Original Sin Pear

November 5, 2015October 31, 2015 cidersays Original Sin, review cider, cider review, hard cider, hard cider review, Original Sin, pear, pear cider, perry

Review of the Pear variety from Original Sin. Note that this is pear cider (apple cider with pear juice added), not perry (made from 100% pear juice).

Cider: Pear
Cidery: Original Sin
Cidery Location: New York NY
ABV: 4.5%
How Supplied: six pack of 12oz bottles

Availability: year round, in over 30 U.S. states, the UK, and Japan

Cider Description: Two parts pear, one part magic. A Dry cider fermented with champagne yeast. Original Sin Pear Cider was developed in line with the company’s mission to produce traditional cider leaving out artificial flavors and additives. Original Sin Pear is light and refreshing with a clean, dry finish.

Cidery Description: 20th-century American ciders were sweet, syrupy – a far cry from the dry, crisp, revolution-inciting ciders of our country’s past. Gidon Coll wanted to reconnect America to its roots by creating a traditional cider with the complexity to satisfy today’s discriminating palates. But where to begin? Coll immersed himself in the history and the craft of cider. He experimented. He brewed batch after batch in a small upstate New York winery. He sought counsel from a local wine expert and from the owners, bartenders and patrons of bars he frequented in New York City’s Lower East Side and East Village. He collected feedback from everyone he knew, adjusting and tinkering with his cider’s flavor until it was clean, crisp, and practically perfect. Then he enlisted friends to painstakingly hand-label bottle after bottle. He lugged cases and cases in and out of NYC’s subways, delivering bottles to establishments of Manhattan and Brooklyn. And it wasn’t long before Original Sin began receiving wide acclaim from sources as diverse as The New York Times, New York Post, Paper Magazine and Market Watch. Today, you can find Original Sin’s unique, award-winning ciders in over 30 states, as well as overseas in the U.K. and Japan. But it all started here in the U.S. — inspired by our country’s past: a clean, crisp, DEVILISHLY DELICIOUS cider for our future. [founded in 1997]

Price: ~$2 for a single bottle (runs $10 for a six pack)
Where Bought: Total Wine
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing. I’d been wanting to review an Original Sin cider, and hadn’t tried this one.

First Impression: Almost clear, with a slightly yellow tint. Smells of apples, pears, and citrus. Highly carbonated.

Opinion: Semi-dry. Very fizzy and champagne-like. However, the flavor is much more tart & tangy green apple with citrus than pear. No bitterness. Moderate acidity. Light bodied. No funk. Some yeasty flavor. I agree it is “light and refreshing with a clean, dry finish”, but I prefer a more boldly flavored cider. I liked the carbonation level and the dryness though.

Most Similar to: Portland Cider Pearfect Perry, which I tried on tap at the Schilling Cider House. It was also rather mild with almost no pear flavor, but fizzy and refreshing. That one however was a true perry (100% pear juice, Bartlett and D’Anjou), unlike Original Sin Pear.

Closing Notes: Refreshing, but on the bland side and unimpressive. Original Sin currently offers Apple, Apricot, Pear, Elderberry, Cherry Tree, Northern Spy, and Newtown Pippin varieties. I’ve also tried the Elderberry and Cherry Tree, and would say they were also pretty average. Original Sin’s ciders tend to be on the drier side of the 6 pack cider offerings. They are an affordable and widely available craft cider option however, which is something to be commended.

Have you tried Original Sin Pear? What did you think?

Tod Creek Mala-Hop

November 4, 2015October 25, 2015 cidersays review, Tod Creek cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, hopped cider, Mala-Hop, Malahop, Tod Creek

Review of Tod Creek’s Mala-Hop. This is the second cider I’ve had from Tod Creek. The name is a reference to Malahat, Vancouver Island’s dividing mountain between Victoria and its southern tip, and that is a hopped cider.

Ron from DrinkingCider.com brought me two Tod Creek ciders from his Vancouver detour to his Cider Summit Seattle 2015 / WA Cider Week trip! See here for my review of Tod Creek’s Tod Cider Vancouver Island.

Cider: Mala-Hop
Cidery: Tod Creek
Cidery Location: Victoria B.C. Canada
ABV: 6.0%
How Supplied: 500ml glass bottle

Availability: Vancouver Island, Vancouver, and a couple store in the interior of British Columbia. They are entering their second season, and have plans to expand into the Kelowna area, possibly Alberta, and hopefully eventually the U.S.

Cider Description: All juice hard apple cider with triple-hop flavour….

Premium cider with a West Coast bite. Cruising the Malahat is a rite of passage for most Islanders, the mountain at your side as Finlayson Arm and Saltspring Island creep into view. Whether you’re heading to Victoria or leaving the capital city, the Malahat is an essential part of Island life. This hard apple cider is prefect for beer-lovers and cider enthusiasts, featuring a touch of tartness from the Granny Smiths and three different hops delivering that distinct flavour and aroma loved by true hop-heads….

This sparkling cider is all juice — no water added to dilute the great taste. Mala-Hop is a triple-hopped treat and tastes great on its own or paired with a spicy pepperoni pizza, nachos loaded with jalapenos, or a hearty beef stew….

Ingredients: apple juice, maple syrup, sulfites, hops….

Hopped cider has been around for years, but only recently in the Pacific NorthWest has it really become discovered and loved by so many. This cider is for the beer drinker, or for anyone who wants to have the tremendous nose and flavour of hops in their cider. Kinda like peanut butter and chocolate….

We use a blend of Granny, Golden, Jona, Sparton apples, and this year we’re also using Mac. In the Mala-Hop is also some cider variety such as Yarlington and Tremlett, with some crab as well.

The three hops we’re using are Chinook, Sterling and Centennial, all sourced from the organic growners HOOH (harvest our organic hops) in Liloette, BC.

Cidery Description: Tod Creek Craft Cider makes small batch, handcrafted cider with BC apples. We source our apples from local trees on Vancouver Island as well as from farmers in the BC interior. Long, slow fermentation brings about great flavours in the traditional way. We typically ferment each batch for about four months. If you want the super-sweet, watered-down canned stuff, we can’t help you. Our ciders are all-juice blends to bring a clean, crisp, enjoyable drink that goes great with dinner, friends, or all by itself. As a small batch cider, you’ll notice that each year the ciders will vary slightly, much like a good wine does. Our apples will be influenced by the sun, the amount of rainfall, and other factors, so each year will yield a slightly different taste. Most of our ciders are coarse filtered, and our hopped cider isn’t filtered at all. Filtering can take some of the flavours out of cider, so we try to limit the amount of filtering we do.

They opened in June 2014 and have a micro-cidery setup, their own orchard in Victoria, and lease an orchard in Kelowna. A tasting room is in the works (hoping for Summer 2016), but they will do a tasting & tour by appointment. Sea Cider and Merridale are also in the same area.

Price: n/a (appears to run $7.60 CAD, or $5.77 USD a bottle)
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: Ron gave it to me. I’d never heard of Tod Creek cider before as it isn’t available here in the Seattle area.

First Impression: Almost no carbonation. Light straw yellow with a hint of honey hue, slightly hazy. Mild aromas of hops, floral, citrus, wood, and maple.

Opinion: Semi-dry. This cider tasted spot-on to how it smelled, with the same mild hops, floral, citrus, wood, and maple notes. Low bitterness, astringency, acidity, and tartness. Medium bodied. Very smooth. On the unfiltered side. Balanced complex flavor. Average length finish. The hops are present throughout the sip, but remain very mild. I’m surprised it wasn’t more tart as I pick up a lot of granny smith aple notes, but I imagine the other apple varieties, hops, and maple syrup balanced out the flavor. I’m impressed they really kept the bitterness down. My main comment is that it could use more carbonation, but I say that about almost all ciders!

Most Similar to: Portland Cider Hop’Rageous, which is the only other hopped cider I’ve tried that I actually liked (tasting notes here). Hop’Rageous also has very little hop flavor, more floral & citrus notes with a slight hops aftertaste. Most hopped ciders seem to go quite overboard on the amount of hops, only appealing to beer lovers, which I definitely am not.

Closing Notes: Not bad! I was pleasantly surprised. My husband also enjoyed it. I’m not sure Mala-Hop is something I would buy if it was available here as its not really my type of cider, but like Portland Cider Hop’Rageous, I’d recommend it to anyone who is curious about hopped ciders and looking for something on the mild end of the spectrum. I didn’t have any problem finishing the bottle, which was definitely unexpected. Hopefully I’ll be able to try more ciders from Tod Creek in the future.

Have you tried any cider from Tod Creek? What did you think?

Schilling Cider House Visit 5 Tasting Notes

November 3, 2015October 24, 2015 cidersays Avid (prev. Atlas), Bull Run, Carlton, Cider Riot, Cragie's, D's Wicked, Elemental, Eric Bordelet, Finnriver, Fox Tail, Millstone, review, Schilling cider, cider flight, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Schilling, Schilling Cider House, seattle, tasting notes

This time an event brought me to the Schilling Cider House in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle WA, a great excuse to drink cider on a weeknight if you ask me. It was their monthly potluck, which this month had a “sweet” theme, for both cider and food. There were still plenty of drier cider options on tap too (and with 32 tap selections and hundreds of bottles, there is something for everyone). I even found out there is one hush-hush bottled beer selection at Schilling.

I started with a flight of six. However, I ended up staying there for over 4 hours, so it definitely wasn’t the only thing I drank! I picked up a nice weird dinner at PCC of some coleslaw, cheese, and pretzel bread (which is one of my favorite things to have with cider, unsalted though).

Fox Tail Sweet Tooth, 5.0% ABV: This is the second cider I’ve had from this Hood River OR cidery (the first was Fuzzy Haven, tasting notes here). This was an interesting selection as they called it sweet, but it was more semi-dry? Probably more that it was sweet for their cidery. Straw yellow hue, no haziness. Rather plain and on the mild & boring side, but I don’t have any complaints. Mild tartness and acidity. Nicely balanced.

Carlton Black Currant Scrumpy, 4.4% ABV: This is the first cider I’ve had from this McMinnville OR cidery, although I have a bottle of their Slake at home to try. Rich black currant scent and a lovely deep berry hue. Semi-dry. Sour! Definitely wasn’t expecting that. Unfortunately I’m not a fan of sour cider so I didn’t have more than a couple sips.

Cragie’s Ballyhook Flier, 5.8% ABV: This is an Irish cider which I’ve seen in bottles and have wanted to try, so here was my chance. Hazy yellow-orange hue. Dry cider apple and yeast scent. Dry. Moderate bitterness. Mild sourness, funkiness, tartness, and astringency. Moderate tannins. Complex and unique. However, it was too bitter for my liking. I think some additional sweetness to balance it would have been nice. I’ve had some ciders made from higher tannin cider apples which weren’t bitter, but it appears to be difficult to pull off.

Bull Run Strawberry Fields, 6.5% ABV: This is the first cider I’ve had from this Forest Grove OR cidery, although I’ve been meaning to try their ciders for awhile (way too much good stuff available around here). Light cherry color. Lovely real sweet strawberry scent. On the drier side of semi-sweet. Moderate strawberry flavor. I imagine it was difficult to develop this cider, to get a true strawberry flavor without seeming fake or being too sweet. I have found very few fruity ciders that were full flavored without being very sweet or overpowering the apple (Snowdrift Red and Eaglemount Quince are two I love, but they are on the more spendy side). I’m a fan!

Finnriver Pear, 6.5% ABV: I’ve had a number of Finnriver selections, but hadn’t had this one before (Chimacum WA). This is a cider (apple juice) with pear juice added (ie. its not perry, which are made only using pear juice). Straw yellow, no haze. Light clean pear scent. On the drier side of semi-sweet. Plain, but it had a nice real pear flavor. Quite good, but not my favorite from them (I’d recommend Lavender Black Currant, Honey Meadow, and Fire Barrel).

Elemental Atomic Root Beer, 6.5% ABV: I’ve tried a couple of their ciders, but I was curious about this new one (Woodinville WA). Its a hard root beer, but in contrast to other products (such as Not Your Father’s Root Beer), it is cider instead of malt based! Nice caramely root beer hue. Smells of root beer with a hint of baked apple. Tastes like a nice mild root beer with a hint of baked apple at the core. Only semi-sweet, which I appreciated. It could have used some additional carbonation, but I say that about most ciders. Tasty! I can see why this one has been a huge hit for them.

I then realized I had finished my first flight and the actual event hadn’t started yet, as I got there so early (due to my work schedule). So, I ordered a half flight. Without realizing it I got three berry ciders (they were about the only ones left on the board I hadn’t tried, besides ginger & hops & such that I don’t care for).

Atlas Pom-Cherry, 5.8% ABV: I’ve had the Apple and Blackberry selections (reviews here and here) from this Bend OR cidery. I also have their Apricot variety at home to try. Tart cherry scent. Semi-sweet to sweet. Lots of pomegranate flavor. Only mild tartness and the slightest hint of sour. Thin bodied. Bold flavored. It was my favorite of these three, but I still think I like their plain apple best of the three varieties I’ve tried from them so far, and overall its not a favorite of mine or anything.

Cider Riot Never Give An Inch Oregon Blackberry, 6.9% ABV: This is the first cider I’ve had from this Portland OR cidery, although I have a bottle of their 1763 at home to try. Dry. Very tart. Only mild berry flavor. I found it kinda unremarkable, and my least favorite of these three. It was too tart for my liking and I don’t think I finished it. Tart fans who like berry ciders but find them all too sweet may want to give this one a try though.

Elemental Oxygen (Pomegranate), 6.5% ABV: I’ve had a number of ciders from this Woodinville WA cidery. Poured very foamy. On the drier side of semi-sweet. Tart. Thin bodied. Rather mild flavor, which appears typical for them. Their Atomic Root Beer is definitely my favorite from them so far.

During this time the actual potluck started (5pm), and it got busy (for awhile I was the only customer!). I got to see Mick from Click Distributing again, meet two guys from D’s Wicked Cider (Kennewick WA), meet Sarah’s mom, and see Merce from Cider Log again. Plus I nimbled on some tasty treats.

I sampled D’s Wicked Baked Apple, their new 6.9% instead of 8.5% ABV variety. Apparently most folks won’t be able to taste the difference. One of the reasons they did this was because there is an apparent WA state rule against doing growler fills above 7% ABV. This is the first cider I’ve tried from them. I had avoided buying a bottle of this one as I assumed it would be too spiced for my liking (not a spiced cider fan, or any spices in general…not even pepper on food). However, the cinnamon was quite mild (at least when the keg wasn’t fully cold yet), and it had more baked apple flavor. Quite tasty actually. They said the cinnamon showed up more when it was fully cold though. Nice and frothy and on the unfiltered side. Semi-sweet. Medium to heavy bodied. Its not something I’d buy, but I was pleasantly surprised, and definitely see why they are so popular.

Also, Sarah remembered about a bottle of Eric Bordelet Poire Authentique in the cool room (I think this was a sample or something, as its not one of the Bordelet varieties they carry). It was definitely flat after being open about a week (apparently its typically quite sparkling), but we all found it tasty (there was enough for a couple sips each). At only 3.5% ABV, this French perry is easy drinking at its finest. I have only heard rave reviews about Bordelet and they’ve been on my want to try list. Bold flavor, but clean, unlike some perries. On the drier side of semi-sweet. Rich flavor and very balanced. I really enjoyed this one, but I’m not sure I could bring myself to pay $15-20 for a 750ml bottle of a sub 4% ABV cider. This reminded me of the bottle pour of another Poire I had here, Domaine Pacory Poire Domfront (tasting notes here).

They also had a Randall going that night where they infused Schilling Gold cider with oranges, coconut, and Chai tea. An interesting combination, as always! It was pretty tasty, although I would have preferred no tea and lots more coconut. The tea seemed to make the cider seem drier than I remembered Gold tasting (which is one of Schilling’s sweeter varieties, and their only plain cider I believe). Sarah said this was her favorite Randall so far.

Mick also decided to pick up a bottle of Millstone Farmgate Dry and share it with us. I had this one at Cider Summit Seattle 2015 (tasting notes here), in an attempt to see if there was any variety from Millstone I’d enjoy (as I definitely didn’t like their Cobbler). This variety is definitely sour & funky, but less harsh than Cobbler by a few times probably. I’m always surprised to see Cobbler make cider lists without any notes of its sour flavor, but apparently a lot of folks like that sort of thing (like sour beer I guess). Its a good thing they make so many ciders, so there is something for everyone.

I definitely tried a lot of cider and had a blast, as always. Stay tuned for more Schilling Cider House tasting notes here at Cider Says! Have you had any good draft cider / cider flights recently?

Virtue The Mitten Bourbon Barrel Aged Cider

November 2, 2015October 25, 2015 cidersays review, Virtue barrel aged, cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, hard cider review, Michigan, Mitten, Virtue

Review of Virtue Cider’s The Mitten, a bourbon barrel aged cider made using only Michigan apples. This is the first cider I’ve tried from Virtue.

Cider: The Mitten
Cidery: Virtue Cider
Cidery Location: Fennville MI
ABV: 6.9%
How Supplied: 750ml green champagne bottle, capped (also available in kegs)

Availability: Limited release, winter seasonal. Virtue cider may be available in GA, MD, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PN, RI, VA, VT, IL, ID, KY, MI, MN, OH, WI, CA, OR, WA, & TX.

Cider Description: When the leaves fall, there’s a chill in the air and the evening greedily takes hours from daylight, we stand strong and embrace the wintertime. It’s a time of rich foods, roaring fires and our favorite sweaters. Drinks change from refreshing to intense and satisfying. The Mitten is a Winter cider, a blend of last seasons best, aged in bourbon barrels, with the new season’s fresh pressed apple juice. Straight cider, aged for 3 seasons, finds notes of vanilla, caramel and charred American oak, balanced with the best of the orchard, over-ripe apples and their sweet, tart, earthy juice. Many barrels are filled, but only a small portion, the very smoothest, will find their way into The Mitten. We love wintertime, especially when we have The Mitten to keep us warm and happy through the long, cold night.

Northern Spy, Cox’s Orange Pippin, McIntosh, and Jonathan apples blended with cider aging in our barrel house that is made from more than forty varietals of apples.

See Virtue’s info page on this cider.

Cidery Description: Virtue Farm is located in Southwest Michigan, part of the state’s thriving Cider Coast. Michigan’s Cider Coast boasts 200 miles of apple orchards, changing leaves, and stunning vistas best enjoyed with a glass of crisp cider. All along the coast, great cider being made by a bevy of wonderful cider makers, all working hard to revive dozens of varieties of heirloom apples ideal for juicing and fermenting. Virtue Cider is proud to be part of this burgeoning revival of an important Michigan tradition.

They have a tasting room. Also see this page on their barrel aging program. This cider was bourbon barrel aged at least 6 months (depending on the vintage). I’m guessing I tried the 2014 vintage. The 2015 vintage is expected to be released in December by the way.

Price: ~$24
Where Bought: Capitol Cider in Seattle WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: I’ve read a number of articles & reviews on this cider, which is quite well-received. I’ve been on the lookout for it ever since (although I can find a number of Virtue’s other varieties, this one is more rare in WA). I was very excited to see it on the bottle list at Capitol Cider, and just my luck, they still had it (they only update their printed bottle lists so often, so its possible they have since run out of items).

First Impression: High carbonation (foamed over when I opened it!). Gold amber hue. Lots of tiny bubbles and foam. Hazy. Rich medium sweet very ripe apple, bourbon, vanilla, oak, caramel, and brown sugar scent.

Opinion: Semi-dry. Frothy almost mousse-like sparkling/carbonated mouth feel. Rich bold flavors but light bodied. Very warming. Mild to moderate barrel influence. Moderate to heavy bourbon influence. Moderate to high acidity. Moderate bitterness, Low to moderate tannins. Moderate tartness. Moderate astringency. Ripe apple, bourbon, vanilla, oak, and caramel notes (quite similar to the scent, but tasted less sweet then it smelled). Slightly earthy and smokey. Long bitter finish. The other reviews I’ve read didn’t seem to mention this high of a level of carbonation and the significant bitterness, but each palate is different, and they could have been from a different vintage (a craft product like this varies year to year).

Most Similar to: Other drier bourbon barrel aged ciders with bitter notes. My favorite bourbon barrel aged cider so far is Traditions Bourbon Barrel 2012, made by 2 Towns, which I tried at Cider Summit Seattle 2015. This one definitely had the highest level of carbonation I’ve seen in this type of cider (often barrel aged ciders are presented almost still). The level of heat reminded me of Sea Cider Prohibition / Rumrunner. I would have guessed this cider was a much higher ABV, but it was very smooth and relatively easy to drink.

Closing Notes: I think I psyched myself up a bit too much for this one. I really liked it, but didn’t love it. I think if it wasn’t for the bitterness in the finish, I would have been really impressed. I think it also smelled better than it tasted (more sweetness came across in the scent). Maybe all the sweet-type notes made me want a sweeter cider? All in all it is a nice cider selection which makes me want to try more ciders from Virtue and from the Finger Lakes region (which similar to WA & OR is known for cider).

Second day update: I didn’t finish this cider the first night (as its just me and I have a tendency to make small pours). On the second night, I oddly enough found it had developed a distinct sourness (and remained pretty high carbonation). I’m used to ciders losing flavor / mellowing out, but sour is a new one. It was well-sealed with a flip top. So, I’d recommend drinking this in one night.

Have you tried any ciders from Virtue? What did you think?

Boonville Bite Hard – Updated Review

October 30, 2015October 25, 2015 cidersays Boonville, review Bite Hard, Boonville, Boonville Cider House, california, cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, sample

Review of Bite Hard from the Boonville Cider House. I actually reviewed this cider about a month ago (see here), but Roger Scommegna, founder of Boonville Cider House, contacted me on Facebook and asked me to give it another try. He sent me a lovely sample box with not one but three bottles of Bite Hard, a t-shirt, and a fact sheet. This time around the cider is bottled not canned, so I’m curious to see if I spot any differences.

He said: “Same variety, but I think I need to explain why it is terrific cider. We use apples and yeast, nothing else. Most cider is made from concentrate and flavoring. It’s truly just a soda. Cider is wine, and you would never drink a wine made from concentrate, and it’s illegal to add flavors to wine, so we make our cider like wine. We ferment dry with two different champagne yeasts, then finish it like Sauvignon Blanc. Our cider is delicate and clean. It’s actually harder to make it that way. I’ll send you a bomber and try it out of a wine glass. Thanks!”

This is a review of a sample bottle provided to Cider Says by the Boonville Cider House. Although I will take care to treat it the same as any other review, there is always the potential for bias as I received this for free. The only consideration I knowingly made was pushing this up in my cider review cue. I love free stuff, especially cider! Want your cider or cider-related product reviewed here? Contact me.

Cider: Bite Hard
Cidery: Boonville Cider House
Cidery Location: Boonville CA
ABV: 6.9%
How Supplied: 22oz glass bottle

Availability: CA, AZ, WA, MN, WI, IL, MI, NY, IN, CO, and MO

Cider Description: Bite Hard Apple Cider is a crisp, semi dry cider, slow fermented from heirloom apples in an English tradition. Made from tannic and full bodied fruit, this cider carries its distinctive BITE with a clean and unique apple finish and citrus notes. We take the time to seek out and preserve the best that Autumn has to offer.

Cidery Description: MAKING CIDER & TAKING NAMES SINCE 2010! With an orchard first mentality, Boonville Cider House uses its favorite varieties of apples to put the finest cider into every can, bottle, and keg. Made with gumption, and drank with gusto, the Boonville Cider House is less a place and more a state of mind. So crack a can and taste Autumn in Boonville, taste us wassailing beneath the stars, and taste the hard work and great times that go into every gallon.

Additional Information from Boonville: We started in a small town in Northern California called Boonville. Home to Anderson Valley Brewing Co, Roederer Estates and ever growing list of fantastic wineries…We use a blend of Pippins and Russets mostly – hand picked, no windfalls. The goal has been to make a simple and pure cider. Pick apples, squeeze into juice, add yeast, ferment dry, enjoy heartily. We believe the best ciders have a short list of ingredients.

They also shared this blog post written by the founder & cider maker (titled Ruminations on Our Ethics of Fermentation).

Price: n/a
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: n/a

First Impression: Straw yellow, no haze. Little carbonation with medium sized bubbles. Light dry apple scent.

Opinion: Dry to semi-dry. High acidity. Moderate tartness. Light astringency. No bitterness, sourness, or funk. Low carbonation. Light bodied. Clean and refreshing taste. Moderate length finish with acidity & tartness. I pick up citrus, green apple, and tropical notes. I definitely recognize it was made using champagne yeast. I’m surprised how different this tastes than I remember (and noted before). I didn’t pick up any bitterness this time, the tartness level seems higher, and it even seems a touch sweeter. I suspect it may be a different batch. Craft cider can vary significantly batch to batch. I wonder if bottle vs. can makes a difference too. Also, I’ve always noticed that free beverages/food taste better!

Most Similar to: Some other drier flagship ciders. This actually reminds me of Attila Scourge of God that I had recently (review here).

Closing Notes: I was more impressed this time around. I liked the acidity level and tartness, that it lacked bitterness, and that it isn’t very sweet. However, this still isn’t my favorite type of cider…I usually like bolder flavors and some richness in a cider (such as found with English, French, barrel aged, etc, ciders). I think bottles instead of cans is a good route for them, as they seem to be going a bit more higher end, comparing to wine, drier, etc. However, a lot of craft ciders are going the can route, and it seems to be popular. I look forward to enjoying the other two bottles!

Have you tried Boonville Bite Hard? What did you think?

Crispin 15 Men (Rum Barrel Aged)

October 29, 2015October 25, 2015 cidersays Crispin, review 15 Men, barrel aged, cider, cider review, cider tasting, Colfax, Crispin, hard cider, rum

Review of Crispin’s newest barrel aged limited release, 15 Men. It is a dark rum barrel aged Colfax apple cider with wildflower honey and dark candi syrup. The name 15 Men alludes to the book Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. Crispin’s previous barrel aged limited release cider before this was Venus Reigns (my review here). They have had a barrel aging program for 6 years.

Cider: 15 Men
Cidery: Crispin
Cidery Location: Colfax, CA
ABV: 6.9%
How Supplied: 22oz bottle

Availability: limited availability, but wide release, since early October 2015

Cider Description: Buccaneers & buried treasure. Mutiny & murder. For the love of adventure and a barrel of rum. Drink and the devil had done for the rest. An epic saga of Colfax classic apple wine matured in dark rum casks, then laced with wildflower honey and dark candi syrup. 15 Men rolls strong like a deep ocean swell with notes of burnt caramel and oak, gentle hints of ripe fall fruits, vanilla and exotic floral fruit carried on the trade winds. Before pouring, give a solid bottoms-up tilt and swirl to disperse sediment evenly and experience the complex aroma and bouquet. Best enjoyed at cellar temperature, 50/55F. With or without 1 or 2 ice cubes.

Cidery Description: Classically refined, but not styled as a traditional “sweet beer” beer alternative, Crispin ciders are crisp and clean, not sweet and sticky and never sacrifice superior quality refreshment satisfaction for overbearing complexity. Always true to the fruit, Crispin Hard Ciders are naturally fermented using fresh-pressed apple or pear juice, not from concentrate, from a premium blend of fruit from the west coast. Additionally, Crispin Ciders do not contain added malt, grape wine, or spirit alcohol. Crispin Ciders are all Gluten Free.

Price: $9.99
Where Bought: Total Wine
Where Drank: home
How Found: I read about this release online, then started the search for it. Total Wine has a convenient online inventory, so I knew before I went in that it was in stock.

First Impression: No carbonation upon pouring. Hazy honey orange amber. Smells of ripe apples, honey, tropical fruit, light floral, caramel, and brown sugar.

Opinion: Between semi-dry and semi-sweet. Still (no carbonation). In the taste, I again pick up the ripe apples, a lot of honey, some fruitiness & floral, and the caramel and brown sugar notes. Additionally, some mild wood barrel notes, a bit of citrus, and mild spiced rum in the finish. I thought the rum presented more in the lingering heat than the actual flavor. I’m surprised by how much honey flavor there is! Mild tartness and bitterness. Medium acidity. No significant tannins or astringency. Medium bodied. Average finish length. The barrel and spirit influence stays mild. This was better between fridge and room temperature, where it became very smooth and the honey flavor mellowed out a bit.

Most Similar to: Rum barrel aged cider always reminds me of Sea Cider Prohibition / Rumrunner (my review here). Honey reminds me of ciders such as Finnriver Honey Meadow (my review here). However, this cider wasn’t anything like either of those. The honey seemed to be competing with the rum & barrel aspects. So, there aren’t really any similar ciders I’ve tried.

Closing Notes: Overall this was a good but not great cider in my opinion. The amount of honey flavor seemed to be too much, and I would have liked more rum & barrel influence. A bit of carbonation wouldn’t have hurt either. Overall it was unique. However, $10 seems a bit steep for what it is, as at the end of the day, Crispin is a commercial cidery.

Have you tried Crispin 15 Men? What did you think?

Worley’s Premium Vintage 2013

October 27, 2015October 15, 2015 cidersays review, Worley's cider, cider review, hard cider, Premium Vintage, Somerset, UK, worley's

Review of Worley’s Premium Vintage 2013 (Lot 9). Note that apparently the “Premium” refers to Worley’s believing this was the best cider they made of that vintage. This is real proper English craft cider, similar to Sheppy’s, not the fake stuff they import in larger quantities here in the U.S. such as Strongbow Gold Apple or Blackthorn (although Sheppy’s has been around far longer than Worley’s). I’ve tried one other variety from Worley’s, their Special Reserve, at Cider Summit Seattle 2015 (my tasting notes here).

Cider: Premium Vintage 2013
Cidery: Worley’s
Cidery Location: Shepton Mallet, Somerset, UK
ABV: 6.4%
How Supplied: 500ml (16.9oz) clear glass bottle

Availability: limited in the U.S., but any higher end bottle shops which carry imported cider would probably carry it / be able to get it

Cider Description: A medium-dry, slightly sparkling cider – with good tannin and a spicy finish. Best served chilled. The 2013 Premium Vintage is a blend of early-season cider apple varieties from some of South Somerset’s finest orchards. Freshly pressed juice is fermented under the influence of natural yeasts then slowly matured on the cool slopes of the Mendip Hills. The full-juice cider is sweetened, filtered and lightly carbonated at bottling to produce an unparalleled cider with plenty of flavour and a long, spicy finish.

Cidery Description: A hobby that got out of control. We first made cider as a bit of fun for ourselves and our friends. Now here we are nearly a decade later and we’re still having fun but we’re making a lot more cider! Our first experience of making was when we bought 50 gallons of juice off the farm press from the iconic Roger Wilkins in Mudgely, Somerset. We made the mistake of adding in a bit of sugar and ended up with 10.5% cider. It was lethal and one of the neighbours spent a few hours in a ditch as a result of downing a couple of pints. Lesson learned, we began to find our own fruit in various small Somerset orchards and gradually started to master the mysterious arts of fruit selection and fermentation. A few years ago we decided if wanted to carry on making cider we’d need the cider to start making a contribution to its upkeep. So we gradually started selling a bit. Now we’re making over 30,000 litres a year and don’t have time to have proper jobs any more!

Traditional cider made with care. Here at Worley’s our main philosophy is that the best cider allows the fruit to do the talking. All our ciders are made from fresh-pressed cider apple juice, once a year at apple harvest time. Using very high levels of apple juice is an approach only used by craft makers of traditional cider. We always allow all our ciders to ferment at the cool ambient temperatures of autumn and winter, using only the natural yeasts found in and on the fruit and in the fermenting environment. This approach leads to complex but mellow flavours with maximum fruity tastes and aromas. It’s a bit of a gamble using wild yeasts as things don’t always go according to plan, which is why the larger makers don’t do it, but the results are well worth the risk in our opinion. To make the best cider you need to use the best fruit at the peak of its ripeness. All the apples we use are the finest vintage cider apple varieties from the sun-drenched orchards of south Somerset. We use anywhere up to 16 different varieties, which we aim to blend into a decent cider before pressing. Then we do another round of blending once the different ciders have matured, which usually takes place in late May.

Price: $11.75
Where Bought: Full Throttle Bottles in the Georgetown neighborhood of Seattle WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing. The best selection of Worley’s I’ve seen in the Seattle area by the way was the Lake Union area Whole Foods, which had three varieties (Premium Vintage, Special Reserve, and Mendip Hills). Full Throttle Bottles had Premium Vintage and Special Reserve I believe.

First Impression: Significant yeast sediment at the bottom of the bottle. Deep gold amber. High carbonation upon pouring with residual foam. Rich slightly funky sweet cooked apple scent. This is one of those ciders I just wanted to sniff for awhile as it smelled scrumptious!

Opinion: On the sweeter side of semi-dry (some sources say this is back sweetened, which I find interesting). Moderate to high tannins and astringency (definitely made from cider apples!). Moderate lingering bitterness. Low acidity. Well balanced. Rich sharp complex almost smokey flavor. I pick up some wood notes although as far as I know this wasn’t barrel aged (but was aged both before and after bottling). Full bodied. Slightly funky with noticeable yeast presence (note that this was wild yeast fermented, which is rare as it is more unpredictable & risky; more commonly cidermakers kill off any natural yeast present and use a commercial yeast strain). The carbonation started out rather high but rather quickly it went a bit flat. This is a great example of what I believe to be real English cider! Hopefully someday I’ll make it to England and see for myself (I’ve been before but as a child). I enjoyed this cider more as it warmed up to between fridge and room temperature, as it smoothed out a bit. My husband really liked this cider too, which is rare.

Most Similar to: Other English and English-style ciders. The closest I’ve probably had is Liberty Ciderwork’s English Style or Alpenfire Ember, both of which I tried at Cider Summit Seattle 2015 (tasting notes here). The Liberty one was lower tannin than this and the Alpenfire one was higher tannin than this.

Closing Notes: Very good! However, my favorite English cider so far is still Sheppy’s Oak Matured, and here in the U.S., Liberty Ciderwork’s English Style. I especially like the strong oak barrel flavor from the Sheppy’s. Both are a bit more affordable too, especially the Sheppy’s at $7 instead of almost $12 for a 500ml bottle (the Liberty runs $14 for a 750ml). I look forward to trying more English ciders such as from Worley’s.

Have you tried any ciders from Worley’s? What did you think?

Crispin Original

October 26, 2015October 13, 2015 cidersays Crispin, review apple cider, cider, cider review, Colfax, commercial, Crispin, hard cider, MillerCoors, Original

Review of Crispin’s Original cider variety. I’ve had this cider a few times, but this is the first time since I started blogging. Actually, I’ve tried most of their varieties, from Blackberry Pear to Browns Lane to Venus Reigns. Crispin is probably my second favorite commercial cidery behind Woodchuck.

Cider: Original
Cidery: Crispin (part of MillerCoors)
Cidery Location: Colfax CA
ABV: 5%
How Supplied: four pack of 12oz clear glass bottles (or four pack of 16oz cans)

Availability: wide release, year round

Cider Description: Crisp, refreshing natural hard apple cider. Crisp over ice. A classically styled, but untraditional hard apple cider. Fruit forward, with a fresh, crunchy appley nose and a deliciously refreshing, crisp mouth feel.

Price: $5.00 / bottle at a bar (usually runs $7 a four pack)
Where Drank: The Point in Prescott AZ. This was their only cider offering at the time. Apparently they usually had some sort of Schilling Cider on tap, but were out. I was excited to see Schilling (made in my area) all the way in AZ, so it was disappointing they were out. The Point was a very unique basement bar/lounge in Whiskey Row in downtown Prescott to say the least (it was dark and smelled lol, but overall was trying to be a higher end classy speakeasy). We were there for the whiskey selection for my husband and a friend. I was happy just to find cider that wasn’t Angry Orchard. Actually, that night I went 2/2, finding Woodchuck Amber (bottled) at Prescott Brewing Company. The following night I was 0/3 on cider, but 2/3 on mead. All in all those are above average odds on finding a beverage to my liking!

First Impression: Shiny straw yellow. Almost no carbonation. Sweet kinda fake crisp apple scent.

Opinion: On the drier side of semi-sweet. No bitterness. Low acidity and tartness. Tropical & pear notes. A bit juice-like. Medium bodied. Quick finish. Overall this is an enjoyable easy drinking cider which is less sweet than most commercial ciders (150 calories and 10 grams of sugar per 12oz). I liked the level of flavor, but that seems to come with the territory of being a bit sweeter (this is nowhere near dry). Its definitely “crisp & refreshing” as the bottle said, and it was quickly gone.

Most Similar to: Probably Crispin Pacific Pear, as I picked up some pear notes in this cider and it is a similar level of sweetness. Or maybe Stella Cidre or Spire Mountain Apple. I haven’t found too many ciders with this level of sweetness…most craft ciders are drier, and most commercial ciders are sweeter.

Closing Notes: This is a solid commercial cider selection. I especially like it isn’t overly sweet (and for folks who like an even drier cider, they make a Brut variety). However, the use of water, apple juice concentrate, and “natural apple essence” (whatever that is) disappoints me. Their description of the cider is pretty sad too… Appley? Serve over ice? No thank you. Overall though I don’t hesitate to order this cider when it is available, and I think its a much better choice than Angry Orchard Crisp Apple. If this was a craft cider, I’d probably keep some in the house.

Have you tried Crispin Original? What did you think?

Moonlight Meadery How Do You Like Them Little Apples Cider

October 22, 2015October 15, 2015 cidersays Moonlight Meadery, review barrel aged, cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, How Do You Like Them Little Apples, Moonlight Meadery

Review of “How Do You Like Them Little Apples”, a cider from Moonlight Meadery. Note that they also offer “How Do You Like Them Apples” (without “Little”), which is quite a different cider, mostly as it has a significantly higher ABV, 13.5% instead of 6.9%. I’ve also tried that one (at Cider Summit Seattle 2015; tasting notes here).

Cider: How Do You Like Them Little Apples
Cidery: Moonlight Meadery
Cidery Location: Londonderry NH
ABV: 6.9%
How Supplied: draft-only (I got a half growler, 32 oz)

Side Note: This is the first time I’ve got a growler fill of cider! I’ve always decided against it as 64 oz of cider is way too much for just me to drink in a short period of time, but my husband came home with a half growler of beer recently. These half growlers (and even quarter growlers, only 16 oz) seem to be a newer thing. Two pints of cider is more easily doable. The place where I got it filled (see below) actually only sells half growlers, although I’m sure if you brought in a full size one they would fill it for double the cost. Also, check out my new cider glass!

I’ve been wanting to buy some real cider glasses for awhile, and picked up three (see above, with one of my usual cider glasses on the right for reference) at World Market, each between $2 and $4. They are officially a goblet, brandy snifter (pictured with cider above), and sangria glass (curved). I think the brandy one is my favorite as it isn’t as large/tall as the other two, although similar to wine glasses, none of these would be filled up all the way.

Availability: Regional. See the list on Moonlight Meadery’s website.

Cider Description: A hard cider, made with the finest New Hampshire apples that were available to us, which we had fresh pressed into apple cider. This fresh cider was delivered the day it was pressed to our Meadery, where we blended it with just a touch of honey, and some brown sugar and let it ferment, then we let it age in freshly emptied rye whiskey barrels, for a minimum of 3 months. This is a DRAFT only release.

Cidery Description: We are a world class, cidery and meadery from Londonderry New Hampshire, specializing in meads: wines made from honey, and ciders. The diversity of the offerings often leaves people speechless, while the flavors have them asking for it at their local stores. Stop by to find out why “History never tasted so good”™. Try the oldest fermented beverage, “Romance By the Glass”^®. Distributed nationwide both here in the United States, and Australia. It all started back in 1995, when Michael, our founder and head mead maker, tried a cyser (apple and honey mead) for the first time.

Since that first sip Michael has developed a passion, and a masterful skill at making international award winning meads. Michael Fairbrother has started Moonlight Meadery^®, with a mission to bring ultra premium meads to the market place. It is more than a product and it is more than a process, it’s our obsession. Our meads will be unique, and unlike anything you have ever tried, you will find it incredible! We are going to embrace the unique nature of natural honey as minimally processed as possible. Since starting production in May of 2010, we have grown beyond our wildest dreams. We hope you will stop by to hear our story and try our meads, and tell your friends.

Moonlight has a tasting room in Londonderry NH, and an online store selling their products which ships to 20 states (WA not included unfortunately). We get a few of their bottled meads in the Seattle area, but nowhere near the full lineup.

Price: $10 / 32 ounce half growler
Where Bought: Around the Table Game Pub in Lynnwood WA. This is a great option for draft craft cider in the greater Seattle area by the way, as they typically have 3 ciders and 1 mead on tap (and 8 beers, a coffee, and a soda). Although its not really my type of atmosphere (gamer types), the cider selection is pretty awesome. Special Brews up the street has more taps but less cider on tap (although they have a bottle shop).
Where Drank: home
How Found: I tried this for the first time at the Schilling Cider House (see my post here). Schilling Cider House has Moonlight Meadery’s ciders & cysers on tap pretty often. When I saw this cider was on tap at Around the Table, I went out of my way to get a half growler of it! Very reasonably priced too. I’m doing a full review of it now vs. my previous one which was only a quick writeup. I typically only do tasting notes when sampling ciders away from home as its tough to get a full picture of a cider when doing a quick tasting, and especially when trying it with other ciders.

First Impression: Shiney straw yellow champagne-like hue. Large bubbles. Complex rich sweet apple scent with a hint of oak wood.

Opinion: Semi-sweet to sweet. Rich ripe apple, honey, oak, brown sugar, and floral notes. The slightest hint of whiskey from the barrel in addition to the oak flavor from the barrel itself (which is on the mild side). Complex flavor, but low acidity, tannins, tartness, astringency, bitterness, etc. No funk (clean). Very low carbonation. Medium to full bodied. Longer finish, which is where some mild tarrtness and bitterness presents. Very smooth. I’d guess it was a higher ABV (maybe due to how full bodied it is), but its not really booze-forward.

Most Similar to: Not too much. Most barrel aged ciders don’t also have other flavors (honey & brown sugar in this case), and there aren’t too many barrel aged ciders that are this sweet (although Thistly Cross Whisky Cask comes to mind).

Closing Notes: Awesome! One of my favorite ciders. Even my friend who is very new to hard cider and whose tastes haven’t extended beyond very plain sweet juice-like commercial ciders enjoyed it (I thought she might be put off by the barrel notes). So, I can recommend this as a good introduction to barrel aged ciders (vs. some others that are very dry, strong barrel influence, lots of spirit notes, etc). I’ve been very impressed with everything I’ve tried from Moonlight Meadery so far (a few ciders, a cyser, and a mead)!

Have you tried Moonlight Meadery How Do You Like Them Little Apples? What did you think?

Woodchuck Raspberry

October 21, 2015October 15, 2015 cidersays review, Woodchuck cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Raspberry, Woodchuck, Woodchuck Raspberry

Review of Woodchuck’s Raspberry variety.

Cider: Raspberry
Cidery: Woodchuck
Cidery Location: Middlebury VT
ABV: 4.0%
How Supplied: 12oz bottles (six pack)

Availability: wide release, year round

Cider Description: Raspberry is a well-balanced cider that is light and refreshing. Delicate in body with a little extra zip that takes everything great about hard cider and kicks it up a notch with a fresh sweet raspberry finish.

Price: ~$4.50 / bottle at a bar
Where Drank: Fred’s Rivertown Alehouse in Snohomish WA. We were in the area to go to dinner at The Repp for our anniversary, and my husband requested a trip to Fred’s, due to their huge rare Scotch selection. They had a decent cider selection…Ace Pineapple and Schilling Sriracha Lime on tap (apparently they usually also have Blackthorn but were out), and Woodchuck Raspberry in bottles. I wasn’t feeling the Pineapple and wouldn’t fathom drinking a pint of Sriracha Lime (not a fan of more than a sip of spicy ciders), so Woodchuck it was. I’ve had their Raspberry a few times and its a solid selection, albeit not one of my favorites. The last time I had Woodchuck Raspberry was here as well. Sorry for the horrible photo, but we had a crowded bar seat.

First Impression: Very pale straw yellow with little carbonation and a foam ring.

Opinion: Semi-sweet (Woodchuck says sweet but I don’t find this one all that sweet oddly enough). Its definitely an easy drinking cider, especially at only 4%. Moderate carbonation in the mouthfeel. Low acidity and tartness. No bitterness. The raspberry flavor is pretty mild, but on the fake side.

Most Similar to: Woodchuck’s other fruity ciders, such as the Summer Time (blueberry), and Wyder’s Raspberry. This one has a different flavor than other “berry” ciders however; more raspberry syrup than raspberry fruit.

Closing Notes: Not a bad choice, but its pretty predictable. I kinda question how they did the raspberry flavor without adding any raspberry color though? I’d drink it again in a similar situation, but it isn’t one I’d buy a six pack of, like some of their other ciders (Winter Chill, Barrel Select, and Gumption).

Have you tried Woodchuck Raspberry? What did you think?

Sixknot Cider Organic Goldilocks

October 20, 2015October 13, 2015 cidersays review, Sixknot cider, cider review, Goldilocks, hard cider, hard cider review, Methow Valley, organic cider, Sixknot, Snohomish

Review of Organic Goldilocks from Sixknot Cider.

Cider: Organic Goldilocks
Cidery: Sixknot Cider
Cidery Location: Twisp WA
ABV: 6.5%
How Supplied: 500ml bottle

Availability: likely limited to WA, especially Western WA

Cider Description: Goldilocks is made by arresting the fermentation process with cold shock prior to complete transformation of the natural sugars to alcohol. This process delivers a refreshing, elegant cider that is easy for the first time cider drinker to embrace, and still provides complexity for the experienced palate. As the name implies, Goldilocks is not too sweet or too dry, it is a true balanced cider. The cider is naturally effervescent.

Cidery Description: Our farm and cidery rests on the banks of the Methow River near Twisp, Washington. We only press certified organic Washington apples, selected from our trees and other local orchards. We do not add sulfites, preservatives or sugars. To retain the subtle flavors often lost in processed ciders, we do not filter. Our cidermaking is kith and kin to the natural wine movement…organic practice in the orchard, and minimal intervention in the ciderhouse.

They sell three core bottled ciders, Goldilocks, High Desert Dry, and Gingerella. They also have special releases (such as Purple Sage), and their ciders can be found on draft.

Price: $11.00 (restaurant; retail is $9; pretty low markup actually)
Where Drank: The Repp in Snohomish WA. This is their only cider selection, and it isn’t even on the menu (I was glad I asked if they had cider the last time I was in). The only other time I’ve had this cider was also there. Its a great restaurant by the way, with good variety on the menu and reasonable prices for finer dining. There is also Fred’s down the street, a unique bar with a huge Scotch collection and a few ciders (where I had Woodchuck Raspberry).
How Found: I’d heard of Sixknot, but tried it mostly as that is what was available.

First Impression: I was still getting over being asked if I wanted ice with my cider! After that, I noticed the lovely hazy lemonade color with light carbonation & foam. Clean acidic apple scent.

Opinion: Semi-dry. Mild tartness and tannins. Moderate acidity. Some earthiness and the slightest bit of funk. Mild citrus notes. Very apple-forward. I enjoy unfiltered ciders. Some folks however consider haziness a flaw. I’ve heard that overly filtering can take out some of the flavors. This is a rather flavorful cider for being a flagship type variety, and I enjoyed it. I think this variety would be pretty widely appealing, although some would probably like a bit more sweetness. This was advertised as middle of the road sweetness but I found it a bit drier than that.

Closing Notes: Quite tasty. It was great to be able to enjoy some local craft cider at a local restaurant for our anniversary. I had seafood pasta and my husband had red wine and a steak. This wasn’t the greatest cider to pair with seafood pasta (I’d go for something a bit richer), but I was happy to have cider at all. Oddly enough, even being in a huge producing cider area, lots of restaurants in my area still don’t have cider, or only Angry Orchard Crisp Apple. Going to a non-chain restaurant increases the odds. Note that I’ve had another cider from apples grown in the same Methow Valley region, Methow Valley Honey Bear, but it was quite a different style & level of sweetness.

Have you tried Sixknot Goldilocks? What did you think?

Schilling Cider House Visit 4 Tasting Notes

October 19, 2015October 13, 2015 cidersays Aspall, Blue Mountain, Cockrell, Doc's, Jester & Judge, Le Brun, local, review, Schilling, Wandering Aengus, Waupoos cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Schilling Cider House, seattle

Another trip to the Schilling Cider House! I always have a blast (especially now that Sarah from Cider Log works there), and its kinda on my way home, and pretty affordable for a cider flight, so I make time for it when I can.

I had barely sat down this time when Sarah asked my opinion on the sweetness level of Cockrell’s Valley Red (raspberry) they had just tapped (as they color code the tap list by sweetness level). My vote was semi-sweet. I actually tried that one at the Seattle Cider tasting room (The Woods) awhile back. Bright cherry-pink hue. Semi-sweet. Nicely balanced tart-sweet, The raspberry comes across with a nice bite, and is easily noticeable, but not overpowering.

Then, I ordered a flight. It actually wasn’t too difficult to find 6 I hadn’t tried before, as they have 32 cider taps.

Wandering Aengus Byrd, 8.5% ABV:
Made from Wickson Crabapples and Nehou English Bittersweets, wild fermented. Semi-dry to Dry. Orangeish hue. Lots of crabbapple flavor and heavy tannins. Richer but light bodied. Slight funk. Not too much bitterness. Nice tang. Quite tasty, my favorite Wandering Aengus so far by far (usually not a big fan of them or their subsidiary Anthem). Reminds me of English cider. Apparently the name was because a bird made a nest on top of the tank, so they decided to name whatever cider they made a variation on bird.

Jester & Judge Sharp Cherry, 5.8% ABV:
First time I’ve tried Jester & Judge, although I have a bottle of their cider in the fridge to try. They are a newish cidery out of Stevenson WA. Semi-dry. Orange/pink hue. Very very mild cherry. Some tartness. Overall kinda blah. I’d call it Hint of Cherry, not Sharp Cherry lol. I guess I’m just a fan of bolder flavor. By the way, my favorite cherry cider so far is made by Washington Gold, and has a lovely bold real tart cherry flavor.

Blue Mountain Semi-Sweet, 6.3% ABV:
Second time I’ve tried Blue Mountain (only tried their Peach before). Semi-dry. Floral scent. Kinda watered down tasting / mildly flavored. Some tartness and some bitterness. Very mild tannins. Floral and citrus notes. Easy drinking and I think this would be widely appealing. Overall kinda average.

Le Brun Organic Cidre, 4% ABV:
French cidre! Semi-sweet. Nice richer flavor with mild tannins. I pick up some apple skin type flavor with this one, and its a bit larger bodied than some other French ciders I’ve had. Overall quite good, but as far as French ciders go, I prefer Dan Armor, which I found to be more flavorful. They carry this in bottles at the Schilling Cider House by the way.

Waupoos Premium, 6.5% ABV:
I’ve heard of this cidery from Ontario Canada, but hadn’t had a chance to try their cider. On the sweeter side of semi-dry. Plain yeasty apple scent. Some tartness, bitterness, and acidity, but rather mild. A rather basic cider without much flavor, but I don’t really have any complaints about it either. Well-hidden ABV.

Doc’s Raspberry on Nitro, 5.5% ABV:
I’ve been wanting to try Doc’s. Sarah recommends their Sour Cherry, but I haven’t seen it yet. This one was weird…I picked up some saltiness. Maybe from the tap line? It also unfortunately didn’t take well to the Nitro (there wasn’t any noticeable Nitro influence; typically the ciders get really foamy & smooth). Semi-sweet. Nicely balanced tart-sweet raspberry. Smelled better than it tasted though. I’ll have to give them another try.

Overall: The only ciders I truly enjoyed from my flight were the Wandering Aengus (oddly enough) and Le Brun. I kinda wished I had got a flight of the ciders I knew I liked that they had on tap, but I’m a sucker for trying new things, especially ciders, and especially when I haven’t tried anything from that cidery.

While I was there they also put together a very unique Randall using Schilling Oak Aged cider, mushrooms, walnuts, and black olives! The olives cam through most in the scent. The taste was quite earthy with some funk, and a bit chunky honestly (I got the first pour I think). It wasn’t as bad as it sounds though, although a couple sips was plenty. Looks like Friday afternoons are their typical Randall time, as the same thing happened during my previous visit.

Sarah also shared some of a bottle of Aspall Dry with me! This was the very first Aspall variety I had (at the Seattle International Beerfest; see my post here), and is quite excellent. Its an awesomely crisp apple-forward semi-dry cider. I haven’t been disappointed by any Aspall variety yet, and am looking forward to trying the bottle of Imperial I have at home.

So, all in all, obviously I highly recommend the Schilling Cider House! By the way, the Schilling Cider House has a monthly potluck. The next one is on Thursday October 22 from 5-9pm, and being called Dude…Sweet, with a theme of sweeter ciders, and asking folks to bring in sweet treats to share. There will even be a new Schilling release!

Attila Scourge of God

October 16, 2015October 15, 2015 cidersays Attila, review Attila, cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, oregon, Scourge of God, washington

Review of “Scourge of God” by Attila Hard Cider. I honestly bought this just because the name was funny. I haven’t tried any Attila ciders, but they also offer at least one other cider (Rapture, with Concord grape juice in addition to Granny Smith apple juice), and have been around since 2013.

Cider: Scourge of God
Cidery: Attila Hard Cider (for Elevage Wine Company in Ellensburg WA)
Cidery Location: Milton-Freewater OR
ABV: 5.9%
How Supplied: 22oz glass bottle

Availability: WA only, in bottles & kegs. Distributed through King Beverage (Budweiser house) in Eastern Washington and American Northwest in Western Washington.

Cider Description: Attila’s flagship lightly carbonated, slightly tart, perfectly blended cider with a clean, crisp finish. In the finest tradition of American Craft cider we only source the highest quality apples from Washington State . Drink what the Founding Mothers and Fathers used to enjoy after a hard day’s work. Made from only fresh-pressed apples with no juice concentrates or added sugars, make Attila, “The Scourge of God” the most refreshing cider on the market today, and at 6.99% Alc, you can bring this cider to any revolution!

Cidery Description: In 2011, we noticed an influx of people asking for draft cider at our wine bar in Ellensburg. Knowing very little about cider we tried them all, yet after our year long research, we only found two that we liked—both from Oregon. The winemaker in me thought, it can’t be that hard. Finally, after a long trial and error process, three years and several thousand of dollars of cider given away to friends (aka “guinea pigs”) Attila “Scourge of God” was born. Why Attila? Glad you asked. Attila was a true-life badass; a simple man with leadership abilities that would rival any modern day leader. Down-to-earth Attila that lead by example and enjoyed a good drink. Dubbed the “Scourge the God” by Pope Leo, Attila was feared by everyone and found joy intimidating the Romans; a businessman, he demanded up to 2000 kilograms of gold a year in lieu of being pillaged by Attila’s misfits. For us, we were not looking to conquer the cider business, but to grow Attila’s army into a band of local misfits who enjoy drinking a damn good cider. Our secret, using only locally-sourced apples, which are always fresh pressed creating a high quality craft cider for the masses. We look forward to seeing you at our wine bar Brix in Ellensburg or our tasting room in Leavenworth or better yet your favorite watering hole soon as we continue to grow and thrive here.

Price: ~$8? It was awhile ago…
Where Bought: Schilling Cider House
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing

First Impression: Crisp acidic dry slightly musty scent. Pale straw yellow. Very light carbonation which quickly cleared.

Opinion: Semi-dry. Simple, crisp, and refreshing. High acidity, which I really liked. Very apple-forward, which I also liked. Lots of granny smith apple flavor (made from golden delicious, gala, and granny smith apples), but the tartness remained mild. No significant bitterness or astringency. Some citrus notes. I didn’t pick up any funk (it remained clean), which I had expected a bit from the scent. This was definitely made from dessert apples (ie. low complexity), but it was well-balanced and not very sweet at all, which is nice. Quick finish. My only suggestion for this one is that more carbonation would be a good addition, but I say that about most ciders.

Most Similar to: Other drier flagship ciders, except this one was higher acidity.

Closing Notes: Pretty good. I’d rate this as above average, especially for a flagship cider, which I typically don’t care for (as I like bolder flavors). Its great they are doing so many good things, such as using fresh juice from WA apples, no additives, etc. I’ve been wanting to try their Rapture cider, which sounds interesting, but appears to be sweeter than this one.

Have you tried Attila Scourge of God? What did you think?

Henry Hotspur’s Hard Pressed for Cider

October 15, 2015October 15, 2015 cidersays Hard Pressed, review cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Hard Pressed for Cider, Henry Hotspur's, Trader Joe's

Review of Henry Hotspur’s Hard Pressed for Cider, only available at Trader Joe’s.

Cider: Henry Hotspur’s Hard Pressed for Cider
Cidery: Hard Pressed Cider Company, which according to some Googling may be part of Gordon Biersch Brewing
Cidery Location: San Jose CA
ABV: 5.8%
How Supplied: 22oz (650ml) bottle

Availability: wide release, year round, only at Trader Joe’s

Cider Description: Made from fresh pressed apples from the Pacific Northwest, Hard Pressed Cider company has a refreshing take on cider. Fresh pressed apple juice is fermented with brewing yeast and the resulting cider is slightly sweetened by adding back unfermented apple juice. That’s it. The finished cider is clean, crisp and delightfully enjoyable.

Cidery Description: None found. Have any information on them? Contact me so I can add it.

Price: $2.49
Where Bought: Trader Joe’s
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing. I had tried this awhile back and decided to revisit it.

First Impression: Light straw yellow. Light carbonation. Foam ring. Light clean apple scent, slightly yeasty.

Opinion: On the sweeter side of semi-dry. Low acidity and tartness. No bitterness. Slight generic apple juice flavor. Its definitely an easy drinking & refreshing cider variety. Not too many identifiable flavor notes. It could use more flavor (its a bit on the watery side). However, I’ve definitely paid much more for cider I liked much less. I commend them for not using any concentrates or additives, which is unheard of at this price point. This cider per ounce would be equal to an $8.18 price point for a six pack of 12oz bottles, which is quite in line with commercial ciders.

Most Similar to: Other light easy drinking flagship ciders.

Closing Notes: This is a solid cider selection, especially for the cost. I’d consider getting it again. I’ve particularly been looking for an easy drinking affordable craft cider which is to my liking, as I can’t always drink the good stuff. However, I think in this case I’d spend a bit more and get the Dan Armor Cuvée Spéciale Cidre Brut ($4.99 for a 750ml, French import) from Trader Joe’s, which I find truly impressive. Its literally on my list of top ciders, along with a lot of ciders in the $10-$20 / bottle range. If I didn’t like variety / trying new ciders, I’d pick up a case of that and call it done.

Have you tried Henry Hotspur’s Hard Pressed for Cider? What did you think?

Rambling Route Yakima Cider

October 14, 2015October 13, 2015 cidersays Rambling Route, review cider, cider review, hard cider, hard cider review, Rambling Route, Tieton, Yakima

Review of Rambling Route Yakima Cider, made by Tieton Cider Works. This is their lower end canned cider (vs. their bottled ciders).

Cider: Yakima Cider
Cidery: Rambling Route (Tieton Cider Works)
Cidery Location: Yakima WA
ABV: 6.9%
How Supplied: 16oz tallboy can (four pack)

Availability: Semi-wide (19/50 states), year round

Cider Description: The apple’s journey to America was parallel to man’s. The boat landed and the exploration began: in this vast new land the choices for thriving were endless. Some were happy to live on the coast where they landed, spreading out and staying diverse. Others were content to live amongst a few or be a solo tree in a town square. A few made it halfway across the land and settled in. The fearless joined the westward migration on horses and wagons, traveling thousands of miles looking for the perfect dirt, long sunny days and ample water. When it reached the land that would be called Washington, the apple knew. It was home at the end of a Rambling Route.

For those that appreciate the bold, crisp flavor of biting into a Washington grown apple, your quest for the perfect apple cider ends with Rambling Route. We grow and press only fresh apples from our family farm and carefully blend under the roof of our own cidery located in the heart of the Yakima Valley. Expect pineapple aromas and mineral qualities on the nose, snappy and racy acid levels on the palate, coupled by a deep full-bodied finish. No additives, no concentrates, or preservatives – ever!

Additional Info from Rambling Route: We use a variety of bitter sharp and bitter sweets apples in our Ciders. Along with some dessert varietals. We launched our can division on April 1st which is the Rambling Route brand. We will be launching Rambling Route in early 2016 with kegs.

Price: ~$2.50 for a single can (runs $8-9 for a four pack in my area)
Where Bought: Total Wine
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing. Since then, I’ve seen it promoted quite a bit.

First Impression: Mild dry acidic crisp apple scent. Little carbonation upon pouring, but tiny bubbles. Light straw gold hue.

Opinion: On the drier side of semi-dry. Moderate to high acidity. Mild tartness, bitterness, and astringency. Citrus notes. I noticed the slightest bit of tannic cider apple taste, but it left me wanting more. Rather bland and watered down tasting. Light bodied. Longer finish with an odd almost soapy aftertaste (which I read can be a sign of stressed yeast). I liked that it wasn’t too bitter, which I’ve often found with drier ciders. I don’t agree with their description that it is bold or full-bodied. It is however a crisp and easy drinking cider. Well balanced, but I found it boring and unimpressive.

Most Similar to: Other drier light bodied PNW flagship ciders such as HUB Hard Cider, Red Tank Happy Cider, 2 Towns Bright Cider, Seattle Cider Semi-Sweet, and Anthem Cider.

Closing Notes: I commend Tieton for making an affordable craft cider (relatively small batch, made from fresh pressed juice, nothing artificial added, etc), and one that isn’t too sweet either. However, it just isn’t to my liking. I think if it was higher carbonation and had a richer flavor, they would be on to something I’d enjoy. I’m still in search for an everyday drinking craft cider which is affordable (which usually means it comes in a multi-pack). The cider folks I’ve talked to seem to either love or hate this cider. I’m sorta ambivalent.

Have you tried Rambling Route Yakima Cider? What did you think?

Liberty Ciderworks Stonewall (Dry Fly Whiskey Barrel Aged)

October 12, 2015October 11, 2015 cidersays Liberty, review barrel aged, cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, liberty, Spokane, Stonewall

Review of Stonewall (a Dry Fly whiskey barrel aged cider) from Liberty Ciderworks, part of their Reserve series. I’ve tried a number of ciders from Liberty, including Manchurian Crabapple, English Style, Crabenstein, and Abbess.

Cider: Stonewall (Dry Fly Whiskey Barrel Aged)
Cidery: Liberty Ciderworks
Cidery Location: Spokane WA
ABV: 8.4%
How Supplied: 750ml bottle

Availability: Fairly limited. Per the cidery they currently self-distribute to Spokane and Seattle. In Seattle, I have seen them at Capitol Cider, Schilling Cider House, Total Wine, Full Throttle Bottles, and Special Brews. Look for them in bottle shops in WA which specialize in local craft cider. Liberty’s website lists some locations to find their ciders.

Cider Description: Named for General “Stonewall” Jackson – who reportedly enjoyed blending cider and whiskey – ‘Stonewall’ is our English blend aged in Dry Fly™ whiskey barrels. This oaky, dry cider serves up scents and flavors reminiscent of vanilla, ripe apple, and coconut. (GLINTCAP 2015 Gold Medal & “Best In Class” Winner)

Cidery Description: Carrying the torch for Artisan Cider. Located in the largest apple-growing region on the planet, Liberty Ciderworks is all about the apple, showcasing the diversity and wonders of locally grown fruit. From well known apples like McIntosh and Jonathan to rare, cider-specific fruit like Kingston Black and Dabinett, Liberty ciders put apples in their proper place: Front and center. We started Liberty Ciderworks in 2013 with a simple, two-part mission: 1) Using apples from local farms and fields, create unique, wonderful ciders, and 2) Share them with friends and neighbors across the great Pacific Northwest. Welcome to the cider revolution. Cheers! Rick & Austin

Liberty has a tap room in Spokane and offers over 10 varieties of cider. Here are links to two articles discussing this cider’s win at GLINTCAP, from Inlander and NW Cider.

Price: $13.99
Where Bought: Total Wine
Where Drank: home
How Found: I was on the lookout for this variety after reading about it online, as I’m really into barrel aged ciders.

First Impression: Copper amber hue. Lovely brilliant sheen. Very little carbonation. Mild rich apple, whiskey, and barrel scent.

Opinion: Dry. Moderate acidity, tannins, bitterness, astringency, and tartness. Medium bodied. Long finish. Rich caramel, vanilla, and ripe apple notes. The whiskey and barrel notes are mild to moderate. Note that I don’t like aged spirits at all, but love those flavors in a barrel aged cider. At first the tannins, astringency, and bitterness were a bit harsh, but as the cider warmed up and I had a few sips, I warmed up to it. I definitely find some similarities to their English style cider, which is what this cider is, except it was aged in whiskey barrels. I’m not really sure if I like this one or the English style better…I like the whiskey & barrel notes, but I found this one to have a bit more bitterness.

Most Similar to: Other barrel aged ciders made from cider apples, such as Traditions Ciderworks Bourbon Barrel 2012 and Whitewood Cider Kingston Black Whiskey Barrel Aged, which I tried at Cider Summit Seattle 2015 (tasting notes here).

Closing Notes: Tasty! The price point is also quite good considering this is a craft cider from a small cidery, made using cider apples, is a higher ABV, and was barrel aged. Another great selection from Liberty Ciderworks! I look forward to continuing to try their ciders.

Have you tried Liberty Stonewall? What did you think?

Schilling Cider House Visit 3 and Portland Cider Tasting at Total Wine

October 9, 2015October 9, 2015 cidersays Greenwood, Moonlight Meadery, One Tree, Portland Cider, review, Rootwood, Schilling cider, cider review, cider tasting, Fremont, hard cider, Portland Cider, Schilling Cider House, Total Wine

I enjoyed my last visits (one and two) to the Schilling Cider House so much that I was looking for another opportunity to visit. I got my chance the following week when my husband had Friday night plans that didn’t interest me, so I went my own way. I arrived at the Schilling Cider House around 3:30pm, and it was already pretty busy.

I had tried a number of their tap selections (especially since I was there only the week before), but found six of interest that I hadn’t tried yet.

Schilling Mischief Maker Cran-Pom, 5.8% ABV: This is a newish cranberry-pomegranate cider by Schilling (available in bottles too). A bit foamy of a pour. On the drier side of sweet. Nice balanced sweet & tart. However, it was a bit too heavy on the cranberry for my liking, and quite juice-like.

Schilling Barrel #1, 21% ABV: This is similar to their Barrel #2 I had the previous week, some sort of spirit (not sure if it was distilled or fortified with brandy). I was able to find out that this one is whiskey barrel aged However, this was much drier than Barrel #2, on the sweeter side of dry. It was very very boozy in comparison to Barrel #2. I really didn’t like it much at all. It didn’t have nearly as much flavor as Barrel #2.

Moonlight Meadery Boys ‘nd Berries, 6%: Cherry color. Boysenberry scent. On the drier side of semi-sweet. Moderate tartness. Kinda boring, but it is one of the better berry ciders I’ve had. I’ve found I’m just not a fan of berry ciders, as they are often really juice-like. This cider oddly enough though came across as a bit boozy, tasting higher than 6% ABV, which is unusual for a berry cider.

Rootwood Cider Company Lot 17, 7.2% or 7.5% ABV: This is the first cider I’ve tried from Rootwood, which hails from the Lake Chelan WA area. They are newish to cider (launched about a month ago and had a launch party at the Schilling Cider House during Washington Cider Week), but have been growing apples for over 100 years. They have their own tasting room in Manson WA, which offers growler fills. They are working on getting their ciders bottled and out to stores, but for now, can be found on tap in the greater Seattle area (such as the Schilling Cider House and 192 Brewing Company in Kenmore). “Lot 17” refers to the name of one of the family’s original orchard plots in the hills outside of Manson, and it is primarily made using Fuji apples (but also includes Jonagold, Elstar, Foxwelp, Browns, and Kingston Black). Semi-dry. Fairly simple. Mild tartness. Moderate acidity & bitterness. Light bodied. It had hints of a rich flavor, and some mild fruity notes, but left me wanting more. Overall I found this rather boring.

Greenwood Cider Company Huckleberry Wedding Cider, 6.5% ABV: This is the first cider I’ve tried from Greenwood, which hails from the Seattle WA area. I hadn’t even heard of them, despite them being local and my interest in cider. I really couldn’t find any info on them online oddly enough, just a Facebook page, so I e-mailed them. They are about a year old and currently only sell kegs of their small batch ciders. In the Seattle area, their customers include Capitol Cider, the Schilling Cider House, and Chuck’s Hop Shop. I found out this cider was primarily huckleberry, but also included blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries (the “wedding” part), and made from piñata, golden delicious, fuji, braeburn, granny smith, and golden russet apples. It had an orange-pink hue, which was interesting for what I thought was only a huckleberry cider, especially compared to the very dark colored One Tree Huckleberry cider. I picked up much more citrus (grapefruit?) than berry in it. Ryan from Greenwood thought I may have been picking up some of the tartness of the raspberries or acidity of the heirloom golden russet apples in detecting citrus notes. Still, this one was a bit too unique for me, and my least favorite of the seven ciders I ended up trying. I’m definitely game to try other ciders from them though!

One Tree Hard Cider Huckleberry on Nitro, 6.8% ABV: Deep deep berry hue. Excessive foam from the Nitro process and the scent I have come to associate with it. Very sweet. I found this to be just your standard juice-like berry cider. Medium bodied. There actually wasn’t any perceivable tartness, which was surprising, and would have been welcomed.

All in all I wasn’t impressed with any of my selections. The Moonlight Meadery Boys ‘nd Berries was probably my “favorite” of the six (actually seven; see below). They had ciders I really liked still on tap though, such as Moonlight Meadery Last Apple, Schilling Barrel #2, NV Cider Pear Essentials, and 2 Towns Bad Apple & Prickle Me Pink…I just wanted to get ciders I hadn’t tried before.

They also ended up putting a Randall together while I was there, which was a cool process to watch. Apparently they often will do this on the weekend. It doesn’t appear they charge any extra for a Randalled cider either. The process appeared to be a seat of the pants sort of thing, with ingredients they picked up from the PCC grocery store down the street. I had a front & center view of it all too! They started with Rootwood Lot 17, then added corn, cilantro, and hot peppers to the infuser chamber.

I got a sample of the resulting cider, and it was pretty good! It mostly had cilantro flavor, with a hint of heat (the peppers were placed at the top of the chamber so the cider didn’t get much of their influence). I really love Cilantro, so it was nice. This would have paired very well with Mexican food, which few ciders do (my choice would be Wyder’s Reposado Pear). I didn’t really pick up the corn in the flavor, but I think it added a bit of color & texture. You can really see a difference in hue between the pre-Randall Lot 17 (fourth cider from left in flight photo above) vs. the post-Randall Lot 17.

I didn’t have a good view of the cutting board of ingredients, but here is a photo from their Twitter feed:

After going to the Schilling Cider House, on my way home, I stopped at the Northgate Total Wine, where they were having a Portland Cider Company cider tasting (4-7pm). I had spotted it on Total Wine’s event calendar and taken note. I met their rep Ingrid (whose business card says “cider maven” lol) and tried three of their ciders. They were pouring Kinda Dry, Pearfect, and Hop’Rageous. I had tried a bottle of Kinda Dry (review here) and had Pearfect Perry on tap awhile back at my first visit to the Schilling Cider House (tasting notes here), but gave them another go.

Even though I don’t like hops, I thought I might as well try a sip of the Hop’Rageous. It was surprisingly good! There was very very little hop flavor, more of an aftertaste. Apparently they use Citra hops, which are mild, and apparently they didn’t use a huge amount of them. They also incorporated some orange peel. Most hopped ciders go quite overboard on the amount of hops. It had a lovely aroma & flavor of both floral (probably from the hops) and citrus (probably from the orange peel). I found it dry to semi-dry. Nice and refreshing, and very light in flavor overall. I’d actually consider getting a bottle of it, although I imagine I might not like the hops aftertaste when drinking a larger amount. This is a great example of a well-done hopped cider that even someone who doesn’t like hops/beer can probably enjoy!

As a side note, I’m quite proud of myself for not buying any bottles of cider at the Schilling Cider House or Total Wine, which is unheard of for me. I have so much cider at home that I can’t justify buying anything but a special release / rare find.

Elemental Carbon (Traditional Dry Cider)

October 8, 2015September 27, 2015 cidersays Elemental, review Carbon, cider, cider review, cider tasting, Elemental, hard cider, Woodinville

Review of ‘Carbon’ from Elemental Hard Cider, their traditional dry cider.

Cider: Carbon (Traditional Dry)
Cidery: Elemental Hard Cider (part of Callahan Cellars)
Cidery Location: Woodinville WA
ABV: 6.5%
How Supplied: 500ml glass bottle

Availability: limited to Western WA at this time (see their website)

Cider Description: Our Traditional Dry Hard Cider is a European inspired cider. The experience is crisp, clean and tart. This is the perfect cider to pair with any meal.

Cidery Description: Each of our hand-crafted ciders are made from only the finest Northwest apples and cold-fermented to preserve the fruit. Our ciders are reminiscent of champagne, they are lightly filtered and mildly effervescent for clean taste. Experience our quality for yourself. Come in often to grab a glass. We are constantly trying out new flavors, so the line-up is always changing. Brian and Christina Callahan launched Elemental Hard Cider to bring quality, affordable, and delicious hard cider to the world. We strive to bring fun and exciting flavors to the experienced cider enthusiast, as well as novice cider drinkers.

Their current lineup includes Carbon (traditional dry), Helium (pear), Oxygen (pomegraniate), Nitrogen (acai), Hydrogen (grapefruit), CO (cherry), Pineapple, Spiced Apple, NW Atomic Root Beer, and Jalapeno Lime Cilantro, although some of those are seasonal and/or special releases.

Price: ~$8
Where Bought: Special Brews in Lynnwood WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: There has been a lot of talk on Facebook and such about this relatively new cidery (May 2014), so I’ve been wanting to give them a try. I actually tried a taste of their Cherry on tap at the Schilling Cider House awhile back, but I didn’t count that so much. Their other varieties I could find in bottles didn’t sound appealing (acai and pomegranate), so I decided to go for their flagship traditional dry cider.

First Impression: Very light color. High carbonation with little bubbles. Dry clean apple scent.

Opinion: Dry. Simple yet complex. Refreshing and clean taste. Moderate acidity, tartness, bitterness, and tannins. Quick finish. Slight earthiness. Champagne-like mouthfeel.

Most Similar to: Argus Fermentables Ciderkin. Like very very similar oddly enough.

Closing Notes: A solid cider, but not really a style I enjoy. I think its a great sparkling wine alternative. I’d be interested to try more of their ciders. However, I go for more of a bold flavor, often barrel aged, and I don’t really see them heading in that direction. I didn’t get a chance to try their NW Atomic Root Beer at Cider Summit, but that seems to be quite popular.

Have you tried Elemental Carbon? What did you think?

Boonville Bite Hard

October 6, 2015September 27, 2015 cidersays Boonville, review Bite Hard, Boonville, cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider

Review of Bite Hard from Boonville Cider House. This appears to be the only cider they currently make.

Cider: Bite Hard
Cidery: Boonville Cider House
Cidery Location: Boonville CA
ABV: 6.9%
How Supplied: 16oz tallboy can

Availability: CA, AZ, WA, MN, WI, IL, MI, NY, IN, CO and MO

They also shared this blog post written by the founder & cider maker (titled Ruminations on Our Ethics of Fermentation).

Price: ~$3 for a single 16oz can (runs about $10 for a four pack)
Where Bought: Total Wine
Where Drank: home
How Found: browsing. The bright yellow can really stands out. I’ve seen it before, but have been on a kick trying to find a good affordable everyday drinking craft cider (ie. something that comes in a multi pack), so I thought I’d give it a try. I’ve honestly never been all that impressed by a canned cider, but most of them are plain flagship types that aren’t my favorite anyways.

First Impression: Light amber yellow. Very little carbonation. Light dry apple scent.

Opinion: Dry. High acidity. Moderate bitterness, tartness, and tannins. Light bodied. The acidity and tannins linger for a longer finish. Green apple and crabapple notes with a hint of citrus. I’d guess they use champagne yeast. Clean and refreshing. I find it interesting they say this is English style; I think it had some of those qualities, but was lacking the richer flavor. You can definitely tell they used heirloom (not dessert / common eating) apples. In this case I think more sweetness and carbonation would have made this cider more balanced. I did however enjoy the higher acidity.

Most Similar to: Some other drier flagship ciders. I haven’t had one this dry, but I found it similar to offerings from HUB, Square Mile, and Red Tank, due to the bitterness and tartness.

Closing Notes: I found the flavor a bit boring and unimpressive for my tastes. I am however impressed that they have made a truly dry canned craft cider with higher tannins, all fresh pressed juice, no additives, etc, at a reasonable price point. Going the drier, bitter, and tannic route seems a bit risky as it seems a lot of folks looking for canned cider especially like the sweet stuff, although trends seem to be moving a bit drier lately. I just like a different more bold flavor profile, high carbonation, etc. I’m intrigued to see if they come out with any other offerings.

Have you tried Boonville Bite Hard? What did you think?

Portland Cider Kinda Dry

October 2, 2015October 2, 2015 cidersays Portland Cider, review cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Kinda Dry, portland, Portland Cider

Review of Kinda Dry from Portland Cider. They have two flagship ciders, Kinda Dry and Sorta Sweet. Pretty creative naming and to offer two ends of the spectrum.

Cider: Kinda Dry
Cidery: Portland Cider
Cidery Location: Portland WA
ABV: 6.8%
How Supplied: 22oz bottle

Availability: OR & WA

Cider Description: Traditional English cider is dry, lightly carbonated, has very subtle apple flavors, and a lingering fresh finish. It is in the spirit of this traditional cider that we blend our Kinda Dry. We use fresh pressed juice from a blend of NW grown culinary apples such as Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Jonagold, Gala, Golden and Red Delicious, carefully ferment them with a yeast that preserves their subtle characteristics, give the cider time to develop to its full potential, then bottle or keg at just the right time. Just off dry, light, clean, refreshing, with a pleasant finish, Kinda Dry is the cider to always have on hand.

Cidery Description: What do you do when you’re frustrated by the quality of the commercial cider available? You start making your own! What do you do when friends and family keep telling you it’s the best cider they’ve ever had? You start a business! That is the essence of how the Portland Cider Company got its start. Founded by Jeff Parrish, an Oregon native, and his wife Lynda, an ex-patriot from the Somerset region of England (the Mecca of cider), the Portland Cider Company is based on the belief that good cider comes from good fruit, honest practices, and attention to detail. Our cider starts with fresh pressed juice from Northwest grown apples. We then carefully ferment it using yeast that protects the delicate characteristics of the fruit. The results are cider blends that are easy to drink, refreshing, and downright delicious. Drink it, it’s good!

Portland Cider started in 2012, and they have a taproom in Portland (with their ciders and some others).

Price: ~$7
Where Bought: My husband brought this home from Whole Foods for me. I had joked for him to bring me home some cider, and he did!
Where Drank: home
How Found: I’ve had my eye on Portland Cider after trying their Passion Fruit and Pearfect Perry on tap at the Schilling Cider House (see tasting notes here).

First Impression: High carbonation with tiny bubbles. Shiny light gold amber. Dry clean apple scent.

Opinion: On the drier side of semi-dry. Moderate acidity and bitterness. Mild tannins. Nice higher carbonation level. This has a pretty standard flagship cider flavor and I didn’t pick up too many distinctive flavor notes. I’m surprised there is so much bitterness from dessert apples, but I’ve also found that in other ciders, and its something I’m sensitive to. I think my favorite thing with this cider was the higher carbonation. For me, the more bubbles the better most of the time! Many ciders seem to be lacking in carbonation, which may be due to the current taxation levels which penalize cider and tax it as champagne above a certain carbonation level (one of the main points of the CIDER Act).

Most Similar to: Other flagship ciders with higher bitterness.

Closing Notes: I found Kinda Dry to be kinda boring, but its a solid craft cider choice. For what you get (a 22oz bottle of craft cider from PNW apples and no additives), its a nice price point. I think it just needs more flavor in general. I found the dryness and bitterness to overwhelm the cider a bit. I also wasn’t impressed with their Passion Fruit and Pearfect Perry, also thinking they needed more flavor. I may be convinced to try their Sorta Sweet, but I heard it is quite sweet, and I’ve been moving towards drier ciders. I see on their website they offer “Bourbonator” in their taproom, which sounds more to my liking, as I love anything barrel aged.

Have you tried Portland Cider Kinda Dry? What did you think?

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: