Cider Summit Seattle 2019 Post 2/2 – Tasting Notes

September 11, 2019September 11, 2019 cidersays 2 Towns, Alpenfire, Archibald James, Bauman's, Bembel with Care, Chatter Creek, Cider Riot, Cider Summit, French Cider Inc., Herb's, Manchester Road, Newtopia Cyder, One Tree, Pear UP, Pierre Huet, Portland Cider, Rev Nat's, review, Seattle Cider, Soundbite, Union Hill, Wildcraft cider, cider event, cider review, cider summit, cider summit seattle, cider tasting, hard cider, seattle, tasting notes

This is post 2/2 on Cider Summit Seattle 2019, with tasting notes on 21 ciders. Post 1/2 covered the event.

The Tasting Notes

2 Towns Ciderhouse (Corvallis OR) Kingston Black – A draft-only special release. Semi-dry, tannic, lower acid, with a woody earthy flavor.

Alpenfire Cider (Port Townsend WA) Kingston Black – A small batch bottled release. Semi-dry, with a lighter flavor than expected for a KB single varietal, with notes of citrus and wood, and mild tannins.

Archibald James (Leavenworth WA) Smash Apple – Their sweeter (1.5% residual sugar) flagship canned/bottled offering. Semi-dry and very apple forward. High level of flavor for the lower sweetness.

Bauman’s Cider (Gervais OR) Kir Royale – A black currant and cherry barrel aged cider. Semi-sweet to semi-dry, with bold cherry and oak flavor.

Bembel with Care (Germany) Apfelwein Pure – A flagship canned release. Dry to semi-dry. Yeast-forward, and reminiscent of beer.

Chatter Creek Cider (Woodinville WA) Kingston Black – A special bottled released. Dry and acidic, with citrus and wood notes, but less complexity.

Cider Riot (Porland OR) Kingston Black – A special bottled release. On the sweeter side of dry. Rich bitter tannic flavor with caramel, leather, and orange.

Herb’s Cider (Bellingham WA) Forte – A keeved golden russet single varietal (which is unique as typically only French bittersweet apple juice is keeved), Cognac barrel aged. Semi-dry but tastes even sweeter, smooth, and apple-forward with hints of tropical fruit.

Herb’s Cider (Bellingham WA) Fruit Challenge – A one-off Foeder aged bittersweet plum jerkum. Dry but fruity, more berry than plum (but I’ve never been able to pick out plum flavor in a cider).

Manchester Road Cider (Chelan WA) Apple Sox Red – A flagship bottled offering with beets added for color. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Apple forward and non-specifically fruity.

Newtopia Cyder (San Diego CA) Passionate Mishap – A draft-only cider with passionfruit. Semi-dry to semi-sweet, with notes of tart passionfruit and some citrus.

One Tree Cider (Spokane WA) Passionfruit Guava – A one-off fruit cider challenge entry. Semi-sweet to sweet, and full flavored, with more passionfruit than guava.

Pear UP (East Wenatchee WA) Peargria II – Take two on a one-off margarita-inspired perry (from 100% pears, no apples) for the fruit cider challenge. Semi-dry to semi-sweet, with notes of lime, pear, and other fruit.

Pierre Huet (France) Calvados – This apple brandy is aged 5-10 years, and imported by French Cider Inc. I’m not big on spirits, especially served neat, so I’ll defer to my husband, who loved it. I can however say it was smooth for the high ABV. However, I think I’ll stick to cider and Pommeau.

Portland Cider (Portland OR) Peach Berry – A new canned release. Semi-sweet to semi-dry. More generally fruity than specific peach & berry, reminiscent of their Sangria, but slightly drier and less complex. Speaking of their Sangria, I heard it will be going to draft-only for awhile due to lower sales, which is sad as its my favorite from them.

Reverend Nat’s (Portland OR) Saint Citron – A new canned release. Semi-dry and citrus-forward, primarily grapefruit, with a hint of ginger.

Seattle Cider Company (Seattle WA) Strawberry Guava – A limited release with strawberries and guava. Dry, with mild fruitiness, but low flavor intensity.

Soundbite Cider (Everett WA) Two Plums Up – A limited release with plums. Semi-dry and fruity, more strawberry-rhubarb than plum I thought.

Union Hill Cider (East Wenatchee WA) Pinkheart – A blend with Red Fleshed, Cripps Pink, and Dabinett apples. Semi-dry, with subtle fruity citrus flavor.

Union Hill Cider (East Wenatchee WA) Hard Harvest – A blend with Cripps Pink, Dabinett, Porters Perfection, Kingston Black, and Snowdrift Crab apples. Dry to semi-dry, with subtle earthy citrus flavor.

Wildcraft Cider Works (Eugene OR) Rome Beauty – A single varietal of Rome Beauty apples. Measurably dry but it tastes sweeter, apple-forward (cooked) and non-specifically fruity, and completely clean. I liked the level of flavor (high) vs. sweetness (low).

I also had some 2 Towns Pommeau and Eden Heirloom Blend Ice Cider, because we still had tickets left, and they are awesome.

In Summary

It was impossible to taste all the ciders at the event, or even one from each producer, so I’d also like to share previous tasting notes and reviews of ciders from the other cideries I didn’t get to highlight: Alter Ego, Anthem, Avid (previously Atlas), Bad Granny, Brownrigg, Browar Polska Imports (Possmann & Ruwet), Capitol Cider, Caple Road, d’s Wicked, Double Mountain, Dragon’s Head, Eaglemount, Eden, Finnriver, Greenwood, Idun, Independent Cider, Incline, Jester & Judge, J. Seeds, Liberty, Locust, Longdrop, Miloslawski, Samuel Smiths, Schilling, Sea Cider, Snowdrift, Swift, Tieton, Ulee’s, Virtue, Wandering Aengus, and Washington Gold.

My favorites were Schilling Guava Mint (which I actually tried the night before but I’ll count as it was made for this event), Herb’s Forte, 2 Towns Kingston Black, and Alpenfire Kingston Black. Two of those were draft only, but I picked up bottles of the other two. Speaking of Kingston Black, single varietals from KB were popular, with at least 5 cideries offering them.

This event is always the highlight of Washington Cider Week, and the biggest and best cider event of the year in Western Washington.

Cider Summit Seattle 2019 Post 1/2 – The Event

September 9, 2019September 7, 2019 cidersays Cider Summit, event, review cider, cider event, cider summit, cider summit seattle, cider tasting, cider tasting event, hard cider, seattle

Epic! This was my fifth year attending (see here for previous posts), but was the 10th annual Cider Summit in Seattle Washington. It took place on Friday & Saturday September 6th & 7th. This is post 1/2, covering the event. Post 2/2 will have tasting notes on all the ciders I tried.

Info

See my preview here. I attended Friday afternoon, which is awesome as it isn’t too crowded yet, especially the VIP hour (2pm-3pm). See here for the full event info and here for the full list of cideries (~54) and ciders (~150-200). There were some substitutions and even 1 cidery no-show, but there were plenty of options, even for someone like me who had tried most of the lineup from most of the cideries. There was even ice cider, Pommeau, Calvados and other spirits, and cider cocktails.

Entry included a tasting glass, drink tickets, and wristband. A cool feature of this event is that in addition to in & out privileges, one entry fee gets you in both days (and you can even skip the line on the second day), just keep your wristband on and bring your glass. This year they were at a new venue, Lake Union Park outside of the MOHAI, instead of at South Lake Union Discovery Center across from Whole Foods. It was still an outdoor event, and < 1 mile from the old site. I liked this venue a bit better, as there seemed to be more space. The only traffic jam area was around the heritage cider tent.

However, parking was a bit trickier. Previously we’d always just park in the Whole Foods garage. MOHAI has very little parking, and their main lot was marked permit only when we checked. We ended up parking about a 5 minute walk away, at Chander’s Cove next to Daniels, where it was $20 for up to 10 hours, and a nice paved lot (vs. rocks); however, it was a pain to pay (needed to download an app and create an account). The Amazon lots can be a great option if you are attending Friday night or anytime Saturday, but at 1:30pm on Friday we didn’t even try.

This event is very well organized, by far the best I have attended. It is also very consistent year-to-year. Everything from detailed pre-event information online (even a full cider list) to signage at the event to thinking of the little things like having rinse water available and a shaded seating area. Its crazy to think about how much work goes into an event of this magnitude…renting a space, tables, canopies, and even fencing…finding volunteers, hiring staff for liquor enforcement and safety (at emergency exits), having extra ice and cider available, etc.

Another thing about this event that I really like is that the folks pouring the cider are associated with the cidery (cidery employees, sometimes even the cidermakers, or the distributor), so you can ask about the cidery and cider. Plus, all the canned/bottled ciders are available in the shop (too bad there are so many great special releases they only had on draft). The crowd was really varied, but had a lot of cider enthusiasts like myself. There were also lots of vendors trying ciders, as it is common for a cidery to bring multiple people and swap out pouring. A number of people brought their dogs too.

Layout

Besides the main attraction of cider booths, they had an event store (with can/bottles and t-shirts and such), a stage where they switched between interviews with some of the cidery reps and live music, food for sale (hot dogs, tamales, and pretzels – which were tasty but festival priced). There were also cider related vendors (such as the Northwest Cider Association, CiderCraft & Sip Northwest magazines, and Press Then Press – a new online cider shop; see my reviews here) and some non-cider and non-food vendors. The amenities were also above average for an outdoor event, with multiple food options for sale, concrete planter box edges to sit on, covered tables & chairs, clean port-a-potties with outdoor sinks, and free water (although this year it wasn’t cold like in years past…).

My Tips

Friday is typically much less busy than Saturday, especially earlier in the afternoon and the VIP hour. My game plan this year involved sleeping in, having a big lunch, getting to the event early to figure out parking, visiting all the cidery booths which are new to me during the VIP hour, taking a snack break, trying more ciders, then leaving and eating dinner with my husband.

I recommend good walking shoes, as you are on your feet for most of these types of events, and there are uneven dirt and patches of grass at outdoor sites like this. Also, pants with pockets, to put your tasting tickets and cell phone and such in. There are less grab & go food options within easy walking distance of this site, mostly sit down restaurants (like Daniel’s, whose bar we ate dinner at), but 3 food options on-site. I bring my own snacks and water bottle though.

Other must-haves for me are a hat, sunblock, bug repellent, sunglasses, notebook & pencil, and a plastic baggie to put the tasting glasses in afterwards when they are sticky. Its nice having a bag to put all that stuff in, as well as any free swag you want to collect. ID is required to get in, and cash never hurts, although some places (like the Summit store) take cards.

A great way to get free admission is to volunteer; they had several shift options each day, and I heard that if you work closing on Saturday you may even get leftover bottled/ canned cider. For the best ticket price, buy in advance, although there are taxes & fees for online sales. Although VIP tickets are online sales only, if you want the best price on a regular ticket, you can go to Capitol Cider to avoid the fees. The event didn’t sell out as far as I know, but the ticket price was higher at the door. Designated driver tickets ($5) were only available at the door.

Closing Notes

In addition to Seattle, there are Cider Summits in Chicago IL (February), San Francisco CA (April), and Portland OR (June).

My 2nd Cider Summit Seattle 2019 post with tasting notes will be out soon!

Cider Summit Seattle 2019 Preview

July 23, 2019August 8, 2019 cidersays Cider Summit, event cider, cider event, cider summit, cider summit seattle, cider tasting, cider tasting event, hard cider, seattle

The epic 10th annual Cider Summit is returning to Seattle Washington in 2019 on Friday September 6th (3-8pm) and Saturday September 7th (noon-5pm), except this time moving (from the South Lake Union Discovery Center Lawn) to Lake Union park at the MOHAI. Check out my previous posts on Cider Summit from 2015 thru 2018 here, with a preview, event review, and cider tasting notes from each year.

See here for the full event info and here for the lists of cideries and ciders. Last year over 50 cideries (or distributors) poured over 200 ciders, cysers, meads, fruit wines, Pommeaux, apple brandies, cider whiskies, and cider cocktails. So, there are plenty of options for all tastes, and even folks like me who have tried most local selections will have multiple new ciders to try. They of course skew towards the NW, but there are cideries from all over the country and world represented too, such as France and Spain.

Regular tickets are sold in advance online ($30 or $35 + fees), or at the door ($45), and includes a tasting glass + 16 drink tickets. VIP tickets are sold in advance online only ($40 or $45 + fees), and get you in an hour early on Friday (2pm instead of 3pm), and include a tasting glass + 20 drink tickets. Additional drink tickets are sold at the event, ~ $2 / 2oz. Designated driver tickets are available at the door for $5.

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This outdoor event is 21+ but dog friendly. They usually have covered seating, stand up tables, cold water on tap, live music, a merchandise shop, bottle shop, food for sale, and a dog lounge. Another special feature is the Fruit Cider Challenge; many cideries bring a special fruity cider, and attendees vote for their favorite. Most booths have folks from the cidery (sometimes even the cidermaker) pouring ciders, either from a keg or bottle/can. They may also still be accepting volunteers to help run the event (includes free admission after your shift and 50% off wearables).

The event has in & out privileges (if you keep your wristband and glass), so you can leave to grab food, or even return the next day. On Friday it usually doesn’t get too busy until closer to 5pm, but it is pretty busy from then on. However, Cider Summit events are so well laid out and organized, there tend to be fewer & shorter lines and less crowds than smaller events.

Cider Summit Seattle is part of Washington Cider Week (Sept 5-15). Stay tuned for more posts here at Cider Says on Cider Summit and Washington Cider Week 2019 events.

Cider Summit Seattle 2018 Post 1/2 – The Event

September 10, 2018September 12, 2018 cidersays Cider Summit, review cider, cider event, cider summit, cider summit seattle, cider tasting, hard cider, seattle

Epic! This was my fourth year attending (see here for previous posts), but was the ninth annual Cider Summit in Seattle Washington. It took place on Friday & Saturday September 7th & 8th. This is post 1/2, covering the event. Post 2/2 will cover tasting notes on the dozens of ciders I tried [update – post 2/2 is now up – see here].

Photo Sep 07, 2 17 17 PM

Info

See my preview here. I attended Friday afternoon, which is awesome as it isn’t too crowded yet, especially the VIP hour (2pm-3pm). See here for the full event info and here for the full list of cideries (~50?) and ciders (~150-200?). There were some substitutions and even some cidery cancellations / no-shows, but there were plenty of options, even for someone like me who had tried most of the lineup from most of the cideries. There was even ice cider, Pommeau, non-apple fruit wines, mead, cyser, and cider cocktails.

Although most ciders were from the PNW, there were a good number of national and international ones as well. Also, the selections were primarily on the craft (vs. commercial) end. Angry Orchard made its first appearance at the event, although they mostly brought their fancy ciders. The biggest changes this year were that the pour size was cut from 4oz to 2oz (and they used plastic not glass), and the number of tickets was doubled. I really liked that change, as it was easier to try more ciders, and I didn’t have to request small pours. I wonder if it created longer lines on Saturday though (as folks would be trying more ciders), so it’ll be interesting to see if they repeat it next year.

Entry included a tasting glass, tickets (16 for regular and 24 for VIP, each one good for a 2oz pour of most ciders, less for Pommeau and such though), and wristband. A cool feature of this event is that in addition to in & out privileges, one entry fee gets you in both days (and you can even skip the line on the second day). This event is very well organized, by far the best I have gone to. It is also very consistent year-to-year.

Everything from detailed pre-event information online (even a full cider list) to signage at the event to thinking of the little things like having rinse water available and standing tables in addition to seating. It is crazy to think about how much work goes into an event of this magnitude…renting a space, tables, canopies, and even fencing…finding volunteers, hiring staff for liquor enforcement and safety (at emergency exits), having extra ice and cider available, etc.

Another thing about this event that I really like is that the folks pouring the cider are associated with the cidery (cidery employees, sometimes even the cidermakers, or the distributor), so you can ask about the cidery and cider. The crowd was really varied, from cider enthusiasts like myself to people who just wanted to drink. There were also lots of vendors trying ciders (as it was common for a cidery to bring 2-3 people and swap out). A number of people brought their dogs.

Photo Sep 07, 2 17 23 PM.jpg

Layout

Besides the main attraction of cider booths, they had an event store (with t-shirts and such), an audio booth where they did interviews with some of the cidery reps, food for sale from Capitol Cider, Nutflours Bakery, and a german-style pretzel place (my hubby and I shared a giant pretzel and it really hit the spot, although they were festival priced), some other vendors (jerky, bottled water, Amazon Restaurants, Imperfect Produce, Bark Thins, Drink Cider towels), a dog lounge, and info from the Northwest Cider Association. The amenities were also above average for an outdoor event, with multiple food options for sale, standing tables, tables & chairs (some covered), port-a-potties (and outdoor sinks), and free water.

Photo Sep 08, 12 09 41 PM.jpg
<my haul from the event store, combined with what I got from Schilling Cider House the night before>

My Tips

Friday is typically much less busy than Saturday, especially earlier in the afternoon. My game plan this year involved sleeping in, having a big lunch, visiting all the cidery booths in order, taking breaks to sit & snack, and getting through all the ciders I wanted to try before dinner time.

I recommend good walking shoes, as you are on your feet for most of these types of events, and there was uneven dirt and patches of grass at this site. Also, pants with pockets, to put your tasting tickets and cell phone and such in. I also like bringing my own snacks, especially something starchy, like crackers. Other must-haves for me are a water bottle, hat & sunblock & sunglasses, notebook & pencil, and some baggies to put the tasting glasses in afterwards when they are sticky. Its nice having a bag to put all that stuff in, as well as any free swag you want to collect (handouts, stickers, bottle opener keychains). ID is required to get in, and cash never hurts, although some places (like the Summit store) take cards.

There are also a number of restaurants (and Whole Foods) within walking distance, so another food option is leaving, then coming back after a bit. I have done that before, but this year we were done by dinnertime on Friday when we left. Then my husband and I dropped stuff at the car (we parked under the Whole Foods, which is the most convenient and secure, but pricey, $15 after getting $6 off for a validation after buying stuff at Whole Foods), and walked to Rocco’s pizza (mmmm).

A great way to get free admission is to volunteer; they had several shift options each day, and I heard that if you work closing on Saturday you may even get leftover bottled cider. For the best ticket price, buy them in advance, although there are taxes & fees for online sales. Although VIP tickets are online sales only, if you want the best price on a regular ticket, you can go to Capitol Cider to avoid the fees. The event didn’t sell out as far as I know, but the ticket price was higher at the door. Designated driver tickets ($5) were only available at the door.

2017-09-08 14.12.05.jpg

In addition to Seattle, there are Cider Summits in Chicago IL (February), San Francisco CA (April), and Portland OR (June).

Cider Summit Seattle 2018 Preview

August 8, 2018August 6, 2018 cidersays Cider Summit, event, preview cider, cider event, cider summit, cider summit seattle, cider tasting, cider tasting event, hard cider, seattle

The epic 9th annual Cider Summit is returning for 2018 to Seattle Washington on Friday September 7th (3-8pm) and Saturday September 8th (noon-5pm), at the South Lake Union Discovery Center Lawn. Check out my previous posts on Cider Summit from 2015 thru 2017 here, with a preview, event review, and cider tasting notes from each year.

See here for the full event info and here for the lists of cideries and ciders. The plan is for 52 cideries (or in some cases, distributors) to be represented, pouring 3-6 selections each. That is over 200 ciders, cysers, meads, fruit wines, Pommeaux, apple brandies, cider whiskies, cider cocktails, etc. So, there are plenty of options for all tastes, and even folks like me will have multiple new ciders to try. They of course skew towards the NW, but there are cideries from all over the country and world represented too.

Regular tickets are sold in advance online ($43.60 including fees), at Capitol Cider, or at the door ($45), and includes a tasting glass + 16 drink tickets. VIP tickets are sold in advance online ($55.76 including fees) only, and get you in an hour early on Friday (2pm instead of 3pm), and includes a tasting glass + 24 drink tickets. Note that this is double the number of drink tickets as last year, as they have reduced the pour size from 4oz to 2oz, so you can try twice as many ciders – very cool. Additional drink tickets are sold at the event. Designated driver tickets are available at the door for $5.

This outdoor event is 21+ but dog friendly. They have covered seating, stand up tables, cold water on tap, and port-a-potties. The event also includes a merchandise shop, bottle shop, food sales, and a dog lounge. Plus, new for this year, paired bites from Capitol Cider and other local producers. Another special feature is the Fruit Cider Challenge; many cideries are bringing a special fruity cider, and attendees can vote for their favorite. Most booths have folks from the cidery (sometimes even the cidermaker) pouring ciders, a mix of keg and bottle pours. They may also still be accepting volunteers (includes free admission after your shift and 50% off wearables).

The event has in & out privileges (if you keep your wristband and glass), so you can leave to grab food (such as from the Whole Foods just down the street), or even return the next day. On Friday it usually doesn’t get too busy until closer to 5pm, but it is pretty busy from then on (line down the street when they open on Saturday, which you can skip by the way if you already have a wristband & glass). However, the event is so well laid out and there is enough space, so there are fewer & shorter lines and less crowds than the smaller events.

Cider Summit Seattle is part of Washington Cider Week (Sept 6-16). Stay tuned for more posts here at Cider Says on Cider Summit and Washington Cider Week 2018 events.

Cider Summit Seattle 2017 Post 2/2 – Tasting Notes

September 13, 2017September 12, 2017 cidersays Alpenfire, Alter Ego, Anthem, Bad Granny, Cider Riot, Cider Summit, D's Wicked, Eden, event, French Cider Inc., La Chouette, Lefevre, Liberty, Louis Raison, Mission Trail, Montana Ciderworks, Old Swede, One Tree, Pear UP, Pierre Huet, review, Seattle Cider, Swift, Washington Cider Week, Washington Gold cider, cider event, cider festival, cider review, cider summit, cider tasting, cider tasting event, hard cider, seattle, tasting notes

This is post 2/2 on Cider Summit Seattle 2017, with tasting notes on 21 ciders. Post 1/2 covered the event (see here).

The Tasting Notes

Alpenfire (Port Townsend WA) – Although I had previously tried the three ciders they were pouring (see my previous reviews here), I’m including Alpenfire here as they were debuting their new branding and future new cider releases. They have a new logo, bottle labels, and website. The future new cider releases include a rosé Pommeau, “Tempest” New England style, 3 Pommes (apple/pear/quince), a new release of Smoke (my all time favorite cider, which hasn’t been out for a couple years), a Foxwhelp apple single varietal, and even a Pommeau with an apple grown in the bottle (which will only be for the initial members of their new cider club). Sounds like they have been busy!

Alpenfire did however have a cask-aged version of their Pirate’s Plank which I had a sip of. It seemed a tad sweeter (dry not bone dry) and a bit more oaky than I remembered previously.

Alter Ego (Portland OR) The Brute (6.5% ABV) – This was their first time at Cider Summit, although they were founded in 2014. The Brute is one of their two flagship ciders; the other is The Guardian Angel, a blueberry-pomegranate cider (see my tasting notes here). Semi-dry, slightly apple-forward, tart, crisp, and easy to drink, but overall a bit boring as the flavor intensity was low, as is common with a drier cider from dessert apple varieties (which is why most ciders from dessert apples are sweeter and/or flavored).

Anthem (Salem OR) Rye Barrel Aged Cider (8.5% ABV) – Anthem is part of Wandering Aengus. This is a draft-only release, aged in Rye whiskey barrels. Semi-dry to dry and sharp, with moderate whiskey flavor and a hint of oak.

Bad Granny (Chelan WA) Rainier Cherry – They launched a little over a year ago and are new to Cider Summit. Rainier Cherry is a draft-only release using local Rainier cherries, although they sell their Original green apple cider in cans. On the sweeter side of semi-dry (I was told 9 grams sugar / 12oz), fuller bodied, moderate intensity real cherry flavor.

Cider Riot (Portland OR) Everyday Semi-Dry (6.0% ABV) – I believe this was their first time at Cider Summit Seattle. This cider is also available in cans. Semi-dry to dry, with a hint of sourness, but very low flavor intensity and fairly blah.

d’s Wicked (Kennewick WA) Bare Naked (6.7% ABV) – This is a new release, and currently draft-only. It is a less sweet and non-spiced version of their flagship Baked Apple cider. Semi-dry and flavorful, with unfiltered apple juice notes and a hint of honey flavor.

Eden Specialty Ciders (Newport VT) Heirloom Blend Ice Cider (10.0% ABV) – I have tried this special treat previously, but my husband ended up getting a couple pours, burning the rest of his tickets, as it is amazing and a great value to get pours of at an event. Ice cider is made using juice which has been frozen, concentrating the natural sugars and flavors, resulting in a sweet full-bodied intensely flavorful dessert cider. See my previous review here, and my review of the brandy barrel-aged version of this cider here (which is my all time favorite ice cider).

French Cider Inc. – I tried three French ciders imported by French Cider Inc. / Beauchamp Imports Inc. They are Seattle based and fairly new to the market (I hadn’t even heard of them before I was looking over the Cider Summit list!), and thus this was their first time at Cider Summit. French Cider’s focus is on importing French cidre (apple cider), poire (French perry, which is made from pears, not apples), and Calvados (French apple brandy). The owner Joan Harkins (who I chatted with) speaks French and lives French culture. She has hand-selected each variety in their collection after meeting with the cidermakers. I hadn’t previously been aware of any of their selection being available in the U.S. I found all three selections to likely be friendly to an unfamiliar palette, as they were all clean or fairly clean (no to low funk) and no sourness, lining up more with the style of the Brittany France ciders I’ve had more than the Normany France ciders I’ve had (although it appears all three were made in or near Normandy). French Cider’s primary focus is on supplying shops and restaurants, but they also offer local pickup (appointment only) in Seattle, and soon, will ship. Their website is amazingly informative, and they had a helpful handout for each of the three ciders (see below). They are posting a photo blog featuring the French apple harvest season, which is currently underway (see their Facebook page). Also, here is a recent article on the company from Seattle Dining.

La Chouette (Mont-Saint-Michel Bay France) Cidre Demi-Sec (4.5% ABV) – This cider was produced in an area in between the Normandy and Brittany regions in France, from cider apples. Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Lower carbonation and tannins than the other two I tried. Clean (no funk). Retails for $5-6 / 330ml bottle.

Lefevre (Berville Normandy France) Cidre Brut (5.9% ABV) – This cider was produced just outside of Paris, by a 5th generation cidermaker, with cider apples. The scent was the most complex of the three I tried. Semi-dry. Citrus in addition to apple notes, and more. A hint of funk. Low to moderate tannins. French Cider’s website has an interview with the cidermaker, Eric Lefevre. Retails for $5-6 / 330ml bottle.

Pierre Huet (Cambremer Normandy France) Cidre Bouche Brut (4.5% ABV) – This cider underwent secondary fermentation in the bottle and was made with 7 or 8 varieties of cider apples by a 5th generation cidermaker. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Clean (no funk). Low tannins. Flavorful, apple forward, and easy to drink. French Cider’s website has an article on their visit to Pierre Huet as well as an interview with the cidermaker, François-Xavier Huet. Retails for $13-18 / 750ml bottle.

Liberty Cider (Spokane WA) Spokane Scrumpy (6.4% ABV) – This cider was released in the Spring, and made with community harvested apples (of mostly unknown types, from dessert apples to crab apples) and wild yeast fermented. $1 of each bottle sale goes to the Spokane Second Harvest food bank. See this article. On the sweeter side of semi-dry (probably their sweetest cider), buttery, and complex. I couldn’t really put my finger on the flavor profile with the sample size and time frame, so I’d be interested in giving a full bottle a try.

Louis Raison (Le Theil-sur-Huisne France) Organic Dry (4.5% ABV) – This cidery is brand new to the U.S., and first launched here in Seattle. They will have this cider on draft to start in Washington and Oregon, and eventually increase up to three bottled varieties in 2018 (adding Rouge Delice – made from red fleshed apples, and Original Crisp). See here for more info on their launch. Organic Dry is made in France from certified Organic bittersweet cider apples grown on co-op farms. On the sweeter side of semi-dry. Apple and yeast forward and easy to drink. I look forward to this being available in bottles as it sounds like it’ll be fairly affordable to keep around as an everyday cider.

Mission Trail (Bradley CA) Plum Jerkum (6.5% ABV) – They have been around since 2014, but are new to the Seattle market and Cider Summit. Although Mission Trail makes ciders and perries, they are best known for their other fruit wines, and specifically, jerkum (which is fermented stone fruit juice; the term originated just for plums, but has more recently been used to encompass all stone fruits). They were actually only pouring jerkums at this cider event. In this case it was 100% plum juice from 14 red-fleshed varieties. The Plum Jerkum was semi-sweet to semi-dry, tart, with a moderately intense fruity berry flavor (I didn’t really pick up the prune/plum).

Mission Trail (Bradley CA) Goldmine Nectarine (6.0% ABV) – This is another jerkum, with 100% nectarine juice, barrel aged. Semi-dry, quite tart, with pure nectarine flavor. I didn’t pick up any barrel influence, but often it isn’t obvious. I also recently tried their Peach Coast (see here), a peach wine / jerkum, which was my favorite of the three.

Montana Ciderworks (Darby MT) Small Batch Dolgo (5.5% ABV) – This is a single varietal from the Dolgo crabapple, oak aged, part of their Small Batch series. Semi-sweet, tangy, fruity, and apple-forward.

Random note: I got some insight into labeling special releases. In this case, “Dolgo” was stamped on, making it look handwritten with less effort. Very cool. However, many small batch special releases do have actual handwritten labels, like this one. Getting a label approved by the TTB is a time consuming process, so often cideries have a general label they use for multiple small batches.

Ole Swede (Tonasket WA) Mulberry & Friends – It was the cidery’s first time at Cider Summit, and they were founded last year. This is a new cider release made with eight different types of berries and currants (mulberry, blackberry, raspberry, elderberry, blueberry, gooseberry, black currant, and golden currant). On the sweeter side of semi-dry, smooth, low tartness & acidity, with a light real berry flavor.

One Tree (Spokane WA) Pina Colada – This is a new draft-only release, part of the fruit cider challenge (and it turned out to be the winner – 2nd year in a row for One Tree – congrats!). Sweet, very full flavored, with a bit more coconut than pineapple. I loved the flavor of this (it reminded me a bit of Pear Up’s Pearjito Colada with the coconut, which hasn’t been used much in cider), but it would be a bit sweet to have much of.

Pear Up (Wenatchee WA) Pineapple Pear – This was their fruit cider challenge entry, a one-off draft only release. On the sweeter side of semi-dry, low flavor intensity, with the flavor balanced between pear & pineapple. They weren’t serving it through the pineapple, but it was a cool photo op nonetheless.

Seattle Cider (Seattle WA) New England Style (9.5% ABV) – This is a seasonal release which appears to have not been released for a few years, possibly draft-only. It was made in the New England style, typically characterized as a high ABV cider with brown sugar and raisins added. Semi-sweet to semi-dry, sharp & acidic, with caramel notes and a boozy finish.

Seattle Cider (Seattle WA) 2015 Washington Heirloom (7.0% ABV) – This is part of their Harvest series, made with heirloom apple varieties, and also available in bottles. Semi-dry, herbal scent, sharp, with citrus, floral, and herbal notes.

Swift (Portland OR) Pineapple Hop (6.7% ABV) – They have been around since 2014, but it was their first time at Cider Summit Seattle. Semi-dry, balanced flavor between the pineapple & hops with only hints of bitterness, but overall the flavor intensity was low.

Washington Gold (Chelan WA) Northwest Raspberry (5.5% ABV) – This is a brand new small batch canned release. Semi-sweet to sweet, with intense real raspberry flavor.

It was impossible to taste all the ciders at the event (or even one from each producer), so I’d also like to share previous tasting notes and reviews on some of the producers I didn’t get to highlight: 101 Cider House, 2 Towns, Aspall, Atlas, Bull Run, Chatter Creek, Double Mountain, Dragon’s Head, Dunkertons, Eaglemount, E.Z. Orchards, Finnriver, Greenwood, Hi-Wheel, Incline, Jester & Judge, J. Seeds, Le Brun, Locust, Maeloc, Manoir du Parc, Methow Valley, Moonlight Meadery, New West, North Idaho, Number 6 Cider, Reverend Nat’s, Portland, Rambling Route, Samuel Smiths, Schilling, Sea Cider, Snowdrift, Sonoma, Spire Mountain, Steelhead, Summit, Tieton, Ulee’s, Wandering Aengus, WildCraft, and Worley’s

In Summary

My Favorite Ciders – Of the ones I tasted at the event, my favorites were the 4 French ciders, some of the sweeter ciders that were very flavorful (such as One Tree’s Pina Colada and WA Gold Cider’s Raspberry), Montana Cider’s Dolgo, and Liberty’s Spokane Scrumpy.

Other Interesting Selections – There were also some interesting beverages I didn’t try, such as Schilling’s guava barrel-aged sour, a cocktail from Incline with gin and their Compass Rose cider, apple whiskey from J. Seeds, a Cider Summit themed cider from Finnriver which has been available at all four Cider Summit events this year (see here), 101 Ciderhouse’s Black Dog with activated charcoal (see here), and Reverend Nat’s Sacrilege Sour Cherry with ghost peppers (see here).

Cider Summit Seattle 2017 Post 1/2 – The Event

September 11, 2017September 12, 2017 cidersays Cider Summit, event, review, Washington Cider Week cider, cider event, cider summit, cider tasting, event, hard cider, wa cider week, Washington Cider Week

Epic! This was my third year attending (see here for previous posts), but was the eighth annual Cider Summit in Seattle Washington. It took place on Friday & Saturday September 8th & 9th. This is post 1/2, covering the event. Post 2/2 will cover tasting notes on the dozens of ciders I tried [update – post 2/2 is now up – see here].

Info

See my preview here. We had some interesting weather for the weekend. It was forecasted to be cool and cloudy with some showers, but it ended up being pretty hot when I was there on Friday. See here for the full event info and here for the full list of cideries (~55) and ciders (~187).

There were some substitutions and a few less ciders than expected, plus this was a decrease in the number of cideries from the year before (although there were some new ones). My favorite booths this year were for French cider (there were three booths pouring a total of six French ciders). They were even pouring some meads (made from honey & water), non-apple fruit wines, apple whiskey, and cocktails in addition to ciders. Although most ciders were from the PNW, there were a good number of national and international ones as well. Also, the selections were primarily on the craft (vs. commercial) end.

There were 18 entries for the Fruit Cider Challenge. I learned that the cideries were provided fruit puree from Oregon Fruit Products which they made cider with. Votes were taken by text (1 per phone).

Entry included a tasting glass, tickets (8 for regular and 12 for VIP, each one good for a 4oz pour of most ciders), and wristband. A cool feature of this event is that in addition to in & out privileges, one entry fee gets you in both days (and you can even skip the line on the second day). This event is very well organized, by far the best I have gone to. It is also very consistent year-to-year.

Another thing about this event that I really like is that the folks pouring the cider are associated with the cidery (cidery employees, sometimes even the cidermakers, or the distributor), so you can ask about the cidery and cider. The crowd was really varied, from cider enthusiasts like myself to people who just wanted to drink. There were also lots of vendors trying ciders (as it was common for a cidery to bring 2-3 people and swap out). A number of people brought their dogs.

Layout

Besides the main attraction of cider booths, they had an event store (with t-shirts and such), an audio booth where they did interviews with some of the cidery reps, food for sale from Whole Foods, Capitol Cider, & SUSU rolled ice cream, cider cocktails from Capitol Cider, samples of unfermented juice from Ryan’s, a dog lounge, info from the Northwest Cider Association, and lots of misc booths (the most interesting was Alaska Bug Bites, who drove 40 some hours one way to sell their dried fruit). The amenities were also above average for an outdoor event, with multiple food options for sale, standing tables, tables & chairs (some covered), port-a-potties (and the main ones in the front actually had outdoor sinks), and cold filtered water (from Easy Tap).

My Tips

Friday is typically much less busy than Saturday, especially earlier in the afternoon. My game plan this year involved having a big lunch prior to the event and asking for smaller pours (often a booth would let you try a little bit of each cider they had for only 1 ticket), to maximize the number of ciders I could try.

I also always start with the new, expensive, and/or rare ciders, and visit the booths where I want to talk to the cidermakers first, before it gets too busy. This year my backpack was full as I brought both rain and sun gear; I’m glad I brought the hat and sunblock though, as I ended up needing it, despite the cloudy forecast.

I also recommend good walking shoes, as you are on your feet for most of these types of events, and there was uneven grass at this site. I also like bringing my own snacks, especially something starchy, like crackers. Other must-haves for me are a notebook & pencil, and some baggies to put the tasting glasses in afterwards when they are sticky. Its nice having a bag to put all that stuff in, as well as any free swag you want to collect (a couple booths were giving out good stuff like hats & t-shirts, but it was mostly the typical handouts, stickers, and coasters). ID is required to get in, and cash never hurts, although some places take cards.

There are also a number of restaurants (and Whole Foods) within walking distance, so another food option is leaving, then coming back after a bit. I have done that before, but this year we just powered through until dinnertime on Friday when we left. Then my husband and I met up with a friend and did a bunch more walking, deciding where to have dinner, then waiting for a table (we went to Rocco’s pizza, which was amazing).

A great way to get free admission is to volunteer; they had several shift options each day, and I heard that if you work closing on Saturday you may even get leftover bottled cider. For the best ticket price, buy them in advance, although there are taxes & fees for online sales. Although VIP tickets are online sales only, if you want the best price on a regular ticket, they usually have at least one location to pick up tickets, which avoids the fees (this year the only place was Capitol Cider). The event didn’t sell out as far as I know, but the ticket price was higher at the door. Designated driver tickets ($5) were only available at the door.

In addition to Seattle, there are Cider Summits in Chicago IL (February), San Francisco CA (April), and Portland OR (June).

At Cider Summit I also found about a new PNW cider event this year, the Olympic Penninsula Apple & Cider Festival, in Port Townsend WA (which is NW of Seattle), with multiple events the weekend of October 13-15. Other upcoming WA cider events are Cider Swig (Gig Harbor, Sept 30) and the 1st annual Whidbey Island Cider Festival (Whidbey Island, Sept 30).

Cider Summit Seattle 2017 Preview

August 17, 2017August 15, 2017 cidersays Cider Summit cider, cider event, cider summit, cider summit seattle, cider tasting, hard cider, Seattle Cider Summit

The epic 8th annual Cider Summit is coming to Seattle Washington on Friday September 8th (3-8pm) and Saturday September 9th (noon-5pm) at South Lake Union Discovery Center Lawn. Check out my posts from last year: preview, event, and tasting notes.

See here for the full event info and here for the full list of cideries (~57) and ciders (~187). I found several dozen ciders I haven’t tried and am interested in tasting (mostly due to the fruit challenge ciders, most of which are new event-only releases), so I’ll see if I can get through them all.

Regular tickets are sold in advance online ($30 + service charge) or at the door ($40), and includes a tasting glass + 8 drink tickets. VIP tickets are sold in advance online ($40 + service charge) and get you in an hour early on Friday (2pm instead of 3pm), and includes a tasting glass + 12 drink tickets. Additional drink tickets are available at the event for $2 each. Designated driver tickets are also available at the door for $5.

This outdoor event is 21+ but dog friendly. They have covered seating, stand up tables, cold water on tap, and port-a-potties. The event also includes a merchandise shop, bottle shop, food sales, cider cocktails (using the same drink tickets as ciders), and a dog lounge. Another special feature is the Fruit Cider Challenge; many cideries are bringing a special fruity cider, and attendees can vote for their favorite. Many booths have employees (or even cidermakers) from the cidery pouring ciders, a mix of keg and bottle pours. They may also still be accepting volunteers (includes free admission after your shift and 50% off wearables).

The event has in & out privileges (if you keep your wristband and glass), so you can leave to grab food (such as at the Whole Foods just down the street), or even return the next day. The last two years I’ve done both days (we even got a hotel both years, but are leaning against it this year due to cost). On Friday it usually doesn’t get too busy until closer to 5pm, but it is pretty busy the rest of the time (line down the street when they open on Saturday, which you can skip if you already have a wristband & glass).

Cider Summit Seattle is part of Washington Cider Week (Sept 7-17). Stay tuned for more posts here at Cider Says on Cider Summit and Washington Cider Week events.

Cider Rite of Spring 2017 – Post 2/2 – Tasting Notes

March 31, 2017March 31, 2017 cidersays 2 Towns, 7 Bev, Alter Ego, Bauman's, Elk Horn, event, Finnriver, McMenamin's, NV Cider, Rev Nat's, Runcible, Square Mile, Swift, Tumalo, Woodbox, ^ 5 Cider cider, cider event, cider review, Cider Rite of Spring, cider tasting, hard cider, oregon, portland, tasting notes

This is Part 2/2 on Cider Rite of Spring 2017 in Portland Oregon, which includes tasting notes on the 18 ciders I tried. See HERE for Part 1/2, covering the event itself. Note that I have more notes on some ciders than others depending on how much of it I tried and what was going on at the event (kinda tough to take notes with one hand while holding on to your tasting glass in the other!)…its not a reflection on the cider itself.

^ 5 Cider (Portland OR) Strawbasaurus Hop, 6.9% ABV, $6/500ml: This is a flagship hopped strawberry cider, and the first I’ve tried from the cidery. Dry to semi-dry. Light bodied with a lot of foam. Low tartness. Moderate acidity. Moderate bitterness. I couldn’t get past how overly hoppy the flavor was. The light strawberry flavor with the intense hopped flavor was also odd. I think hops are nice to enhance a cider’s flavor, but I don’t like when they overpower it.

2 Towns (Corvallis OR) Pommeau, 19% ABV, $23/375ml, VIP offering: This is an awesome Pommeau (apple brandy + apple cider, oak barrel aged for 1 year); see my previous review here.

7 Bev / Queen Orchard (West Linn OR) Green Man, 6.7% ABV, draft only: This cider is for the Willamette Ale & Cider House, expected to open in West Linn Oregon on June 15th, and is the first I’ve tried from the cidery. It was described as inspired by English cider, but I found it more farmhouse-style than anything else (none of the characteristic tannins of English cider). Hazy hue. Smells of sulfur, sourness, and funk, but those qualities oddly enough didn’t transfer to the flavor. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Medium bodied. Low tartness. Low to moderate acidity. Apple-forward with citrus notes. Nice flavor, but the scent was off-putting. It could be a first production issue.

Alter Ego Cider (Portland OR) The Guardian Angel, 6.5% ABV, $8/500ml: This is a flagship blueberry pomegranate cider, and the first I’ve tried from the cidery. Dark berry hue. Semi-sweet to sweet. Medium bodied. Low tartness. Moderate acidity. High flavor intensity, with blueberry, pomegranate, and grape, but not much apple. High sessionability. Juice-like. Reminds me of Atlas’ ciders. I liked it.

Bauman’s Cider (Gervais OR) Peach Raspberry, 6.4% ABV, $12/22oz: This summer seasonal cider adds peaches and raspberries, and is the first I’ve tried from the cidery. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Medium bodied. Low tartness. Moderate acidity. Moderate to high flavor intensity, with rather straight-forward peach and raspberry notes. Well balanced with a lot of flavor without being too sweet. I really enjoyed it.

Elk Horn Brewery (Eugene OR) Grape Perry, 6.0% ABV, draft only: This is a perry made from dessert pears, sweetened with Concord grape juice, and the first I’ve tried from the cidery. Semi-dry. Light bodied. Very light fruity flavor, primarily grape. I was expecting a sweeter more flavorful cider between the pear (unfermentable sugars typically lead to a higher residual sugar content even if fermentation isn’t stopped early) and grape, although you can tell even from the color than not a lot of grape juice was used.

Elk Horn Brewery (Eugene OR) Cherry’s Pie, 7.5% ABV, draft only: This is a cider with cherries added. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. I found the flavor a bit weird…kinda bitter…but I just had a sip or two shared with me.

Finnriver (Port Townsend WA) Apply Ol’ Fashion cocktail, VIP offering: Made with Finnriver’s Spirited Apple Wine (brandy-fortified cider, 18.5% ABV, $25/500ml) and Oak and Apple cider (6.5% ABV, $10/500ml). I’ve previously had both ciders on their own, but I didn’t like this cocktail in the least, and neither did my husband or friend, as none of us are fans of bitters. Its likely the proportions may have got off since they made this rather rushed…it was quite an undertaking to serve a non-pre-mixed cocktail at a busy event like this. They were also offering pours of just the Apple Wine, which is what I should have chosen. See my Oak and Apple review here. My favorite from Finnriver however is their Fire Barrel (see here); this year’s vintage was just released, and it is a great value at ~$11/500ml.

McMenamins Edgefield Winery (Portland OR) Black Cherry Cider, 6.8% ABV, draft only: Semi-sweet. Nice real cherry flavor. Low tartness. Moderate acidity. High flavor intensity. I liked it. I had previously only tried Edgefield’s flagship cider.

Pear UP (formerly NV Cider, East Wenatchee WA) Raspberry Perry, unknown ABV, $5/500ml: This is a perry (only pears, no apples) with raspberries. Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Nice moderate to strong fresh raspberry flavor with a hint of pear. Refreshingly flavorful. I was surprised how much more flavorful this was compared to their Watermelon Perry, as it is only slightly more sweet. I like the flavor intensity of this best of all their perries I’ve tried, but the watermelon flavor remains my favorite (I’m a huge watermelon fan).

Reverend Nat’s (Portland OR) New Moon Mandarin, 7.2% ABV, $7/500ml: This seasonal cider is made with mandarin and tangerine juice, and finished with chamomile flowers. Dry. Light bodied. High tartness. Moderate acidity. Very mild citrus flavor. Warm boozy finish. This was nice, but more subtle than I prefer.

Runcible Cider (Mosier OR) Light of the Moon, 8.1% ABV, $17/750ml: This is their flagship cider made using heirloom apple varieties, and the first I’ve tried from this cidery. Hazy hue. Semi-dry. Low tartness, bitterness, and tannins. Moderate acidity. Hints of sourness and funk. found this to be a slightly farmhouse-style apple-forward cider with some honey and citrus notes. I liked it.

Runcible Cider (Mosier OR) Old Hoot, 7.4% ABV, $17/750ml: This is their Farmhouse-style cider, made with English cider apple varieties. Very hazy hue. Dry. Moderate tartness and acidity. Low funk and tannins. Hints of sourness. This was well made, but a bit too rustic for my liking.

Shoutout to Kelly McCune of Runcible Cider – she had actually heard of Cider Says prior to the event, and said she likes my blog – very cool! They are a brand new cidery (this was their first event) and have their own orchard of 500 cider apple trees, which is awesome, as so many cideries actually aren’t orchard-based. I think it takes a cidery’s cider to the next level.

Square Mile Cider (Portland OR) Rosé, unknown ABV, draft only, VIP offering: This special release cider was made with hibiscus and rose hips. Semi-dry to dry. Light bodied. High tartness. Moderate acidity. Very light fruitiness, with floral and herbal notes. This was nice, but more subtle than I prefer.

Swift Cider (Portland OR) Marionberry, 6.8% ABV, $8/22oz: This is a dry flagship cider with marionberries, and the first I’ve tried from the cidery. Dry to semi-dry. Light bodied. Low berry flavor intensity. This was nice, but more subtle than I prefer.

Tumalo Cider (Tumalo OR) Prickly Passion, unknown ABV, $6/500ml: This is the first I’ve tried from the cidery. Semi-dry to dry. Light bodied. Moderate tartness and acidity. Very low fruity flavor intensity. This was nice, but more subtle than I prefer.

Tumalo Cider (Tumalo OR) Hibiscus, unknown ABV, $6/500ml: Semi-dry to dry. Light bodied. Moderate tartness acidity. Low flavor intensity, more fruity than floral. Slightly more flavorful than the Prickly Passion. This was nice, but more subtle than I prefer.

Woodbox (Portland OR) Double Barrel Whiskey Barrel Ice Cider, 12.7% ABV, $17/375ml: This is a ice cider (made by using freezing temperatures to naturally concentrate the flavor and sugar content in apple juice before fermenting it) aged in whiskey barrels, and the first I’ve tried from the cidery. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Full bodied. Low to moderate tartness and acidity. Low tannins. Rich flavor notes including caramel and vanilla. High apple flavor. Moderate to high whiskey flavor. Moderate oak flavor. Awesome! They made a sign to highlight the cider’s price as the program had a mis-print of $33, which is quite a difference.

Closing Notes:

My favorite ciders of the event were the Woodbox Ice Cider and 2 Towns Pommeau (and my husband and friend agreed).
- The ice cider was an especially good value too (often they run $30+ as they are so expensive to make), and the only bottle we ended up picking up (although our friend bought a number of ciders).
Of the non-specialty ciders, I most enjoyed Alter Ego Guardian Angel, Bauman’s Peach Raspberry, Pear UP Raspberry Perry, and Runcible Light of the Moon.
I was surprised how many dry ciders were being offered, and especially how many cideries were only offering dry ciders, which is nice. However, especially when made from dessert apples, dry ciders can often end up very subtlety flavored, while I prefer a really in-your-face flavorful cider (whether an added flavor or due to use of cider apples). I usually go for semi-dry to semi-sweet, as they tend to be more flavorful, but not too sweet.
There were also a number of cideries breaking from the pack and going more Farmhouse-style (like Runcible and Baird & Dewar), which isn’t typically as crowd-pleasing, but sticks to the roots of early American cider.
There were plenty of sweet offerings too, but mostly from the more established / larger cideries that I had already sampled (like Portland Cider Co., and the Seattle-area’s own Locust and Schilling cideries).

That will do it for Cider Rite of Spring 2017. Stay tuned for more tasting notes from my Portland trip, from Reverend Nat’s tap room and Bushwhacker Cider!

Cider Rite of Spring 2017 – Post 1/2 – Event Review

March 29, 2017March 31, 2017 cidersays Cider Rite of Spring, event cider, cider event, Cider Rite of Spring, cider tasting, hard cider, Northwest Cider, oregon, portland

This past weekend I attended the 4th annual Cider Rite of Spring cider tasting event in Portland Oregon. My husband and I drove down from Seattle (about 4 hours away) and stayed overnight. It was a whirlwind with a lot of driving in two days, but fun. This is the first of a series of posts about my Portland cider weekend, and will cover the event itself, with a forthcoming post with tasting notes on the ciders I tried. Also refer to my preview of the event here.

Overview:

This cider tasting event was held from noon to 6pm on a Saturday at a three-story indoor event space near downtown Portland (The Evergreen PDX). It featured nearly 100 ciders from 31 cideries. The event cost $25-$45, depending on if you purchased a regular or VIP ticket, and pre sale vs. at the door. Entry included 8 drink tickets and a tasting glass. VIP tickets also included access to an upstairs VIP lounge. Each cidery had a booth with a cidery representative pouring 1-4 ciders, a mix of draft and bottle pours.

The event was hosted by the Northwest Cider Association, and also served as a fundraiser for the organization, which aims to bring cideries and cider lovers together to share knowledge, experience, and live the Northwest cider culture. They promote cider and sponsor classes, workshops, events, and more.

My experience:

I arrived a bit past noon with my husband and a friend of ours who lives out of state that we don’t get to see often enough (her parents live in Portland so she visits often). There was a line to get in when they opened, as it required the typical ID check, wristband application, and check in (printed tickets vs. will call tickets vs. ticket sales). We stayed about four hours total, tried over a dozen ciders, and bought some bottles to take home.

The VIP lounge on the top floor.

My favorite parts:

The hourly VIP tastings. They were all exclusive and/or rare releases, listed in the event program, and only being poured in the VIP area. Each hour featured a different cidery and cider to taste, no tickets required. The VIP lounge also included snacks (mostly cheese chosen to be paired with cider from Whole Foods) and some cider options available the entire time (although the one I tried was literally just cider apple juice, not fermented?).
Getting to try Oregon ciders which I don’t see in Washington, from cideries which don’t even distribute out of Oregon yet. Several cideries hadn’t even had their official launch yet.
The bottle shop. Many of the offerings were sold in the bottle shop (except some draft-only options). It was regular retail price, but proceeds went to the Northwest Cider Association, and many are difficult or impossible to find in stores.
The event was well-planned. There was sufficient information available online beforehand. There was sufficient signage and it was laid out well, although squished. The venue was nice besides the size, and indoors, so no weather to deal with. It was even decorated with fresh flowers (very Spring-like). They had water and non-alcoholic cider available, and jars to dump unwanted cider into.
Affordable ticket prices, as low as $25 plus a couple dollars in fees for pre-sales.

The bottle shop offerings.

My least favorite parts:

The crowds! It was literally elbow to elbow push & shove to get anywhere in the building, verging on dangerous. At first the air conditioning wasn’t even on so it was starting to get very hot with all the bodies in the small space, but thankfully that kicked in after awhile. Apparently this was a new venue for this year and they had approximately double the attendees as last year (900), so significantly more than they were expecting. However, I really think they should have capped ticket sales before it got that bad. There is already talk of a larger venue for next year. I don’t mind lines (especially as it ensures you don’t drink too quickly and encourages you to talk to folks you are in line with), but it was difficult to even know where lines were, and to get between them. There were less chances to talk to the cidery folks as someone was always behind you waiting. Even the VIP lounge was overcrowded, which defeated part of its purpose. This was tied for the most crowded tasting event I’ve ever been to.
Lack of seating, or even standing tables to set down your glass and take notes.
No early entry for VIP ticket holders. Often events let you in an hour early, which is nice to get one-on-one time with cidermakers. I had been hoping to get that in the VIP lounge, but it was busy there too.

The event space and crowds.

The in between:

Pours were on the smaller side. This can be good or bad…it enables you to try more ciders without feeling like you have to drink more than you want to or dump some out to try more, but it is easy to run out of tickets quickly (extras were being sold for $2 each).
This was a medium sized event. Less options than the Cider Summit events for example (which also typically includes some imports and aren’t as regional, with cideries outside of just Oregon & Washington for the Seattle event for example), but more than Summer Cider Day in Port Townsend WA.
Lack of food options. The only option was sushi, which seemed an odd choice as many folks don’t like it, and usually more carb-rich foods are better to go with alcohol. There weren’t however any lines for food as is typical at events, as it was a quick prep item (and possibly as there was less interest than typical food offerings). It was also priced low, especially for sushi. However, this was announced in advance, so it wasn’t an issue; we ate lunch before the event and I always travel with snacks.
The downtown location. This enabled us to stay at a hotel which was a cheap Uber ride to the event, restaurants, and cider bars, However, hotel prices and parking are more expensive downtown.

Event map and VIP tasting schedule.

My general cider tasting event tips:

As with any event, it is best to arrive early. If you arrive 5-10 minutes before it starts, you can be among the first in line and get some cider tasting in before the space fills up.
Wear comfortable closed toe shoes. Although there may not be much walking involved, there is typically a lot of standing. I was surprised how many women I saw wearing heels and/or sandals. I’m not a fan of having my feet hurting and toes stepped on…
Eat beforehand and bring some snacks. Crackers are a good choice to absorb alcohol and cleanse your palette. Not having to stop and eat a meal can save time as well (although sometimes taking a decent break is nice too).
Bring a bottle of water, although often it is easy enough to fill your tasting glass with provided water between ciders.
Bring a pen/pencil, and possibly a notebook. You may want to at least note on the program what ciders you don’t want to miss, which you enjoyed and want to purchase bottles of (or if you are like me, take tasting notes).
If possible, plan what ciders you want to try ahead of time. It is unfortunately impossible to try everything. They didn’t release the cider list in advance this time, but I looked through it off the bat to get an idea of what I wanted to taste. I suggest prioritizing ciders that are expensive, special releases, and/or not found in your area. If possible, taste from dry and simple to sweet and weird. What you taste before another cider can impact the next. At least however avoid spicy (hot) ciders until the end of the day, as those wreck the palette the most.
Consider trying multiple ciders from the same cidery/booth. That gives you a good idea of the range of the cidery’s options. Often they will pour you a smaller sample of each offering for a single ticket if you ask / if they aren’t too busy.
If they will have a bottle shop, bring a bag you can put some ciders in, and/or a bottle bag. At this event they were selling them for $5, or giving them away with the purchase of 6 bottles. We ended up buying some ciders midway through the event as we weren’t sure if they would sell out, so a backpack was handy to keep our hands free.
For outdoor events, bring a sun hat, sunblock, and a jacket.

Bottom line:

I liked the cider aspect of the event of course, especially all the new-to-me Oregon ciders/cideries, and the VIP tasting opportunities were awesome. However, I wouldn’t consider attending this event again unless they were going to hold it at a much larger venue with some breathing room and seating. I have every confidence they will remedy this for next year.

I really do like the indoor events though, as for me alcohol + sun/heat isn’t a good combination, and indoor toilets always beat port-a-pottys. Besides a larger venue, another option for them may be to split it into two sessions (with ticket sales for a specific session), which should then half the crowds.

Next time we do Portland we’ll definitely stay at least 2 nights and take some time off work. Doing the drive on two days in a row is rough, and made for a very long day to drive, attend the event, and go out that night. Plus now I’ve been playing catch up all week with all my usual weekend stuff, like house chores and blog posts.

Square Mile had a tiny house on display outside that they will be giving away in a contest…it must have been interesting to navigate downtown and park the large pickup truck with trailer!

Event program:

Stay tuned for Cider Rite of Spring 2017 post 2/2 covering tasting notes (NOW AVAILABLE – see here), as well as posts about my visits to Reverend Nat’s tap room and Bushwhacker Cider.

Notes on Cider at Debuts and Discoveries 2017

March 27, 2017March 19, 2017 cidersays Chatter Creek, Elemental, event, Locust, Pear UP, review, Schilling, Steelhead, Woodinville Ciderworks cider, cider event, cider review, cider tasting, Debuts and Discoveries, hard cider, tasting notes

On March 18th, I attended a ‘Debuts and Discoveries’ tasting event in Seattle put on by the University Sunrise Rotary Club, to benefit Teen Feed. It featured about 7 cideries, 7 breweries, 12 wineries, and 11 distilleries. It was very cool to see an event with such a mix of beverage selections, as I’m only into cider and my husband is into everything else. I took the night off from blogging, so unfortunately I don’t have any photos or tasting notes. However, I thought I might as well do a quick writeup.

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The Ciders:

Chatter Creek (Woodinville WA) brought their ‘Pilot Project’ Golden Cider, ‘Chaider Clipper’ Chai Tea, and ‘Luya’ Ginger-Honey.
Elemental (Woodinville WA) brought their ‘Carbon’ Semi-Dry, ‘Calcium’ Blood Orange, and ‘Oxygen’ Pomegranate.
Locust (Woodinville WA) brought their Chili Pineapple, Smoked Blueberry, Thai Ginger, and Vanilla Bean.
Pear UP (formerly Neigel Vintners) brought a number of perries, including Ginger Pear, Hoppin’ Pear, Pear Essentials, Pearfect Pie, and Watermelon.
Schilling (Auburn WA) brought their ‘Reboot’ Blood Orange, Blueberry Cobbler, and London Dry.
Steelhead (Lake Chelan WA) brought their ‘Chimera’ Cherry, ‘Furious George’ Ginger, and ‘Peargatory’ Vanilla Pear.
Woodinville Ciderworks (Woodinville WA) brought their Asian Pear and something else.

What I Tried:

Chatter Creek’s Chaider Clipper was tasty, semi-dry, with a smooth moderate spiciness from the Chai. I previously reviewed their Pilot Project.
Elemental’s Carbon and Blood Orange. I preferred previous versions of Carbon that were more rich than citrusy, and less tart (see here). My husband was crazy about the Blood Orange; the flavor was nice and mild. Both had higher levels of carbonation, which is great too. I previously sampled their Pomegranate.
Locust’s Blueberry + Vanilla and Chili Pineapple. I had tried both the Blueberry and Vanilla before (see here), finding the Blueberry rather average and the Vanilla to have an amazing creamy vanilla flavor but too sweet. However, mixed, they were an awesome semi-sweet concoction, and my favorite of the evening. The Chili Pineapple surprisingly didn’t have any noticeable spiciness (I’ve had a number of spicy ciders which were crazy spicy), just a nice pineapple flavor.
Pear UP’s Watermelon, which remains my favorite from them (see here). The pear and watermelon notes remain mild, but I’m a huge watermelon fan.
(I previously tried Schilling’s Blueberry Cobbler and London Dry)
Steelhead’s Cherry, which I previously tried (see here). Nice cherry flavor, but rather tart. I also previously tried their Peargatory.
(I previously tried Woodinville Ciderworks’ Asian Pear and Tropical)

The Event:

It was an indoor event (in an old hangar in Magnison Park – very cool), from 5-9pm on a Saturday. The $40 entry fee included 15! drink tickets and a $5 food voucher. They also provided free bottled water and snacks (like chips and trail mix), which I have never seen before and was much appreciated. The event was to focus on new craft beverage businesses, and their published cutoff was four years, but I know some of the companies were more than four years old (like Woodinville Whiskey, which started in 2010). There were four main food truck options (also indoors).

They had tables and chairs, but they could have used more (and unfortunately some folks would put their stuff down to “save” their spot, then leave). Bottle sales were available from most makers, and it was tax-free as it was a charity event (a HUGE savings for hard alcohol…my husband picked up four bottles which were about $35 instead of $55). The main negative for me was the live music…any live music indoors tends to be overly loud, making it was very difficult to hold a conversation, and giving me a headache. I felt bad for the booths right next to the band.

All in all it was a fun time and I look forward to attending again next year!

Cider Rite of Spring 2017 Preview

February 13, 2017February 17, 2017 cidersays Cider Rite of Spring, event cider, cider event, Cider Rite of Spring, cider tasting, hard cider, oregon, portland

This year I’m excited to be planning to attend a new-to-me event Cider Rite of Spring, on March 25th 2017 in Portland Oregon. The 4th annual event is presented by the Northwest Cider Association. Cider Rite of Spring has been named “The Best NW Cider Festival” by SIP Northwest Magazine.

Date/Time/Location: Saturday March 25th 2017, noon to 6pm, at The Evergreen ballroom (618 Southeast Alder Street) in Portland Oregon; this is a new venue for this year, and all indoors

Admission: $25 or $40* (tickets sold here), which includes 8 tasting tickets and a tasting glass; this is a 21+ event only

*$40 is for VIP admission, which has the same start time, but includes access to the VIP lounge, with complimentary cheese pairings by Whole Foods and one-on-one interaction with 6 PNW cidermakers who will share a special cider offering for tasting and purchase only to VIP ticket holders

Cidermakers: 30 planned (^5 Cider, 1859 Cider Co, 2 Towns Cider House, 7Bev Corp, Alter Ego Cider, Baird & Dewar Farmhouse, Bandon Rain, Bauman’s Cider, Bull Run Cider, Cider Riot!, Dragon’s Head Cider, Elk Horn Brewery & Cider House, Finnriver Farm & Cidery, Locust Cider, McMenamins Edgefield, New West Cider, Pear UP, Portland Cider Co., Red Tank Cider, Reverend Nat’s Hard Cider, Runcible Cider Co, Schilling Cider, Seattle Cider Co, Snowdrift Cider Co, Spire Mountain Ciders, Square Mile Cider, Steelhead Cider, Swift Cider, Tieton Cider Works, Tumalo Cider Co, and Woodbox Cider)

Ciders: 100 planned

Bottle Shop: Yes – many ciders will be available to purchase bottles of to take home.

Food: Available for purchase from Wasabi Sushi

My Notes: I’ve never tried ciders from 10 of the 30 cideries (many are Oregon cideries which don’t yet distribute to Washington). My husband and I plan to make a weekend of it, driving down from Seattle on the morning of the event and staying overnight in a local hotel. The location near downtown is great as we can park the car once and take The Max or an Uber to the event and dinner.

Stay tuned for a review of the event and tasting notes!

Cider Summit Seattle 2016 Post 2/2 – Tasting Notes

September 14, 2016April 16, 2017 cidersays 2 Towns, Apple Outlaw, Aspall, Cider Summit, Coquerel Calvados, D's Wicked, Double Mountain, Dragon's Head, event, Finnriver, Incline, J. Seeds, local, Maeloc, Montana Ciderworks, Moonlight Meadery, Nectar Creek, Number Six, NV Cider, Rev Nat's, review, Sea Cider, Seattle Cider, Steelhead, Summit Cider cider, cider event, cider review, cider summit, cider tasting, hard cider, seattle, tasting notes

This is post 2/2 on Cider Summit Seattle 2016, covering tasting notes. Post 1/2 (see here) covered the event.

2 Towns (Corvallis Oregon) Hollow Jack (6.4% ABV) – This fall seasonal pumpkin cider was just released. They added caramelized pumpkin, sweet potato, honey, and spices. Semi-dry. Light bodied. Low tartness, acidity, and bitterness. Notes of pumpkin, squash, and cinnamon. It was very lightly flavored, unlike many other pumpkin (and more frequently found, “pumpkin” spice ciders, which actually don’t have any pumpkin) which are overwhelming.

Apple Outlaw (Applegate Oregon) Chocolate Raspberry (unknown ABV) – This was their fruit cider challenge entry. The chocolate was added by soaking cacao bean husks in the raspberry cider. These husks would otherwise be discarded in the chocolate making process. Smells delicious, purely chocolate and raspberry. Semi-dry. The flavor is almost all raspberry, but hints of dark chocolate shone through in the slightly bitter and tannic finish. Moderate tartness and acidity. This was a bit of a novelty, but nice.

Aspall (Suffolk England) Perronelle’s Blush (4% ABV) – Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Moderate tartness and acidity. Light to medium bodied. Lovely fruitiness with moderate blackberry flavor plus hints of cranberry and blueberry. This is a nice sessionable summer sipper without forgoing flavor. I’ve never been disappointed by Aspall.

Boonville (Boonville CA) Bite Hard Semi-Sweet (6.9% ABV) – Their semi-sweet flagship cider is a follow up to their Dry Bite Hard variety. I found it as advertised, semi-sweet. Medium bodied. Fruity, with notes of tropical fruit like pineapple, plus green apple (all from the apples). I prefer this semi-sweet cider to their drier variety, which was more wine-like (which corresponds to their wine making background and methods).

Bull Run (Forest Grove Oregon) Mango (unknown ABV) – This was their fruit cider challenge entry. This hazy cider looked like mango juice. Semi-sweet. Medium bodied. Very juice-like and moderate mango flavor intensity. Moderate tartness and acidity. Simple but tasty.

Carlton Cyderworks (McMinnville Oregon) Impearial Asian Pear Hard Cider (5.8% ABV) – This is a pear cider (apples + Asian pears + Hood River Oregon pears). Semi-dry. Light bodied. Light sourness. Mildly flavored with notes of pear, pineapple, lemon, green apple, and mineral. I prefer more flavor, but this would pair well with food.

Coquerel (Victot-Pontfol, Normandy, France) Calvodos Fine VSOP (40% ABV) – This was my first time trying straight Calvados, an aged apple brandy (I’ve only had it with cider, as Pommeau). Semi-dry. Definitely boozy, with a very long warming finish. It surprisingly had only a mild apple flavor, although its possible my palate was a bit overwhelmed by the alcohol. I’m not really into straight alcohol (especially when served room temperature). I think I’ll stick to Pommeau.

d’s Wicked (Kennewick WA) Cranny Granny (6.9% ABV) – This is a granny smith apple cider with cranberry juice. Hazy pink hue. Semi-sweet. Medium bodied. Simple with only notes of moderately tart granny smith apples and cranberry. If you like tartness and cranberry, you’ll like this cider.

Dragon’s Head (Vashon WA) Columbia Crabapple Cider (6.7% ABV) – A single varietal cider made from Columbia crabapples. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Light bodied. Moderate tartness and acidity with hints of bitterness and tannins. Sharp flavor with notes of mineral, green apple, honey, white blossom, and lemon. Wine-like and nuanced with low flavor intensity. This is the sweetest variety I’ve tried from them. Their Kingston Black or Traditional is probably my favorite though.

Double Mountain Brewery – I’ll add a bit about them as they aren’t yet distributed in Washington, only Oregon. They have brewed beer for 9 years, but just started making cider, and have one introductory variety.

Double Mountain (Hood River Oregon) Jumpin Jack Heirloom Cider (7.3% ABV) – Fully dry. Mild sourness. Moderate tartness and acidity. Mild bitterness and tannins. Notes of green apple and a hint of hops (not sure if they were added, or there might have been some tap line contamination). I didn’t pick up the richness of any of the cider apple varieties they added, but there was definitely sharp heirloom apple flavor. I thought it was ok.

Finnriver (Chimanum WA) Apple Abbey (6.5% ABV) – A Belgian-inspired cider made from dessert apples. Foamy and hazy. Smells of sourness and citrus. Semi-sweet. Medium bodied. Yeast-forward. Notes of citrus and green apple. Hints of sourness. Moderate tartness and acidity. I liked it.

Finnriver (Chimanum WA) Pomona’s Nectar (6.5% ABV) – This is a new Crew Selection sour nectarine cider. Smells like Spanish Sidra. Semi dry. Mild to moderate sourness. Notes of lemon, yeast, and mineral (I didn’t pick up any stone fruit). I’m still trying to acquire the taste for sour ciders, but I found this one pretty tolerable; its a bit more approachable than the average Sidra.

Incline Cider (Auburn WA) Scout (6.5%) – A hopped marionberry cider. Semi-dry. Light bodied. Light marrionberry and moderate hops flavor. I think I prefer their plain Explorer hopped cider variety.

J. Seeds (Fairfield CA) Apple Cider Whiskey (35% ABV) – Whiskey made including apple cider. Semi-sweet. Apple forward and quite tasty, although I don’t have anything to compare it to as I’m not a whiskey drinker (I’ve previously found it too harsh). However, I’m not into straight booze, so I think I’d prefer it watered down or mixed. It looks to be available locally and is quite affordable. I wouldn’t mind trying this again. Being sweeter, it reminds me of what flavored sweetened vodka is to plain vodka.

Maeloc Cider (Galithia Spain) Dry (4.8% ABV) – This is a commercial Spanish Sidra. Semi-dry to semi-sweet (despite the “Dry” name). Medium bodied. Mild sourness and funk. Notes of citrus and green apple. It is a more approachable Sidra, a style I’m still learning to acquire a taste for. I learned they use apples from within 50 miles of the cidery, grown in a damp climate similar to the PNW, and use wild yeast fermentation for all their ciders. Overall it was ok.

Montana CiderWorks (Darby MT) Spartan Dry-Style (5.5% ABV) – This is a small batch oak aged single varietal made with Montana-grown Spartan apples, in the style of Northern Italy’s Sauvignon Blanc. Dry. Light bodied. Nuanced and wine-like, with high acidity, and sharp green apple, herbal, and baked apple notes. It was nice, but I prefer their fuller flavored Darby Pub cider. This is a wine-lovers cider.

Moonlight Meadery (Londonderry NH) Crimes of Passion (4.1% ABV) – A black currant seasonal cider. Semi-dry. Light sourness. Moderate tartness and acidity. Mild to moderate black currant flavor intensity. I enjoyed it, although without the sourness I would have enjoyed it more. I was excited to learn they will soon be offering their How Do You Like Them Little Apples cider in cans (currently all their ciders are draft-only), starting in October/November, including in the Seattle area.

Nectar Creek (Corvallis Oregon) Honeycone (6.9% ABV) – This is a hopped mead (no apples, just honey and water). The smell is all hops, no honey. Semi-dry. Mild flavor intensity with more hops than honey. I found this sessionable lightly carbonated mead to be lacking the full flavor I enjoy in the higher ABV sweeter meads.

Number Six Cider (Seattle WA) Peach Fuzz (6.5% ABV) – This was their fruit cider challenge entry, a spiced peach cider. Semi-dry. Very full bodied (chunky and smoothie-like). Low peach flavor and moderate to high spice intensity. It was a bit too strange for my liking as it was so full bodied, and overly spiced.

NV Cider (East Wenatchee WA) Watermelon Raspberry (unknown ABV) – This perry (no apples) with watermelon and raspberry was their fruit cider challenge entry, and was served through a watermelon. Semi-sweet. Light bodied. Moderately flavorful, but with more raspberry than watermelon notes, and no pear. I prefer their watermelon perry without the raspberry. Both however are refreshing options.

Reverend Nat’s (Portland Oregon) Sour Cherry (7.2% ABV) – This cider was made from granny smith apples, with pie cherry juice which was soured, pear juice, and “hint” of ghost chili peppers. Semi-dry. Moderate cherry flavor. Low sourness. Low to moderate heat/spiciness from the ghost chili peppers. I liked the cherry portion of the cider, but spicy ciders aren’t my thing (and a bit of a palate killer too). I’d love to see this without the spiciness (which I believe was new for this year).

Reverend Nat’s (Portland Oregon) The Passion (6.9% ABV) – Cider with passion fruit juice, coconut, and vanilla. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Medium bodied. Mild sourness. Moderate tartness and acidity. Hints of bitterness and tannins. Strong passion fruit flavor with hints of vanilla, pineapple, and coconut. I really enjoyed it. I liked how fruity it was without being too sweet. I had heard this was very sour so I hadn’t got around to trying it, but I wish I had sooner! I wonder if they did away with the sour aspect this year, as I really didn’t pick up any. I’ll have to try this again to see if my sour taste buds were busted when I tried it.

Reverend Nat’s (Portland Oregon) Whiskey Barrel Aged Golden Russet with Black Currant (9.5% ABV) – This is Wandering Aengus’ Golden Russet cider with black currant puree from Oregon Fruit Products, aged for 6 months in whiskey barrels. It was made for the Portland and Seattle Cider Summits, but will be a Tent Show cider club release in October. Semi-dry. Moderate tartness and acidity. Mild tannins and bitterness. Moderate barrel and spirit influence. Awesome! I really loved this cider. I usually find berry ciders to be boring, but when barrel aged, they can be amazing. This reminded me of Alpenfire Calypso and Apocalypso, except more boozy, and whiskey not rum barrel aged. Too bad they weren’t selling bottles of this at the event, as I would have picked some up.

Sea Cider (Saanichton, B.C., Canada) Ruby Rose (9.9% ABV) – This summer seasonal is made with rhubarb and rose hips. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Medium bodied. Mild to moderate tartness and acidity. Hints of bitterness and tannins. Intensely fruity, with floral, rhubarb, strawberry, and watermelon notes. I really liked it! Oddly enough I didn’t find it too boozy, despite being 9.9% ABV.

Sea Cider (Saanichton, B.C., Canada) Witch’s Broom (9.9% ABV) – I got a taste from the first bottle poured in the U.S. of this fall seasonal. It was described as a “bouquet of pumpkin patch spices”. Semi-sweet. Medium bodied. It was moderately spiced with notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, and baked apple. Mild tannins, bitterness, tartness, and acidity. Cinnamon was the most present, both in the nose and the finish. One of my favorite spiced ciders, but I’m not usually a huge fan of them.

Both of these ciders from Sea Cider are part of their Canadian Invasion Series, meant to draw attention to invasive species and their threat to farms and natural areas.

Seattle Cider (Seattle Washington) City Fruit (6.3% ABV) – This is a special release cider only sold at Whole Foods, made using apples collected in the Seattle community by the non-profit City Fruit. Dry to semi-dry. Wine-like and acid forward. Notes of red grape and mineral. Overall very mild flavor intensity. This is a wine-lovers cider, and would pair well with food.

Steelhead Cider (Manson WA) Chimera Cherry Apple (5.5% ABV) – This is a newer cidery who just started distributing (at least kegs) in the Seattle area. I previously tried their Peargatory. Semi-sweet. Medium bodied. Moderate to strong real cherry flavor. It was sweeter than I prefer, but I liked the intense cherry flavor.

Summit Cider – I’ll add a bit about them as they aren’t yet distributed in Western Washington (only Idaho and Eastern Washington). This cidery was started in 2014, making them the first in Idaho, and the only in Coeur d’Alene. Their bestseller is Apricot, although of late their Hibiscus cider has been popular with wine drinkers. They have a tap room in Coeur d’Alene. I met co-founder Davon Sjostrom, who has a background in Botany, which I imagine brings something new to cidermaking.

Summit Cider (Coeur d’Alene Idaho) Apple (6.5% ABV) – Semi-dry. Low tartness and acidity. Low to moderate apple flavor. Rather plain, but likeable.

Summit Cider (Coeur d’Alene Idaho) Apricot (6.5% ABV) – Semi-dry. Lots of (true) apricot flavor for the level of dryness (typically drier ciders have a less intense flavor than sweeter ciders). I really enjoyed it. Davon described testing out many varieties of apricots to find the one whose flavor came across best in cider.

Summit Cider (Coeur d’Alene Idaho) Hibiscus (6.9% ABV) – Semi-dry with nuanced light floral and herbal notes. I can see why this would be a wine-lovers cider.

Summit Cider (Coeur d’Alene Idaho) Blackberry (unknown ABV) – This was their fruit cider challenge entry. I found it semi-dry and very mild in flavor. I think with some barrel aging it would have been nice though.

In Summary

My Favorite Cider – Reverend Nat’s Whiskey Barrel Aged Black Currant

Other Favorite Ciders – Reverend Nat’s The Passion, Summer Cider Apricot, Sea Cider Ruby Rose, and Steelhead Cherry

Most Interesting Cider – One Tree’s PB&J cider, a raspberry cider with peanut butter whipped cream (I didn’t try it, but a photo is available here – more dessert than cider).

Other Interesting Ciders – Reverend Nat’s Sour Cherry, due to the use of ghost chili peppers. Schilling’s Grumpy Bear, due to the use of coffee and a Nitro can (my tasting notes here). Schilling’s Sour Raspberry Smoothie, due to its high viscosity (apparently for some of their ciders with high fruit content, they have a keg or two per batch which are smoothie-like). Apple Outlaw’s Chocolate Raspberry, due to the use of chocolate in a cider (I’ve only heard of Woodchuck doing this previously). 1o1 Ciderhouse Black Dog, due to the use of activated charcoal (poured last year, with my tasting notes here).

Cider Summit Seattle 2016 Post 1/2 – The Event

September 13, 2016September 14, 2016 cidersays Cider Summit, event, local cider, cider event, cider summit, cider tasting, hard cider, seattle, tasting notes, washington

What an epic cider event! This was my second year attending (see here for previous posts), but was the seventh annual Cider Summit in Seattle Washington. It took place on Friday & Saturday September 9th & 10th. This is post 1/2, covering the event. Post 2/2 will cover tasting notes on the dozens of ciders I tried. [Update – Post 2/2 is now up here].

Info

We had some beautiful weather for the weekend. It was still warmer than I prefer, but not as bad as last year. Same as last year, I attended both days, and even stayed locally overnight. Even though I don’t live far, its very convenient, and makes a fun weekend getaway with the hubby. See here for the full event info and here for the full list of cideries (60) and ciders (196 ish).

There were some substitutions, but about the same number of ciders as expected were poured. The most interesting booths were those for Coquerel Calvados (French apple brandy), Schonauer apple liquor, and J. Seeds apple cider whiskey. They were even pouring a few meads, from Moonlight Meadery and Nectar Creek. Although most ciders were from the PNW, there were a good number of national and international ones as well. Also, the selections were primarily on the craft (vs. commercial) end.

There were 16 entries for the Fruit Cider Challenge. I learned that the cideries were provided fruit puree from Oregon Fruit Products which they made cider with. Votes were taken by text (1 per phone). Although I didn’t try them all, my vote was for Reverend Nat’s Whiskey Barrel Aged Golden Russet w/ Black Currant.

Entry included a tasting glass, tickets (8 for regular and 12 for VIP, each one good for a 4oz pour of most ciders), and wristband. A cool feature of this event is that in addition to in & out privileges, one entry fee gets you in both days (and you can even skip the line on the second day). This event is very well organized. Everything from pre event information online to signage at the event to thinking of the little things like having rinse water available.

Another thing about this event that I really like is that the folks pouring the cider are associated with the cidery (cidery employees, sometimes even the cidermakers, or the distributor). When its not too busy, you can ask about the cidery and cider. The crowd was really varied, from the cider enthusiasts like myself to people who just wanted to drink. We even spotted a couple in wedding garb (apparently they attended Friday straight from their wedding), and an adorable older lady with her walker.

Layout

Besides the main attraction of cider booths, they had music (from a local radio station, KEXP), food for sale from Whole Foods and SUSU rolled ice cream, cider cocktails from Capitol Cider, samples of unfermented juice from Ryan’s and Krave beef jerky (both for sale), some misc booths such as for Northwest Cider and fancy growlers, a shop with bottle sales and Cider Summit t-shirts and such, a dog lounge, stand up tables, covered seating, cold filtered water (from Easy Tap), and port-a-potties (which were actually quite clean, and one set of them had outdoor sinks). There was less covered seating this year, but it seemed to be sufficient.

My Tips

I’m glad I brought a hat, sunblock, good walking/standing shoes (for uneven grass), 1 water bottle to fill up, snacks (including something starchy, good both to absorb alcohol and as a palate cleanser – I chose animal crackers this year), notebook, pencil, and tote bag with an outside pocket for my tasting glass. You might also want a bag to put free swag in, but a couple cidery booths actually gave out bags too. Some cash isn’t a bad idea either, although I think at least the bottle shop took cards. ID is required.

My best advice for avoiding the crowds it to attend early on Friday, although even later on Friday is less busy than anytime on Saturday. I ended up only staying a few hours on Friday and a couple hours on Saturday, leaving once I’d had enough. There are also a number of restaurants (and Whole Foods) within walking distance, so another option is leaving if you need a break, then come back after a bit. I did that last year, especially as it was so hot (we took advantage of the a/c as Whole Foods).

A great way to get free admission is to volunteer; they had several shift options each day, and I heard that if you work closing on Saturday you may even get leftover cider. For the best ticket price, buy them in advance. Although VIP tickets are online sales only, if you are getting regular tickets, buy them in person at one of the places around town which sell them, as there isn’t a service charge. It didn’t sell out as far as I know, but the price was higher at the door. Designated driver tickets ($5) were only at the door.

Photos

Cider Summit Seattle 2016 Preview

August 16, 2016September 10, 2016 cidersays Cider Summit, event cider, cider event, cider summit, cider tasting, hard cider, seattle, South Lake Union, washington

The epic 7th annual Cider Summit is coming to Seattle Washington on Friday September 9th (3-8pm) and Saturday September 10 (noon-5pm) at South Lake Union Discovery Center Lawn. Check out my posts from last year: info, cider list preview, event, and tasting notes.

See here for the full event info and here for the full list of cideries (60) and ciders (196 ish). I found at least 40 ciders I haven’t tried and am interested in tasting, so I’ll see if I can get through that many in the two days.

Regular tickets are sold in advance online ($30 + service charge) or at Seattle-area Whole Foods ($30, also said to include access to a Whole Foods VIP tasting area, new this year), or at the door ($40), and includes a tasting glass + 8 drink tickets. VIP tickets are sold in advance online ($45 + service charge) and get you in an hour early on Friday (2pm not 3pm), and includes a tasting glass + 12 drink tickets. Additional drink tickets are available at the event for $2 each. Designated driver tickets are also available at the door for $5.

This outdoor event is 21+ but dog friendly. Last year they had covered seating, stand up tables, cold water on tap, and port-a-potties. The event also includes a merchandise shop, bottle shop, food sales, cider cocktails (using the same drink tickets as ciders), and a dog lounge. Another special feature is the Fruit Cider Challenge; many cideries are bringing a special fruity cider, and attendees can vote for their favorite. Last year many booths had employees (or even cidermakers) from the cideries pouring ciders, a mix of keg and bottle pours. They may also still be accepting volunteers (includes admission, t-shirt, and cider benefits).

Last year my husband and I got a hotel down the road as I wanted to attend both days, and it makes it way easier (especially not having to find parking two days in a row), even though we live fairly close. We’re doing the same again this year. The event has in & out privileges (if you keep your wristband and glass), and we left on Friday to grab food down the road at the Whole Foods (and cool off in their a/c, as it was HOT last year) – although they did sell food. I had a VIP ticket last year and it was great, as I could get photos and try ciders before it got busy. On Friday it didn’t get too busy until closer to 5pm. On Saturday I didn’t stay too long, getting there when they opened at noon and leaving after a couple hours, but was much busier.

Cider Summit Seattle is part of Washington Cider Week (Sept 8-18). Stay tuned for more posts on Cider Summit and Washington Cider Week events.

Summer Cider Day 2016 in Port Townsend WA – The Event

August 8, 2016August 9, 2016 cidersays event, review, summer cider day cider, cider event, cider tasting, hard cider, port townsend, summer cider day, washington

Last weekend I attended the 6th annual Summer Cider Day in Port Townsend Washington. It was my first time at this event and my second time in Port Townsend (Northwest of Seattle; see my previous 4 posts here on the Olympic Peninsula Cider Route with Alpenfire, Eaglemount, and Finnriver). I’ll have two posts; this first one covers the event and a second will cover tasting notes on the ciders I tried (post 2/2 now up – see HERE). Check out my previous post here, which was a preview of the Summer Cider Day event.

I took the Edmonds-Kingston ferry fairly early (note there is a Port Townsend ferry, but the route is from Coupville) to ensure I got there before 11am, when the VIP tasting started (an hour earlier than the noon-5pm event). VIP is definitely the way to go by the way (for an extra $10 per ticket) as I got a chance to try a number of ciders, chat up the cidermakers pouring them, and take photos of the venue and lovely table setups before it got too busy. I actually did nearly all my cider tasting in that hour. By arriving early I also had a chance to get a great parking spot, walk around town, grab some coffee, etc.

The Northwest Maritime Center was a great venue for this small ish cider festival. It was primarily indoors (which is rare for a summer tasting event, but I appreciated it as sun + cider isn’t the best combo), except for food and seating on the deck (with an amazing waterfront view).

It was also a unique event in that it was family-friendly (although there wasn’t really anything for kids to do, just a corner set up with some coloring books).

Admission included a tasting glass and 8 drink tickets.

The venue on the second floor of the building was beautiful, with high ceilings. Each cidery had a booth to pour their ciders (a mix of draft and bottle pours). Many had the actual cidermakers pouring the cider, but if not, it was someone very familiar with it (vs. some events which have volunteers pour cider).

They had catering on the deck from Siren’s Pub, a restaurant down the street. The menu was cider-themed and had suggested cider pairings. I had a shrimp skewer with rice and mango salsa that was pretty good, although I imagine it would have better if it didn’t get cold right away since it was a bit cool & windy outside. The outdoor seating was nice though (especially as there was no indoor seating, only stand up tables).

They also had a bottle shop, where many of the ciders were available for purchase.

The attending cideries were announced in advance, but not the ciders they were pouring. Here is the final lineup:

2 Towns Ciderhouse (Corvallis OR) Outcider, Bade Apple, Made Marion
Alpenfire Cider (Port Townsend WA) Pirate’s Plank, Spark!, ApoCalypso
Bull Run Cider (Forest Grove OR) Dry Hop, Pear Wine, Bramble Berry
Eaglemount Wine & Cider (Port Townsend WA) Ginger, Rhubarb, Cyser
Finnriver Farm & Cidery (Chimmacum WA) Chimacum Kriek, Sidra, Oak & Apple
Liberty Ciderworks (Spokane WA) Heirloom Series Gravenstein, ~~Turncoat Dry Hopped~~ New World, Stonewall Barrel-Aged
Locust Cider (Woodinville WA) Thai Ginger, Apricot, Wabi Sabi
Nashi Orchards (Vashon WA) Chojuro Perry, Island Harvest Perry, Barrel Fermented Cider
New West Cider (Portland OR) Black & Blue, Señor Cider
Schilling Cider (Auburn WA) Ascender Ginger, Grapefruit & Chill, Bailout Lemongrass Cider
added: Seattle Cider (Seattle WA) Berry, Semi Sweet, Dry
Snowdrift Cider Co. (East Wenatchee WA)
Spire Mountain Ciders (Olympia WA) Crisp & Dry, Dark & Dry, Dry Hopped Apple
Pear UP , formerly NV Cider (Wenatchee WA) Watermelon Pear, Pear Essentials, and Ginger Pear
Reverend Nat’s Hard Cider (Portland OR) The Passion, ¡Tepache!, Revival
Tieton Cider Works (Yakima WA) Rambling Route Pear, Apricot, Tieton
Wandering Aengus Ciderworks (Salem OR) Anthem Cherry, Golden Russet, Wanderlust
Whitewood Cider (Olympia WA) Gibb’s Darm, Newtown Pippin, Old Fangled Heirloom
~~Woodbox Cider (Portland OR)~~

Next up in the Seattle area is Washington Cider Week (Sept 8-18), including the epic Cider Summit (Sept 9 & 10).

Preview of Summer Cider Day 2016 (Saturday August 6th in Port Townsend WA)

July 8, 2016July 8, 2016 cidersays event, summer cider day cider event, cider tasting, port townsend, summer cider day

There is an awesome sounding cider tasting event coming up in Port Townsend Washington at the Northwest Maritime Center on Saturday August 6th 2016, the 6th annual Summer Cider Day. Port Townsend is a beautiful seaside town West of the Seattle area. I haven’t been to this event before, but I want to make the trek this year. The quickest route involves a ferry for those in Seattle and Northward, but is within a couple hours of the greater Seattle area. Port Townsend is home to the Alpenfire, Eaglemount, and Finnriver cideries (see my trip report from earlier this year here).

Summer Cider Day is from noon to 5pm, and they are expecting at least 20 cideries and 70 ciders. The cidermakers themselves typically pour the cider at this event, and I’ve heard it isn’t as crowded as some others (such as Cider Summit), so there should be some great opportunities for schmoozing. Another plus is its indoors (although our summers aren’t overly warm, a hot day isn’t exactly conducive for partaking in lots of cider!).

Current List of Cidermakers:
2 Towns Ciderhouse (Corvallis OR)
Alpenfire Cider (Port Townsend WA)
Bull Run Cider (Forest Grove OR)
Eaglemount Wine & Cider (Port Townsend WA)
Finnriver Farm & Cidery (Chimmacum WA)
Liberty Ciderworks (Spokane WA)
Locust Cider (Woodinville WA)
Nashi Orchards (Vashon WA)
New West Cider (Portland OR)
Schilling Cider (Auburn WA)
Snowdrift Cider Co. (East Wenatchee WA)
Spire Mountain Ciders (Olympia WA)
Pear UP , formerly NV Cider (Wenatchee WA)
Reverend Nat’s Hard Cider (Portland OR)
Tieton Cider Works (Yakima WA)
Wandering Aengus Ciderworks (Salem OR)
Whitewood Cider (Olympia WA)
Woodbox Cider (Portland OR)

Of those, New West Cider and Woodbox Cider (both in Portland Oregon) are both new to me / not available in the Seattle area.

Tickets are on sale online (here) for $25 (goes up to $30 at the door), and includes admission, a tasting glass, and 8 tasting tokens. There are also VIP tickets available for $35 which will get you in an hour early, at 11am. Its a family-friendly but dog-free event, and includes a bottle shop, food for purchase, and live music. It is hosted by the Northwest Cider Association.

Stay tuned for my trip report and tasting notes!

Hard Cider News Edition 8

February 1, 2016January 30, 2016 cidersays event, news cider, cider event, cider news, hard cider, hard cider news

These are some recent hard cider news/articles/links/posts/events I found interesting and have shared on Facebook lately. To get the latest scoop, like Cider Says on Facebook!

cider news.png

News

Oregon’s Best Hard Cider Destinations (New School Beer)

Hard Cider News January 2016 (Starfish Junction)

Hundreds of rare cider apples preserved in West country (BBC)

National Trust steps in to save 300 cider apple trees (The Telegraph)

Cider, flavors, even drones, will affect 2016 wine scene (N&R Greensboro)

What the Country’s New Cider Act Means for You (Eater)

Eric West’s Cider Guide weekly cider news from Jan 22 and Jan 29

Escape from the Boys’ Club: An Evening with Sirens and Ciders (Sip Northwest)

Mims Distributing Picks Up Blake’s Hard Cider Co. (Brewbound)

Portland Cider Co. Relocates to Clackamas in Big Expansion (New School Beer)

Article on Wassail (Bill Bradshaw)

NY Gov. Cuomo: Extend tax credits to wineries, cider makers (North County Public Radio

Q&A with Alpenfire’s Nancy Bishop (Capitol Cider)

Everything You Want to Know About Cider (Washingtonian)

Wilkinson: Pruning Apple Trees (VPR)

Cider Sisters (Good Times)

Eliza Greenman, Millennial Orchardist (Grit)

Events

Gathering of the New York Farm Cideries, Albany NY, Saturday February 27

Cider Rite of Spring, Portland OR, Saturday March 9th

PA Cider Fest, Biglerville PA near Gettysburg, Saturday June 25

Colorado Cider & Beer Circus 2016, Copper Mountain Colorado, Saturday August 27

Other

Cidermaker’s Took Kit Wiki (Northwest Cider)

Liberty Cider’s Cidergraphical

Countdown to Cider Summit Seattle!

July 24, 2015March 29, 2017 cidersays Cider Summit, event, local cider, cider event, cider summit, cider summit seattle, cider tasting, hard cider, port townsend, seattle, summer cider day

7 weeks left until Cider Summit Seattle (Friday & Saturday September 11 & 12, 2015! I haven’t been before, so am very excited for Seattle’s biggest cider event of the year. This is part of Washington Cider Week (Sept 10-20), so stay tuned for more Cider Week event notifications as I read of them (100 separate events are expected, so clear your calendar!).

And, speaking of cider events, Summer Cider Day 2015 is coming up (Saturday August 8, 2015, in Port Townsend WA). I unfortunately won’t be able to make it, but apparently it is a great event for getting face-to-face time with some of the 17 Northwest cidermakers and cidery representatives that are expected to be there. Although cidery folks will be on hand for Cider Summit, there is a much larger turnout. Plus, there is a bottle shop.

Press release for Cider Summit Seattle:

Cider Summit Seattle Celebrates 6 Years!
Region’s Largest Cider Festival Returns to South Lake Union

July 21, 2015 – SBS Imports and the Seattle Beer Collective are pleased to announce the return of the Cider Summit Festival to Seattle, WA. The sixth annual event will be Friday, September 11th from 3p-8p and Saturday, September 12th from 12n-6p. Cider Summit will once again be at The South Lake Union Discovery Center near Westlake & Denny in downtown Seattle. The event is presented by Whole Foods Market.

This will be the 16th Cider Summit produced by SBS & Seattle Beer Collective, having launched the concept in Seattle in September 2010 and expanding to Portland, Chicago, and San Francisco. Each event features 150+ elegantly crafted ciders from producers in Washington, Oregon, British Columbia, California, Michigan, New Hampshire, England, France, Spain and others.

“We’ve been very pleased with the growth of our event in Seattle,” noted SBC’s Ian Roberts. “We believe we have added some nice features and a unique cider selection that will help us reach an even wider audience of cider enthusiasts.”

The owners and cidermakers will be on hand to inform and guide guests through the samplings which will be available in 4-ounce tasting portions. In addition to the superb range of ciders, the event will feature live music, specially paired food selections from Whole Foods Market, Capitol Cider and others. A returning popular feature is the Cider Summit “dog lounge” water station benefitting Seattle Humane. New for 2015 is a Cider Cocktail Lounge hosted by CiderCraft Magazine and Capitol Cider, with a special appearance from author Darlene Hayes.

“We believe we’ve created a unique event,” added event co-founder Alan Shapiro of SBS Imports. “We have found a great home in the South Lake Union neighborhood and we expect a terrific range of ciders. Interest in artisanal cider is exploding right now, and this event is the premier sampling opportunity for both the cider enthusiast and cider curious.”

Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 (cash only) at the door and are available online via Stranger tickets, all Seattle Metro Area Whole Foods Market locations, Capitol Cider, Umpqua Bank South Lake Union and selected bottle shops. Admission includes a souvenir glass and 8 tasting tickets. Additional tasting tickets will be available for sale onsite at $2 per ticket. Re-admission will be allowed at any time with event wristband and tasting glass. The event is 21 and over only. Dogs of all ages will be allowed on event grounds.

A special VIP ticket is available for $40. This ticket includes 4 additional tasting tickets and exclusive early admission on Friday from 2p-3p. Only 200 of these tickets are available – exclusively online via the event website. Cider Summit benefits Northwest Cider Association, The Institute for Myeloma & Bone Cancer Research, and Seattle Humane.

Cider Summit is presented by Whole Foods Market. Supporting sponsors include Capitol Cider, Oregon Fruit Products Company, Umpqua Bank, Click Wholesale Distributing, Ryan’s Juice, with media support from The Stranger, KEXP, and Cidercraft Magazine.

For more information contact:
Alan Shapiro – SBS Imports
206.527.4191
alanmshapiro@sbs-imports.com

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