberries).

While I was there they tapped a new keg, Cockrell Brewing’s Edgewood Heirloom cider. I asked for a taste.

Cockrell Brewing Edgewood Heirloom, Puyallup WA, 6.5% ABV: This is their first cider made exclusively with apples from their own farm. Smells mild, of crisp apples, champagne yeast, and citrus. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Light bodied. Mild tartness and acidity. Mildly flavored. Apple-forward.

My favorite was surprisingly the Raspberry Smoothie (I’d be interested in some background info on that one…very unique). I also really liked 2 Towns Return of the Mac. The Red Tank Sour Cherry, Rev Nat’s Hallelujah Hopricot, and Cockrell Edgewood were all rather average for me.

I actually didn’t buy any bottles, as I have quite a few at home at the moment.

Stay tuned for more Schilling Cider House tasting notes here at Cider Says! Have you had any good draft cider / cider flights recently?

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