Rustic Roots Organic Snow Cider Dry Apple

September 29, 2016September 25, 2016 cidersays review, Rustic Roots cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, organic, Rustic Roots, Snow Cider, tasting notes

Review of Rustic Roots Organic Snow Cider Dry Apple, from British Columbia. Its the first time I’ve tried their cider, and this is the only cider this winery makes.

Cider: Organic Snow Cider Dry Apple
Cidery: Rustic Roots
Cidery Location: Cawston B.C. Canada
ABV: 7.6%
How Supplied: 500ml bottles
Style: Canadian Organic craft cider

Availability: unknown

Description: unknown

Price: $7
Where Bought: Schilling Cider House
Where Drank: home
How Found: browsing

First Impression: Medium straw yellow hue. Moderate carbonation. Smells mild, sharp, of floral and citrus.

Tasting Notes: Dry to semi-dry. Light to medium bodied. Moderate tartness. High acidity. Low bitterness. Low tannins. No sourness or funk. Notes of herbal, floral, lemon, green apple, white grape, pineapple, crab apples, and mineral. Moderate to long finish. Moderate sessionability, apple flavor, flavor intensity, and complexity.

My Opinion: Tasty. I was surprised how flavorful it was for its level of dryness. Juicy and sharp.

Closing Notes: This is a great value, considering it is imported (although not very far) and Organic. I haven’t seen any other varieties from them yet though (it looks like they primarily make grape wine).

Have you tried Rustic Roots Snow Cider? What did you think?

Dunkertons Black Fox

September 12, 2016September 11, 2016 cidersays Dunkertons Black Fox, cider, cider review, cider tasting, Dunkertons, English Cider, hard cider, organic, tasting notes

Review of Dunkertons Black Fox, an Organic medium dry sparkling cider from England. This is the last of three bottles I received from them (see my Dry and Perry reviews).

>>This is a review of a sample bottle provided to Cider Says by Dunkertons. Although I will take care to treat it the same as any other review, there is always the potential for bias as I received it 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: Black Fox
Cidery: Dunkertons
Cidery Location: Pembridge, Leominster, United Kingdom
ABV: 7.0%
How Supplied: 500ml bottles
Style: organic English cider from cider apple varieties

Availability: Dunkertons is just becoming available in the U.S. for the first time, so its probably not in stores quite yet, but look for it at finer bottle shops in the future (distributed through Winesellers, Ltd.).

Cider Description: From the earliest times, rural communities have told stories of fantastic and unusual creatures which have supposedly lived in their locality. The lush rolling countryside of North West Herefordshire is no exception. Here stories tell of an animal which has evaded capture by farmer and huntsman alike; a Black Fox. The red fox has always existed, but the belief grew that there was also a fox “as black as night, so that it might live in a man’s shadow and so never be seen”. A favored haunt of the BLACK FOX is………the Cider Orchard.

Translucent in color with light golden honey hues. Fragrant notes of apple pie fillings and honey aromas. This is a deliciously robust with a mouth full of lively sweet and sour flavors of green apples, honeycomb and fresh lemon.

Apple Varieties: Brown Snout, Foxwhelp, Kingston Black, Balls Bitter Sweet, Stoke Red, Dabinett

Cidery Description: We make premium award winning organic cider and perry at our Cider Mill in Herefordshire. Our success is down to our unique blending method using traditional varieties of organic cider apples and pears grown in our own orchards. We started making our ciders and perry in 1980. We only ever use the finest tasting traditional varieties of certified organic apples and pears. It is this careful selection of fruit that gives our drinks the delicate and aromatic characteristics required to be award winning.

Price: retails for $8
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: n/a

First Impression: Dark straw yellow hue. Low carbonation. Smells tannic, slightly sour & funky, fruity, and of citrus.

Tasting Notes: On the sweeter side of semi-dry. Medium bodied. Moderate tannins. Low tartness. Moderate acidity. Hints of bitterness, sourness, and funk. Notes of cider apples, orange, yeast, honey, and stone fruit. Moderate to long warming finish. Moderate apple flavor. Low sessionability. Moderate flavor intensity. Moderate complexity.

My Opinion: Awesome! This is different but similar to their Dry. It is a bit more approachable than their Dry as it is slightly sweeter and lower in tannins, and has slightly more fruity than rich flavor notes.

Most Similar to: Medium dry moderately tannic English and English-style ciders such as Sheppy’s Somerset Draught.

Closing Notes: I highly recommend Dunkertons cider if you can find it in your area. They are high quality and affordable (and even Organic). I think the Dry and Black Fox are tied for my favorite; each is well suited for a different mood and/or menu.

Have you tried Dunkertons cider? What did you think?

Dunkertons Organic Perry

September 8, 2016September 8, 2016 cidersays Dunkertons, review cider, cider review, cider tasting, Dunkertons, England, hard cider, organic, perry

Review of Dunkertons Organic Perry from England. Perry is only made from pears (no apples). I previously tried their Dry Organic cider.

Product: Organic Perry
Cidery: Dunkertons
Location: Pembridge, Leominster, United Kingdom
ABV: 7.5%
How Supplied: 500ml bottles
Style: Organic English perry

Product Description: A delicious sparkling Perry made from organically grown, Perry pears. Though relatively uncommon, the trees are easily identified in Herefordshire’s orchard landscape by their great height and cascading white blossom; some are over 300 years old. These mature trees can very often produce over a ton of Pears. Using a traditional press and mill (circa 1930) the cider is carefully made using time honored methods. Each variety of cider pear is fermented separately, stored and then blended a year after pressing.

It pours golden and slightly hazy with very gentle bubbles. The nose has over-ripe pear evanescence. The taste is buttery & biscuity with notes of peaches plus a touch of farmyard. A creamy mouthfeel with a good balance between initial sweetness and the dryness of the finish.

Pear Varieties: Merrylegs, Red Horse, Moorecroft, Painted Lady, and Thorn

Price: $9 retail
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: n/a

First Impression: Light straw yellow, slightly hazy. Low carbonation. Smells of sour citrus.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Medium bodied, slightly syrupy. Moderate tartness and acidity. Low to moderate sourness. Low bitterness, funk, and tannins. Notes of citrus (lemon and grapefruit), mineral, white grape, pear, and floral. Long warming sour finish. Moderate sessionability, pear flavor, flavor intensity, and complexity.

My Opinion: Well crafted and a good value. It wasn’t to my personal tastes though due to the slight sourness. However, I shared it with a few friends who tends towards liking sour ciders and they really enjoyed it.

Fun Facts: Its often said to plant pears for your heirs, as it can take decades for a pear tree to bear fruit. Also, perries don’t ferment fully dry like ciders can, as pears have unfermentable sugars (such as sorbitol), contributing to a higher residual sweetness. More info on perry here.

Most Similar to: WildCraft Cider Works Pioneer Perry, although more sweet and less sourness. It had a subtle complexity similar to E.Z. Orchards Poire and Nashi Orchards Chojuro Blend.

Closing Notes: Next up, Dunkertons Black Fox.

Have you tried Dunkertons Perry? What did you think?

Dunkertons Dry Organic Cider

September 6, 2016September 17, 2016 cidersays Dunkertons, review cider, cider review, cider tasting, Dunkertons, England, English Cider, hard cider, organic, tasting notes

Review of Dunkertons Dry Organic Cider, from England. This is my first time trying their cider. This is one of three samples I got from them, so it won’t be the last I try.

Cider: Dry Organic Cider
Cidery: Dunkertons
Cidery Location: Pembridge, Leominster, United Kingdom
ABV: 7.0%
How Supplied: 500ml bottles
Style: organic English cider from cider apple varieties

Cider Description: An offering of a drier, crisper blended cider for the connoisseur, or more adventurous enthusiast. Sharp, crisp and to the point. Certified organic by Soil Association Organic Standard. Pours a red hued gold with a slight haze. Moderately strong aromas of toffee and hints of farmhouse/blue cheese character to ground it. Flavors bring tannins from the bittersweets to the fore with freshly picked apples, honey, and wisps of smoke playing strong support. Full bodied with a carbonation that makes a strong first impression before finishing with a sharp dryness.

Apple Varieties: Brown Snout, Sheeps Nose, Foxwhelp, Kingston Black, and Yarlington Mill

Price: retails for $8
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: n/a

First Impression: Hazy light orange amber. Low to moderate carbonation. Smells of tannic cider apples, must, orange, and leather.

Tasting Notes: Dry. Medium bodied. Low tartness. Moderate acidity. Low bitterness. Moderate to high tannins. No sourness or funk. Notes of cider apples, must, orange, leather, mineral, caramel, toffee, and smoke. Long warming tannic finish. Low to moderate apple flavor. Low sessionability. Moderate to high complexity and flavor intensity.

My Opinion: Awesome! A cider this dry and tannic isn’t for everyone, but its a taste I’ve acquired. I liked how it wasn’t too bitter and was quite complex. I’m hoping we can get more ciders like this in the U.S. as more orchards of cider apples grow up. Until then, imports like this can be surprisingly affordable.

Most Similar to: Other dry tannic English ciders. Sheppy’s and Aspall are some of my favorites, but are more entry level than this one (sweeter and lower tannins). Worley’s makes some great higher tannin ciders too, but they are sweeter. This was actually really similar to Alpenfire Ember.

Closing Notes: I look forward to trying the other two bottles from Dunkertons.

Have you tried Dunkertons cider? What did you think?

Le Brun Organic Cidre

August 24, 2016September 10, 2017 cidersays Le Brun, review cider, cider review, cider tasting, cidre, France, French, hard cider, Le Brun, organic, tasting notes

Review of Le Brun Organic Cidre. I’ve tried this previously on tap (the only cider I’ve tried from Le Brun), but wanted to give a bottle a go.

Cider: Organic Cidre
Cidery: Le Brun
Cidery Location: Plovan in the Brittany region of France
ABV: 4.0%
How Supplied: 750ml corked & caged champagne bottle
Style: Brittany French cidre, organic, secondary fermented

Availability: semi wide release (imported by Winesellers Ltd., Niles IL)

Cider Description: This cider presents lightly sweet, fruit and then develops to be more dry as the taste goes on. Tannins feel fairly high, acidity is moderate and a fairly bitter/sharp to end, with a mild hint of wood in the aftertaste. This cider has a juicy feel to it, but also has depth and character.

Apple Varieties: Kermerrien, Marie Ménard, Douce Moên, Peau de Chien, Douce Coëtligné

Cidery Description: Le Brun Cidres have been produced in Brittany, France since 1955. our cidres are made using the traditional method of natural fermentation of pure pressed juices from handpicked apples

Price: $10.99
Where Bought: The Wine Seller in Port Townsend WA, which had a nice cider selection for a small shop, including this one (which I haven’t seen locally lately) and a couple others I hadn’t even seen in Seattle (I picked up one other bottle too)
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing

First Impression: Amber orange hue. Moderate carbonation with foam upon pouring. Smells of rich apples with hints of funk and must.

Tasting Notes: Semi-sweet. Medium bodied. Low tartness, acidity, funk, and tannins. No sourness or bitterness. Notes of bittersweet apples, apple juice, apple pomace, orange, floral, and must. Moderate length finish. High apple flavor. Moderate sessionability. Moderate flavor intensity. Low to moderate complexity.

My Opinion: I enjoyed this. I’m a fan of Brittany France ciders in general too (but not typically Normandy France ciders, which tend to have sourness). However, I remember it tasting more clean (no funk) when I tried it on tap, which I prefer.

Most Similar to: Other ciders from Brittany France, such as Celt and Dan Armor, which I think I slightly prefer, and are both more affordable too ($8 for a four pack of 11.2oz bottles of Celt and $5 for a 750ml bottle of Dan Armor – only sold at Trader Joe’s).

Closing Notes: This is a nice selection from Le Brun. I hope I can find their other varieties locally to try (I know at least a couple others get imported).

Have you tried French Cidre? What did you think?

Sea Cider Flagship

August 15, 2016August 7, 2016 cidersays review, Sea Cider British Columbia, Canada, cider, cider review, cider tasting, flagship, hard cider, organic, Saanichton, Sea Cider

Review of Sea Cider’s Flagship variety. Its the first time I’ve tried this, but I’ve sampled a number of their other varieties (see here).

Cider: Flagship
Cidery: Sea Cider
Cidery Location: Saanichton, British Columbia, Canada
ABV: 7.1%
How Supplied: 750ml flip-top bottle
Style: Canadian cider from dessert & heirloom Organic apple varieties, German-style, ultra dry, without sulfites

Availability: semi wide release, at these locations, including in Canada, WA, OR, and CA

Cider Description: This German-style cider is one of few commercial ciders in the world free of added sulphites. Slowly fermented with Champagne yeast, the ultra-dry Flagship has crisp herbaceous notes framed by soft tannins and lively acidity. It features both smoky and herbal aromas and is best paired with risotto, fish and chips, mild cheeses, poultry, and grilled seafood.Certified Organic by PACS 16-259.

We named this cider Flagship because it was the first cider we made and it is as pure as cider gets. Flagship is one of only a handful of ciders in the world free of added sulphites, and was the first fully certified organic cider in North America. It is German in style, meaning very acidic, which is achieved by fermenting high acid apples such as Granny Smiths, Empires and Winter Bananas (all certified organic). A strain of Champagne yeast is used which can tolerate a low pH. Because there are no sulphites to control oxidation and spoilage, the production team must take extra precautions in apple selection and washing, aging and bottling.

Cidery Description: Sea Cider is a farm-based cidery located on the Saanich Peninsula just minutes from Victoria, on Vancouver Island. Our ten acre farm is home to over 1,300 apple trees, made up of over 50 varieties of heritage apples. Sea Cider opened its farm gate for business in 2007 when owner Kristen Jordan purchased the property with a vision of creating an organic farm and orchard and producing traditional fermented artisan ciders. Since then, we’ve grown to an annual cider production of over 7,000 cases and growing. We continue to pride ourselves on crafting traditionally fermented ciders from organically grown apples.

Price: n/a, as it was a gift (retail is $15-$20 however); some friends picked it up for me in B.C. (although it is sold in the U.S.)
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: n/a

First Impression: Light amber hue. Moderate carbonation upon pouring. Smells only of apple juice.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry to dry. Low carbonation. Medium bodied. Moderate tartness and acidity. Low bitterness and tannins. No sourness or funk. Sharp flavor, very apple-forward, with hints of honey, lemon, and herbs. Moderate to long slightly boozy finish. Strong apple flavor. Moderate sessionability. Low to moderate flavor intensity. Low complexity.

My Opinion: I found this to be an enjoyable basic cider selection. While it was simple, I also found it to be sophisticated (which is was very apple forward, it didn’t taste like alcoholic apple juice). It pairs well with food as it won’t overpower.

Most Similar to: I found the sharp flavor of this cider similar to many ciders which use crabapples (although this one doesn’t list crabapples), such as Dragon’s Head Columbia Crab, Blue Moon Cidery Raven’s Moon, and Liberty Ciderworks New World Style.

Closing Notes: Sea Cider hasn’t disappointed me yet. However, my favorite so far is their Prohibition / Rum Runner.

Have you tried Sea Cider Flagship? What did you think?

Big B’s Lazy Daze Lemon Hard Cider

June 7, 2016June 4, 2016 cidersays Big B's, review Big B's, cider, cider review, cider tasting, Colorado, hard cider, Lazy Daze, Lazy Daze Lemon Hard Cider, lemonade, organic

Review of Big B’s Lazy Daze Lemon Hard Cider, their dry hard cider mixed with their lemonade. I’ve also tried their Grizzly Brand (bourbon barrel aged) and Pear Supply ciders. My husband picked this up for me in Colorado.

Cider: Lazy Daze Lemon Hard Cider
Cidery: Big B’s
Cidery Location: Hotchkiss Colorado
ABV: 4.7%
How Supplied: 500ml clear glass bottles and 12oz cans
Style: American Organic craft cider mixed with lemonade (which includes sugar)

Availability: Only in Colorado, although they take phone orders to ship to customers when the state allows it.

Cider Description: Big B’s Hard Lemonade is made by combining our Orchard Original Hard Cider with one of Big B’s most popular selling juices, our Orchard Recipe Lemonade. It’s a perfect marriage between dry cider, sweet and tart lemonade. Ultra refreshing and amazingly crisp!

Cidery Description: Big B’s Hard Ciders – Local, Organic, Delicious. Big B’s proudly handcrafts American Farmstead Hard Ciders in small batches using only organic apples, hand picked at the peak of ripeness. Our orchard and tasting room is located in the North Fork Valley on the Western Slope of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains.

Big B’s has an organic farm market and tasting room in Hotchkiss CO for their juices and hard cider (first sold in 2011), which re-opens for the season in May 2016.

Price: $4.98
Where Bought: Hazel’s Beverage World in Boulder CO
Where Drank: home
How Found: I read about this online and put it on a list for my husband to check for.

First Impression: Smells like lemonade. Lemonade dark straw yellow hue. Low carbonation.

Tasting Notes: Semi-sweet to Semi-dry. Medium bodied. Fizzy mouthfeel. Moderate tartness and acidity. No bitterness, sourness, funk, or tannins. The flavor is lemonade with a bit of baked apple. Quick finish length. Low apple flavor. High sessionability.

My Opinion: Yum! This is simple, but I enjoyed it. Perfect for summer and almost too easy to drink. I’m surprised they kept so much of the lemonade flavor despite the addition of hard cider. I also liked the bit of apple flavor.

Most Similar to: Any other hard lemonade. My other favorite is Crabbie’s Cloudy Alcoholic Lemonade, but I think I now like this one better. Alcopops are becoming quite popular. Another cider based one I’ve tried is Elemental’s NW Atomic Root Beer.

Closing Notes: Too bad this is only sold in Colorado, or else it would be a summer staple in my house. They recently released it in cans too.

Have you tried Big B’s? What did you think?

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