Independent Cider Lavender Perry

Review of Independent Cider Lavender Perry. It is my first time trying anything from this new cidery.

Vocabulary: Opinion varies, but in the U.S., most commonly, fermented pear juice is called ‘perry’, while fermented apple juice flavored with pear juice is called ‘pear cider’.

Cider: Lavender Perry
Cidery: Independent Cider
Cidery Location: Dryden WA
ABV: 5.8%
How Supplied: 500ml bottles
Style: American craft modern perry from estate-grown Anjou (common/dessert) pears

Availability: likely only in Washington

Cider Description: Floral aromatics of rose and honey followed by a clean herbaceous pallet of eucalyptus and pear…Semi Sweet…Two varieties of Lavender harvested down valley from our pear orchards were used to create our first botanical Perry. The blended buds from this mid-summer flower are dried and steeped to contribute subtle lavender notes and flavors.

Cidery Description: Independent Cider juices pears from family orchards planted in the early 1900’s. Our heirloom pears, grown in the Upper Wenatchee Valley near Leavenworth, are harvested, juiced, fermented to dryness and aged in the orchards they grew in.

Price: $7.49
Where Bought: Total Wine
Where Drank: home
How Found: browsing

First Impression: Nearly clear with a hint of purple. Low carbonation. Smells super mild, of lavender and a bit of sweetness.

Tasting Notes: On the sweeter side of dry. Light bodied. Moderate tartness. Low acidity. Hints of bitterness. No tannins, funk, or sourness. Notes of lavender and lemon with hints of canned pear. Moderate tart length finish. Low flavor intensity, complexity, and pear flavor. High sessionability.

My Opinion: I didn’t like or dislike it. I had expected more sweetness (and in turn more flavor), as pears have unfermentable sugars (sorbitol), so usually they are at least semi-dry, but this was definitely dry, and probably the driest perry I’ve ever tried. My husband really liked it, probably as he likes both drier beverages and lavender. He described it as similar to Brut champagne with lavender, while I thought it was more like a hard seltzer with lavender, as it was so mild.

Most Similar to: Seattle Cider Lavender Lemon

Closing Notes: I’d like to try their other varieties and see if any are sweeter and more flavorful, but from their website it looks like they ferment all their perries to dry, but describe some as being perceived sweeter (like this one, marked as semi-sweet). Also, its interesting they went with the name ‘Independent Cider’, as at least for now it looks like they only make perry. However, I guess a lot of folks probably don’t know what perry is.

Have you tried perry? What did you think?

Kystin Kalysie

July 16, 2018September 10, 2018 cidersays French Cider Inc., Kystin, review France, French perry, ginger perry, Kalysie, Kystin, pear cider, perry, perry review, tasting notes

Review of Kystin’s Kalysie, a French perry (from 100% pears) with ginger. I’ve previously tried their Opalyne and Cuvée XVII.

>>This is a review of a sample bottle provided to Cider Says by French Cider Inc. / Beauchamp Imports. 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: Kalysie
Cidery: Kystin
Cidery Location: Brittany France
ABV: 2.0%
How Supplied: 330ml bottles
Style: Breton French Demi-Sec (sweet) perry (100% pear) with ginger

Availability: limited, imported by French Cider Inc.

Cider Description (translated): A hint of temptation. A crystalline dress, a nose with tonic accents of Ginger. A fruity attack, delicate to finish on a spicy lemon note. Ginger bursts to the pear for a striking union. Ideal as an aperitif, it will accompany fish and shellfish, pasta cheese parsley, and of course chocolate.

Cidery Description: Created in 2012, Kystin offers a range of original and very unique gourmet ciders, made of unusual ingredients such as chestnuts, pears and ginger. With a history dating back to the 14th century, Kystin ciders combine fruit, tradition and authenticity to create an unforgetabble taste. The brand recently released “Kalysie” – a pear ginger cider named as a tribute to the Khaleesi character from popular TV series Game of Thrones.

Price: n/a (retails for $7.49 / bottle)
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: through French Cider Inc.

First Impression: Light straw yellow hue. Low carbonation. Smells mild, of candied ginger with a hint of pear.

Tasting Notes: Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Light to medium bodied. Low tartness. Moderate acidity. No bitterness, sourness, funk, or tannins. Notes of pear & pear juice, pineapple, and ginger. Moderate length finish. Moderate pear flavor. Low ginger flavor. Low to moderate flavor intensity and complexity. High sessionability.

My Opinion: Great! I don’t usually like ginger, but it was quite mild, and the bit of ginger bite added to the overall flavor profile, to help balance the sweetness of the perry. The ginger was stronger in the scent than the taste. Nice pear flavor and not too sweet. However, there wasn’t anything about this perry that seemed French-like; I would have guessed this was a U.S. perry. Nothing wrong with that though. This would be a nice selection for brunch or lunch, at only 2% ABV.

Most Similar to: A more refined/craft version of Woodchuck Tank Series Pear Ginger

Closing Notes: This is the third of three Kystin varieties currently available in the U.S. (also see my reviews of their Opalyne and Cuvée XVII). Its interesting to see European cideries release flavored ciders/perries, similar to the U.S., when they have all the ideal apple and pear varieties for cider and perry making and such a long history of doing so. However, I can see new products increasing sales and expanding their target market. Some other flavored European ciders I’ve tried are Ramborn Cascade Hopped Cider and Lefevre Winter Cidre.

Have you tried French perry? What did you think?

Centre Ring Reserve Pear

May 4, 2018April 30, 2018 cidersays Centre Ring, Pear UP, review Centre Ring, cider, pear cider, perry, perry review, perry tasting, Reserve Pear, tasting notes

Review of Centre Ring Reserve Pear, made by Pear UP (previously NV Cider, Neigel Vintners). I tried this perry at an event last year (see here). I’ve also had Pear UP’s Pear Essentials, Half Past Prudent, Cherry Perry, Watermelon Perry, Watermelon Raspberry Perry, Raspberry Perry, Pearjito Colada, Pearfect Pie, and Pineapple Pear.

Note that in the U.S., “perry” is fermented pear juice, and “pear cider” is a fermented apple juice-based cider with pear juice for flavor. However, elsewhere (such as in the UK), they don’t really do pear-flavored apple cider, and use “perry” only for the fermented juice of specialty perry pear varieties, and “pear cider” is for fermented common (dessert) pear juice.

Cider: Reserve Pear
Cidery: Centre Ring (whose perry & cider are made by Pear UP)
Cidery Location: Wenatchee WA
ABV: 5.5%
How Supplied: 750ml bottles
Style: American craft perry

Availability: very limited, likely only in WA

Cider Description: After World War II, Kevin and Mark’s grandfather planted a small pear orchard in the Wenatchee Valley. Upon taking over the family orchard, they discovered that the native pear varieties provided a uniquely light and flavorful finish. Clean and honest flavors can be found throughout all their ciders, bringing simple gestures from the complex art of cider making without the weight of syrupy sugars. Join them in drinking the award-winning spoils of their harvest and the flavor of tradition.

Cidery Description: Centre Ring expands outside selling spirits, wines, and craft beverages. We also represent select artisan foods, products, and reserves in addition to our alcohol selections. We want to bring the experience of the homemade and personal touch of these products to everyone in the area. We are including local cheese makers, bakers, jam & jellies, pickles, jerky, and much more from our local communities. The key to building out your brand to reach consumers is to know what they are looking for. We study and follow industry trends and practices to help target the widest audience possible. Each individual product has its own small directions that make them unique. However, we are beginning to see the lines between them blur as consumers are looking for new and different tastes to suit their needs

Price: $12
Where Bought: Schilling Cider House in Seattle WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: a WA Cider Week 2017 preview event (see here)

First Impression: Clear hue with a hint of pink. Very low carbonation with some foam. Smells of pear with a hint of fruitiness.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry. Light to medium bodied. Low tartness and acidity. Hints of sourness. No bitterness, tannins, or funk. Notes of canned & dried pear and pear juice, with hints of strawberry and vinegar. Quick finish. Moderate pear flavor. Low to moderate complexity. Low overall flavor intensity. High sessionability.

My Opinion: I liked this perry when I tried it previously. However, due to the hint of vinegar, this time I wasn’t a fan. I believe this was a bad batch; unfortunately this happens sometimes.

Most Similar to: a drier more complex version of Pear UP’s Pear Essentials perry

Closing Notes: Centre Ring appears to be an interesting brand, bringing together various local producers of all sorts of products. As of this post, they have this perry as well as a cider from Pear UP, plus beer, wine, spirits, and lots more made by other producers.

Have you tried perry? What did you think?

WildCraft Cider Works Pioneer Perry

December 5, 2015December 5, 2015 cidersays review, Wildcraft cider, cider review, cider tasting, Eugene, perry, perry review, perry tasting, Wildcraft

Review of WildCraft Cider Works’ Pioneer Perry. Perries are made entirely using pears. In contrast, pear ciders are often an apple base with pear juice added, and cider is of course entirely made from apples. WildCraft opened in Eugene Oregon in November 2014. They were nice enough to send me a box full of their cider (which is especially awesome as they aren’t yet available in WA), so I have a number of varieties from them to review in the coming weeks.

>>This is a review of a sample bottle provided to Cider Says by WildCraft Cider Works. 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: Pioneer Perry
Cidery: WildCraft Cider Works
Cidery Location: Eugene OR
ABV: 6.9%
How Supplied: 750ml bottle

Availability: Year round, but currently only in Eugene, Portland, and Medford Oregon.

Cider Description: Our 2014 Pioneer Perry is layered with the complex flavors of hazelnut, fresh shortbread & orange blossom honey. The exquisite qualities of pre-prohibition planted American Pear varietals were allowed to reach their fullest potential. Harvested and handpicked from the founding farmlands of Lane County, this is an experience that provides unprecedented, homegrown quality. Unpasteurized & bottle conditioned.

Made from Red Bartlet pears.

Cidery Description: At WildCraft Cider Works, we pride ourselves on developing innovative, artisanal dry ciders inspired by traditional and wild methodology. Insisting on whole fruit and botanicals grown in Oregon to create pure ciders without artificial flavorings, sulfites or added sweeteners. WildCraft cider is uniquely dry cider unpasteurized & bottle conditioned. We consider ourselves stewards of the outdoors; always acting consciously to ensure that our ingredients are regional.

WildCraft sets themselves apart from most other cideries by using mostly fruit from old homesteads that would otherwise go unused, plus unwanted fruit from community drives. All their fruit is Oregon-grown and pressed at the cidery. In addition to ciders, they also have a line of perries (made from pears). They avoid the use of sulfites in their ciders, which is quite rare and can be difficult to pull off.

WildCraft has a tap house at their Eugene OR cidery with 10 of their ciders & perries on tap at a time, plus they have a full bar (including cider cocktails), and a full farm to table restaurant! This article from Feb 2015 has a nice writeup on them.

Price: n/a (but retails for $16.99)
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: Facebook and word of mouth

First Impression: Light straw yellow with a few large bubbles at the edge of the glass. Slightly funky, dry, sour, tart, yeasty, vanilla apple scent.

Opinion: Completely dry. Moderate to high acidity. Mild to moderate sourness. Mild bitterness, funk, astringency, and tartness. Light bodied. Still (no carbonation). Moderate length finish. I picked up mild pear, citrus, vanilla, oak, and honey notes. This was a nice light perry which would be great during summer. It was my favorite of the six WildCraft selections I’ve had, likely as it was a bit less sour & funky.

Most Similar to: Nothing I have tried. Although I’ve drank a number of perries, none was this dry and complex. This is more approachable than some ciders of a similar style (Millstone comes to mind), but may still be a big step for someone used to approachable sweet commercial cider.

Closing Notes: This was quite an interesting perry and more likeable than the others I tried, but it wasn’t really to my taste. Without the sourness & funk and with a bit more residual sugar, I think I would have found it more enjoyable. I also tend to like more of a full-flavored beverage. I think they are doing some great things at WildCraft though, and are very reasonably priced. I think folks looking for a unique perry on the dry end of the spectrum which aren’t opposed to some sourness and funk should give this a try. I look forward to trying the rest of the ciders that came in my sample box!

Have you tried any WildCraft ciders? What did you think?

WildCraft Cider Works Elderberry Perry

December 5, 2015December 5, 2015 cidersays review, Wildcraft cider, cider review, cider tasting, elderberry, Eugene, perry, perry review, perry tasting, Wildcraft

Review of WildCraft Cider Works’ Elderberry Perry. Perries are made entirely using pears. In contrast, pear ciders are often an apple base with pear juice added, and cider is of course entirely made from apples. WildCraft opened in Eugene Oregon in November 2014. They were nice enough to send me a box full of their cider (which is especially awesome as they aren’t yet available in WA), so I have a number of varieties from them to review in the coming weeks.

(I somehow forgot to take a full photo of this lovely
wax-topped bottle, so a stock photo will have to do)

Cider: Elderberry Perry
Cidery: WildCraft Cider Works
Cidery Location: Eugene OR
ABV: 5.0%
How Supplied: 750ml bottle

Availability: Year round, but currently only in Eugene, Portland, and Medford Oregon.

Cider Description: These elderberries were wildcrafted in the mountains of Cottage Grove, hand destemmed and fermented whole in a red Bartlett perry. Floral, vinous, fruit-forward berries hail from the rugged Oregon wilderness into a rich & full bodied pear complexity. Unpasteurized & bottle conditioned.

Made from Red Bartlet and Comice pears.

Price: n/a (but retails for $16.99)
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: Facebook and word of mouth

First Impression: Light elderberry-grape type hue with a few large bubbles at the edge of the glass. Slightly funky, dry, sour, and tart apple-berry scent. This one had the most funky scent of the six I’ve tried from WildCraft.

Opinion: Completely dry. Moderate acidity, sourness, tartness, astringency, and funk. No bitterness. Light bodied. Moderate carbonation. Relative quick finish. The elderberry influence remained quite mild, but added a nice fruitiness and a bit of tannins. This was a crowd favorite at my cider tasting, but my least favorite, as it was a bit more funky than the others.

Most Similar to: Nothing I have tried. Although I’ve had a number of berry ciders and a handful of perries, none was this dry, and I haven’t had a berry perry. This is more approachable than some ciders of a similar style (Millstone comes to mind), but may still be a big step for someone used to approachable sweet commercial cider.

Closing Notes: This was quite an interesting perry, but it wasn’t really to my liking. Without the sourness & funk and with a bit more residual sugar, I think I would have found it more enjoyable. I also tend to like more of a full-flavored beverage. I think they are doing some great things at WildCraft though, and are very reasonably priced. I think folks looking for a unique perry on the dry end of the spectrum which aren’t opposed to some sourness and funk should give this a try. I look forward to trying the rest of the ciders that came in my sample box!

Have you tried any WildCraft ciders? What did you think?

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