cider

Reverend Nat’s Revival

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Here is a review of Reverend Nat’s Revival cider, which is one of my favorites:

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Cider:  Revival
Cidery:  Reverend Nat’s
Cidery Location:  Portland OR
ABV:  6%
How Supplied:  500ml clear glass bottle
Availability:  year round, available in OR, WA, CA, ID, and B.C. (released Dec 2014)

Description:  My newest release is Revival and I couldn’t be more thrilled to share it with you. I start with a secret blend of Washington-grown apples and add piloncillo, dark brown evaporated cane juice, purchased direct from Michoacan, Mexico. I ferment this dark base to all the way to dry using two exotic yeast strains: a beer yeast known for the round mouthfeel in Saisons and a rarely-used secret culture which produces aromas of pineapple, guava and peaches. This cider is brilliantly golden in color and deeply complex while remaining subtly familiar, with just the right amount of sweetness and acidity to be an everyday beverage.

Price:  $6.99
Where Bought:  The Cave in Kirkland, Total Wine
How Found: Browsing
Where Drank:  home (I’ve also had it on tap at Tavern Hall in Bellevue)

Opinion:  This is an awesome semi-sweet cider with a unique tropical fruit aroma & flavor.  Surprisingly the tropical aspect is all from the apples (dessert, not cider apples) & yeast, nothing else was added.  I find this more semi-sweet than semi-dry, although apparently that is a suggestion from the tropical flavor, or as Nat West (Rev Nat’s founder) said, “It gives a perception of sweetness, while maintaining an semi­-dry character and rich complexity”.  Revival also has a wonderful deep hue from the piloncillo.  If you are lucky enough to find this flavor on tap, give it a try, as it is even better than bottled!

Note there is a Rev Nat’s variety called “Revival Dry”, which is different than this one.  I’ve also tried Rev Nat’s Tepache, which is a very unique beverage made from fermented pineapple and spices.  I look forward to trying more Rev Nat’s cider, once I find one that interests me, as so far near me I’ve seen varieties with spices, hops, and ginger, none of which interest me.  Rev Nat’s taproom also sounds like a fun place to visit, and they have had all sorts of events & special releases, so its on my short list.  A unique cider from a unique cidery.  Highly recommended!

Have you tried Rev Nat’s Revival?  What did you think?

Cider Says Weekly Preview

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What posts to expect in the upcoming week at Cider Says:

  • Monday: Finding Good Cider While Out on the Town
  • Tuesday: Atlas Hard Apple Cider Review
  • Wednesday: Hard Cider Blogs & Websites I Enjoy
  • Thursday: Anthem Cider Review
  • Friday/Saturday: Trip Report, Seattle International Beerfest

Stay tuned, and remember to follow by e-mail (sidebar on right, or at bottom of page on mobile devices) or follow on WordPress (top left bar) to be notified of new posts here at Cider Says.  Have a great week!

Happy Fourth of July!

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I hope everyone has a fun & safe independence day!

What are you drinking today?
Woodchuck Amber & Summer Time are on the menu for my get together.  Hopefully they will be crowd pleasers.

Crispin Browns Lane

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Here is a unique commercial cider from Crispin, 100% English made, from English bittersweet apples,

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Cider:  Browns Lane Imported Classic English Dry Cider
(named after first Jaguar car factory location in England)
Cidery:  Crispin
Cidery Location:  Colfax, CA
ABV:  5.8%
How Supplied:  four pack of 16oz cans
Availability:  wide release, year round (since 2011)

Description on Can:  Authentically British, from its bespoke tailoring, to its superb craftsmanship, most defined by its world champion character.  Classic English dry cider from English bittersweet cider apples.

Price:  $8.99 / four pack (although I bought a single can for about $3)
Where Bought:  Total Wine (although I’ve seen it other places, such as Fred Meyer & Whole Foods)
How Found: Browsing, after reading a review by Cider Sage which convinced me I may just like this one
Where Drank:  home

Opinion:  First impression is the amount of sparking when poured into the glass, and the deeper amber color, more so than many ciders.  For some reason this really reminds me of semi-dry oak aged ciders, such as Schilling Oak Aged, although this is not barrel aged.  I pick up a light earthy oak flavor.  Even though this was drier, it was still very drinkable even to my palate which prefers sweeter ciders.  I wouldn’t call it a fully dry cider though, as I have had a number of ciders which were more dry, even when usually trying to avoid them.

It starts out a bit sweeter (with an almost caramelized sugar type flavor) and finishes a bit drier, with the bittersweet apple flavor coming through.  I wouldn’t however call it overly tart, which I have picked up in some drier ciders.  I’m surprised how much I like this one actually!  This is quite different than Crispin’s other selections, which vary from their fairly plain Original, to plain & blackberry pear varieties, to their Artisanal Reserve line.  I’m curious how closely this actually resembles a traditional English Farmhouse cider, because if it does, I’m a fan!

Have you tried Crispin Browns Lane?  What did you think?

Cider Cocktails for the Independence Day Holiday, Anyone?

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I’ve been wanting to get into trying cider cocktails, and in my research found some of the following ideas:

Woodchuck Watermelon Cider Cubes:  A blended mix of watermelon, pineapple, & raspberries, frozen in an ice cube tray to add to cider (such as their hint of blueberry cider, Summer Time).  Useful in warm weather to keep a cider cool without watering it down.  They give a bonus recipe to pour any extra fruit mixture into half an empty watermelon, mix in their Gumption cider variety, and freeze it–slushy anyone?

Cider Sangria:  This sounds yummy, and I imagine there are many directions it can be taken.  Not sure I’d do a semi-dry cider with Grand Marnier and ice cider though (plus the later two ingredients would be expensive)…I’m thinking more of cider with juice & fruit.  I think even just adding fruit to cider would be yummy…it reminds me of Rev Nat’s Revival, with a wonderful tropical fruit flavor.

Cider Mimosa:  Either pear cider (perry) with orange juice (Perry Mimosa) or méthode champenoise (a champagne-like sparkling cider) with pineapple juice (Summer Mimosa).  Both are simple and sound yummy!  I imagine with these as well there are many directions they can be taken.

Cider Margarita:  Tequila, cider, and Grand Marnier.  Sounds interesting enough to be good!  They use cinnamon & sugar on the rim instead of salt.

Cider Ice Cream Float:  Not exactly a cocktail, but it is something I’ve been meaning to try for awhile.  For some reason I think it would be especially good with dark cider, such as Spire Mountain Dark & Dry.

Orchard Limeade:  Green apple cider, absinthe, and lime juice.  I haven’t seen anything like this before.

Apple Rum Punch:  Coconut rum, spiced rum, dark rum, cider, orange juice, and pineapple juice.  I’m curious how this would be with cider added.  I’ve had similar drinks without cider, and think they can be tasty if they aren’t overly sweet.

Have you tried any cider cocktails?  How did it turn out?

Ace Pineapple

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This is a tropical pineapple flavored cider.

Cider:  Pineapple
Cidery:  Ace
Cidery Location:  Sebastopol, CA
ABV:  5%
How Supplied:  six pack of 12oz bottles
Availability:  wide release, year round

Description on Bottle:  Another first for ACE, our ACE PINEAPPLE cider nobody has done one before.  We marry pineapple and apple juice to make a thirst quencher cider that’s deliciously refreshing anytime of the year!

Price:  $8.99 / six pack
Where Bought:  Whole Foods, Total Wine
How Found: Browsing
Where Drank:  home

Opinion:  If you like pineapple, this cider is for you!  Its the only pineapple cider I’ve seen.  It is quite sweet though, and tastes obviously back sweetened (juice added after fermentation).  It tastes a bit too much like juice to me, although many folks may like that.  I’m surprised how low calorie it is for how sweet it is (175, where most sweet ciders top 200).  Refreshing and simple.  I do love pineapple though.  Ace offers a number of other ciders, from their dry Joker to a similar cider to the Pineapple one, except Berry, to their 21st anniversary Chardonnay barrel aged Blackjack 21 cider, and even a Pumpkin variety.  Overall I don’t find their ciders too impressive though (this is my favorite by far).  If you like sweet ciders and pineapple, you may like this cider.

Have you tried Ace Pineapple?  What did you think?

Angry Orchard Crisp Apple, Traditional Dry, Elderflower, Summer Honey, Iceman, & The Muse

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This is a mini review of the Angry Orchard ciders I’ve tried.  To be honest, I’m not a big of a fan of Angry Orchard…I much prefer Woodchuck in general.  Unfortunately, Angry Orchard is all there is to be had at many restaurants & bars, and is what you see at just about every grocery & liquor store.  As of last year, Angry Orchard had a 56.8% market share in the hard cider category (compared to 10.5% for Woodchuck, the second most popular brand), despite only being released nationwide in 2012.  Before Angry Orchard, Woodchuck was the market leader.

Crisp Apple: This is their most popular variety, and found everywhere.  It is quite sweet…I think moreso than Woodchuck Amber.  The flavor to me is a bit syrupy and fake tasting.  I won’t drink it unless its free!

Traditional Dry: I like this variety much better then Crisp Apple, and still wouldn’t call it dry, or even semi-sweet.  Without so much sweetness a bit more true apple flavor comes through.  Unfortunately this one isn’t found in restaurants & bars like Crisp Apple is.

Elderflower: This was their summer release in 2014 (this year it is Summer Honey).  It was actually quite good & unique.  I would almost call this dry, but not quite.  It has an herbal/floral flavor.  Woodchuck Oopsy Daisy is the most similar, which I think I slightly prefer.

Summer Honey: This is their summer release this year.  I wasn’t a fan.  Again, the syrupy flavor, except this time, honey. I didn’t pick up any floral notes as were described. Its not quite as sweet as their Crisp Apple though.  Thankfully I only bought a single bottle.

Iceman: This is part of their Cider House Collection, and runs around $15 for a large 750ml bottle, 10% ABV.  It is a barrel aged ice cider (made from fermenting frozen apple juice concentrate).  I think even for ice cider it is a bit too sweet, a small glass after dinner is pretty tasty.  The flavor is quite good, with a mellow oakiness and some vanilla.  The bottle is also quite pretty (hey, that is what people notice!).  However, I think consumers can do better for the price, as there are a number of good craft ciders available for less money.  For folks who don’t have much craft cider availability in their area, and want to try something different, this could be a good choice though.

The Muse: This is part of their Cider House Collection, and runs around $15 for a large 750ml bottle, 7.7% ABV.  It is reminiscent of sweet sparking wine (highly carbonated).  Again, very sweet, but not quite as much as Iceman.  It is also barrel aged, but I don’t really taste it.  Apparently it has spices in it, but I also don’t pick that up.  I like it though, even if I can’t really identify the flavors.  As my cider palate has matured to like slightly less sweet ciders, I prefer this slightly more than Iceman for some reason (maybe the bubbles?).  Again though, I think better can be had for the money…plus I prefer to support local cideries instead of Angry Orchard wherever possible, which is owned by the Boston Beer Company.

Angry Orchard’s other varieties (which I haven’t tried):

Cider at Seattle International Beerfest

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I’m looking forward to attending the Seattle International Beerfest at Seattle Center, July 10-12 2015.  Hubby and I are even planning to take the day off work so we can get there right when they open at noon on Friday, to hopefully beat the crowds and ensure we get to taste everything we want.  This unfortunately isn’t an event which has representatives from the breweries & cideries (beer & cider is served by volunteers), but it is still a great opportunity to drink some cider (and beer).

Entry gets you a wristband, tasting glass, and a specific number of tickets.  Advance sales are $25 (10 tickets) or $45 (40 tickets).  At the door it is $30 cash (10 tickets).  Additional tickets are sold for $1 each.  Beer & cider tastes (4oz) cost between 1 and 7 tickets each depending on their cost, where most are 1-3 tickets.  There are also a few selections to get a full pint for only $3, including Crispin Blackberry (I assume they mean Blackberry Pear).  Note that not all selections are on tap (some are bottles).  There will be music and food trucks.  This event is appealing as it appears more spread out than many, which often crowd folks into a small location.  If you are going, I’d recommend planning ahead what you want to taste; this helpful map even includes their locations and the number of tickets each will cost.

Ciders they plan to have:

Ace Pinapple (draft, 5% ABV, from CA, 1 ticket) – a very sweet but tasty pineapple cider; I like this one

Aspall Dry Cider (bottle, 6,8%, from England, 3 tickets) – dry English Draft style cider; I haven’t tried anything from them, so it’ll be on my list

Ace Blackjack 21 (bottle, 9%, from CA, 4 tickets) – a Chardonnay barrel cider which was a special release for their 21st birthday; this one was pretty good, but not worth the $15+ a bottle in my opinion

Crispin Blackberry (draft, 5%, from CA, only available as a pint for 3 tickets?) – I assume this is blackberry pear; I like this one – yummy and easy to drink, not too sweet

Crispin The Saint (bottle, 6.9%, from CA, 2 tickets) – part of their artisinal reserves, and has beer yeast & maple syrup; not a fan of this one as it tasted a bit like beer

Crispin Venus Reigns (bottle, 6.9%, from CA, 3 tickets) – wine barrel aged pear cider; I like this one, and surprisingly didn’t pick up much red wine taste, more berry/fruit – see my review

Rev Nat’s Hopland #5 / Envy (draft, 10.2%, from OR, 2 tickets) – a hopped cider in his 7 Deadly Sins collection; I haven’t tried it as I don’t like hopped ciders, but this would be a good time to have a taste as this stuff is pricey ($15), and for 2 tickets that is a good deal!

Samuel Smith’s Organic Cider (bottle, 5%, from England, 2 tickets) – apparently a plain cider which I haven’t gotten around to trying, so this will be on my list; my hubby likes their fruit ales

Wandering Angus Unspecified Variety (draft, TBD, from OR, TBD tickets) – no info given; a new release?; I’ll try it, although I haven’t liked two others from them (Wickson & Bloom, both too dry for my tastes, Wickson moreso)

Wyder’s Reposado Pear (draft, 6.9%, from VT, 1 ticket) – tequila barrel aged pear cider; I like this one – very smooth, and goes well with Mexican food, which can not often be said about cider!

Woodchuck Oopsy Daisy

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This is a very unique and tasty Out on a Limb release from Woodchuck.

Cider:  Oopsy Daisy
Cidery:  Woodchuck
Cidery Location:  Middlebury, VT
ABV:  5.5%
How Supplied:  six pack of 12oz bottles
Availability:  limited release (flavors in Out on a Limb rotate)

Description on Bottle:  You ever screw something up? Oops. We all have. Bring on the stress mixed anxiety. Our advice? Take a moment, breathe deep and sip a Woodchuck Oopsy Daisy. This crisp cider is infused with the actual chamomile flowers after fermentation imparting the calming essence of Chamomile with notes of honey throughout. Sit back, sip, relax, and let the calm wash that stress away.

Price:  $8.99 / six pack
Where Bought:  Total Wine
How Found: Started to look for it after reading it on Facebook from Woodchuck.  Note that it can take awhile between when Woodchuck announces a flavor and it is stocked, especially if you are on the other side of the country.  Also, with Out on a Limb, stores are often waiting until they are out of the previous flavor to stock the next one.  Today I got lucky and was able to pick up both Oopsy Daisy and their newest Out on a Limb release, Lazy Hazy Lemon Crazy, which was just announced this past week!
Where Drank:  home

Opinion:  I pick up a lot more honey than chamomile flavor in this. I like it!  Very unique.  There is an appropriate amount of sweetness in my opinion, a bit less than many of their flavors (they have been releasing some drier varieties of late, I imagine to appeal to more folks as many say all Woodchuck varieties are sweet).  This unique sort of flavor is something you see more with the small cideries, not the large ones, so its nice to see, and is a great value in my opinion.  The most similar cider I’ve probably tried is Angry Orchard Elderflower, their 2014 summer release (this year they had Summer Honey), and it was still quite different.

It took me about half the bottle to figure out whether I liked it or not, which is unusual for me.  Usually by the second sip I’ve made my decision.  But, I liked this one enough to pick up a six pack (originally I only bought a single bottle), but not stock up on it.  I love when shops offer single bottles of six pack varieties!  Its worth the extra markup.  The unfortunate thing with Out on a Limb is that they are limited releases, with no guarantees of a variety ever coming back.  The good thing though is you get different varieties with the store only stocking essentially one cider.  Oopsy Daisy is good for someone who wants to try an herbal cider without it being overwhelming.  I don’t think someone needs to like Chamomile tea to enjoy this (I don’t).  GIve it a try, if you can still find it!

Note that the Woodchuck Out on a Limb series keeps the same packaging but rotates ciders every month or two, so check the bottle neck before assuming it is the same cider as you’ve seen before.  So far they have had:

  • Chocolate Raspberry
  • Splitter Splinter (with bittersweet apples and aged in whiskey barrels; not bad but I like Barrel Select better as this one was a bit tart)
  • Cheeky Cherry (apparently identical to their cellar series Sour Cherry release but 5.5% instead of 6.9%)
  • Oopsy Daisy
  • Lazy Hazy Lemon Crazy (their take on a summer shandy, with lemon juice & lemongrass)

Have you tried Oopsy Daisy?  What did you think?

Cider Says Weekly Preview

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What posts to expect in the upcoming week at Cider Says:

  • Monday: Woodchuck Oopsy Daisy cider review
  • Tuesday: Cider at Seattle International Beerfest (July 10-12)
  • Wednesday: Angry Orchard mini cider reviews (Crisp Apple, Traditional Dry, Elderflower, Summer Honey, Iceman, & The Muse)
  • Thursday: Ace Pineapple cider review
  • Friday/Saturday: mystery new cider review
    • I’m still deciding what to try first, as (unfortunately for my bank account) I bought 9! new ciders over the weekend and still have 7 remaining:  Eaglemount Quince, NV Cider Half Past Prudent, Worley’s Premium Vintage, Atlas Hard Apple Cider, Liberty Manchurian Crabapple, Anthem Traditional, and Crispin Browns Lane Imported English Cider.

Stay tuned, and remember to follow by e-mail (sidebar on right, or at bottom of page on mobile devices) or follow on WordPress (top left bar) to be notified of new posts here at Cider Says.  Have a great week!

Woodchuck Lazy Hazy Lemon Crazy

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This is Woodchuck’s newest Out on a Limb release:

Cider:  Lazy Hazy Lemon Crazy
Cidery:  Woodchuck
Cidery Location:  Middlebury, VT
ABV:  4.2%
How Supplied:  6 pack of 12oz bottles
Availability:  limited release (flavors in Out on a Limb rotate)

Description on Bottle:  After a crazy day under the sun, grab a cider – your hammock is calling!  We’ve taken a spin on the traditional shandy and made it our own.  Our “cider shandy” starts with out small batch hard cider and infuses fresh lemon juice and lemongrass, crafting a well-balanced session cider with sweet and tart in every sip.

Price:  $8.99 / six pack (although I only picked up a single bottle for under $2)
Where Bought:  Total Wine
How Found: Started to look for it after reading it on Facebook from Woodchuck.  Note that it can take awhile between when Woodchuck announces a flavor and it is stocked, especially if you are on the other side of the country.  Also, with Out on a Limb, stores are often waiting until they are out of the previous flavor to stock the next one.  I got lucky and was able to find Lazy Hazy Lemon Crazy even though it was just announced this past week!
Where Drank:  home

Opinion:  This is Woodchuck’s take on a summer shandy (traditionally a mix of beer & lemonade, but other mixers can be used).  It was created using a mix of McIntosh, Empire, & Cortland apples, and is infused with fresh lemon juice and lemongrass.  They call this a session cider, which typically refers to low alcohol content beers (cider in this case) suitable for extended drinking sessions.  The ABV (alcohol by volume) is 4.2% in this case, where other Woodchuck varieties typically run between 5% and 6.9%.  Woodchuck previously had “Crisp”, a 3.2% ABV session cider, which I actually thought was quite tasty, and good for drinking multiple bottles as it only came in at 120 calories per 12 oz.  With the bump up to 4.2% ABV for this variety, the calories only bump to 140…not bad!  Also, only 9 grams of sugar, much lower than most of their other ciders.

I think Woodchuck went a bit too “Out on a Limb” with this one, as its definitely “Lemon Crazy”!  I love lemon, yet I find this cider is overwhelming with lemon flavor, and finishes a bit too tart.  I’ve never been a fan of tart ciders, such as green apple.  I like the relatively low level of sweetness though.  I think if they toned down the lemon a bit it would be very nice.  It smells really nice, with only a hint of lemon, but the overwhelming lemon flavor lingers on the tongue.  I would however call it refreshing.  I would only recommend this to people who really like lemon, and like a tart cider.

Note that the Woodchuck Out on a Limb series keeps the same packaging but rotates ciders every month or two, so check the bottle neck before assuming it is the same cider as you’ve seen before.  So far they have had:

  • Chocolate Raspberry
  • Splitter Splinter (with bittersweet apples and aged in whiskey barrels; not bad but I like Barrel Select better as this one was a bit tart)
  • Cheeky Cherry (apparently identical to their cellar series Sour Cherry release but 5.5% instead of 6.9%)
  • Oopsy Daisy (chamomile & honey)
  • Lazy Hazy Lemon Crazy

Have you tried Lazy Hazy Lemon Crazy?  What did you think?

Article: Washington’s Hard Cider Revolution

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Here is an article I enjoyed about the hard cider industry in Washington.

Some takeaways:

  • Washington has the most cideries of any state, 30
  • Cider apples are hard to come by, even in WA, which is the larger producer of apples in the U.S.
  • Many small cideries in WA have their own orchard, but the largest is only 55 acres, owned by Tieton Ciderworks
  • Most cider (90%) produced in the U.S. is from large-scale commercial cider makers, such as Angry Orchard
  • The person interviewed in the article, Alan Shapiro, breaks the cider market into four categories:
    • Commercial (ex. Angry Orchard, Woodchuck, Ace)
    • Beer-influenced (ex. Rev Nat’s, Schilling, Anthem)
    • Wine-influenced (ex. Snowdrift, Troy, E.Z. Orchards)
    • Artisinal (ex. Tieton, Finn River, Alpenfire)
  • Science is involved, and there are no defined standards or styles
    • This is why a cider labeled dry may taste sweet to most folks, and vice versa
    • Standards will be developed as time goes on

What do you think?

New Pages Added at Cider Says!

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I’ve added some new pages:

Ciders I’ve Tried – Ongoing list of hard ciders I have tried (I’ll be adding reviews for some, but let me know if you want an opinion on anything)

Cider Wish List – Ongoing list of hard ciders I want to try

Hard Cider Info – Article-style post of misc info on hard cider, which I’ll be adding to

Poll – What do you want to see here at CIder Says?

My Cider Stash

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Wondering what cider is currently in my fridge & pantry?  Then you read my mind!  Yeah…its quite a list.

Snowdrift Cornice (open)
Woodchuck Winter Chill (many)
Woodchuck Summer Time (multiple)
Woodchuck Barrel Select (multiple)
Schilling Oak Aged (multiple)
Woodchuck Sour Cherry (one)
Ace Pineapple (multiple)
Spire Mountain Dark & Dry (multiple)
Wyder’s Reposado Pear (multiple)
Rev Nat’s Revival (one)
Thistly Cross Scottish Whisky Cask (one)
Angry Orchard The Muse (one)
Eaglemount Quince (one)
NV Cider Half Past Prudent (one)
Worley’s Premium Vintage (one)
Atlas Hard Apple Cider (one)
Liberty Manchurian Crabapple (one)

Snowdrift Cornice

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This is an interesting barrel aged special release from Snowdrft, and my first time trying anything from them.

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Cider:  Cornice
Cidery:  Snowdrift
Cidery Location:  East Wenatchee WA
ABV:  7.3%
How Supplied:  750ml bottle
Availability:  This appears to be a special release.  Although they could have done another run, the last run of this I see info about online was in 2013!  So, this may be an old bottle.

Description on Bottle:  In our region, winter tends to whip layers of snow into majestic formations called cornices.  They hang in a gravity-defying balance – ready to cascade at any moment into a rushing avalanche.  We wanted to craft a cider to carry these traits…So we aged cider in oak barrels, knitting tannins and aromas into an avalanche of flavors.  Notes of bourbon vanilla, fall fruit, and toffee coalesce into this off-dry cider.  60% culinary cider, 40% bittersharp cider, aged 12 months in oak barrels.  Bottle 107.  Batch 113.

Price:  $16.99 (yeah, ouch, but it is a large bottle of specialty local cider)
Where Bought:  The Wine Shop in Arlington WA (interesting place by the way, which out of about 10 ciders they had, I hadn’t seen 4 or 5 of them anywhere else!)
How Found: Browsing.  I had wanted to try something by Snowdrift, but was still deciding.
Where Drank:  home

Opinion:  This is a unique cider, quite different than what I usually try, although barrel aged varieties are my favorite.  It is more dry than I usually like, but I’d still only call it semi-dry.  The flavor is well-balanced, not too much oak taste, and some vanilla.  It is a bit on the tart side for my taste, but I imagine some of that is the dryness.  Very low carbonation, and a nice hue.  The label on the bottle and even the cork itself is well-designed and has their pretty logo.  I’m glad I tried this one, and I can definitely see how their ciders are very well received, but I don’t think its quite for me, mostly due to the dryness (or at least not worth the additional cost in my eyes).  I’d recommend it for those who like drier barrel aged ciders and who like to try what awesome craft ciders Washington has to offer.  It would be a good intro to barrel aged ciders as the barrel taste isn’t too strong.

Update:  In case anyone is curious, day 2 of being open was the sweet spot for this cider for me.  On the first day it had a bit more bite / tartness.  On the second day it seemed to have lost some of that.  By the third day however it was flat and pretty tasteless.  I imagine the flip closed stopper I have helped though.  Guess I need to drink quicker, or find someone to share it with!

Spire Mountain Dark & Dry

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Another one of my favorites.  And don’t let the name fool you…although it is dark, it definitely isn’t dry (although it isn’t too sweet either).  Their new packaging is pretty nifty too.

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Cider:  Dark & Dry
Cidery:  Spire Mountain (Part of Fish Brewing)
Cidery Location:  Olympia WA
ABV: 5%
How Supplied:  six pack of 12oz bottles (also available in 22oz bottles)
Availability:  year round

Description on Bottle:  Savor this refreshing glass of complexity. Dark & Dry’s assertive tartness is pleasingly balanced by a hint of molasses and brown sugar. More rounded and intricate than its sister ciders, this potion will appeal to beer aficionados, wine devotees, and cider enthusiasts alike.

Price:  $7.99 / six pack
Where Bought:  Total Wine (I’ve also seen it at Fred Meyer & Central Market)
How Found: I think I originally found this just by browsing.
Where Drank:  home, a tasting event – Snohomish on the Rocks, and on tap at The Tipsy Cow in Redmond WA

Opinion:  This is a tasty cider!  I definitely pick up the molasses and brown sugar, and it has a rich & unique flavor.  I really enjoy these dark complex sorts of ciders.  There is a nice balance of dryness & sweetness.  Its even better on tap than bottled, and I like it better out of a glass than the bottle.  Spire Mountain also offer pear and plain apple varieties, which are also quite good, although I don’t like them quite as much as Dark & Dry.  At the tasting I was at, at the Spire Mountain table, the Dark & Dry seemed to be the clear winner.  The most similar cider I’ve had to this is Woodchuck 802, and I have to say that I like this one better…it seems more smooth and flavorful, and the 802 seems to have more acidity.  Woodchuck 802 probably has more nationwide availability though, and I’d still recommend it.  Highly recommended.

Woodchuck Summer Time

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This is a perfect cider for summer, and one of my favorites.

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Cider:  Summer Time
Cidery:  Woodchuck
Cidery Location:  Middlebury VT
ABV: 5%
How Supplied:  six pack of 12oz bottles (also available in cans, although more difficult to find)
Availability:  Spring/Summer (approx. March-July)

Description on Bottle:  The sounds of the lapping lake-shores, the mountain views, and memories of fresh picked blueberries, now in a convenient six-pack. Exhibiting a slight tartness, this cider begins with a full, robust flavor followed by a rich summertime taste.

Price:  $7.99 / six pack
Where Bought:  Total Wine
How Found: I think I originally found this just by browsing.
Where Drank:  home

Opinion:  Yummy blueberry refreshing sweetness.  This is one of Woodchuck’s sweetest ciders.  I pick up more than “a hint of blueberry” as they say, but I like it.  It is part of Woodchuck’s seasonal line of ciders, which currently include Summer Time, Fall Harvest, and Winter Chill (now that they aren’t releasing the Spring one).  This is one of those ciders I like better out of the bottle than a glass.  I’ve also had it from a can twice, and the second time was better as it had been on ice instead of just in the fridge, although from a bottle is still better.  I recommend it for anyone who likes sweet ciders, as long as they like blueberries.  I’ll probably have to stock up a bit on this one, although it is available 5 months a year now they only have three seasonal releases.

Woodchuck Winter Chill

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This is probably my favorite cider, especially for the price.  Not too many barrel aged ciders are available in affordable six packs (most are expensive single larger bottles).  I like this stuff so much I bought six 6 packs to try to tide me over for the year, since it is a seasonal release.

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Cider:  Winter Chill
Cidery:  Woodchuck
Cidery Location:  Middlebury VT
ABV: 5%
How Supplied:  six pack of 12oz bottles
Availability:  Winter (approx. Nov-Feb)

Description on Bottle:  The chill of winter sends some running for the mountains, while others prefer to stay cozy in the comfort of the great indoors. Whichever way you enjoy winter, this cider is built to get you through. Aged in premium french and traditional american oak, Winter Chill brings a rich depth of apple flavor with hints of vanilla and Oak throughout.

Price:  $7.99 / six pack
Where Bought:  Total Wine
How Found: I think I originally found this just by browsing.
Where Drank:  home

Opinion:  This is some really tasty stuff.  It is one of Woodchuck’s more dry offerings, but definitely still on the sweeter side.  I definitely pick up the vanilla & oak flavors, and can tell it is barrel aged.  It is very easy to drink, and although it is more of a wintery cider, I like it year round.  I sure wish it was available year-round.  To me this cider is a very good value, as typically barrel aged ciders start at a higher price point (as they are typically from craft cideries).  I definitely did some stocking up this winter between Woodchuck Winter Chill & Barrel Select.  It is part of Woodchuck’s seasonal line of ciders, which currently include Summer Time, Fall Harvest, and Winter Chill (now that they aren’t releasing the Spring one).  When I went to the Woodchuck cidery I got to see the giant stack of barrels which held the aging cider.  Apparently this flavor has been available since 2008.  I highly recommend it!  Its a good intro to barrel aged ciders, as it isn’t as strong of a barrel aged flavor (I’d guess it is aged less than some of the others).

Woodchuck Pink

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This is a cider I’ve had a few times, and although I wouldn’t call it one of my favorites, it is quite good.

Pink-6Pack

Cider:  Private Reserve Pink
Cidery:  Woodchuck
Cidery Location:  Middlebury VT
ABV: 5.5%
How Supplied:  six pack of 12oz bottles
Availability:  Spring/Summer (approx. March-July)

Description on Bottle:  Reclaiming your life after cancer is a challenge. We want to help survivors meet that challenge. Woodchuck Pink was crafted to honor that effort. The Cidery’s donation supports Dragonheart’s Survivorship NOW mission which offers programs to help cancer survivors. Delicate in body yet full of crisp apple taste. Raise a bottle to all survivors and join us in helping them live a better life.

Price:  $8.99 / six bottles
Where Bought:  Total Wine
How Found: I read about this online and started to look out for it in Spring 2014, as I try just about every Woodchuck flavor, since I always seem to like their ciders.  I bought some again this Springtime.  Unfortunately they no longer offer the Spring seasonal flavor, which was quite good, and had a maple & brown sugar flavor which reminded me of Vermont.
Where Drank:  home

Opinion:  This cider has a fruity (berry) sweet sparkling wine type flavor.  It gets its pink hue from purple grape skins.  This is a nice choice for Spring & Summer, and has a light flavor.  It is surprisingly non-boozey.  I pick up more carbonation than usual in this variety.  This cider tastes better to me out of the bottle (vs. some of the stronger barrel aged type ciders which I find better out of a glass).  I also tried it on draft/tap once (at Ciderbration), and unlike many ciders, and oddly enough I didn’t notice much of a difference (often cider, like beer, tastes better on draft/tap).  Pink is part of Woodchuck’s Private Reserve Line, which currently has three seasonal releases (Pink, Pumpkin, & Barrel Select).  They recently cut out the fourth one, Belgian White.  Of the Private Reserve flavors, Barrel Select is my favorite.  Pink supports the Dragonheart Vermont Survivorship NOW initiative for breast cancer.  This variety has been available seasonally since 2013.

Have you tried Pink?  What did you think?

Crispin Venus Reigns

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I drank this interesting cider two weeks ago:

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Cider:  Venus Reigns
Cidery:  Crispin
Cidery Location:  Colfax CA
ABV: 6.9%
How Supplied:  22oz brown glass bottle

Description on Bottle:  The gift of the Golden Pear. To distract the gods while he stole fire for mortal man, Prometheus threw a Golden Pear into the courtyard of Olympus with the inscription, “For the most beautiful goddess”. This coveted pear was awarded to Venus, goddess of love, sensuality, and beauty. A goddess of nature, revered at springtime, the bringer of joy to gods and mortals. Venus Reigns caresses your lips with purity and charm. A soaring achievement of elegance and simplicity. Colfax golden pear wine aged to full maturity in specially selected red wine casks, finished with a gentle kiss of honey. Before pouring, give a solid bottoms-up tilt and swirl to disperse sediment evenly and best enjoy the complex aroma and bouquet. Best enjoyed at cellar temperature, 50/55F. With or without 1or 2 ice cubes.

Price:  about $9
Where Bought:  Total Wine
How Found: Hubby actually found this at the supermarket and texted to ask if I wanted it, but I said no because I don’t like red wine.  I’m surprised it was there as this is a limited release.  Later in the week we were browsing Total Wine and I saw it, did some research on my phone about the flavor profile, and thought, why not?
Where Drank:  home

Opinion:  This is the first barrel-aged pear cider I’ve seen, as well as the first wine barrel aged cider I’ve seen.  Quite the interesting combination.  Even though I don’t like red wine, I pushed myself to try it, as it sounded really interesting.  Surprisingly, I enjoyed it.  I really didn’t pick up too much wine flavor, although my wine drinking hubby did.  It did however have a considerable amount of sediment from the wine.  I think a lot of what we pick up in cider flavors is a matter of perception.  I was surprised to read this was aged 26 months–wow!

I picked up a lot of fruit/berry flavor, and could taste that it was a perry (pear cider) and was barrel aged (although I wouldn’t have guessed for so long).  I’d recommend it for wine lovers and folks just wanting something different.  As with many of these special release ciders, I’m glad I tried it, but don’t see a reason to buy it again.  I’ve had quite a number of other Crispin ciders, including their regular release Original, Pear, & Blackberry Pear, and special releases such as Honeycrisp, Bohemian, The Saint, & Steeltown.