Original Sin Elderberry

February 15, 2019February 11, 2019 cidersays Original Sin, review cider, cider review, cider tasting, elderberry, elderberry cider, hard cider, Locust, Original Sin, tasting notes, Vanilla Bean

Review of Original Sin Elderberry cider. It is my first time trying this, but I’ve had their Cherry Tree, Pear, Northern Spy, and Extra Dry

Cider: Elderberry
Cidery: Original Sin
Cidery Location: New York NY
ABV: 5.0%
How Supplied: multipack of 12oz cans
Style: American craft cider from dessert apples with elderberries

Availability: semi wide release

Cider Description: A balanced cider combining the natural acid and sugar of apples with the tart qualities of elderberries. Elderberries have been adding flare to hard cider for centuries. In fact, the 1822 book The American Orchardist suggests adding Elderberries to give cider “a fine colour as well as flavour.” Original Sin brings back this brilliant tradition with our new Elderberry Cider.

Cidery Description: Established in 1996, Original Sin is one of the original modern-day U.S. cider companies. With a mere $5,000 in funding, founder Gidon Coll began making cider in Upstate New York and spent two years going bar to bar in New York City to develop his early market base. Today, Original Sin is still 100% independent and now distributed in 32 U.S. States, The United Kingdom, Hong Kong and Japan.

Original Sin started a New York State test orchard five years ago, which now features over 100 rare, cider and contemporary apple varieties. Each year, the company adds interesting and historically significant varieties to the Original Sin orchard’s genetic pool.

Price: ~ $3 / can
Where Bought: The Cave in Kirkland WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: browsing

First Impression: Medium purple-red hue. Smells of tart berry. Very low carbonation.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry. Light bodied. Moderate tartness and acidity. No bitterness, sourness, funk, or tannins. Notes of berry with hints of cranberry & pomegranate. Moderate length finish. Low apple flavor. Low complexity. Low to moderate flavor intensity. High sessionability.

My Opinion: I thought this was average. Plenty drinkable, but it didn’t really stand out.

Most Similar to: any other semi-dry berry cider

Closing Notes: I also bought a can of Locust Vanilla Bean and mixed them together. That one was a bit of an off can, less flavorful and sweet than usual, but its a nice mix.

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

Locust New England Amber

December 25, 2018December 16, 2018 cidersays Locust, review cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Locust, New England Amber, new england style, tasting notes

Review of Locust’s New England Amber. It is my first time trying this, but I previously tried their Original Dry, Green Tea Infused, Sweet Dark Cherry, Washington Dessert Apple, Bittersweet Reserve, Pumpkin, Thai Ginger, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Winesap, Alder Smoked Apple, Mango, Elder & Oak, Wabi Sabi, Apricot 1, Sweet Aged Apple, Berry Session, Smoked Blueberry, Vanilla Bean, Winter Banana, Chili Pineapple, Seckel Perry, Hibiscus, Honey Pear (drier), Apricot 2, Watermelon, Pineapple, and Honey Pear (sweeter).

Cider: New England Amber
Cidery: Locust
Cidery Location: Woodinville WA
ABV: 7.1%
How Supplied: four pack of 12oz cans
Style: American craft New England style cider from dessert apples, with brown sugar and dates

Availability: seasonal (winter), with semi wide distribution in the U.S.

Cider Description: Inspired by New England style ciders, Washington apples are blended with brown sugar and dates for a complex but smooth and balanced flavor.

Cidery Description: Family owned and operated out of Woodinville, WA since 2015, we believe in making real cider accessible for real people. We specialize in modern ciders made with all locally sourced Pacific Northwest ingredients, adding an innovative spin on classic cidermaking methods to bring out the best in the everyday apple.

They have a cidery & taproom in Woodinville WA, taprooms in Seattle and Tacoma WA, and a cidery & taproom in Ft Worth TX.

Price: ~$3 / single can (runs $8.99 / four pack of cans)
Where Bought: Total Wine
Where Drank: home
How Found: browsing – Total Wine is awesome as you can get a single can/bottle from most any multipack

First Impression: Moderate pumpkin amber hue. Nearly still (very low carbonation). Smells sweet and rich.

Tasting Notes: On the drier side of semi-sweet. Light to medium bodied. Low to moderate tartness and acidity. Hints of bitterness and tannins. No sourness or funk. Notes of rich apple, caramelized sugar, molasses, honey, and orange. Moderate length finish. Moderate apple flavor, complexity, and flavor intensity. High sessionability.

My Opinion: I really enjoyed it. Nice flavor and even some complexity, but not too sweet. Dates were substituted for raisins here, which would be more traditional, but I think it was a nice choice. I didn’t specifically pick up date flavor, but I imagine it added to the overall profile. The ABV was lower than is typical for the style.

Most Similar to: Cockrell Colonial Winter

Closing Notes: This is a great selection at an awesome price.

Have you tried Locust New England Amber? What did you think?

Locust Watermelon

June 14, 2018June 10, 2018 cidersays Locust, review cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Locust, tasting notes, washington, watermelon, Woodinville

Review of Locust’s Watermelon cider. I previously tried this on draft (see here), but this time I am doing a full review of a can. I’ve also previously tried Locust’s Sweet Dark Cherry, Original Dry, Green Tea Infused, Washington Dessert Apple, Bittersweet Reserve, Pumpkin, Thai Ginger, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Winesap, Alder Smoked Apple, Mango, Elder & Oak, Wabi Sabi, Apricot 1, Sweet Aged Apple, Berry Session, Smoked Blueberry, Vanilla Bean, Winter Banana, Chili Pineapple, Seckel Perry, Hibiscus, Honey Pear (drier), Apricot 2, Pineapple, Honey Pear (sweeter)

Cider: Watermelon
Cidery: Locust
Cidery Location: Woodinville WA
ABV: 5.0%
How Supplied: four pack of 12oz cans (and draft)
Style: American craft cider from dessert apples with watermelon juice

Availability: likely at least in Washington, Oregon, Chicago, Florida, California, and Texas

Cider Description: Washington apples, watermelon juice, & that’s all

Cidery Description: My brother Patrick and I founded Locust Cider in March 2015 with the mission of making outstanding hard cider using the fruit that is most available in Washington- the eating apple. Washington growers produce 60% of the apples in the United States, and cider-specific varieties are in a major shortage, so we set out to put innovative spins on classic cider-making methods to bring out the best in the everyday apple. Our delicious ciders begin with great fruit- we primarily use “cull” apples- those that are not pretty enough or are too small or large to make it to grocery stores- diverting them from destruction because their juice is still great. Our unique process then transforms the apples into great cider through methodical yeast selection, meticulous temperature control, slow aging, and creative and deliberate blending.

They have tap rooms in Woodinville WA, Seattle WA (Ballard), Tacoma WA, and Ft. Worth TX.

Price: $9.99 / four pack
Where Bought: PCC in Fremont Seattle WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: browsing, after visiting the Schilling Cider House

First Impression: Hazy light pink-orange hue. Very low carbonation. Smells very mildly of watermelon.

Tasting Notes: On the sweeter side of semi-dry. Light to medium bodied. Low tartness and acidity. No bitterness, sourness, funk, or tannins. Notes of watermelon and a hint of white grape. Quick finish. Low apple flavor and complexity. Low to moderate flavor intensity. High sessionability.

My Opinion: I like it, especially as I’m a huge watermelon fan. Its a nice light option for spring & summer, less sweet, but still fairly flavorful, although fairly simple.

Most Similar to: The only other watermelon beverages I’ve tried are a watermelon perry (from pears) from NV Cider and a watermelon session mead (from honey) from Bee Haven.

Closing Notes: Locust has a great lineup of flavorful ciders, from dry to sweet, although my favorites from them are on the sweeter end (this one, Bittersweet Reserve, Sweet Aged Apple, and Vanilla Bean + Smoked Blueberry)

Have you tried Locust Watermelon? What did you think?

Woodinville Cider Tasting 4 at Locust Cider

November 17, 2017November 11, 2017 cidersays Locust, review cider, cider flight, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Locust, Locust Cider, tasting notes, tasting room, Woodinville

I spent some time in Woodinville Washington recently, including cider tasting at the Locust Cider tap room (and lunch at one of my favorite spots, a burger place called Tipsy Cow). See my notes from visit 1, visit 2, and visit 3. My husband and a friend joined me, and we shared a flight of five ciders.

Hibiscus Wine: This was labeled as being a guest tap with a wine which finished like a cider. That was a bit confusing though as it was still labeled as 6% (which would be very low for a grape wine) and it didn’t say from where it was from. Semi-dry with floral and berry notes and a hint of oak. I couldn’t really tell if it was from grapes or apples, as it was very mild.

Dark Cherry: My husband’s favorite. Semi-dry with real cherry flavor but a bitter aftertaste. Also sold in cans.

Aged Apple: My favorite (see my full review here), but I wish it was drier. Sweet to semi-sweet. Very apple forward with hints of oak. Also sold in cans.

Pineapple: My friend’s favorite. This may have been a one-off / tasting room only release, as it wasn’t their Chili Pineapple. Semi-sweet. Not as intense of a pineapple flavor as I expected, and it also had some citrus notes.

Honey Pear: This one was very different than when I tried it before (see here), as this time it was on the sweeter side of semi-sweet instead of on the drier side of semi-dry. Way more honey and pear flavor due to the increase in sweetness. Also sold in cans.

They also had Original Dry, Cilantro Jalapeno, and Spiced Pumpkin. I was surprised with how sweet all the options were. The driest were their Original Dry and the Dark Cherry. Its ironic as Locust started out only making dry ciders (the Dark Cherry used to be their sweetest). I imagine the market wants sweeter ciders though. Sweeter ciders tend to be more flavorful than drier ciders when using dessert apples.

Locust Cider Tasting Notes #4

August 2, 2017August 2, 2017 cidersays Locust, review apricot cider, cherry cider, cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Locust, Locust Cider, tasting notes, Watermelon cider

After lunch at Tipsy Cow in Woodinville WA, my husband and I stopped by Locust Cider. See my notes here from visit 1, here from visit 2, and here from visit 3.

<Cherry, Apricot, and Watermelon ciders>

Sweet Dark Cherry: I’ve tried this previously (see here), and it is also available in cans. Semi-dry. Light bodied. Low tartness and acidity. Light simple cherry flavor. Quick finish. My husband really liked it, but for me its pretty average.

Apricot: This is a draft-only release. I tried an apricot cider from them awhile back (see here), but it was quite different. Semi-sweet to sweet. Medium to full bodied. Low tartness and acidity. Syrupy tropical and apricot flavor. Quick finish. This was too sweet for both of us, but had a nice flavor. I prefer the apricot ciders from Atlas and Summit.

Watermelon: This is a new draft-only release. Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Hazy hue. Light to medium bodied. Low tartness. Moderate acidity. Moderate watermelon juice flavor. Quick finish. I really enjoyed it (I’m a huge watermelon fan), but my husband didn’t like it for whatever reason. It reminded me of NV Cider Watermelon Perry.

Summary: My favorite was the Watermelon, and my husband’s favorite was the Cherry. Overall, my favorite Locust ciders are the Bittersweet Reserve (one-time special release?), Aged Apple, and a 50-50 mix of Smoked Blueberry & Vanilla Bean, as they are all super flavorful, but also rather sweet (not something I’d drink often).

Locust is a nice place to hang out and drink cider (they even have an outdoor patio and some games), and they often have varieties which don’t even leave their tasting room. However, I noticed the small pours are expensive, at $3 / 3oz, so a flight of five (close to a pint) is $15 + tax. Of course its much cheaper to get a pint ($6-7?), but the vast majority of folks opt for the variety of a flight. Also, they only have 9 taps of their own ciders.

Locust is more convenient for me to get to, so I visit semi regularly. However, I much prefer the Schilling Cider House, as they have cheaper flights ($2 / 3oz), more variety with 32 taps (often a few are the more artisanal varieties made from cider apples vs. the more commonly found flavored ciders from dessert apples), and hundreds of bottles too.

Locust Honey Pear

July 26, 2017July 22, 2017 cidersays Locust, review cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Honey Pear, Locust, Locust Cider, tasting notes, washington, Woodinville

Review of Locust’s Honey Pear cider. It is my first time trying this cider, but I’ve previously had their Original Dry, Green Tea Infused, Sweet Dark Cherry, Washington Dessert Apple, Bittersweet Reserve, Pumpkin, Thai Ginger, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Winesap, Alder Smoked Apple, Mango, Elder & Oak, Wabi Sabi, Apricot, Sweet Aged Apple, Berry Session, Smoked Blueberry, Vanilla Bean, Winter Banana, Chili Pineapple, Seckel Perry, and Hibiscus.

Cider: Honey Pear
Cidery: Locust Cider
Cidery Location: Woodinville WA
ABV: 6.0%
How Supplied: draft only
Style: American craft cider from dessert apples, with honey and pear juice

Availability: Likely only in bars & restaurants in the Seattle area (including Locust’s tap room), although in general their ciders are sold in CA, ID, OR, TX, and WA.

Cider Description: none given

Our delicious ciders begin with great fruit- we primarily use “cull” apples- those that are not pretty enough or are too small or large to make it to grocery stores, diverting these from destruction because their juice is still great! Our unique process then transforms them into great cider- methodical yeast selection, meticulous temperature control, slow aging, and creative and deliberate blending.

We are now made up a great small team: Chelsea, head cidermaker, Ryan, cellar manager, Shenna, tap room manager, Spring, events manager, and Chris, sales manager. We are a “family” passionate about cider, and we thank you for visiting our tasting room, and being part of our family! -Jason Spears, founder of locust cider

Their Woodinville cidery has a tap room.

Price: $6.50 / pint
Where Bought & Drank: Tipsy Cow in Woodinville WA (an awesome burger restaurant)
How Found: This was one of two ciders on draft at the restaurant (they also had D’s Baked Apple).

First Impression: Light straw yellow hue. Low to moderate carbonation. Smells very mild, slightly of tart apple juice.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry. Light bodied. Moderate to high tartness. Moderate acidity. Hints of bitterness. No tannins, sourness, or funk. Notes of green apple, pear, honey, and citrus. Quick finish. Low complexity. Moderate apple flavor. Low flavor intensity. High sessionability.

My Opinion: I thought this was very average. I liked that it wasn’t very sweet (which most of Locust’s recent releases have been, and is common with draft cider at restaurants & bars in my area as it sells well). However, I actually think the dryness was too much for this cider, as it was very tart and not very flavorful. Also, both pear and honey ciders are typically sweeter, so that would be expected.

Most Similar to: Longdrop Tanager Pear Cider

Closing Notes: I always like finding local cider on tap to go with a nice meal, even if the offering isn’t a favorite of mine.

Have you tried Locust Honey Pear? What did you think?

Locust Sweet Aged Apple

June 2, 2017July 22, 2017 cidersays Locust, review cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Locust, Sweet Aged Apple, tasting notes, washington, Woodinville

Review of Locust’s Sweet Aged Apple cider. I thought this was my first time trying it, but turns out I tried it here, although I haven’t done a full review. I’ve also sampled their Original Dry, Green Tea Infused, Sweet Dark Cherry, Washington Dessert Apple, Bittersweet Reserve, Pumpkin, Thai Ginger, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Winesap, Alder Smoked Apple, Mango, Elder & Oak, Wabi Sabi, Apricot, Berry Session, Smoked Blueberry, Vanilla Bean, Winter Banana, Chili Pineapple, Seckel Perry, and Hibiscus.

Cider: Sweet Aged Apple
Cidery: Locust
Cidery Location: Woodinville WA
ABV: 6.9%
How Supplied: multi packs of 12oz cans, and draft
Style: American craft cider from dessert apples, aged for 6 months

Availability: Year round in CA, ID, OR, TX, and WA

Cider Description: We leave a blend of pressed washington dessert apples on their own and let the wild yeasts do their work. then we age it for 6 months. the result is a semi-sweet, full bodied, deep, very appley, smooth and round cider. there is beauty in imperfection. great with meat and cheese, stands up!

Their Woodinville cidery has a tap room.

Price: $6.50 / pint draft
Where Bought & Drank: Tipsy Cow Burger Bar in Woodinville WA
How Found: This was one of two draft cider options (the other was D’s Wicked Baked Apple)

First Impression: Medium amber hue. Smells like apple juice. Low carbonation.

Tasting Notes: Semi-sweet to sweet. Medium bodied. Low tartness. Moderate acidity. No bitterness, sourness, funk, or tannins. Notes of apple juice, honey, brown sugar, and maybe a hint of oak? Quick finish. High apple flavor. High sessionability. Low to moderate complexity. Moderate flavor intensity.

My Opinion: I liked this. However, it was a bit sweet for a full pint. The flavor is really nice though. Definitely a simple cider, but tasty. Perfect for a canned multipack.

Most Similar to: Locust Aged Washington Dessert Apple

Closing Notes: Tipsy Cow is one of our favorite local restaurants, and it is awesome they have cider (and 2 local craft ciders at that). However, I wish they had a drier option, as both are sweet. Oddly enough I actually liked when they offered Spire Dark & Dry, as although not dry, it is drier than this, and it goes really well with greasy food.

Have you tried Locust Sweet Aged Apple? What did you think?

Woodinville Cider Tasting at Locust & Elemental – Visit 3

October 31, 2016October 30, 2016 cidersays Elemental, Locust, review cider, cider review, cider tasting, Elemental, hard cider, Locust, tasting notes, Woodinville

I spent another afternoon in Woodinville Washington, cider tasting at the tap rooms for Locust and Elemental. See my notes here from visit 1 and here from visit 2.

At Locust I tried two bottle pours of ciders that are part of their new ‘Hootenanny’ series.

Locust Vanilla Bean, 5.0% ABV: Mild scent. Sweet. Medium bodied. Mild tartness and acidity. Hints of tannins. No sourness, funk, or bitterness. The flavor was vanilla creamsicle–yum! Hints of citrus and pineapple. Low apple flavor. High sessionability. Moderate flavor intensity. Low complexity. I really liked the flavor of this one, but it was too sweet.

Locust Smoked Blueberry, unknown ABV: This cider was made using smoked apples and blueberries. Mild scent. Sweet. Medium bodied. Mild to moderate tartness and acidity. Low tannins. Hints of bitterness and sourness. No funk. Notes of blueberry juice & skin and a hint of lemon. Low apple flavor. High sessionability. Moderate flavor intensity. Low complexity. I didn’t find this overtly smoked, but I imagine it had some influence.

Elemental ‘Lithium’ Lemoncello, 6.5% ABV: Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Light to medium bodied with a fizzy mouthfeel. Moderate tartness. Moderate to high acidity. No bitterness, tannins, sourness, or funk. Lots of lemon, slight creaminess, and hints of grapefruit. Low apple flavor. Moderate sessionability. Low complexity. Moderate flavor intensity.

Elemental Mango, 6.5% ABV: Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Light to medium bodied. Moderate tartness. High acidity. No sourness, bitterness, funk, or tannins. Notes of mango, citrus, and pineapple. Low apple flavor. Moderate sessionability. Low complexity. Low flavor intensity.

My favorite at Locust was Vanilla Bean, although I wouldn’t be able to drink an entire pint of it or anything as it was quite sweet. My favorite at Elemental was the Lemoncello, as it was more flavorful than the Mango.

Schilling Cider House Visit 18 Tasting Notes

July 15, 2016July 9, 2016 cidersays Locust, One Tree, Portland Cider, review, Schilling, Tieton, Wandering Aengus cider, cider review, hard cider, Locust, One Tree, Portland Cider, Schilling Cider House, tasting notes, Tieton, Wandering Aengus

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

I was there last Thursday, for the One Tree Crisp Apple cider release party, and enjoyed a flight of four ciders, plus One Tree’s new cider.

Portland Cider Company (Portland OR) Pineapple (5.7% ABV): This draft-only pineapple cider poured foamy but settled down after awhile. This may be their “Maui Cruiser” variety, which also has coconut blossom nectar, as I couldn’t find any evidence that they have a strictly Pineapple cider. Smells of fresh pineapples. Semi-dry. Light bodied. Low to moderate tartness. Low acidity. The flavor is purely pineapple, with low flavor intensity. I felt this cider smelled much better than it tasted…it left me wanting more flavor. The pineapple aroma was so strong (especially in comparison to the cider’s flavor) that it makes me curious if it was added.

Wandering Aengus (Salem OR) Barrel Aged Wickson (8.0% ABV): This is a barrel aged draft-only version of their single varietal Wickson crab apple cider, which is available in bottles (which I tried previously and found overly harsh). Smells mild, with hints of crab apples and oak. Dry. Low flavor intensity. The barrel aging seemed to mellow the cider’s intensity compared to the original version. Light bodied. Moderate tartness and acidity. Low bitterness and tannins. Alcohol-forward with crab apple sharpness, oak, and honey notes. This is best drank cold as it becomes more harsh as it warms up. I found this more drinkable than the original version, but I still didn’t care for it.

Tieton (Yakima WA) Bourbon Peach (6.5% ABV): A draft-only bourbon barrel aged peach cider. Hazy lemonade hue. Smells of bourbon, peaches, and pineapple. Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Hints of boozy bourbon (but not overpowering) and peach & pineapple notes. Yum! Medium bodied. Moderate tartness and acidity. Moderate flavor intensity. Low apple flavor. Medium to high sessionability. I’m a fan of bourbon barrel aged ciders, but often they tend towards being overly boozy, harsh, dry, etc…this one was tasty and easy to drink.

Locust (Woodinville WA) Sweet Aged Apple (6.9% ABV): This is a barrel aged cider made from dessert apple varieties which is available on draft and in bottles. I’ve tried this previously (when it was called Aged Washington Dessert Apple; see here), but had heard they significantly changed the recipe, so I wanted to give it another try. Last time it was quite hazy and unfiltered looking, but this time there was no haziness. Smells mild and apple-forward. Semi-sweet (less sweet than the previous recipe). Less flavorful than the previous recipe, but much more sessionable. Mild tartness and acidity. Caramel, vanilla, and honey notes. Medium bodied. Moderate to high apple flavor. Moderate flavor intensity. I’m not sure which recipe I preferred, as there are pros & cons of each, but I enjoyed both versions.

One Tree Hard Cider (Spokane WA) Crisp Apple (6.8% ABV): This is their new flagship cider, sold in four packs of 16oz cans and on draft. Hazy. Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Medium bodied. Unfiltered baked apple flavor with honey notes. Moderate tartness and acidity. High sessionability. Strong apple flavor. I enjoyed this. I found it very similar to 2 Towns Out Cider, but slightly sweeter and slightly more flavorful. Much less sweet than any of the other ciders I’ve tried from them.

The Tieton Bourbon Peach cider was my favorite, and my favorite cider from Tieton so far.

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

Woodinville Cider Tasting 2 – Locust & Elemental

May 5, 2016May 1, 2016 cidersays Elemental, Locust, review cider, cider tasting, Elemental, hard cider, Locust, tasting notes, washington, Woodinville

I spent another afternoon in Woodinville Washington, cider tasting at the tap rooms for Locust and Elemental. See my notes here from my last visit.

Locust Mango, 6.0% ABV: Yellow dark straw gold hue. Mild fruity mango scent. Semi-sweet to sweet. Low carbonation with some foam. Medium bodied. Mild tartness and acidity. No bitterness, sourness, funk, or tannins. Real mango flavor with some tropical and honey notes. Quick finish length. Fairly simple, but I liked the moderately intense real mango flavor (although it was a sweet cider, it didn’t have a mango candy flavor).

Locust Elder & Oak, 7.0% ABV: Deep berry hue. Mild scent with hints of berry and oak. Semi-dry. Light bodied. Moderate tartness and acidity. Mild tannins. No bitterness, sourness, or funk. Very textural with berry tannins. Earthy and wine-like. Moderate length finish. Mild to moderate barrel influence. Very low apple influence. Although I’m a fan of barrel aged ciders, I wasn’t into this. I think it was too tannic (although it tasted like that was only from the elderberries, not applies) oddly enough.

Locust Wabi Sabi, 6.9% ABV: Yellow dark straw gold hue. Low carbonation with some foam. Smells mild, acidic, and of citrus. Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Medium bodied. Mild tartness and acidity. No bitterness, sourness, funk, or tannins. Apple-forward and a bit juice-like. Notes of fresh apple, honey, citrus (although less than the scent), and apple pomace. Quick finish length. I found this to be a very typical sweeter flagship cider.

Elemental Blackberry Cobbler, 6.5% ABV: Deep blackberry hue. Sweet to very sweet. The flavor is very blackberry, but I also picked up a carbohydrate component in the scent and texture (kinda like “cobbler”, although I was told the only other addition was pie spices, which I didn’t pick up). Medium bodied. Moderate tartness. Mild acidity. No bitterness, sourness, funk, or tannins. Quick finish length. I wasn’t really into this, but I imagine it will sell very well. It was a one-off keg as they came into some blackberry concentrate (which I learned is about the most expensive flavor), but they plan to make some other blackberry ciders in the future.

Elemental Pomegranate-Rose, 6.5% ABV: Light pink hue with some foam. Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Light bodied. Moderate tartness. Mild acidity. No bitterness, sourness, funk, or tannins. Very mild and smooth with some mild fruitiness. I tried this before too. Its well balanced and refreshing.

Elemental NW Atomic Root Beer, 6.5% ABV: This is a cider-based hard root beer (vs. making an alcoholic root beer with a malt base). I’ve had this a few times before. This time I really enjoyed it…I think its the best batch yet…I tasted more apple than previously, but apparently it was less. The “root beer” is stronger in the scent than the flavor. This doesn’t taste exactly like root beer, but it has a great flavor. Oddly enough this is my favorite cider that Elemental makes. Probably as it has a rich full flavor (I tend towards English & French ciders).

Elemental ‘Carbon’ Dry, 6.5% ABV: Semi-dry to dry. Light bodied. Apple-forward. Moderate tartness and acidity. Citrus notes with some mineral. A hint of tannins. This tasted between that that of the first two times I tried it. I liked the previous batch a bit more, as it was richer and less tart. Elemental is unique in that they continue to tweak their ciders after release, so although it has the same name, it may be different.

Locust Cider Alder Smoked Apple

March 25, 2016March 19, 2016 cidersays Locust, review Alder Smoked Apple, cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Locust, Locust Cider, washington, Woodinville

This will be a short post, as I only tasted one new-to-me cider during my latest visit to Locust Cider in Woodinville WA. Check out my prior tasting notes and reviews of Locust ciders here. It was an impromptu visit. My husband and I met two friends for lunch at the Tipsy Cow in Redmond (which is an amazing burger place, and I don’t even like hamburgers…I get a veggie burger), and we decided to go to a few tasting rooms in Woodinville before heading home. The boys had some wine at a couple of the winery tasting rooms in the same stripmall as the Locust Cider tasting room, and us girls tried some cider.

Their tap list hadn’t changed much from my visit a few weeks ago…they swapped Chipotle for the Alder Smoked Apple. That worked great for me though, as it was the only one on the menu I hadn’t tried! Their “up next” list also looks really interesting, especially the red wine barrel aged and prickly pear ciders.

Alder Smoked Apple: 6.0% ABV. They get the smoke flavor from alder smoked apple rings added during fermentation, showed in this photo from their Instagram. This is a tap-only release, but has made it to a few other locations in the Seattle area.

Semi-sweet to sweet. Mild acidity. Mild tartness. No sourness, funk, or tannins. Full bodied. Notes of maple, honey, and hints of citrus and alder. I only picked up mild smoke flavor in the moderate length finish. Moderate to high apple flavor. High sessionability.

They said this was less smokey than previous batches. I enjoyed it, but I think with more smoke and less sweetness, it would have been awesome.

I also tried their Winesap cider again. I liked it better last time; this time it was missing that frothy texture I enjoyed, and was a bit more sour.

I also spotted their new bottle design. They are going from 750ml to 500ml bottles on their special release ciders, which I think is a good move. 500ml is my favorite bottle size.

I look forward to trying more from Locust Cider.

Woodinville Cider Tasting – Locust, Elemental, & Woodinville Ciderworks

March 11, 2016March 4, 2016 cidersays Elemental, Locust, review, Woodinville Ciderworks cider, cider tasting, Elemental, hard cider, Locust, tasting notes, washington, Woodinville, Woodinville Ciderworks

Recently I spent a Saturday in Woodinville with my husband and a friend. I planned to just go to Locust as I wanted to try their new Bourbon Barrel Aged cider, but ended up visiting all three cideries / tasting rooms in the area, which was nice. Locust Cider, Elemental Hard Cider, and Woodinville Ciderworks are all within walking distance of each other, and each has both cidery and tasting room in the same location. It was my first time visiting any of them, although I’m very familiar with their ciders and have met or communicated with the owners. We started with lunch at Big Fish Grill, which was very tasty. They even had local cider on tap (Schilling Mischief Maker Pom-Cran, which I reviewed here).

Next we went to Locust Cider. My husband and friend tried a couple ciders, then left me to finish up mine (and visit the other cideries) while they went wine tasting.

I only tried two of Locust’s ciders, as I had tried all the others or wasn’t interested (and the first one was a large pour of a high ABV cider!). They were offering Original Dry, Winesap, Dark Cherry, Chipotle, Thai Ginger, and Aged WA Dessert Apple on tap, and bottle pours of Bittersweet Reserve and Bourbon Barrel Aged. See my tasting notes on Thai Ginger, Pumpkin, and Dark Cherry, and reviews of Aged WA Dessert Apple and Bittersweet Reserve (plus I’ve tried Original Dry and Green Tea Infused).

Bourbon Barrel Aged (14% ABV) – This is their newest bottle release, originally only for their club members, but sales were opened up to the public as they had a bit extra (tap room only). Aged 9 months in bourbon barrels. Smells like bourbon with only a hint of apple and oak. Golden orange amber hue. On the sweeter side of Dry. Still. Served room temperature. Light bodied. Moderate acidity, mild tartness, mild bitterness, and mild tannins. Moderate to full flavor profile. I could definitely tell it was 14% ABV, and I think I would have liked to try it cold (or even, shudder, with an ice cube or two), as I think it would have smoothed out a bit. As is, it was a bit much for me. In addition to bourbon, notes of oak and vanilla, and a slight bit of maple and must. Long warming boozy finish. Moderate to high spirit influence. Moderate barrel influence. Very low sessionability. Mild to moderate apple flavor.

Winesap (6.0% ABV) – This is a new cider for them (tap only), a single varietal from Winesap apples. They experimented with a Sidra-style fermentation, aiming to smooth out the tartness of the Winesap apples, and aged it a few months (I assume tank as Ryan didn’t specify barrel). Smells mildly sour and of citrus. Hazy light lemon straw yellow hue. Semi-dry. Only very mild sourness (and I’m admittedly sensitive), less so than in the scent. Mild tartness and acidity. Medium bodied. Frothy mouthfeel but low carbonation. Mildly flavored, with citrus, earthy, yeast, and mineral notes. Quick finish. High sessionability. Mild to moderate apple flavor. This was one of the most unique ciders I’ve ever tasted–very textural more than flavorful. This would be a great refreshing summer cider.

They had a neat handout for tasting notes (reminiscent of this source):

Next I walked down the street to Elemental Hard Cider. I hadn’t realized they had so many taps (12, in comparison to 6 at Locust, although 1 was out). The owners Brian and Christina Callahan were tending bar (I had met them previously at Around the Table in Lynnwood). They were offering Dry (Carbon), Acai (Nitrogen), Ginger, Pomegranate-Rose, Margarita (Jalapeno Lime Cilantro), Apple Pie, Pomegranate (Oxygen), Blood Orange (Calcium), NW Atomic Root Beer, Lavender-Rose Petal, and Grapefruit (Hydrogen).

I’ve previously tried Cherry, Dry (version a & version b), NW Atomic Root Beer (version a & version b), Blood Orange, Seasonal Spiced Apple, Pom-Cherry, and Pomegranate. They are unique in that they have made significant tweaks to their recipes after releasing them, and even bottling them in some cases, thus I have very different tasting notes on the same cider in two cases. I learned they plan to release some ciders in six packs (previously they have only done 16.9 or 22 oz bottles).

<Margarita, Lavender-Rose, and Grapefruit>

Margarita, Jalapeno Lime Cilantro (6.5% ABV) – Smells like lime with hints of cilantro and jalapeno. On the drier side of semi-sweet. Only very mild spiciness (although apparently it can sneak up if you drink a couple pints). The flavor was also mostly lime, although surprisingly only mildly tart. Moderate acidity. A hint of bitterness. Light bodied. Moderate finish length. This would pair really well with mexican food.

Lavender-Rose Petal (6.5% ABV) – Sweet. Full bodied, almost syrupy. Floral and herbal flavor, although I’m not sure I could have guessed it was infused with lavender and rose petals (apparently more rose than lavender with this batch). Low acidity and tartness. Too sweet for me (apparently this is their response to requests for sweeter ciders).

Grapefruit, Hydrogen (6.5% ABV) – Very mild grapefruit scent. On the sweeter side of semi-dry. Mild refreshing grapefruit flavor. Low tartness and acidity. Medium bodied. I’m usually not a huge grapefruit fan, but this was surprisingly nice.

Brian at Elemental had mentioned that Leroy at Woodinville Ciderworks was now pouring Asian Pear cider out of his Flying Dreams Winery tasting room (which specializes in Spanish red wines). I was walking to try to meet up with my husband & friend and walked right by it, so I decided to drop in. They only have one other cider, Tropical, which I tasted at Cider Summit Seattle last summer, but they haven’t bottled yet.

Asian Pear (6.5% ABV) – Semi-dry. Mildly flavored with only a hint of pear (the apple also remains mild). Low tartness and acidity. Light bodied. Citrus, pear, and mineral notes. Moderate finish length. I can see why this is popular, especially with fans of white wine, but its not really my thing, as I like a very flavorful cider.

While I was there I learned they will be bottling Tropical in about 6 weeks, and also a new cider, Pomegranate Dark Cherry, this summer.

I actually ended up back at Elemental to meet my husband and friend as they thought I was still there. They tried a few ciders, and Ginger was their favorite of those.

Locust Bittersweet Reserve remains my favorite Woodinville cider so far. I opened my bottle the night before this group of cidery visits–yum!

Have you been to any cidery tasting room lately?

Locust Cider Bittersweet Reserve

January 29, 2016January 29, 2016 cidersays Locust, review bittersweet, Bittersweet Reserve, cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Locust, washington, Woodinville

Review of Bittersweet Reserve from Locust Cider in Woodinville WA. This variety was released in late 2015, only 1,000 bottles and some kegs, to benefit Hydrocephalus (which the owner’s daughter has). This review is from a half growler of the cider, although I also picked up a bottle for future consumption, so I photographed the bottle which is much prettier and informative. I’ve had a few varieties from Locust, including Washington Dessert Apple Aged Hard Cider (which I enjoyed), and Original Dry, Green Tea Infused, & Dark Sweet Cherry (which I wasn’t a huge fan of…they were all very mildly flavored, definitely sessionable).

Cider: Bittersweet Reserve
Cidery: Locust Cider
Cidery Location: Woodinville WA
ABV: 6%
How Supplied: 750ml bottles, kegs
Style: American unfiltered craft cider made using bittersweet apples

Availability: Limited, only sold from their Woodinville WA tap room and a few locations around Seattle WA

Cider Description: A full-bodied hard cider made from French and English bittersweet apples, with caramel and dried fruit aroma, and subtle citrus and baked apple. Only 1,000 bottles exist.

Apple Varieties: Dabinett, Yarlington Mill, Michelin among limited others

Cidery Description: Real, Creative Hard Cider from fresh pressed Northwest Apples. Locust Cider is THE SESSION cider. Every cider we make, from smooth and light Original Dry to full flavored Aged Dessert Apple, is designed and made to be extremely drinkable. Sessionable cider. What is The Locust? Tough. Hard. Real.

When you are done with your hard day taking over the world, you deserve good hard cider. The Locust stems from the a near death experience had by the founder during childhood. Now motivated by the sensory memory of that moment, his life is about being tough, being insistent on the best, and never giving in. Locust Cider is real people. Founded by 2 brothers from Texas who wanted a great cider that they could drink more than one of, the company remains small. Everybody who works in the tap room also has a hand in making cider. We obsess over making drinkable, session cider for real, tough people to enjoy.

They have a tap room in the Woodinville WA warehouse district.

Price: $18 for a 750ml bottle or $8.50 for a 32oz half growler
Where Bought: Schilling Cider House in Seattle WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: Facebook

First Impression: Orange-amber hazy sweet (unfermented) cider hue. Smells of bittersweet apples, sweet cider, orange citrus, spice, raisins, and honey.

Tasting Notes: Semi-sweet to sweet. Low acidity, tartness, and bitterness. Low to moderate tannins. The slightest bit of earthiness & oakiness. No funk or sourness. In the flavor I picked up bittersweet apples, orange, spice, raisins (less so), and honey that I smelled, plus caramel and oddly enough, coffee? Although it has a lot of characteristics of sweet non-alcoholic cider, I wouldn’t call it juice-like (which as my tastes have evolved I’ve found to be a negative). I found the cider to be slightly alcohol-forward, but I enjoyed it (I would have guessed it had a higher ABV). Full bodied. Moderate to long finish.

My Opinion: Yum–rich, smooth, and luscious! It reminds me a lot of English cider, but with the additional residual sweetness, unfiltered flavor & mouthfeel, and less tannins than your average English craft cider, it may be more approachable. Overall this is a very easily likeable unique cider. However, I liked the sample I had from a bottle better. I believe my growler was from the bottom of the keg, and it seemed to have more tannins, spice, bitterness, etc (and the odd coffee note). Still plenty enjoyable though. I’m looking forward to drinking the bottle I bought. Overall my only feedback would be to have slightly less sweetness, and that bottled (or not from the end of the keg) may have more desirable flavor, or that its a bit variable (which often happens in ciders, especially if they are from different batches).

Most Similar to: Other ciders made from bittersweet apples (such as most English ciders, Sea Cider Bittersweet, Finnriver Fire Barrel, Angry Orchard Stone Dry, and Woodchuck Gumption & Hot Cha Cha Cha) and those which are of an unfiltered style (such as from J.K.’s Scrumpy & Downeast, and Locust Washington Dessert Apple). I’ve found that for the most part I really enjoy ciders from bittersweet apples.

Closing Notes: Its crazy how good of a deal Schilling must have got on that keg, as the price on tap was almost 1/3 of the price for bottled (by ounce), a deal I couldn’t pass up. I was quite surprised the keg lasted on tap a couple weeks. If you can find this one and don’t mind a sweeter cider, I highly recommend it (in fact, Schilling still has a few bottles left as of earlier this week).

Interesting Fact: I was told that this cider should stay refrigerated, as the high residual sugar content makes it prone to re-fermenting in the bottle (becoming too dry or sparkling). Being a small batch they didn’t filter and process it as much like their other ciders. This wasn’t noted on the bottle, and is basically unheard of for a commercially produced cider (more of a homebrew thing). I think its impractical to rely on stores to tell their customers this, and many stores don’t have significant refrigerated shelf space. I imagine this explains what happened to my Washington Dessert Apple cider (a similar small batch sweeter cider release from them), which didn’t stay refrigerated. It turned crazy fizzy even though I bought it not long after it was released, and a sample from a friend’s bottle later a few months later was much drier than mine.

Have you tried Locust Bittersweet Reserve? What did you think?

Locust Washington Dessert Apple Aged Hard Cider

September 17, 2015September 13, 2015 cidersays Locust, review Aged Hard Cider, barrel aged, cider, cider review, hard cider, hard cider review, Locust, Locust Cider, Washington Dessert Apple, Woodinville

Review of Washington Dessert Apple Aged Hard Cider from Locust Cider. This is their first limited release offering, and also the first to be packaged in a large bottle (instead of a multi pack of cans or bottles, or on tap only).

There is a bit of a funny story with this bottle of cider: Upon arriving home from the bottle shop with this cider I found it on its side in my car in my bottle tote in a small puddle of cider. Thank goodness for waterproof floor mats… The bottle was hissing slightly. I guess the cap hit something in my car when it rolled around a bit and the edge got lifted slightly. It definitely could have been worse though. After cleaning up the mess I decided I needed to finish opening the cap and put on the attached flip-top cap before putting it in the fridge. I hadn’t been planning to drink it that night, and it wasn’t cold anyways. The following night I opened the bottle and it proceeded to violently foam over! So, I had cleaned up after this cider twice before even drinking any… I definitely got a foamy bottle which went a bit overboard in bottle conditioning! Thankfully only a few ounces of cider was lost in those messes.

Cider: Washington Dessert Apple Aged Hard Cider
Cidery:  Locust Cider
Cidery Location:  Woodinville WA (Northeast of Seattle)
ABV:  6.9%
How Supplied: 750ml clear flip-top bottle

Availability: Locust Cider is currently available in WA and ID. This is a limited release however so it may not be available everywhere that Locust Cider is sold.

Thanks to Jason Spears, co-founder of Locust Cider, for extra info on this cider!

Cider Description: Made from Golden Delicious, Fuji, Gala, Red Delicious, and Granny Smith dessert apples. Fermented with wild yeast (the yeast on the fruit itself, in contrast to most ciders which add new yeast). The outcome of a wild yeast fermentation is more unpredictable, and Locust described losing several batches of cider that didn’t turn out well. The cider is then tank aged for 6 months, where they allow a small amount of oxygen into the system to initiate malolactic fermentation. This is from secondary bacteria, as opposed to yeast, and changes the cider, reducing acidity and adding body & mouthfeel. This technique is not always desirable, but is what they were going for with this cider variety. Then the fermented cider is blended with fresh pressed juice and bottled ulfiltered, to allow for bottle conditioning.

Cidery Description: Real people making a cider for real people. They aim to make extremely drinkable ciders, with balanced flavors, not overly sweet or sour. All ciders are made from Pacific Northwest apples and fruit, with no artificial sweeteners, only apples and yeast. Founded by two brothers, Jason & Patrick Spears, from Texas, in early 2015. Their name is a reminder to embrace life without compromise, after Jason was calmed by a gentle orchestra of locusts in a field after a near death experience.

Their tap room is open Thursday thru Sunday in the Woodinville WA warehouse district.

Locust Cider currently offers Original Dry, Green Tea Infused, Sweet Dark Cherry (had been tap only but bottles are on their way to stores now), Summer Berry (tap only), Thai Ginger (tap room only), and Washington Dessert Apple Cider.

Price: ~$10
Where Bought: Full Throttle Bottles in Georgetown area of Seattle WA, where they were having a tasting of Locust Cider (Original Dry and Green Tea Infused) and Argus Fermentables (Ciderkin and Ginger Perry). Of those I only liked the Ciderkin, which I reviewed here previously.
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing. I hadn’t heard of this one before.

First Impression: Foam! Hazy/unfiltered honey hue. Smells of sweet unfiltered cider, honey, and a slight earthiness.

Opinion: Sweet but not very sweet. Taste is similar to unfermented sweet cider, except with that hard cider kick. High acidity. Moderate carbonation, high foam/fizz, and a bit of tang. No noticeable funk, but a bit of earthiness. Moderate finish length. No significant bitterness or astringency. Mild tartness. Medium bodied. Notes of honey and cooked apples. Moderate complexity. This cider is slightly booze-forward, and I probably would have guessed it to have an even higher ABV.

Most Similar to: Farmhouse style unfiltered ciders such as J.K.’s Scrumpy (from whom I’ve tried Orchard Gate and Northern Neighbor, which are a bit sweeter than this cider).

Closing Notes: Overall this cider is a solid unique selection. However, I’m curious how the taste was affected by the apparently aggressive bottle conditioning. I opened this cider on a Wednesday, had a small glass Thursday, a small glass Friday, and the rest on a Saturday, and even on Saturday it had plenty of fizz left and tried to overflow the glass upon pouring!

I’ve tried most of Locust Cider’s other offerings: their Sweet Dark Cherry on tap at Schilling Cider House and their Original Dry (canned) and Green Tea Infused (bottled) at the tasting at Full Throttle Bottles when I picked up this cider, all of which I found to be a bit lacking in flavor. The Washington Dessert Apple however is much different and much more full-flavored than the other three. I’ll definitely try any other limited release and/or full-flavored cider from Locust Cider, even though their current regular offerings don’t appeal to me.

Have you tried Locust Washington Dessert Apple Aged Hard Cider? What did you think?

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