Alpenfire Calypso

Review of Alpenfire Calypso. I’ve had this previously, but never done a full review. I’ve also had Alpenfire’s Dungeness, Spark, Ember, Simple Cider, Calypso, Pirate’s Plank, Glow, Cinders, Shrub, Spiced Tonic Shrub, Traditional Heirloom Cider, Flame, Tempest, Foxwhelp SV, Rosy Pommeau, 3 Pommes, Kingston Black, Golden Fox, Smoke, and Traditional Cuvée.

Cider: Calypso
Cidery: Alpenfire
Cidery Location: Port Townsend WA
ABV: 6.9%
How Supplied: 500ml bottles
Style: American craft cider from Newton Pippin apples and blackberries, rum barrel aged

Availability: likely only in the Northwest, plus online sales

Cider Description: An expression of the Northwest. Organic heirloom apples co-fermented with blackberries, then aged in rum barrels.

Cidery Description: We invite you to experience the distinctive flavors of our estate grown heritage ciders. Shaped by our maritime climate’s mild summers and tempered by the foggy mist rolling off of Discovery Bay, our apples maintain the qualities they’ve been treasured for by generations of cider lovers. Soft tannins, high sugars, hints of bitterness, and an incredible flavor range are the tools the apples bring us. Slow, cool fermentation, lengthy maturation, and attention to detail is the way we say thank you! Try Alpenfire Cider today and find your favorite expression of the Northwest.

Price: $11.99
Where Bought: their website – I made a large order when they had a free shipping deal during COVID-19 quarantine
Where Drank: home
How Found: this was one of the first varieties I tried from Alpenfire

First Impression: Vibrant dark red hue. Low carbonation. Smells of mild tart berry.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry. Light bodied. Moderate to high tartness and acidity. Hints of bitterness and tannins. No sourness or funk. Notes of tart apple reminiscent of granny smith, complex berry, and a hint of oak. Moderate length tart finish. Moderate sessionability, flavor intensity, and apple flavor. Low to moderate overall complexity.

My Opinion: I liked it. Easy to drink, but still with some complexity. However, I’d prefer a bit more sweetness and/or less tartness.

Most Similar to: 2 Towns Boysenbarrel, except without the red wine flavor profile

Closing Notes: Alpenfire consistently makes excellent ciders, and has a huge range of selections too, so there is something for everyone.

Have you tried Alpenfire Calypso? What did you think?

Alpenfire Traditional Cuvée

May 11, 2020May 8, 2020 cidersays Alpenfire, review Alpenfire, cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, orchard cider, port townsend, Traditional Cuvée

Review of Alpenfire Traditional Cuvée. It is my first time trying this variety, but I have had most of their lineup (see here).

Cider: Traditional Cuvée
Cidery: Alpenfire
Cidery Location: Port Townsend WA
ABV: 6.9%
How Supplied: 500ml bottles
Style: American orchard-based cider from heirloom & cider apple varieties, dry

Availability: probably only through their website and in a limited number of specialty shops in WA

Cider Description: This cider cuvée has a classic balance of traditional & heirloom apples. The cider apples are organically grown in our orchard while the heirloom apples come from two other organic growers, Lazy J Farm in Port Angeles and Heirloom Orchards in Hood River. Cider apples provide depth of flavor and a tannic sizzle while heirloom apples provide acidity and bright flavors. Cool fermentation, lengthy maturation and no filtration create complexity and rich body. Try this well rounded orchard based cider with breads & cheese, burgers, or just about everything.

Price: $11.99
Where Bought: Alpenfire’s online shop
Where Drank: home
How Found: browsing their website when I made a large order when they were offering free shipping

First Impression: Medium gold hue. Smells of dry, tart, tannic, heirloom apple with a hint of funk.

Tasting Notes: On the sweeter side of dry. Light bodied. Moderate tartness and acidity. Low tannins. Hints of bitterness and funk. No sourness. Notes of heirloom apple juice & pomace, wood, lemon, and floral. Moderate length tannic finish. Moderate apple flavor, sessionability, and overall flavor intensity. Moderate to high complexity.

My Opinion: I liked it. It didn’t seem quite as tart/sharp as many other dry ciders, which I enjoyed, as I usually tend towards sweeter ciders, and tartness makes dry ciders taste even drier for me.

Most Similar to: Eden Heritage Cider, Dragon’s Head Heritage, and also reminiscent of Snowdrift but not any 1 specific release

Closing Notes: Alpenfire’s lineup is really wide-ranging in type, so there is something for everyone

Have you tried Alpenfire Traditional Cuvée? What did you think?

Alpenfire Smoke

May 4, 2020May 1, 2020 cidersays Alpenfire, review Alpenfire, Alpenfire Cider, cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, port townsend, smoke, tasting notes

Review of Alpenfire’s Smoke Pommeau (cider + apple brandy), their barrel aged dessert cider. I’ve had a previous version of this (see here), plus I’ve tried most of their lineup (see here). I missed out on the only release that I knew of in between the previous one I tried years ago and this one, so I was excited to buy some.

Cider: Smoke, 2017 Harvest
Cidery: Alpenfire
Cidery Location: Port Townsend WA
ABV: 18%
How Supplied: 375ml bottles
Style: American craft apple brandy-fortified barrel-aged cider from Estate-grown bittersweet cider apple varieties

Availability: very limited, likely mostly online, plus some specialty shops in WA

Cider Description: A barrel aged desert cider blended for those who love a rich full bodied cider and a touch of peaty smoke in their whiskey. This after dinner tipple sits as the 2nd best cider in the world on RateBeer’s best of list….Harvested in 2017 and fermented dry, referemented and aged in a rye whiskey barrel, then matured in a peated whiskey barrel, then blended with cider aged over oak chips before estate Bittersweet apple brandy is added in to bring it up to 18%.

Price: $24.99
Where Bought: their online shop
Where Drank: home
How Found: originally, browsing a shop

First Impression: Light gold hue. Still (no carbonation). Smells of rich bittersweet apple, brandy / high ABV, aged spirits (esp. scotch), and oak barrel.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry. Medium body. Moderate tartness and acidity. Low bitterness and tannins. No sourness or funk. Notes of bittersweet cider apples, oak, smoke, scotch/whiskey, and a hint of peat. Long warm finish. Moderate to high complexity and flavor intensity. Low to moderate apple flavor. Very low sessionability.

My Opinion: I enjoyed it. However, I have to say that it didn’t live up to the previous version I tried, which was truly epic and one of the best things I’ve ever drank. I imagine the years I waited to buy more of this served to further elevate my opinion on the previous version. Never the less, as a stand-alone product, this Pommeau is superb, and I’ll happily drink the 3 bottles I bought.

Most Similar to: a slightly lighter (less rich) and less sweet version of their previous Smoke, or a typical Pommeau with added barrel/smoke flavor

Closing Notes: Alpenfire is a favorite of mine, and a highlight is their vast lineup, with offerings from dry to semi-sweet, fruity to rich, sessionable to not, and everything in between, all of which are exceptional.

Have you tried Alpenfire Smoke? What did you think?

Alpenfire 3 Pommes (Apple, Pear, Quince)

November 12, 2018November 5, 2018 cidersays Alpenfire, review 3 Pommes, Alpenfire, cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, port townsend, tasting notes

Review of Alpenfire’s 3 Pommes, made with apples, pears, and quince (which is a pomme fruit most similar to pears and apples). It is my first time trying this, but I have had their Dungeness, Spark, Smoke, ApoCalypso, Ember, Simple Cider, Calypso, Pirate’s Plank, Glow, Cinders, Shrub, Spiced Tonic Shrub, Traditional Heirloom Cider, Flame, Tempest, Foxwhelp SV, and Rosy Pommeau.

Cider: 3 Pommes – Apple, Pear, Quince (2016 vintage, released 2018)
Cidery: Alpenfire
Cidery Location: Port Townsend WA
ABV: 6.9%
How Supplied: 750ml bottles
Style: American artisan cider from estate pomme fruit (apples, pears, & quince)
Varietals: Muscadet de Dieppe, Dolgo Crab, Vilberie, Dabinett, & Pink Pearl apples; Bosc, Hendre Huffcap, & Romanian pears; Quince

Availability: likely limited to Western Washington, plus online sales

Cider Description: A blend of estate bittersweet apples, perry & wild foraged pears, and locally grown quince. The early pears, crab apples and quince are hand pressed macerated and fermented in stainless. The late season apples are pressed and fermented then blended with the early fruit for aging. Very light bottle conditioning gives this cider a petulant carbonation, just enough to tease the nose.

Cidery Description: We invite you to experience the distinctive flavors of our estate grown ciders. Shaped by our maritime climate’s mild summers and tempered by the foggy mist rolling off of Discovery Bay, our apples maintain the qualities they’ve been treasured for by generations of cider lovers. Soft tannins, high sugars, hints of bitterness, and an incredible flavor range are the tools the apples bring us. Slow, cool fermentation, lengthy maturation, and attention to detail is the way we say thank you!

Price: ~ $17.99
Where Bought: Schilling Cider House in Seattle WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: browsing

First Impression: Dark straw yellow hue. Nearly still (very low carbonation). Smells primarily of canned pear.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry. Light to medium bodied. Moderate tartness and acidity. Low to moderate tannins. Hints of bitterness and funk. No sourness. Notes of pear, tropical fruit, tart heirloom apples, and honey. Long tannic finish. Low apple flavor, Moderate pear flavor, flavor intensity, complexity, and sessionability.

My Opinion: I really enjoyed it, and so did the others I tasted it with. Way unique. Wine-like. Fruity, but barely sweet. However, it wasn’t sparkling like I had expected per the label, although it worked as a nearly still cider, and was probably easier to drink.

Most Similar to: I’ve had cider with quince from Eaglemount and CiderHead, and this had some of the same tart tropical & honey notes, but the pear was more prominent.

Closing Notes: Alpenfire is one of my favorite PNW cideries, and has a wide variety of unique selections. My favorites however are probably their richest selections, Smoke and Ember.

Have you tried cider with quince? What did you think?

Alpenfire Rosy Pommeau

September 6, 2018September 3, 2018 cidersays Alpenfire, review Alpenfire, cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Pommeau, port townsend, rosy pommeau, tasting notes

Review of Alpenfire’s Rosy Pommeau. This is apple brandy from bittersweet & heirloom apples + cider from Aerlie red-fleshed apples. It is my first time trying this, but I have had their Dungeness, Spark, Smoke, ApoCalypso, Ember, Simple Cider, Calypso, Pirate’s Plank, Glow, Cinders, Shrub, Spiced Tonic Shrub, Traditional Heirloom Cider, Flame, Tempest, and Foxwhelp SV.

Cider: Rosy Pommeau, 2015 vintage, 2018 release
Cidery: Alpenfire
Cidery Location: Port Townsend WA
ABV: 18%
How Supplied: 375ml tall bottles
Style: American craft Pommeau from bittersweet & heirloom apple brandy + Aerlie red-fleshed apple cider, oak aged

Availability: limited, 58 cases released in 2018, likely only available in WA, plus online sales

Cider Description: Alpenfire’s Rosy Pommeau, Rich, red, high acid juice from Aerlie red apples is partially fermented before halting the fermentation with the addition of the eau de vie. The eau de vie is distilled from our estate organic cider varietals and locally grown organic heirloom apples. Once blended pommeau is aged in neutral oak for 15 + months before bottling. Great as an aperitif or accompanying dessert.

Price: $26.99
Where Bought: Schilling Cider House in Seattle WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: browsing

First Impression: Pink-orange hue. Still (no carbonation). Smells of caramelized strawberry alcohol.

Tasting Notes: Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Medium bodied. Moderate tartness and acidity. Hints of bitterness. Low tannins. No sourness or funk. Notes of strawberry, watermelon, kiwi, and rich apple. Long finish. Low to moderate apple flavor. Very low sessionability. Moderate to high flavor intensity and complexity.

My Opinion: I liked it. However, I prefer Alpenfire’s red-fleshed apple cider Glow, or a Pommeau from typical apples, not so much this combination, as for me the fruity red-fleshed apple flavor competed a bit with the rich boozy Pommeau. My husband really enjoyed it however.

Most Similar to: I’ve never had Pommeau from red-fleshed apples, although I’ve had several ciders from red-fleshed apples (Alpenfire Glow, Alpenfire Cinders, Snowdrift Red, Tieton Russian Red) and several Pommeaux (from 2 Towns, Wandering Aengus, EZ Orchards, Etienne Dupont, Finnriver, and Stem).

Closing Notes: My favorite Alpenfire dessert cider is Smoke.

Have you tried Pommeau? What did you think?

Alpenfire Foxwhelp SV

August 21, 2018August 21, 2018 cidersays Alpenfire, review Alpenfire, cider, cider review, cider tasting, Foxwhelp, hard cider, port townsend, single varietal, tasting notes

Review of Alpenfire Foxwhelp single varietal. It is my first time trying this cider, but I’ve had most of their other ciders – Dungeness, Spark, Smoke, ApoCalypso, Ember, Simple Cider, Calypso, Pirate’s Plank, Glow, Cinders, Shrub, Spiced Tonic Shrub, Traditional Heirloom Cider (batch 1 or 2), Flame, Traditional Heirloom Cider (unknown batch), Tempest

Cider: Foxwhelp SV
Cidery: Alpenfire
Cidery Location: Port Townsend WA
ABV: 6.9%
How Supplied: 750ml bottles
Style: American craft orchard-based organic cider from Foxwhelp apples

Availability: limited, probably only in Washington, plus online sales

Cider Description: Our first 100% estate single varietal, produced from our organically grown Foxwhelp apples. The Foxwhelp is an English bittersharp cider apple, known for its aromatics and versatility, one of the oldest surviving cider apples still in use, originally from the Gloucestershire area. Historically a single strength cider from this apple would fetch the same price on the market in London as imported French Wine.

Price: $16.99
Where Bought: Schilling Cider House in Seattle WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing. I’m always game to buy anything Alpenfire, as they make some awesome ciders. They have been coming out with all sorts of new varieties lately.

First Impression: Medium straw yellow. Smells very mild, acidic and musty. Low carbonation.

Tasting Notes: On the sweeter side of dry. Light bodied. Moderate tartness and acidity. Hints of bitterness and funk. Low to moderate tannins. No sourness. Notes of acidic heirloom apple, lemon, must, nut/wood, yeast, and mineral. Moderate length finish. Low to moderate apple flavor and sessionability. Moderate flavor intensity. Moderate to high complexity.

My Opinion: I liked it. I had expected more of a rich cider apple flavor, as Foxwhelp is a bittersharp, but this tasted more like an heirloom apple cider than a cider apple cider. I enjoyed it though, as it was less acidic and more tannic than most heirloom apple ciders, so despite it being fairly dry, it wasn’t at all harsh for my tastes. However, I still prefer a bittersweet cider apple cider, more like Alpenfire’s Ember.

Most Similar to: This reminds me of some of Eve’s ciders, although the flavor notes were different.

Closing Notes: I’m interested to try more of Alpenfire’s new ciders. I already have a bottle of their Rosy Pommeau at home for example.

Have you tried a single varietal cider? What did you think?

Finnriver Lavender Black Currant

August 10, 2018August 5, 2018 cidersays Finnriver, review cider, cider review, cider tasting, Finnriver, hard cider, Lavender Black Currant, port townsend, tasting notes, washington

Review of Finnriver Seasonal Botanical Series Lavender Black Currant. I’ve had this at least a few times, but hadn’t done a full review of a bottle. I’ve also tried the majority of their other ciders; see here. They have new labels, which I think look really neat, more high end and sophisticated.

Cider: Lavender Black Currant
Cidery: Finnriver
Cidery Location: Chimacum WA (outside of Port Townsend)
ABV: 6.5%
How Supplied: 500ml bottles (and draft)
Style: American Organic craft cider from dessert apples, with black currant and lavender

Availability: summer seasonal, sold in AZ, CA, CO, IL, MT, NV, NY, OR, TX, WA, and WI in the U.S., plus Alberta and British Columbia Canada (plus online sales, plus they have a plain Black Currant sold year round for $1-2 less)

Cider Description: Farmcrafted in our Chimacum barn with a select blend of Washington organic apples, organic black currant juice, organic lavender flowers from Olympic Peninsula farms (Jardin du Soleil, Wilderbee, and Purple Haze), and organic cane sugar.

Cidery Description: At Finnriver we ferment out dreams and pour our hearts into each bottle. Our Botanical Ciders are rooted in ancient wisdom, inspired by the seasons and crafted with a spirit of adventure! This bottle is an invitation to discover the possibilities of the apple and the earthly abundance of the farmed fields and wild meadows of the Olympic Peninsula. We are glad to share the beauty and county of the land!

Check out their website for more info. They have a tasting room on their farm+orchard outside of Port Townsend WA which is a family friendly destination, with food, games, and more. If you are heading to Port Townsend, also check out Alpenfire and Eaglemount, and I highly recommend staying at the Inn at the Resort at Port Ludlow (check out my review here, which also links to my reviews of all 3 Port Townsend area cideries).

Price: $9.99
Where Bought: Whole Foods
Where Drank: home
How Found: I first tried this on draft at Schilling Cider House

First Impression: Deep purple-red hue. Low carbonation. Smells rich, fruity, and of lavender.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Light bodied. Moderate to high tartness and acidity. Hints of bitterness and tannins. No sourness or funk. Notes of grape, pomegranate, and blueberry (all three of which I imagine are the black currant flavor – I actually have never tried currants outside of cider so couldn’t really identify their flavor), plus hints of lavender especially on the finish. Moderate length finish. Low apple flavor. Moderate to high flavor intensity and sessionability. Low to moderate complexity.

My Opinion: I really enjoy this one. I usually don’t go for something this tart, but the sweetness helps balance that. It has some complexity beyond what you’d typically see for a flavored cider from dessert apples. Its also pretty neat that they can make Organic cider from local ingredients for only $10 / bottle (even less on draft).

Most Similar to: their plain Black Currant cider, except with lavender

Closing Notes: This is my favorite cider from Finnriver’s regular lineup. My other favorites are Fire Barrel (especially the previous recipe – I wasn’t nearly as big of a fan of the latest release), Farmstead, Oak & Apple, and Honey Meadow. Both this and their regular year-round Black Currant are even better on Nitro draft, tasting crazy smooth.

Have you tried any of Finnriver’s botanical ciders? What did you think?

Alpenfire Tempest New England Style

March 19, 2018March 17, 2018 cidersays Alpenfire, review Alpenfire, cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, new england style, port townsend, tasting notes, Tempest, washington

Review of Alpenfire Tempest, a newish special release, New England Style (with raisins & brown sugar, high ABV, aged). It is my first time trying this, although I’ve had other New England Style ciders, and tried most of Alpenfire’s line-up (see here).

Cider: Tempest
Cidery: Alpenfire
Cidery Location: Port Townsend WA
ABV: 10%
How Supplied: 500ml bottles
Style: American artisan New England Style cider (4 week fermentation, tank aged 5 months, bottle conditioned)

Availability: special release in fall 2017 (55 cases), likely only available in Western WA, although they have online sales (but I didn’t see this one at the time of review)

Cider Description: Alpenfire’s Tempest, a new release from the 2016 harvest. Phenolic and spiritous, rounded and warming. A proper fall cider, estate apples refermented with raisins and brown sugar. Create your own tempest in a tea cup with this winter warmer.

Apple Varieties: Muscadet de dieppe, Kingston Black, Liberty, Republican, Democrat, plus many more

Cidery Description: Alpenfire Cider, the West’s first certified organic cidery, growing traditional cider apples since 2003. Family owned and operated.

Price: $15
Where Bought: Schilling Cider House in Seattle WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: browsing

First Impression: Medium pumpkin orange amber. Still. Smells of bittersweet & heirloom apples with a hint of funk.

Tasting Notes: On the sweeter side of semi-dry. Light to medium bodied. Low tartness. Low to moderate acidity. Low funk and tannins. Hints of bitterness. Notes of bittersweet apple, apple pomace, must, orange, and leather. Long finish with a hint of sourness and an herbal quality. Moderate apple flavor. Moderate to high flavor intensity and complexity. Low sessionability.

My Opinion: Awesome! This really reminded me of English cider, with the cider apple flavor, slightly higher sweetness, and funk. I loved the flavor and style. It really had all my favorites qualities all in one package, which is rare (rich, complex, flavorful, mid level sweetness, cider apples, and higher ABV). I’m also a fan of the 500ml bottles, as I’m more likely to buy them (plus it probably reduced the price of this cider from ~$20 to $15).

Most Similar to: New England style cider isn’t too common so I’ve only tried four others that I can remember, but this is my favorite by far, likely due to its similarity to English cider. Otherwise, Alpenfire Tempest was similar to Cockrell’s Colonial Winter, more flavorful & complex than Seattle Cider’s New England Style, less sour than Reverend Nat’s Providence, and more traditional than Tilted Shed’s Barred Rock.

Closing Notes: I am really excited to try more of Alpenfire’s new releases, which have been very plentiful of late, as they are are my favorite Washington cidery.

Have you tried New England Style cider? What did you think?

Alpenfire Ember

December 13, 2017December 4, 2017 cidersays Alpenfire, review Alpenfire, cider, cider review, cider tasting, Ember, hard cider, port townsend, tasting notes, washington

Review of Alpenfire Ember, made from bittersweet apples. I tried this a couple years back (see here), but wanted to give a full bottle a go, as my tastes have changed since then. I’ve also tried Alpenfire’s Dungeness, Spark, Smoke, ApoCalypso, Simple Cider, Calypso, Pirate’s Plank, Glow, Cinders, Shrub, Spiced Tonic Shrub, Traditional Heirloom Cider, and Flame.

Cider: Ember (old world bittersweet, estate sparkling cider)
Cidery: Alpenfire
Cidery Location: Port Townsend WA
ABV: 7.3%
How Supplied: 750ml capped bottles
Style: American organic artisan cider from bittersweet apples (from their own orchard), bottle conditioned

Availability: Primarily Western Washington, including these retailers. They also have an online store through Vino Shipper which ships to states which allow it.

Cider Description: Alpenfire’s Ember is a late season Estate Organic Bittersweet cider. Medium Sweet with big round tannins and a long finish. Think…walking through an orchard in late fall. Varietals – Vilberie, Dabinett, Brown Snout, & Yarlington Mill apple varieties. Process – 8 week ferment, 7 month stainless maturation, bottle conditioned.

Cidery Description: Alpenfire Organic Cider is made from our estate and locally grown organic apples. We planted our WSDA certified organic orchard in 2004 with over 800 trees and 10 varieties of English, French & Early American cider specific apples. These apples have been used for hundreds of years for the unique qualities they bring to cider production. Namely the tannins and bitters not found in dessert style apples. While the juice, much less the fruit, of many of these apples would be hard to enjoy by the glass they become amazing with a little fermentation. One of our favorites, the “Muscadet de Dieppe”, has a viscous, winey, yes, even musky juice. It takes months of slow, cool fermentation for that to develop the subtle aroma and flavor you will find in our bone-dry cider. We augment our juice and mellow the flavors with organic apples from other local orchards.

They have a tasting room in Port Townsend WA, open seasonally.

Price: $18.99
Where Bought: The Cave in Kirkland WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing. It was 20% off, so an easy decision.

First Impression: Moderate amber orange hue. Very low carbonation with some foam and film.

Tasting Notes: On the sweeter side of semi-dry. Medium bodied. Moderate tartness and acidity. High tannins. Low bitterness. Hints of funk. No sourness. Notes of rich bittersweet apple pomace, caramel, orange, leather, and honey. Long tannic finish. Moderate to high flavor intensity and complexity. Moderate apple flavor. Low sessionability.

My Opinion: Awesome! Its crazy how much tastes can change in just a couple years, as I didn’t like this cider back then, but now its my favorite type of cider. Rich and complex, with a lip-smacking amount of tannins.

Most Similar to: This is the closest I’ve tasted to an English cider that was made in the U.S. More than Liberty’s English Style for example, which has more acidity and less tannins. As far as English ciders, it is most like Henney’s Vintage, Dunkertons Dry, and Newton’s Court Gasping Goose – which are all some of my favorites!

Closing Notes: Although a bit more costly per ounce than many English ciders (as even though the cost of import is high, it costs much less over there to make a cider from cider apples), for being made locally, this is an amazing value (as these apples are rare). Plus, it is even certified organic. Alpenfire has been making a lot of changes lately, with a re-branding / new bottle labels, new cider releases, and the debut of a cider club.

Have you tried Alpenfire Ember? What did you think?

Alpenfire Flame

May 12, 2017May 12, 2017 cidersays Alpenfire Alpenfire, cider, cider review, cider tasting, Flame, hard cider, methode champenoise, port townsend, tasting notes

Review of Alpenfire Flame, a methode champenoise style Extra Brut cider. It is my first time trying this one, although I have tried every other cider from Alpenfire: Dungeness, Spark, Smoke, ApoCalypso, Ember, Simple Cider, Calypso, Pirate’s Plank, Glow, Cinders, Shrub, Spiced Tonic Shrub, and Heirloom Dry.

Cider: Flame (2011 vintage)
Cidery: Alpenfire
Cidery Location: Port Townsend WA
ABV: 8.0%
How Supplied: 750ml corked & caged champagne bottles
Style: Organic American artisinal champagne-style cider

Availability: Primarily Western Washington, including these retailers. They also have an online store through Vino Shipper which ships to states which allow it.

Cider Description: A true “Methode Champenoise” cider. Made Primarily with Fox-whelp and Muscadet de Dieppe apples. We use Champagne traditions to develop a crackling carbonation with bright acidity and dryness. (This is part of their estate line of ciders, made from their own orchard’s organic apples.)

Price: $24.99
Where Bought: Special Brews in Lynnwood WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing. It was the only cider from them I hadn’t tried yet.

First Impression: Dark straw yellow hue. Low carbonation (which was surprising…I’m guessing this lost its fizz over the last 6 years). Smells acidic, of citrus, and a hint of funk.

Tasting Notes: Dry. Light bodied, with a creamy but slightly effervescent mouthfeel. Moderate tartness. Very high acidity. Low bitterness, funk, and tannins. Hints of sourness. Sharp flavor notes of lemon, heirloom apple pomace, herbs, vinegar, yeast, and mineral. Moderate length warming finish. Moderate complexity. Low to moderate flavor intensity. Low sessionability. Low apple flavor.

My Opinion: This was nice, but not a favorite style of mine. I was hoping for some bittersweet apple flavor, but it was more bittersharp and heirloom (for a lot of bittersweet apple flavor, as well as high tannins, try their Ember). I’m curious if the flavor also changed with the loss of carbonation.

Closing Notes: I can now say I’ve tried every Alpenfire cider! My favorite remains Smoke, which is in a class of its own (but I also really enjoy Spark, ApoCalypso, Simple Cider, Calypso, Glow, and Heirloom Dry).

Have you tried Alpenfire Flame? What did you think?

Alpenfire Spark!

October 17, 2016October 15, 2016 cidersays Alpenfire Alpenfire, cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, port townsend, Spark, tasting notes, washington

Review of Alpenfire Spark!, their semi-sweet cider. I’ve tried it a couple times before, but only bottle pours. I’ve tried most of Alpenfire’s ciders–Dungeness, Spark, Smoke, ApoCalypso, Ember, Simple Cider, Calypso, Pirate’s Plank, Glow, Cinders, and Shrub.

Cider: Spark!
Cidery: Alpenfire
Cidery Location: Port Townsend WA
ABV: 8.9%
How Supplied: 750ml bottles
Style: Organic American craft cider from heirloom & cider apple varieties, sugar added

Availability: Year round in Washington and their online store

Cider Description: Spark! is blended from Melrose, Kings, Gravenstein, Winter banana, burgundys and other heritage apples as well as traditional cider apples. This bottle conditioned, unfiltered cider has the wonderfully crisp flavor of a just picked fall apple. This semi sweet cider is delicious with a appetizers, especially cheese and fruit.

Price: $15.99
Where Bought: Schilling Cider House in Seattle WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: I’ve been wanting to pick up an Alpenfire bottle, and this is one of my favorites from them (in addition to Smoke, ApoCalypso, and Glow).

First Impression: Light pumpkin amber hue. Low carbonation and foam. Smells tannic, of honey and apple pomace.

Tasting Notes: Semi-sweet. Medium bodied. Moderate tartness. Moderate to high acid. Low to moderate tannins. Hints of bitterness. No sourness or funk. Apple-forward and rich. Notes of apple pomace, honey, orange, and leather. Moderate finish length. Moderate to high apple flavor, sessionability, and flavor intensity. Moderate complexity,

My Opinion: Awesome! I forgot how much I like this cider. Its easily in my top 10 favorites, and has all my favorite cider qualities. It would be a great introduction to “real” cider (made with cider apples), as it is sweeter and doesn’t have any overwhelming qualities.

Most Similar to: English cider such as from Aspall (except a bit sweeter and less yeast-forward), Bertolinos, and E.Z. Orchards Semi-Dry.

Closing Notes: I think this cider is a great choice and a good value too. Their Smoke is my favorite, but I need to be in a certain mood for that one…Spark is way more easy drinking.

Have you tried Alpenfire Spark? What did you think?

Alpenfire Calypso – Blackberry Rum Barrel Aged Cider

August 25, 2016August 21, 2016 cidersays Alpenfire, review Alpenfire, barrel aged, Blackberry, Calypso, cider, cider review, hard cider, port townsend, rum, washington

Review of Alpenfire’s Calypso, a cider with blackberries aged in rum barrels. I’ve tried this before, as well as the draft-only version of this which has double the blackberries and is barrel aged 4 instead of 2 months, Apocalypso (see here), but this is the first bottle I’ve bought. I’ve also sampled most of their line-up; see here.

Cider: Calypso
Cidery: Alpenfire
Cidery Location: Port Townsend WA
ABV: 6.9%
How Supplied: 500ml bottles
Style: American craft cider from heirloom apples, with local blackberries, aged for 2 months in toasted oak rum barrels

Availability: Primarily Western Washington, including these retailers. They also have an online store through Vino Shipper which ships to states which allow it.

Cider Description: Calypso, named for the legendary sea goddess and the research vessel of Captain Jacques Cousteau. This delightful sparkling taste of the Northwest is aged in Bull Run Distilling Rum barrels to bring a hint of the South Seas to the mix. Heirloom apple is the dominant flavor, the beautiful scent and hint of fresh Greysmarsh Farm blackberries comes second. Bottle conditioning adds a delightful sparkle and full bodied flavor! You don’t want to miss this limited production cider.

They have an outdoor tasting room onsite at their Orchard in Port Townsend, open seasonally.

Price: $11.99
Where Bought: Whole Foods
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing. It sounded good that day, but I actually didn’t open it up for a few weeks.

First Impression: Deep cranberry hue. Nearly still (very low carbonation). Smells mildly of blackberries with a hint of oak.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Light to medium bodied. Moderate tartness and acidity. Low tannins. Hints of bitterness. No sourness or funk. Notes of blackberries, plus some raspberry & blueberry & red grape, and hints of oak. Moderate length finish with slight warming. Low apple flavor. Moderate blackberry flavor. Low rum and oak influence. Moderate flavor intensity. Moderate complexity. Moderate sessionability.

My Opinion: Yum! Quite tasty. This is my favorite berry cider, which typically isn’t a category I find impressive.

Most Similar to: Other berry ciders, although I find this to be more sophisticated and complex, even a bit wine-like. I prefer their Apocalypso with its stronger oak and rum notes, but it is quite seasonable / hard to find, and only on draft.

Closing Notes: Another winner from Alpenfire! I like nearly every cider they make, and look forward to seeing what they come up with next. I think for what you get they are a great value, as they are a step above most other craft ciders, actually an Artisan product, as they grow most of the apples for their ciders themselves, as use primarily heirloom and cider apple varieties (instead of dessert apples). Check out my post here from when I visited the cidery.

Have you tried Alpenfire Calypso? What did you think?

Summer Cider Day 2016 in Port Townsend WA – Tasting Notes

August 9, 2016September 10, 2017 cidersays Bull Run, event, Nashi Orchards, New West, Rambling Route, review, Snowdrift, Spire Mountain, summer cider day, Wandering Aengus, Whitewood cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, port townsend, summer cider day, tasting notes, washington

This is Part 2/2 on Summer Cider Day 2016 in Port Townsend Washington, which includes tasting notes on the ciders I tried. See HERE for Part 1/2, covering the event itself.

Bull Run Pear Ice Wine, 12% – This is a 9% residual sugar ice perry, made from Hood River Oregon Bosc and Anjou pears, similar to how ice cider or ice (grape) wine is made (using the natural cold to concentrate the sweetness & flavor of the fruit). Semi-sweet to sweet (less sweet than a typical ice cider oddly enough, despite perries usually being sweeter than ciders as pears have non-fermentable sugars). Moderate to full bodied. Low tartness. Moderate acidity. Hints of bitterness and tannins. I found this unique, like a complex pear syrup, with a well-hidden ABV. In addition to all the pear flavor, there were some honey, citrus, and melon notes. Moderate length finish. Moderate pear flavor. Low sessionability. Moderate complexity. Moderate flavor intensity.

Nashi Orchards Barrel Fermented Cider, 6.9% – This is a cider made from primarily Winesap apples with some French & English bittersweets (from the WSU Mt. Vernon Cider Research Center), aged in neutral French oak barrels. Dry. Light bodied. Low tartness. Low to moderate acidity. Low bitterness and tannins. Definite Winesap apple flavor with hints of richness from the bittersweet apples. Notes of oak (low) and honey. Moderate to long slightly boozy finish. Low to moderate apple flavor. Low sessionability. Moderate complexity. Low flavor intensity. Overall this is quite subtle, similar to their other products I’ve tried. I would love to see them do something made from only bittersweet apples and barrel aged, as those are my favorites, but alas, good cider apples are hard to come by / expensive, so its not done much here in the U.S. (which is why I am also a big fan of English & French imports).

Nashi Orchards Island Harvest Perry, 6.7% – This perry is from 90% Asian pears (Shinsseiki and perry pears) and 10% seedling pears foraged on Vashon island. Semi-dry. Light bodied. Low tartness. Moderate to high acidity. Hints of bitterness. Notes of pear, lemon, lime, and mineral. Moderate sessionability. Low pear flavor. Low flavor intensity. Moderate complexity. I found it to be very light; I think this would be great to pair with food. It was also very subtle.

New West Cidery – I thought I’d add a little about this cidery, as I hadn’t even heard of them before this event (their cider isn’t distributed to Seattle). They are part of Sasquatch Brewing in Portland Oregon, which was founded in 2011. They started making cider a few years ago under the New West name. They are opening a separate cidery in Northwest Portland in a couple months which will have 90 barrel fermenters (which is very large capacity considering a standard keg holds half a barrel). At the brewery’s tap room in Portland they currently offer 12 cider taps (including guest taps).

New West Black & Blue, 6.8% – Lovely deep berry hue. Semi-dry. Medium bodied. Low carbonation. Low tartness and acidity. Very mild pure berry flavor, 50-50 blackberry and blueberry. Quick finish. No apple flavor. High sessionability. Low complexity. Low flavor intensity. I like a more flavorful cider, so I didn’t really care for this.

New West Señor Cider, 6.8% – Semi-dry. Medium bodied. Low tartness and acidity. Notes of several different hot peppers and a hint of citrus & honey. Moderate heat, mostly at the end of the sip, which lingers with a long finish. Low apple flavor, sessionability, flavor intensity, and complexity. I don’t like spicy ciders, so I didn’t like this at all. I think a spicy cider works better when the spice level is low, it has higher residual sugar, and there is some flavor balance (like significant honey notes). Enough people must like these though, as cideries keep making them (for example – the Schilling Cider House in Seattle WA actually has a tap line dedicated to a rotating selection of spicy Schilling ciders).

Rambling Route Pear, 6.9% – This is the second cider in Tieton’s Rambling Route line, their Apple variety with Bartlett pear juice added. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Nearly still. Medium bodied. Low tartness and acidity. Moderate apple flavor. Very light pear flavor. High sessionability. Low flavor intensity and complexity. I think I prefer their Apple variety, although I’m not really a fan of either. I think Tieton’s regular line of ciders is superior (although that is likely to be expected from the price point), especially the recent draft-only Bourbon Peach (my tasting notes here).

Snowdrift Cornice, 7.3% – I’ve tried this before (see here), but it was awhile back, and I was curious how this year’s version turned out. This is their barrel aged cider made from cider apple varieties. Smells mildly oaky. Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Medium bodied. Low tartness. Moderate acidity. Low bitterness. Low tannins. Notes of oak, smoke, and honey. Moderate apple flavor. Moderate sessionability. Moderate complexity. Low flavor intensity. I found this vintage to be more approachable than their previous one, but I really enjoyed both.

Spire Mountain Dark & Dry, Jack Daniels Barrel Aged, 5.0% – This is a special version of their typical Dark & Dry cider which was aged in Jack Daniel whiskey barrels for 8 months. Smells strongly of whiskey, plus some oak and brown sugar. Semi-dry to dry. Medium bodied. Moderate to high bitterness. Low tartness and acidity. Notes of brown sugar, molasses, whiskey, vanilla, and coffee. Long bitter finish. High spirit influence. Low barrel influence. Low apple flavor. Moderate flavor intensity. Low sessionability. Moderate complexity. Its crazy how the barrel aging changed this cider from a fairly simple sweet cider to a bitter complex dry cider! I think they are on to something with barrel aging this cider, but it was aged too long for my liking (something I thought I’d never say…I always say I wish a cider was aged longer!), as it was too intensely bitter.

Spire Mountain Dry Hop Apple, 5.0% – This is their Red Apple cider with Citra hops, their new Summer Seasonal. Semi-sweet. Medium bodied, slightly syrupy. Low tartness, acidity, and bitterness. Subtle hops flavor, more herbaceous than citrusy, which is unusual for a Citra hopped cider. Moderate to high apple flavor. High sessionability. Moderate flavor intensity. Low complexity. I thought this was pretty decent for a commercial cider; I liked how the hops flavor wasn’t overwhelming, although I think I like a more citrus-forward hopped cider.

Wandering Aengus Wanderlust, 6.9% – This was their first cider variety they made 12 years ago. Its an off-dry (0.5% residual sugar) English-style cider made from primarily heirloom sharp plus some bittersweet apples. Semi-dry. Medium bodied. Low tartness. Moderate acidity. Low bitterness. Low tannins. Notes of bittersweet apples, oak, and mineral. Sharp flavor with hints of richness. Moderate length finish. Moderate to high apple flavor. Moderate sessionability, complexity, and flavor intensity. This time around I enjoyed it better than when I tried it awhile back; either this batch had less bitterness than previously and/or I’m not as sensitive to it anymore.

Whitewood Gibb’s Farm, 6.7% – They nicknamed this limited release cider a “Farmer’s Reserve”. It was made from a large number of varieties of apples only from Grant Gibbs’ farm outside of Leavenworth WA. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Low carbonation. Medium bodied with a nice texture, slightly syrupy. Moderate tartness and acidity. Low bitterness and tannins. Notes of sharp apples, honey, and lemon. Moderate to long slightly boozy finish. Moderate to strong apple flavor. Moderate sessionability and flavor intensity. Low to moderate complexity. I enjoyed it.

Whitewood Newtown Pippin, 6.9% – This is a Newtown Pippin apple single varietal, part of their Old Fangled Series, made from 2016 harvest apples from Hood River Oregon. Semi-dry. Medium bodied, with a nice frothy texture. Low tartness. Moderate acidity. Hints of bitterness and tannins. Quick finish. Moderate apple flavor. Low flavor intensity. Low complexity. Moderate sessionability. I found this to be very mild, which is characteristic of Newtown Pippins, but not something I prefer.

I didn’t taste ciders from every cidery there (as I had tried the remainder of the lineup), but here are photos of the other booths.

Summer Cider Day 2016 in Port Townsend WA – The Event

August 8, 2016August 9, 2016 cidersays event, review, summer cider day cider, cider event, cider tasting, hard cider, port townsend, summer cider day, washington

Last weekend I attended the 6th annual Summer Cider Day in Port Townsend Washington. It was my first time at this event and my second time in Port Townsend (Northwest of Seattle; see my previous 4 posts here on the Olympic Peninsula Cider Route with Alpenfire, Eaglemount, and Finnriver). I’ll have two posts; this first one covers the event and a second will cover tasting notes on the ciders I tried (post 2/2 now up – see HERE). Check out my previous post here, which was a preview of the Summer Cider Day event.

I took the Edmonds-Kingston ferry fairly early (note there is a Port Townsend ferry, but the route is from Coupville) to ensure I got there before 11am, when the VIP tasting started (an hour earlier than the noon-5pm event). VIP is definitely the way to go by the way (for an extra $10 per ticket) as I got a chance to try a number of ciders, chat up the cidermakers pouring them, and take photos of the venue and lovely table setups before it got too busy. I actually did nearly all my cider tasting in that hour. By arriving early I also had a chance to get a great parking spot, walk around town, grab some coffee, etc.

The Northwest Maritime Center was a great venue for this small ish cider festival. It was primarily indoors (which is rare for a summer tasting event, but I appreciated it as sun + cider isn’t the best combo), except for food and seating on the deck (with an amazing waterfront view).

It was also a unique event in that it was family-friendly (although there wasn’t really anything for kids to do, just a corner set up with some coloring books).

Admission included a tasting glass and 8 drink tickets.

The venue on the second floor of the building was beautiful, with high ceilings. Each cidery had a booth to pour their ciders (a mix of draft and bottle pours). Many had the actual cidermakers pouring the cider, but if not, it was someone very familiar with it (vs. some events which have volunteers pour cider).

They had catering on the deck from Siren’s Pub, a restaurant down the street. The menu was cider-themed and had suggested cider pairings. I had a shrimp skewer with rice and mango salsa that was pretty good, although I imagine it would have better if it didn’t get cold right away since it was a bit cool & windy outside. The outdoor seating was nice though (especially as there was no indoor seating, only stand up tables).

They also had a bottle shop, where many of the ciders were available for purchase.

The attending cideries were announced in advance, but not the ciders they were pouring. Here is the final lineup:

2 Towns Ciderhouse (Corvallis OR) Outcider, Bade Apple, Made Marion
Alpenfire Cider (Port Townsend WA) Pirate’s Plank, Spark!, ApoCalypso
Bull Run Cider (Forest Grove OR) Dry Hop, Pear Wine, Bramble Berry
Eaglemount Wine & Cider (Port Townsend WA) Ginger, Rhubarb, Cyser
Finnriver Farm & Cidery (Chimmacum WA) Chimacum Kriek, Sidra, Oak & Apple
Liberty Ciderworks (Spokane WA) Heirloom Series Gravenstein, ~~Turncoat Dry Hopped~~ New World, Stonewall Barrel-Aged
Locust Cider (Woodinville WA) Thai Ginger, Apricot, Wabi Sabi
Nashi Orchards (Vashon WA) Chojuro Perry, Island Harvest Perry, Barrel Fermented Cider
New West Cider (Portland OR) Black & Blue, Señor Cider
Schilling Cider (Auburn WA) Ascender Ginger, Grapefruit & Chill, Bailout Lemongrass Cider
added: Seattle Cider (Seattle WA) Berry, Semi Sweet, Dry
Snowdrift Cider Co. (East Wenatchee WA)
Spire Mountain Ciders (Olympia WA) Crisp & Dry, Dark & Dry, Dry Hopped Apple
Pear UP , formerly NV Cider (Wenatchee WA) Watermelon Pear, Pear Essentials, and Ginger Pear
Reverend Nat’s Hard Cider (Portland OR) The Passion, ¡Tepache!, Revival
Tieton Cider Works (Yakima WA) Rambling Route Pear, Apricot, Tieton
Wandering Aengus Ciderworks (Salem OR) Anthem Cherry, Golden Russet, Wanderlust
Whitewood Cider (Olympia WA) Gibb’s Darm, Newtown Pippin, Old Fangled Heirloom
~~Woodbox Cider (Portland OR)~~

Next up in the Seattle area is Washington Cider Week (Sept 8-18), including the epic Cider Summit (Sept 9 & 10).

Preview of Summer Cider Day 2016 (Saturday August 6th in Port Townsend WA)

July 8, 2016July 8, 2016 cidersays event, summer cider day cider event, cider tasting, port townsend, summer cider day

There is an awesome sounding cider tasting event coming up in Port Townsend Washington at the Northwest Maritime Center on Saturday August 6th 2016, the 6th annual Summer Cider Day. Port Townsend is a beautiful seaside town West of the Seattle area. I haven’t been to this event before, but I want to make the trek this year. The quickest route involves a ferry for those in Seattle and Northward, but is within a couple hours of the greater Seattle area. Port Townsend is home to the Alpenfire, Eaglemount, and Finnriver cideries (see my trip report from earlier this year here).

Summer Cider Day is from noon to 5pm, and they are expecting at least 20 cideries and 70 ciders. The cidermakers themselves typically pour the cider at this event, and I’ve heard it isn’t as crowded as some others (such as Cider Summit), so there should be some great opportunities for schmoozing. Another plus is its indoors (although our summers aren’t overly warm, a hot day isn’t exactly conducive for partaking in lots of cider!).

Current List of Cidermakers:
2 Towns Ciderhouse (Corvallis OR)
Alpenfire Cider (Port Townsend WA)
Bull Run Cider (Forest Grove OR)
Eaglemount Wine & Cider (Port Townsend WA)
Finnriver Farm & Cidery (Chimmacum WA)
Liberty Ciderworks (Spokane WA)
Locust Cider (Woodinville WA)
Nashi Orchards (Vashon WA)
New West Cider (Portland OR)
Schilling Cider (Auburn WA)
Snowdrift Cider Co. (East Wenatchee WA)
Spire Mountain Ciders (Olympia WA)
Pear UP , formerly NV Cider (Wenatchee WA)
Reverend Nat’s Hard Cider (Portland OR)
Tieton Cider Works (Yakima WA)
Wandering Aengus Ciderworks (Salem OR)
Whitewood Cider (Olympia WA)
Woodbox Cider (Portland OR)

Of those, New West Cider and Woodbox Cider (both in Portland Oregon) are both new to me / not available in the Seattle area.

Tickets are on sale online (here) for $25 (goes up to $30 at the door), and includes admission, a tasting glass, and 8 tasting tokens. There are also VIP tickets available for $35 which will get you in an hour early, at 11am. Its a family-friendly but dog-free event, and includes a bottle shop, food for purchase, and live music. It is hosted by the Northwest Cider Association.

Stay tuned for my trip report and tasting notes!

Alpenfire Smoke Barrel Aged Cider

April 7, 2016April 9, 2016 cidersays Alpenfire, review Alpenfire, barrel aged, cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, port townsend, smoke, washington

Review of Alpenfire Cider’s Smoke Barrel Aged Cider. See my past reviews of their ciders here. I tried this cider before and loved it, but hadn’t been able to find it for awhile (it hasn’t been released for awhile and the next batch is still barrel aging…see my post here), so I was excited to stumble across some again.

2016-04-01 19.06.38.jpg

Cider: Smoke
Cidery: Alpenfire Cider
Cidery Location: Port Townsend WA
ABV: 16.0%
How Supplied: 500ml bottle
Style: American craft port-style triple barrel fermented cider made from cider apples

2016-04-01 19.06.45 2016-04-01 19.07.06 2016-04-01 19.07.16

Availability: Limited (and hasn’t been released in awhile), and only in Western Washington

Cider Description: Smoke, our smoky-oaky after dinner tipple style cider has been triple fermented in whiskey and mead barrels. It starts with Kingston Black, Dabinett and Vilberie apples for a very tannic base. Aging in charred oak concentrates all the best features of each apple variety.

Price: $17
Where Bought: Special Brews
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing, although I’ve tried it before. I was surprised to see they had a couple cases of this on the shelf, consider how long its been since its release, and that no other shops have any left (including at the Alpenfire Cidery).

2016-04-01 19.09.12

First Impression: Copper light orange amber hue. No carbonation. Smells rich & strong, of oak, peat, spice, orange, bourbon, scotch, honey, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, and baked apples.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Still. Medium to full bodied. Low acidity, tartness, and tannins. A hint of bitterness. No sourness or funk. Notes of oak, peat, spice, orange, bourbon, scotch, honey, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, and baked apples, with a focus on orange and spice (not as much spoke & peat as I remembered). Long warming finish. Moderate apple influence. Moderate barrel influence. High spirit influence. Very low sessionability.

My Opinion: Amazing! This one is definitely one of my all time favorite ciders, and my favorite Alpenfire cider. Its a great after dinner sipping cider, and one bottle lasted me awhile as a few ounces is plenty (and it keeps rather well as it isn’t carbonated). This cider is highly complex, rich, very smooth, and tastes a lower ABV than it is. I enjoyed this at a range of temperatures, from just out of the fridge to room temperature, although I think I tended towards colder. I saw another post that ice could be used, and I think for a higher ABV flavorful beverage that isn’t out of the question (I’ve done so for Pommeau).

Most Similar to: Not much else. Maybe Sea Cider Prohibition / Rumrunner? That is another high ABV complex (rum) barrel aged sipping cider, but even though its higher ABV, I’d say the flavor is a bit more harsh and in your face (its also drier though). Another is Liberty Ciderworks Manchurian Crabapple. It wasn’t barrel aged, but is a high ABV port-style single varietal with a lot of complexity. This is also kinda similar to Pommeau with its complexity and high ABV.

Closing Notes: I’m glad I bought two bottles of this one, as I still have another to tide me over until its next release. This is definitely my kind of cider, having all the aspects I enjoy most–local, craft, higher ABV, sweeter, complex, flavorful, rich, made from bittersweet cider apples, and barrel aged.

Have you tried Alpenfire Smoke? What did you think?

Eaglemount Homestead Semi-Sweet

March 28, 2016March 19, 2016 cidersays Eaglemount, review cider, cider review, cider tasting, eaglemount, hard cider, Homestead, port townsend, washington

Review of Eaglemount’s Homestead Semi-Sweet cider, from Port Townsend Washington. I’ve tried a number of their ciders (see here) and visited their tasting room (see here). Eaglemount is unique in that they also make wine and mead in addition to cider. Note that they also make a Dry version of this cider.

Cider: Homestead Semi-Sweet
Cidery: Eaglemount Wine & Cider (& Mead)
Cidery Location: Port Townsend WA
ABV: 8.0%
How Supplied: 750ml flip top brown bottle
Style: American homestead-style craft cider made from Washingon-grown heirloom apple varieties

Availability: Limited release. Eaglemount ciders are distributed in Western Washington, Portland Oregon, Farmer’s Markets in Port Townsend, Port Angeles, Ballard, and Tacoma WA, Eaglemount’s tasting room in Port Townsend WA, and their online store.

Cider Description: Homestead Semisweet cider is made from heirloom variety apples from our homestead orchard and other old orchards on the Olympic Peninsula. This cider is crisp, clean, with a touch of sweetness and apple goodness.

Cidery Description: Our winery is located on an original 1883 homestead on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. The heirloom apple varieties were the inspiration to continue the tradition of the original homesteaders by making hard cider. Some of the heirloom varieties include Gravenstein, Winesap, White Pippin, Roxbury Russet, and twenty ounce. We also source heirloom varieties from other old homestead orchards on the Peninsula.

Our Eaglemount Hard Ciders and Meads are made with certified organic or sustainably grown fruit. The fruit comes from our homestead orchard, other homestead orchards in the area, our English and French cider orchard, and from certified organic growers in Washington State.

Price: $14
Where Bought: Eaglemount tasting room in Port Townsend WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: I tried this at their tasting room and really enjoyed it.

First Impression: Dark straw yellow. Very low carbonation. Smells mild, of fresh apples, yeast, and honey.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Mild to moderate tartness. Mild acidity and tannins. Hints of bitterness and funk. No sourness. Notes of yeast, honey, citrus, spice, and must. Slightly rich. Medium bodied. Long warming finish. Moderate apple flavor. Mild to moderate sessionability.

My Opinion: I enjoyed this, but I liked it better when I tried it at their tasting room. Letting it breathe for a bit helped dissipate some of the harshness, but when I tried it previously I didn’t pick up the hints of bitterness, funk, and must. Ciders can change batch to batch though.

Most Similar to: Finnriver Farmstead Semi-Sweet. Both are farmstead/homestead-style ciders on the sweeter side with significant tannins and honey & yeast notes.

Closing Notes: I think my favorite from Eaglemount remains their Quince cider, although I also like this one and their Cyser.

Have you tried Eaglemount Homestead Semi-Sweet? What did you think?

Port Townsend Cider Route – Finnriver Cider

March 4, 2016March 3, 2016 cidersays Finnriver, review cider, cider review, cider route, Finnriver, hard cider, Olympic Peninsula, port townsend, tasting notes

As a continuation of my trip report on the Port Townsend cider route, here is post 4/4, on Finnriver Cider. Check out here for overview post 1, here for post 2 on Alpenfire, and here for post 3 on Eaglemount. It was our third and last cidery visit of the day. Finnriver is unique in that they were a farm prior to becoming a cidery (and still are, growing produce and raising chickens for eggs). They are on 80 acres in the Chimacum Valley, south of Port Townsend. Finnriver Cidery was founded in 2008 by husband & wife Crystie & Keith Kisler and their business partner Eric Jorgensen. I learned that in May they plan to move the tasting room about 2.5 miles down the road, to their orchard location.

They also recently became a B corporation, the first winery/cidery in WA to do so. This means they promise to meet higher standards of transparency, accountability, and performance, and are legally required to consider the impact of their decisions on their employees, suppliers, community, the environment, etc. They believe that “all business ought to be conducted as if people and place mattered.” B Corp status can be compared to Fair Trade, LEED, or Organic certification, but is more comprehensive, a commitment to harness the power of their business to solve social, environmental, and economic problems.

Unfortunately they had the most restrictive tasting options of the three cideries due to the Red Wine & Chocolate & Cider event, but also the most chocolate pairings. I look forward to visiting them (and the other cideries) again soon. There is also a Port Townsend cider tasting event in August, Summer Cider Day, featuring the three Port Townsend cideries and many others, which I want to attend.

We started outside in the pavilion, with a sample of their Crew Selection Black Currant cider. It is similar to their regular Black Currant cider (which I reviewed here), but made with local black currants from Tahlequah Farm in Agnew, and aged 8 weeks in oak barrels. I found it light bodied, with moderate carbonation, semi-dry to semi-sweet, a touch of oak flavor, mild to moderate tartness, and moderate acidity. It was slightly richer and less tart than their regular Black Currant cider. They also offer a Lavender Black Currant cider (which I reviewed here) and a Black Currant Brandywine (which I reviewed here), so I think they like Black Currant!

Next we were served a beverage mixing their Cacao & Pear Brandywine with Theo sipping chocolate. It tasted like a very thick & rich hot chocolate with a boozy finish. It was paired with a Raspberry Brandywine and Cacao chocolate handpie from Crust Bakery, served warm out of their pizza oven, a buttery pastry crust with rich chocolate.

Then we moved inside and sampled Love & Bubbles, a mix of their Artisan Sparkling Cider (which I reviewed here) with their Raspberry Brandywine. I found the raspberry wine to tone down the acidity of the sparkling cider. Overall it was semi-dry, so I assume more cider was used than brandywine. Tasty!

Next up was their brand new Liberry Brandywine, made with red currants from Tahlequah Farm in Agnew, as a fundraiser for the Jefferson County library system. Sweet. Moderate acidity and tartness. Long boozy finish. I found it to have more tartness and zing than their Black Currant Brandywine.

Last was the Spirited Blackberry Wine. Its made from apple brandy and blackberries, and aged with oak spirals. Semi-dry. Medium bodied. Moderate acidity and tartness. Long finish. It was a bit too alcohol-forward for my tastes; I prefer their brandywines so far.

I learned that their tall clear bottles of brandywines are cordial style and their shorter dark bottles of spirited wines are port style. The brandywines have more apple brandy and less fruit wine (at a lower ABV).

They also had truffles from Elevated Chocolate, which were tasty.

I bought bottles of their Pommeau (which I reviewed here, when a friend let me sample some), Farmstead cider, & Fresh Hopped (for my husband), some cute apple earrings, and a t-shirt.

My favorite ciders overall from Finnriver so far are their Pommeau, Fire Barrel, Lavender Black Currant, and Honey Meadow, and I’ve tried quite a few from them (19 per my Ciders I’ve Tried list).

This concludes my four part series on the Port Townsend cider route–thanks for reading!

Port Townsend Cider Route – Eaglemount Wine & Cider (& Mead)

March 3, 2016March 3, 2016 cidersays Eaglemount, review cider, cider review, cider route, cider tasting, eaglemount, hard cider, mead, Olympic Peninsula, port townsend, wine

As a continuation of my trip report on the Port Townsend cider route, this is post 3/4, on Eaglemount Wine & Cider (here is overview post 1 and here is post 2 on Alpenfire). It was our second cidery of the day. Eaglemount is unique in that they also offer red grape wine and mead (honey wine) in addition to cider. All of these are made by the co-owner Trudy. It was quite busy, but I got a chance to chat with her and introduce myself. I learned that Drew Zimmerman from Red Barn Cider in Mt Vernon WA was an inspiration in their making cider, wine, and mead. Red Barn Cider closed a few years ago due to his retirement. Its not the first time I’ve heard of Drew Zimmerman…his Fire Barrel cider is now made by Finnriver (who also bought his cider apple orchard).

Eaglemount is owned & operated by the husband & wife team of Jim & Trudy Davis, since 2006, although they had been making these beverages for 10 years prior to that. They moved their tasting room just over a year ago from their home, orchard, & cidery/winery/meadery to a separate property (the Palindrome). I learned they often start their ciders fermenting with wild yeast, then may add yeast as required. There is an Airbnb on the new property, and plans for a new septic system and commercial kitchen so they can host events. At their orchard they are planting 800 cider apple trees to add to the current 200. They currently use cider apples in a mix with dessert apples in their Dry & Semi-Sweet Homestead ciders.

One of the disadvantages of visiting during an event was they were offering less tastings for a higher cost (due to the chocolate pairings), and they were served in plastic cups (for some reason cider always tastes better from a glass to me). I went through two sets of four tastes at Eaglemount. My husband also sampled some of their red wines.

The cider & mead tasting options that day were Homestead Dry cider, Homestead Semi-Sweet cider, Cyser, Quince cider, Rhubarb cider, Raspberry cider, Raspberry Ginger cider, Ginger cider, Apple mead, Cherry mead, Cranberry mead, Quince mead, Apple Dessert Wine, and Harvest Apple wine. The last two were described as apple wines as they had higher ABVs. I believe the only cider from their lineup that wasn’t offered was Boot Brawl, their hopped cider. Bottles of cider & mead ranged from $14-$26 (mostly $14-$16), and most bottles are 750ml. They also had 5 red wines they were tasting out of the 6 in their lineup.

Homestead Semi-Sweet Cider, 8% ABV – This is the sweeter version of their Homestead cider, also available in Dry. Smells likes sweet apples with a touch of honey. Slightly hazy. Semi-sweet. Moderate carbonation. Medium bodied. Low to moderate tannins. Low tartness and acidity. Yeasty, slightly rich, similar to English cider, but with a touch of honey notes. Moderate finish length. I liked this much better than their Homestead Dry that I tried at Cider Summit, as it didn’t have as much tartness or bitterness.

Rhubarb Cider, 8% ABV – Cider with organic rhubarb. Smells tart and fruity. Described as semi-sweet but I found it semi-dry. Low carbonation. Light bodied. Low to moderate tartness. Moderate acidity. Fruity notes, although I’m not sure I could have identified them as rhubarb. A touch alcohol-forward. Long finish length.

Quince Mead, 9% ABV – Made from honey and organic quince from San Juan island. Smells sweet, fruity, and of honey. Semi-sweet. Full bodied. Low to moderate tartness and acidity. A hint of bitterness. Tropical notes. Moderate finish length. I prefer their Quince cider.

Apple Dessert Wine, 18% ABV – Apple brandy blended with apple juice (which would more commonly be called Pommeau). Smells like apple brandy. Semi-sweet. Light bodied. Low tartness and acidity. Oddly enough I picked up a hint of tannins. Smooth. Honey, caramel, and brown sugar notes. Long warming boozy finish.

Raspberry Cider, 8% ABV – Cider (80%) with pure raspberry juice (20%). Deep red hue. Described as semi-sweet but I found it sweet. Moderate tartness and acidity. A hint of tannins. Medium bodied. Full flavored with lots of raspberry flavor. Quick finish length.

Apple Mead, 10% ABV – Mead (made from honey from Sequim WA) with apples. I’m not sure how this varies from their cyser (which is also made from honey and apples). Smells mild, of apple juice and honey. Semi-sweet. Medium bodied. Mild acidity. Moderate tartness. A hint of bitterness. A hint of tannins (apple skin flavor). Notes of apple, honey, and pollen. From memory I think this has more apple flavor and a higher ABV than their Cyser, which I prefer. Moderate finish length.

Cherry Mead, 10% ABV – Mead (made from honey from Sequim WA) with Organic cherries. Deep red hue. Sweet. I only picked up cherry notes, not honey, and they tended towards medicinal. However, my husband really enjoyed this one. I think at a lower ABV I may have liked it better. Alcohol-forward. Medium bodied. Long warming finish.

Harvest Apple Wine – This is a new release for them, described as a dry wine crafted from heirloom apples and wild yeast. They had planned to blend it, but liked it on its own. Semi-dry. Medium bodied. Low to moderate acidity and tartness. Low tannins and bitterness. Both apple and alcohol forward. Long warming finish.

I picked up a bottle of Homestead Semi-Sweet (and my husband bought a bottle of red wine). I think their Quince cider remains my favorite, followed by the Homestead Semi-Sweet and Cyser, which I find to be their most complex ciders.

Stay tuned for post 4/4 on Finnriver!

Port Townsend Cider Route – Alpenfire Cider

March 2, 2016March 2, 2016 cidersays Alpenfire, review Alpenfire, cider, cider route, cider tasting, hard cider, Olympic Peninsula, port townsend, road trip, tasting notes, washington

As a continuation of my trip report on the Port Townsend cider route, here is post 2/4, on Alpenfire Cider (see here for post 1/4, an overview). It was our first cidery of the day, just after they opened at 11am, and we were the only customers. This was good as instead of their Red Wine & Chocolate & Cider event pairing, I was offered the option of partaking in their regular tasting (which I chose, then I sampled some of the chocolates!).

Alpenfire Cider is owned & operated by the husband & wife team of Steve (Bear) and Nancy Bishop. They started under the name Wildfire but changed to Alpenfire in 2010. The name is a nod to Bear’s firefighting background. They live on the property with their orchard, cidery, and tasting room. Their orchard is primarily made up of English and French cider apple varieties (although they have recently planted some heirloom apple and perry pear varieties). They were the first certified organic cidery in Washington and had their first harvest in 2008. I learned that currently all of their ciders which have the USDA Organic seal are made from apples from their own orchard, and those that don’t are from other orchards. They also produce a line of vinegars.

I had met Nancy at a few events for Washington Cider Week last year, including Cider Summit Seattle, and she actually remembered me! I had hoped they would have some bottles of Smoke, which I think is my favorite from them (amazingly rich & smokey), but alas their next batch is still barrel aging. Their last batch was 16% ABV, made from Kingston Black, Dabinett, & Vilberie apples, and triple fermented in charred oak whiskey & mead barrels. No estimate on when the next batch will be released as it takes as long as it takes until they are completely happy with it.

They had an interesting cider tasting order, from sweet to dry to sweet.

Spark – Their semi-sweet cider, a customer favorite, made from cider and heirloom apple varieties, and their most “American” cider. Semi-sweet to sweet. Low acidity and tartness. A hint of tannins. Honey and floral notes. Medium to full bodied. Moderate finish length. This would be a great introductory artisan cider for folks used to drinking commercial cider, due to its sweetness (and it was for me).

Ember – Made from late season French and English bittersweet apple varieties. This cider was described as being especially ideal to pair with food. Semi-dry. Low acidity and tartness. Moderate tannins. Bittersweet apple, caramel, honey, and floral notes. Light to medium bodied. Long finish.

Dungeness Orchard Blend – A unique still (non carbonated) cider made from over 200 varieties of apples from the Dungeness Orchard in Sequim WA. It can almost be better compared to white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc, than cider. I was also told that due to the number of apple varieties used, it can be a bit “volatile”, varying batch to batch (some past batches have been significantly sweeter). Dry to semi-dry. Slight funk. Light bodied. Low tartness. Moderate acidity. Light tannins. Complex with floral and mineral notes, but otherwise I find the flavor difficult to describe. Long finish.

Pirate’s Plank – Their flagship award winning “bone dry” (zero residual sugar) cider, described as similar to traditional English cider. Aged in white oak. This is a “Scrumpy” unfiltered and unpasteurized cider. It was said that this could be used similar to a sour beer in food pairings. Fully dry. Low acidity and tartness. Moderate tannins. A hint of funk. Light bodied. Citrus, floral, oak, and earthy notes. Long finish.

Glow – A single varietal rosé cider made from Hidden Rose red fleshed apples, which are unique for Alpenfire as they are actually a dessert apple variety (not heirloom or cider apple variety). These are rare in the U.S. as the majority are shipped to Japan, where they can fetch $12-$15 per apple! They tried to grow these in the Alpenfire orchard, but they weren’t thriving in the cool climate, so now they source them from Oregon, where the variety was discovered in the 1960s. The cider is a lovely blush color. It smells very fruity, of watermelon and strawberries. Sweet. Complex and fruity. Very full flavored. Low tartness and acidity. Medium to full bodied. Nearly still. Moderate length finish.

Cinders – This is their newest release, a Methode Champenoise version of Glow, and a very limited release of 454 bottles. Methode Champenoise is an old world labor-intensive way of making a naturally carbonated champagne-style cider. It involves secondary fermentation in the bottle, daily hand turning of bottles on a riddling rack, and manual disgorging of the residual yeast sediment. Semi-dry. Very high carbonation. It smells more yeasty than fruity to me. I was surprised how dry the Methode Champenoise made it. The flavor seemed mild, especially compared to Glow. A completely different cider.

Calypso – This is their only cider which has an addition besides apples, blackberries from Sequim WA. Pippin apples from their orchard were used, and the cider was aged 2 months in Bull Run Distilling rum barrels. Semi-dry. Low to moderate tartness. Very light oak barrel influence. Low to moderate blackberry flavor. Light bodied. Moderate carbonation.

I had tried Spark, Ember, and Dungeness previously (as well as Apocalypso, a twist on Calypso that was aged 4 instead of 2 months, and Simple Cider, which were both draft-only releases). Its crazy how much tastes can change (and ciders, year to year), as the first time I tried Dungeness I really wasn’t a fan…it tasted like dry white wine to me. Now that my cider palate has expanded I could taste the complexity of the cider. Even last summer I remember Ember as being too tannic for my tastes, but now it was enjoyable. The only cider of their current lineup I haven’t tasted yet is now Flame, a Methode Champenoise style cider.

I picked up a bottle of Glow and a cute Alpenfire t-shirt. I was expecting to purchase a bottle of Cinders, but honestly I preferred Glow. I can get Glow at home (but not Cinders, although it is currently on VinoShipper), but its no fun to leave a tasting room without cider! It was my favorite from this tasting. Overall my favorites from them are Glow, Spark, Smoke, and Calypso/Apocalypso.

Stay tuned for posts 3/4 and 4/4 on Eaglemount and Finnriver!

Cider Says

A cider enthusiast blog focusing on cider reviews, based in Seattle WA.

port townsend

Alpenfire Calypso

Alpenfire Traditional Cuvée

Alpenfire Smoke

Alpenfire 3 Pommes (Apple, Pear, Quince)

Alpenfire Rosy Pommeau

Alpenfire Foxwhelp SV

Finnriver Lavender Black Currant

Alpenfire Tempest New England Style

Alpenfire Ember

Alpenfire Flame

Alpenfire Spark!

Alpenfire Calypso – Blackberry Rum Barrel Aged Cider

Summer Cider Day 2016 in Port Townsend WA – Tasting Notes

Summer Cider Day 2016 in Port Townsend WA – The Event

Preview of Summer Cider Day 2016 (Saturday August 6th in Port Townsend WA)

Alpenfire Smoke Barrel Aged Cider

Eaglemount Homestead Semi-Sweet

Port Townsend Cider Route – Finnriver Cider

Port Townsend Cider Route – Eaglemount Wine & Cider (& Mead)

Port Townsend Cider Route – Alpenfire Cider

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