Dragon’s Head Heritage Rosé

Review of Dragon’s Head Heritage Rosé cider, made from red-fleshed apples. This differs from a modern rosé cider which would add non-apple juice, hibiscus, etc, to get the red hue. I tried this at a WA Cider Week preview event at Dragon Head’s own orchard (see here), plus I’ve had their Traditional Cider, Wild Fermented, Kingston Black, Columbia Crab, Methode Champenoise Perry, Perry, Manchurian, Summer Cider, and Heritage.

Cider: Heritage Rosé
Cidery: Dragon’s Head Cider
Cidery Location: Vashon Island WA
ABV: 6.9%
How Supplied: 750ml bottles
Style: American craft orchard-based heritage rosé cider from red-fleshed apples

Availability: probably only in Washington and Oregon (see a list of retailers here), plus online sales

Cider Description: Our Heritage Rosé Cider gets its lively pink color entirely from the Redfield and Mountain Rose apples we use to make it. Unlike typical apple varieties, in the Spring the blossoms on these trees are pink, the leaves are even a reddish bronze, and amazingly the flesh of these unique apples is red in color. When the apples are pressed the juice is a crimson color that lightens and clears into the beautiful rosé that you see in the bottle.

Cidery Description: From apple to bottle, all right here on our farm. At Dragon’s Head Cider, we take a traditional approach to cider making. Our focus is on the apple varieties that we use and the quality of the fruit. We love the story that apples alone can tell through cider, altering the flavor by changing the blend of apple varieties that we carefully select. The process is simple and the ingredients list is short. Perhaps we’re a little old fashioned.

Price: ~ $19
Where Bought: Schilling Cider House in Seattle WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: a tasting event (see here),

First Impression: Medium pink hue. Very low carbonation. Smells mild and fruity.

Tasting Notes: On the drier side of semi-dry. Light bodied. Low to moderate tartness and acidity. Hints of tannins and bitterness. No sourness or funk. Notes of complex heirloom & tart green apple with hints of lemon, berry, rhubarb, and watermelon. Moderate length tart finish. Low apple flavor. Low to moderate flavor intensity. Moderate complexity. High sessionability.

My Opinion: I enjoyed it. However, I personally prefer ciders which are a bit sweeter and fuller flavored. I’d recommend this for folks who like a fruity cider but without the sweetness that most have. I’m always amazed by how many different flavors can occur just from apples, like the fruitiness from red-fleshed apples.

Most Similar to: Other heritage rosé ciders made from 100% red-fleshed apples, such as Snowdrift Red (a tad sweeter and more tart), Tieton Russian Red (sweeter), Alpenfire Glow (much sweeter and very full-flavored), and Alpenfire Cinders (drier and super bubbly since its methode champenoise).

Closing Notes: I’m often torn between heritage and modern ciders, as they both have so much to offer, but thankfully I don’t have to choose between them.

Have you tried heritage rosé cider from red-fleshed apples? What did you think?

Strongbow Variety Pack – Original Dry, Rosé Apple, & Pear Secco

July 15, 2019July 15, 2019 cidersays review, Strongbow cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, pear cider, Rosé cider, Strongbow, tasting notes

Review of a Strongbow variety pack with four of each of Original Dry, Rosé Apple, and Pear Secco, in 8.5 oz cans. I’ve previously tried the Original Dry, but not since it was re-released in the U.S., and I’ve not tried the other two.

Ciders: Original Dry, Rosé Apple, & Pear Secco
Cidery: Strongbow
Cidery Location: Belgium
ABV: 4.5% or 5.0%
How Supplied: 12 pack of 8.5oz cans
Style: imported commercial cider from primarily dessert apples (Rosé also has some red-fleshed apple juice and Pear also has some pear juice)

Availability: wide release

Original Dry: Distinctive golden color and less sweet with a crisp apple flavor for a balanced, dry finish.
Rosé Apple: A clear, light-coral pink appearance and sparkling rosé-wine-like effervescence with apple notes. Light and refreshing taste with a pleasant tartness balanced by fruity notes of red-fleshed apple and pear.
Pear Secco: A mildly sweet pear-apple cider with a light dry finish.

Cidery Description: Strongbow is the #1 import cider in the US. With 50% conversion to usage, shoppers who buy once, buy again. Exclusively available in this 100 Cal variety pack, we think Dry Pear is a great addition to the award-winning line up of flavors in the 100 Cal Slim Cans. It’s a one-two punch; a popular, refreshing new flavor in a package that’s on-trend. To find all Strongbow flavors near you, please visit our product locator at http://www.Strongbow.com. Strongbow recommends enjoying its hard ciders served over ice, for a crisp, refreshing taste.

Price: $11.99 / 12 pack of 8.5oz cans
Where Bought: Target
Where Drank: home
How Found: browsing; it was my first time spotting the re-released Original Dry in the U.S., so I was going to get a 4 pack of that, but then I saw the variety pack which also included 2 others which I haven’t tried

Original Dry: Moderate gold hue. Light carbonation. Smells very mildly of apple juice. Semi-dry. Light bodied. Low tartness and acidity. No bitterness, sourness, or funk. Notes of apple juice and pomace, orange, and lemon. Moderate finish with a hint of tannins. Moderate apple flavor. High sessionability. Low complexity. Low to moderate flavor intensity. Similar to Crispin Browns Lane and Blackthorn, but I prefer this.

Rosé Apple: Medium pink hue. No carbonation. Smells very mildly fruity. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Light to medium bodied. Low to moderate tartness and acidity. No bitterness, sourness, funk, or tannins. Notes of green apple and white grape with a hint of strawberry. Quick finish. Low apple flavor and complexity. Low to moderate overall flavor intensity. High sessionability. Similar to Rosé offerings from Angry Orchard, Crispin, and Woodchuck.

Pear Secco: Medium straw yellow hue. Low carbonation. Smells very mild. Semi-dry. Light bodied. Low tartness and acidity. No bitterness, sourness, funk, or tannins. Subtle notes of canned pear, green apple, and champagne. Quick finish. Low complexity, overall flavor intensity, pear flavor, and apple flavor. High sessionability. Most similar to Woodchuck Pearsecco, which is also a commercial tasting drier sparkling pear cider (apple & pear).

My Opinion: I liked all of these. Definitely commercial tasting (ie. slightly less natural tasting, likely due to the processes used, such as adding sugar instead of back sweetening with juice), but plenty drinkable, with some flavor and not too much sweetness, and far from the worst I’ve had. I also liked getting a smaller variety pack (as its 8.5oz not 12oz cans), although ideally it would have only been 2 instead of 4 of each.

Closing Notes: Although I typically prefer craft cider, I think commercial ciders are underappreciated. It seems that most people (including myself) started their cider journey with an easily available sweeter commercial cider, and over time their tastes evolved towards drier local craft selections. However, there are still parts of the U.S. where craft cider is difficult to find. Thankfully the offerings from commercial cideries (such as Angry Orchard and Woodchuck) have improved in recent years, tending towards more complex, drier, and/or more innovative offerings, as they struggle to compete with growing regional craft cideries.

Have you tried Strongbow? What did you think?

Portland Cider Pineapple Rosé

March 26, 2019March 25, 2019 cidersays Portland Cider, review cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Pineapple Rosé, portland, Portland Cider, Rosé cider, rose, tasting notes

Review of Portland Cider’s Pineapple Rosé. It is my first time trying this, but I have had much of their line-up (see here).

>>This is a review of a sample can provided to Cider Says by Portland Cider. 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: Pineapple Rosé
Cidery: Portland Cider Company
Cidery Location: Portland Oregon
ABV: 5.2%
How Supplied: 12oz cans (and draft, plus 19.2oz cans are coming in mid-April)
Style: American craft cider from dessert apples, with pineapple and blueberry

Availability: seasonal, March thru August 2019, in Oregon, Washington, and Northern California

Cider Description: The juicy and delicate pineapple fruit works beautifully with a hint of blueberry juice, creating an elegant cider on par with the rosé wine that so many love.

Cidery Description: Portland Cider Company was started in October 2012 by an Oregonian and a family of British expats with the mission of bringing cider, handcrafted in the English tradition, to the Northwest. It has two taproom locations: Portland Cider House at 3638 SE Hawthorne Blvd., Portland, OR 97214; and Taproom & Cidery at 8925 SE Jannsen Rd, Bldg. F, Clackamas, OR 97015. Visit www.PortlandCider.com and follow @PortlandCider on social media.

Price: n/a (although it’ll probably run ~ $10.99 / six pack)
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: it showed up

First Impression: Smells sweet and fruity. Very low carbonation. Hint of peach hue.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Medium bodied. Low tartness and acidity. No bitterness, sourness, funk, or tannins. Notes of pineapple with hints of green apple and strawberry (I didn’t really pick up any blueberry). Quick finish. Low apple flavor and complexity. Low to moderate flavor intensity. High sessionability.

My Opinion: I liked it. Significantly more pineapple than berry. Super easy to drink. I was surprised to see the can say 20 grams of sugar, as it tasted less sweet (although the body was what I’d expect for that level of sweetness). It was a bit less intensely flavored than I prefer and I’d expect with a sweeter cider.

Most Similar to: a sweeter but less intensely flavored version of 2 Towns Pacific Pineapple plus a hint of strawberry

Closing Notes: Rosé sure is the hottest cider trend – seems like nearly every cidery has one now. On that note, I’m surprised they didn’t add a bit more blueberry if they were trying to go for a rosé look, as it was barely rosé.

Have you tried Portland Cider Pineapple Rosé? What did you think?

Woodchuck Rosé

October 11, 2018October 8, 2018 cidersays review, Woodchuck cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Middlebury, Rosé cider, rose, tasting notes, Vermont, Woodchuck

Review of Woodchuck Rosé. It is my first time trying this, but I have had most of their line-up (see here).

>>This is a review of a sample can provided to Cider Says by Woodchuck. 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: Bubbly Rosé
Cidery: Woodchuck
Cidery Location: Middlebury VT
ABV: 6.1%
How Supplied: six pack of 12oz cans
Style: American commercial cider from dessert apples with “red” (red-fleshed?) apple juice, and purple carrot for color

Availability: wide release

Cider Description: A bubbly, fruit-forward blush cider made with a blend of red apples delivering a crisp mouth feel.

Cidery Description: Vermont Cider Company is a leading hard cider maker in the United States, with a state of the art cidery located in Middlebury, Vermont. Vermont Cider Company crafts a variety of ciders for a variety of consumers. There’s ultra-craft Vermont Cider Co., iconic Woodchuck, fruit-forward Wyder’s as well as the classic Magners Irish Cider and Blackthorn, rounding out our import offerings. Vermont Cider Company reinvigorated American hard cider in 1991, with the launch of Woodchuck, and stays focused on the category today through our commitment to crafting innovative and refreshing hard ciders.

Price: n/a (retails for $9.99-10.99)
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: it showed up

First Impression: Pink hue. Low carbonation. Smells mildly fruity.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Medium bodied. Low tartness and acidity. No bitterness, sourness, tannins, or funk. Notes of strawberry with a hint of floral. Quick finish. Low apple flavor and complexity. High sessionability. Moderate flavor intensity.

My Opinion: I liked it. Fruity and easy to drink. However, I’m curious if I really tasted fruitiness from red-fleshed apples (looks like their unfermented juice was used to back-sweeten a drier cider), or my brain saw the pink hue and assumed it would be fruity.

Most Similar to: Angry Orchard Rosé

Closing Notes: This is yet another rosé cider release – it looks like every commercial cider brand has now jumped on the trend.

Have you tried Woodchuck Rosé? What did you think?

Crispin Rosé

August 14, 2018August 14, 2018 cidersays Crispin, review cider, cider review, cider tasting, Crispin, hard cider, Rosé cider, rose, tasting notes

Review of Crispin Rosé. It is my first time trying this, but I have had their Original, Pacific Pear, Blackberry Pear, The Saint, Bohemian, Honeycrisp, Venus Reigns, Steeltown, 15 Men, Browns Lane, and Bourbon Char.

Cider: Rosé
Cidery: Crispin
Cidery Location: Colfax CA
ABV: 5.0%
How Supplied: six pack of 12oz bottles
Style: American commercial cider from apple & pear juices, with rose & hibiscus petals

Availability: wide release, since Jan 2018 – see their cider locator

Cider Description: Blend of 50% apple cider & 50% pear cider and. Rose petals and Hibiscus give a light tannic quality and “Provence style” Rose’ Wine color. Hints of fresh Strawberry and Honeydew with a tickle of sweetness.

Ingredient List: filtered water, fresh-pressed hard apple cider, fresh-pressed hard pear cider, pear juice concentrate (finishing sweetener), natural flavors, malic acid, contains sulfites

Cidery Description: Crispin® ciders are naturally fermented using the raw, unpasteurized juice of fresh-pressed American apples and pears. Through classic cold-fermentation and specially selected wine yeasts, we always stay true to the fruit with authentic flavors and unique aromatic notes that are only present in fresh-pressed cider.

Price: ~$2 single bottle ($7.99-$8.99 / six pack)
Where Bought: Total Wine
Where Drank: home
How Found: browsing

First Impression: Still. Light pink hue. Smells mild, sweet and fruity.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry. Light to medium bodied. Moderate tartness. Low acidity. No sourness, funk, tannins, or bitterness. Notes of granny smith applies with hints of berry, floral, and dried pear. Quick finish. Low pear and apple flavor. Low to moderate flavor intensity and complexity. High sessionability.

My Opinion: I thought this was pretty average. I liked that it was drier, but probably because of that, it was lacking in flavor. I was a bit puzzled as the description said they used hibiscus and rose petals, but they weren’t on the ingredients list (only “natural flavor”).

Most Similar to: a slightly drier and blander version of Angry Orchard Rosé

Closing Notes: I think Crispin is a great cider option for folks who live in areas which only get mass produced ciders, as they are a bit drier and less commercial (more real) tasting. Ace is a bit similar, a commercial cidery with offerings that include some on the drier side, and which taste less commercial. Crispin’s Original is probably my favorite commercial cider.

Have you tried Crispin Rosé? What did you think?

Anyday Rosé

August 6, 2018August 6, 2018 cidersays Anyday Brands, review Anyday, Anyday Rosé, cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Rosé cider, rose, tasting notes

Review of Anyday Rosé, 85% hopped cider with 15% rosé wine. It is my first time trying this.

Cider: Anyday Rosé
Cidery: Anyday Brands
Cidery Location: based in New York, but production is in Paso Robles CA
ABV: 6.9%
How Supplied: four pack of 12oz cans
Style: American craft cider from west coast dessert apples with Cascade & Citra hops and rosé wine

>>This is a review of a sample can provided to Cider Says by Anyday Brands. 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.<<

Availability: online sales, to most U.S. states (all except AK, AL, DE, HI, KY, MS, OK, and UT)

Cider Description: Our delicious Rosé cider is a masterfully blended recipe of West Coast apples, rosé wine and cascade and citra hops. Our company is based in New York, but our rosé is crafted in the heart of the Central Coast Wine Region in Paso Robles, CA. Anyday is 85 percent crisp cider and 15 percent rosé wine with hops, creating the perfect blend of cider and rosé. Oh, and our rosé has an alcohol content of 6.9 percent (we know, nice).

Nutrition Facts: From their website, per 12oz can – 125 calories, 6g carbs, 1g sugar.

Cidery Description: Anyday Rosé was created by former NFL player Pat McAfee and former Barstool Sports advertising director Louis Roberts. The pair teamed up with winemakers Andrew Jones of Tin City Cider and Michael Zinke of Zinke Wines. For more info, see here.

Price: $32 (including shipping) for two four-packs [or less per can for higher quantities – they even sell a pack of 365 cans]
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: the co-founder contacted me, Louis Roberts

First Impression: Medium red hue (more than I expected for being only 15% rosé). Mild to moderate carbonation. Smells mild, only of hops.

Tasting Notes: Dry. Light bodied. Moderate tartness and acidity. Hints of bitterness from the hops. No tannins, funk, or sourness. Notes of green apple, hops, citrus, and hints of floral & non-specific fruitiness. Moderate length finish. Low apple flavor. Moderate sessionability and flavor intensity. Low to moderate complexity and hops flavor.

My Opinion: This one really grew on me. At first I wasn’t really getting why you’d mix a hopped cider with a rosé, but by the end of the can I liked it. Despite this being dry and hopped, which you think would limit their market a bit as not everyone likes both of those, I could see this having more appeal. It drinks like it is a bit sweeter, likely due to that bit of fruitiness. It was plenty easy for me to drink even though I don’t usually go for a fully dry cider. Plus it actually had some unexpected complexity. I did however find it interesting that their marketing emphasizes the rosé part and nearly skips over that this is hopped, as for me the hops made more of an impact on the flavor than the rosé aspect. Maybe because rosé is so hot right now? At $4 / can for their lowest quantity option it isn’t the cheapest, but not super expensive either.

Notes on Shipping: As this product is only available online, unlike most of my review ciders, receiving it through the mail was part of the standard process, so I thought I’d add a bit about that. They ship from Paso Robles CA and use FedEx, which is awesome as they are way more alcohol-friendly than UPS. If you won’t be home during the day to sign for it, you can have the package held at a number of location options (like FedEx shipping stores), instead of only the main UPS facility (which for me is about 45 minutes away, so a big pain). You don’t even need to have a FedEx account to do that (through the tracking number you can manage the shipment as a guest as long as you know the address info and such). It was packaged in a cool branded box.

All 8 cans arrived intact, although a few had small dents. I think the packaging was average – likely sufficient in the majority of cases, but I’ve seen better. I received several order status updates by e-mail. Overall everything went smoothly and it was convenient. The only drawback to only online sales that I can see is the delay between ordering and receiving, plus unlike picking it up at a store, it won’t arrive pre-chilled (most stores around me have the majority of their beers & ciders in fridge cases), except maybe in winter I guess.

Most Similar to: a drier version of Incline Compass Rosé, which is also a hopped rosé cider, although only available in the NW

Closing Notes: This is a unique product in that it is only sold online, seems to be targeting younger folks / Millennials (very Instagramable), and they even have a guarantee of a full refund if you don’t like the product (I can’t think of any cidery which has that in writing, although I’m sure most of them would make it right if you contacted them about being dissatisfied. Its a nice thing to have when spending $32+ on something new.). I’m interested to see what they will release next – whether it will be another cider, or something else, like a beer or wine.

Have you tried Anyday Rosé? What did you think?

Angry Orchard Rosé

March 14, 2018March 14, 2018 cidersays Angry Orchard, review Angry Orchard, cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Rosé cider, rose, tasting notes

Review of Angry Orchard’s Rosé, their newest release. It is my first time trying this, but I’ve had most of their line-up (see here).

>>This is a review of a sample bottle provided to Cider Says by Angry Orchard. 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: Rosé
Cidery: Angry Orchard
Cidery Location: Walden NY (their R&D facility)
Cider Production Locations: Cincinnati OH & Breingsville PA
ABV: 5.5%
How Supplied: six pack of 12oz bottles
Style: American commercial rosé-style cider

Availability: wide release, year round, since February 2018 (they have a Cider Finder)

Cider Description: The red flesh apples in Angry Orchard Rosé are from France. Each apple is crisp, juicy and red to the core, adding an irresistible rosy blush and apple-forward taste with a refreshing, dry finish. Angry Orchard Rosé can be enjoyed outside with friends or at the dinner table.

Apple Varieties: Gala, Fuji, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, and red-fleshed apples sourced in France

Ingredients: hard cider, water, cane sugar, apple juice concentrate, malic acid, natural flavor; colored with red flesh apples, sweet potato, radish, and hibiscus

Price: n/a (retails for $7.99-9.99 / six pack)
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: I spotted it in a grocery store, then read about it online, then some showed up

First Impression: Moderate pink hue. No carbonation. Smells very mild, fruity and floral.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Medium bodied. Low tartness. Low to moderate acidity. No bitterness, sourness, funk, or tannins. Notes of watermelon, strawberry, floral, and green apple. Quick finish. Low apple flavor and complexity. Low to moderate flavor intensity. High sessionability.

My Opinion: I liked it. However, its more on the easy drinking on a hot summer day end of the scale. Also, I think this would have benefited from carbonation, as it was a bit flat and full bodied for not being too sweet. I liked that they went all-natural on the color, but I wish the ingredient list as a whole was more natural as well.

Most Similar to: This is much less complex and refined than something like Alpenfire Glow or Snowdrift Red (both made from red-fleshed apples) or Sea Cider Ruby Rose (with rhubarb and rose hips). It was closest to Square Mile Rosé, except sweeter.

Side Note: I’m getting annoyed with cideries advertising the cider was “made from/using/with X apples”, when very little of that cider apple variety was used. I get why though – consumers are becoming better educated, and are pushing the market. Data shows commercial cider sales are down and craft cider sales are up.

Marketing tactics are something all consumers should be aware of. For example, if a cider says it is made from bittersweet cider apples but it is closer to clear than amber, then more dessert and/or heirloom apples were likely used than bittersweet apples. The press release for this cider focuses on the use of red-fleshed apples, but from the ingredient list and low price, it is apparent that very few were used. There is nothing wrong with that…I just think it is deceptive marketing. Unfortunately it is quite common.

Closing Notes: Rosé seems to be the latest cider trend, with all the big names releasing one – Angry Orchard, Crispin, Strongbow, and more. However, the style isn’t yet defined for cider. So far the term has been used for everything from a cider with fruit or hibiscus added, up to the good stuff made 100% from red-fleshed apples (like Alpenfire Glow, Alpenfire Cinders, and Snowdrift Red). In wine it refers to a white wine that receives color & flavor from red grape skins. In cider, so far it seems to just refer to the color.

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

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