Seattle Cider Pineapple Agave

March 11, 2019March 11, 2019 cidersays review, Seattle Cider cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Pineapple Agave, pineapple cider, seattle, Seattle Cider, tasting notes

Review of Seattle Cider’s Pineapple Agave. It is my first time trying this new seasonal release, but I’ve previously had their Semi-Sweet, PNW Berry, Olympic Honey, Plum Gose, Oaked Maple, Harvest Series Gravenstein Rosé, Gose, Dry, Gin Botanical, City Fruit, Heirloom, Lavender Lemon, Cucumber Hibiscus, City Fruit, New England Style, 2015 Washington Heirloom, Winesap Rose, and Red Wine Barrel Berry.

>>This is a review of a sample can provided to Cider Says by Seattle 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 Agave
Cidery: Seattle Cider Co.
Cidery Location: Seattle WA
ABV: 6.5%
How Supplied: 16oz can
Style: American craft cider from dessert apples, with pineapple juice and agave nectar

Availability: seasonally, starting in Washington and Colorado

Cider Description: Fresh pressed Washington apples, pineapple juice, and agave nectar come together to create Seattle Cider Company’s newest seasonal release.Pineapple Agave, 6.5% ABV and 1.8 Brix, boasts ripe and juicy pineapple aroma, soft tartness, and the subtle tropical sweetness of agave for a perfectly balanced and bright addition to the Seattle Cider lineup.

Cidery Description: Not your standard cider. Seattle Cider Company bridges the gap between wine and beer with flavorful, small-batch cider, bringing true craft cider back to Seattle and across the country. Seattle Cider Company’s year-round and seasonal offerings break the mold of overly sweet cider, showcasing the incomparable flavor of Washington apples. Naturally gluten free and made from a custom blend of fresh pressed, locally grown apples, Seattle Cider Company’s products are handcrafted with all natural ingredients and never from concentrate. Seattle Cider products are currently available throughout Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Idaho, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nevada, Missouri, Massachusetts, Colorado, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Montana. Visit our tasting room, The Woods, at 4660 Ohio Ave. S. in Seattle. For more information, visit seattlecidercompany.com, or follow Seattle Cider Company on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@seattleciderco).

Price: n/a (probably retails for ~ $10.99-$11.99 / four pack)
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: cidery press release

First Impression: Light straw yellow hue. Nearly still. Smells mild, of tart pineapple.

Tasting Notes: On the drier side of semi-dry. Light bodied. Low to moderate tartness. Moderate acidity. No bitterness, sourness, funk, or tannins. Notes of pineapple, green apple, and lemon. Quick finish. Low apple flavor and complexity. Low to moderate flavor intensity. Moderate to high sessionability.

My Opinion: I enjoyed it, although I would have preferred a bit more flavor and sweetness.

Most Similar to: I’ve tried over a dozen pineapple ciders, and I think this is closest to Apple Outlaw Pineapple Getaway, Portland Cider Co. Pineapple, or a slightly drier version of 2 Towns Pineapple

Closing Notes: This is one of my favorite varieties from Seattle Cider, in addition to the Oaked Maple and Olympic Honey, which are some of their sweeter selections, although in general I’m not personally a big fan of their ciders as they run drier with a lower flavor intensity. I’d recommend their ciders for folks who like dry to semi-dry modern ciders.

Have you tried Seattle Cider Pineapple Agave? What did you think?

Seattle Cider Dry

March 30, 2016March 27, 2016 cidersays review, Seattle Cider cider, cider review, cider tasting, dry, hard cider, seattle, Seattle Cider, washington

Review of Seattle Cider Company’s Dry cider. I’ve also tried their PNW Berry, Semi-Sweet, Olympic Honey, Plum Gose, Oaked Maple, Harvest Series Gravenstein Rosé, and Gose varieties.

Cider: Dry
Cidery: Seattle Cider Company
Cidery Location: Seattle WA
ABV: 6.5%
How Supplied: four pack of 16oz cans (and kegs)
Style: American craft sessionable canned cider made from dessert apple varieties

Availability: Year round, at least in AK, CA, CO, IL, MN, OR, TX, WA, and WI. Their website includes lists of stores by state & city.

Cider Description: One of the driest ciders on the market. The golden orange glow of this unique unfiltered cider lends way to notes of lilac, blood orange and green apple on the nose. Dry and pleasantly acidic, flavors of nectarine, under ripe peach and tart cherry hit the palate with no residual sweetness.

Made from Granny Smith, Gala, Fuji, Red Delicious, and Golden Delicious apples.

Cidery Description: Seattle Cider Company is Seattle’s first cidery since Prohibition, bringing true craft cider back to Seattle and across the country. Bridging the gap between wine and beer with flavorful, small-batch cider, Seattle Cider’s initial offerings – Dry and Semi-Sweet – break the mold of overly sweet cider, bringing the natural flavors of Washington apples to the forefront.

They have a tasting room (The Woods, shared with Two Beers Brewing) in Seattle WA, which I visited last year (see here).

Price: ~$3 for a single can (runs $11-$13 for a four pack)
Where Bought: Total Wine
Where Drank: home
How Found: I’ve always known about this cider, but wasn’t really into drier ciders, so put off trying it.

First Impression: Light straw yellow. Low carbonation upon pouring. Smells clean & crisp, very mild, of green apples, citrus, and yeast.

Tasting Notes: Dry. Moderate to high acidity. Light bodied. Low carbonation. Low tartness. Hints of bitterness and tannins. No sourness or funk. Notes of green apples, citrus, yeast, mineral, and floral. Moderate length finish. Low apple influence. Moderate to high sessionability.

My Opinion: This was a pretty standard canned dry cider from dessert apples. I didn’t really pick up the fruity notes the description eluded to. I prefer a bit more sweetness and flavor, so as far as their flagship ciders, I like Semi-Sweet more than Dry. My favorite from them so far is Olympic Honey. However, overall, Seattle Cider Company’s cider style isn’t really to my liking.

Most Similar to: Ace Joker, and especially, Original Sin Extra Dry. I liked the Original Sin best of the three, as I found it to be the most complex.

Closing Notes: This isn’t really a style of cider I enjoy, but it was nice to try.

Have you tried Seattle Cider Dry? What did you think?

Washington Cider Week Kickoff at Seattle Cider

September 14, 2015August 10, 2017 cidersays Cider Summit, Cockrell, event, Grizzly Ciderworks, Liberty, local, review, Seattle Cider, Washington Cider Week cider, cider review, cider summit, cider summit seattle, cider tasting, Cider Week, hard cider, Seattle Cider, Washington Cider Week

Thursday night was a great kickoff to Washington Cider Week! I started the evening at Seattle Cider (opening ceremonies, although I left before that), then moved on to the Burgundian Bar (East Meets West, An Evening with Eden and Alpenfire Ciders). This post will cover Seattle Cider and another will cover the Burgundian (plus many posts to come on Cider Summit and other Washington Cider Week events!). I mostly chose to stop by Seattle Cider as it was a Washington Cider Week event to fill the time between when I got off work and the event at the Burgundian started at 5pm, as the events were located between work and home. Plus I hadn’t ever been to their tasting room, The Woods (which they share with their sister brewery, 2 Beers Brewing Company).

Seattle Cider ended up a bit disappointing of a stop as they only opened at 3pm, and nothing was actually going on for the Washington Cider Week kickoff yet. There were plenty of folks there though, lots of growler fills, etc. They were only setting up while I was there, but they did however have 16 ciders on tap (6 of their own and 10 from 10 other cideries), some free cider swag, and a hot dog cart. Also, I got to meet fellow cider blogger Ron from DrinkingCider.com! He had reached out that he would be in town for Cider Summit, and I let him know my schedule. We ended up meeting up at Seattle Cider, the Burgundian, and Cider Summit, which was pretty awesome. He even brought me some cider from Tod Creek in Victoria BC which I look forward to trying; very cool. Too bad he couldn’t take cider back to CT.

We even got a mini tour from their tasting room manager. They were in production so we couldn’t walk through the cidermaking area (although they have an opening you can look through to see it), but we got to see a few areas. I learned that Seattle Cider currently only uses apples from Washington (all dessert varieties except their Harvest series). It was also interesting to hear about and see their current construction project, a kitchen! Probably a very welcome addition…more tasting room need to offer food, even if its only chips, crackers, pretzels, whatever.

<taps, bar area, and fridges of canned/bottled beer/cider for purchase>

I ended up sampling five ciders at The Woods / Seattle Cider. Unfortunately they didn’t have a sampler, but would pour tastes. I really think a sampler is the best way to go anywhere which has multiple cider choices on tap. So, I had a couple tastes, got a glass of one, then had a few more tastes.

Seattle Cider Olympic Honey. This cider is a special release (August 2015) Seattle Cider did with the Fairmont Olympic Hotel, and only available at Seattle Cider and the restaurant/bar at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel. This used honey from the rooftop apiary at the hotel. I had really wanted to try this after seeing a segment they did on King 5 local news on Facebook, so I was pleased they still had some. Retail is $9 for a 22oz bottle, but I had a 13oz tap pour for $6. 6.9% ABV. Semi dry. I picked up only hints of honey, but it was refreshing, and probably my favorite Seattle Cider variety so far (I’m not a huge fan of their ciders, although they have a large local following). Moderate acidity and and mild tartness.

Seattle Cider Plum Gose. This is Seattle Cider’s twist on gose (a unique style of German beer which includes coriander and salt). It includes Jacobsen sea salt (from Portland OR), coriander, and plums, and was made using Chardonnay yeast and added malic acid. 6.9% ABV. Semi-dry. Very unique but mild flavor from the ingredient additions. Lovely light berry hue from the plums, but my taster was too small to get a clear photo of the cider’s color. Higher carbonation. A touch of saltiness. Apparently they previously had a full Gose cider, and would often get requests to mix it with their PNW Berry, so they decided to make something similar with plums.

Liberty Ciderworks Crabenstein. Made using Dolgo crabapples and Gravenstein apples with wild yeast fermentation. 7.3% ABV. Dry. Tart and mouth-puckering with a touch of funk, but the flavor profile is pretty mild. I like Liberty’s Manchurian Crabapple single varietal better as it is bolder, but they are completely different styles of cider (for example, the Manchurian is 12.5% ABV).

Cockrell Valley Red. Cider with Puyallip WA raspberries. This is the first time I’ve tried a cider from Cockrell. 6.2% ABV. Semi-dry. Lovely fruity nose and red hue (again, no photo; sorry), acidic, and tart. I didn’t pick up raspberries (nor did I know that was the fruit they used until I researched this cider), but for me it was more of a general tart berry than a specific flavor. It reminded me some of Snowdrift Red (which I prefer).

Grizzly Ciderworks Woodlander Wit-Style. They modeled this cider after Belgian wit-style beer (they used that variety of beer yeast). I’ve previously tried their Ridge. 6.7% ABV. Semi-dry. Smells slightly woody. I didn’t pick up any of the orange peel or coriander they included in this cider, but again, it was a pretty small taste. I found it very similar to their Ridge, but slightly more sweet, tart, and complex, and slightly less flavorful. I prefer the Ridge, which I found to have more of the woody & earthy notes I enjoy.

This is just the start of my Washington Cider Week posts, so stay tuned for posts on Thursday night part 2 (Burgundian with Eden & Alpenfire ciders), Cider Summit, and events I’ll be attending next week at Capitol Cider and the Schilling Cider House! Subscribe to Cider Says using the sidebar (on the right or at the bottom of the page on mobile devices) and like us on Facebook to ensure you don’t miss out!

where will I be this week? tasting cider of course! (Washington Cider Week & Cider Summit Seattle)

September 9, 2015August 10, 2017 cidersays Cider Summit, event, local, Washington Cider Week Burgundian, Capitol Cider, cider, cider summit, hard cider, Schilling Cider House, seattle, Seattle Cider, washington, Washington Cider Week

For all my Seattle peeps, if you see me at any upcoming event, say hello! I’ll be wearing a pink CIDER SAYS t-shirt. If you also want to meet up before or after an event, let me know.

Here is my schedule so far for the 5th annual Washington Cider Week and Cider Summit Seattle:

Washington Cider Week opening ceremonies at Seattle Cider with 10 cideries on tap and a food truck, Thursday September 10th, 3:00-4:30pm ish (event is 3-9pm)

East Meets West: An Evening with Eden and Alpenfire Ciders at the Burgundian Bar, Thursday September 10th, 5-7pm ish (event is 5-9pm)

Cider Summit Seattle at South Lake Union Discovery Center, Friday September 11, 2-8pm ish (VIP starts at 2pm and regular at 3pm)

Cider Summit Seattle at South Lake Union Discovery Center, Saturday September 12, noon-6pm ish

Meet & Greet, Tasting, & Book Signing with Bill Bradshaw at Capitol Cider, Tuesday September 15, 6-8pm

2 Towns Tap Night at Schilling Cider House, Thursday September 17, 6-8pm ish (event is 6-9pm)

Check out the complete Washington Cider Week event calendar here, as there is a crazy amount of events going on! And, stay tuned for lots of Cider Summit related posts here at Cider Says. I know a lot of folks aren’t so lucky to live in Washington, so I’ll try to make it seem like you’re here with me! Like Cider Says on Facebook for other updates as well.

Seattle Cider Semi-Sweet

August 28, 2015August 21, 2015 cidersays review, Seattle Cider brix, cider, cider review, happy hour, hard cider, hard cider review, Hop Jacks, keg, seattle, Seattle Cider, Seattle Cider Semi-Sweet, Semi-Sweet

Review of Seattle Cider’s Semi-Sweet variety, their most popular flagship / year round variety (which also includes Dry, and recently, Citrus). I’ve had this a few times, but this is the first time since starting Cider Says. Seattle Cider also offers some seasonal, limited release, and harvest series ciders in 22 oz bottles.

Cider: Semi-Sweet
Cidery: Seattle Cider Company
Cidery Location: Seattle WA (duh!)
ABV: 6.5%
Brix: 2.6
How Supplied: 16oz cans (four pack), kegs

Availability: Year round, in WA, OR, CA, HI, TX, MN, WI, & IL

Cider Description: A light, crisp cider with just a touch of sweetness. Honey in color with notes of bergamot orange, lemon, and apple, this refreshing cider reveals hints of citrus and cinnamon on the palate. Made from Granny Smith, Fuji, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, and Gala apples from Eastern Washington.

White wine yeast and pure cane sugar added for fermentation. Filtered for clarification before tank aging for at least two weeks. Fermented dry. Some cane sugar is added to back sweeten.

My pint came from this keg:
(visible through the window at the restaurant)

Where Drank: Hop Jacks, a bar/restaurant (“neighborhood gathering place”) in Lynnwood WA
Price: $4.25 / pint (Happy Hour)
How Found: I’ve known about Seattle Cider pretty much since they started up in 2013. They built a very quick following, and seems to be the most commonly found craft cider on tap around here, plus can be located almost everywhere that sells bottled/canned cider. Seattle Cider is currently the only cider on tap at Hop Jacks (they also offer bottles of Angry Orchard).

First Impression: Medium amber, and actually has some head to it, even after the trip from the bar to our table. I don’t pick up any distinctive smell besides mild apple. Interestingly enough there are several reviewers who say this cider smells bad? I’ve definitely smelled worse ciders….

Opinion: More semi-dry than semi-sweet to me. Crisp apple flavor. I don’t really pick up any other notes, such as the citrus or cinnamon they mention. A bit tart & bitter on the finish, but quick. Uncomplicated but refreshing. I also find it better on tap than canned. I like it better when very cold. There is little carbonation in the mouth. I had this cider with fish & chips, which is a great combination as this is a simple cider which isn’t sweet and won’t compete with the meal.

Most Similar to: Anthem’s original cider, which is slightly more tart & complex

Closing Notes: This is a very basic cider which is definitely drinkable (and easy to drink), but not something I’d typically buy when given a large selection. Its better than Angry Orchard though, and a good deal at $4.25 / pint Happy Hour prices.

Their Ciders: I’ve tried a few other selections from Seattle Cider and haven’t really been impressed with any of them, plus they generally tend to be a bit drier than I prefer. They have a Berry cider for example which I barely picked up any berry flavor and was pretty dry for a fruity cider, 1.8 compared to 2.6 Brix for this one. I like that they publish Brix, if only to compare the sweetness levels of their varieties to each other.

Have you tried Seattle Cider? What did you think?

Hard Cider News Edition 2

July 28, 2015July 26, 2015 cidersays news 2 Towns, cider, Cider Log, cider news, Cider Riot, hard cider, hard cider news, Liberty Ciderworks, reverend nat's, Seattle Cider, Sonoma Cider, Woodchuck

Here are some recent hard cider news/articles/links/posts I found interesting and have shared on Facebook lately. To get the latest scoop, like Cider Says on Facebook!

Blogs & Facebook

Cider Log
My favorite cider Facebook group, who is in my neck of the woods. Its a group of folks who enjoy hard cider. They have a cool photo album of the craft cider selection at various stores in the Seattle area, tasting notes, meetups, etc. They are not associated with any cidery, although one member does work for one. I got to meet Sarah over the weekend at a Sonoma Cider tasting she was hosting at Whole Foods!

Rekorderlig and Kopparberg are NOT Cider
Interesting writeup on the Ciderplex Blog on two ciders which aren’t actually cider, as they aren’t made from fermented apple juice. I wonder how many other products are like this? Good thing we have ingredient lists to check out.

The Meteoric Rise of 2 Towns Cider
Story of 2 Towns Cider (from Corvallis OR), from All Into Cider Blog.

Learning to Use Cider in Cocktails
Q & A with Darlene Hayes about her cider cocktails book, from The Cider Journal.

Schilling Cider infographic on craft vs. all other cider
I think its important to know the difference between craft and commercial cider to be an informed consumer. Personally I have nothing against buying commercial cider, and there are a number of selections I enjoy (such as Woodchuck). They can be had for less money, found easier, and make for easy drinking. I do however buy a good deal of craft cider, which is real cider, and often more complex. It feels good to support a local business as well.

News Articles

10 Must-Try New Summer Beers & Ciders
Only one cider on the list unfortunately, Cider Riot’s Lemmy’s Summer Camp (Meyer Lemon Cider), from Portland OR. It caught my eye as it comes in a plastic 2 liter bottle! I spotted something like this at the Schilling Cider House (my first time seeing a cider in a 2 liter bottle), but it could have been another variety of Cider Riot’s. This one is described as Dry with lemon tartness with a creamy overripe butterscotch tannic flavor.

Woodchuck Hard Cider Takes on the Big Guns
Woodchuck’s nearly around the clock production schedule to meet demand while allowing days off, and their new advertising strategy to compete with competition from the big name breweries such as Angry Orchard from Boston Beer.

Hard Cider, Hard Cash: How a Father-Son Team from California is Tackling the Cider Craze
Story of Sonoma Cider (from Healdsburg CA).

Apples, apples everywhere
Cider scene in Poland of all places, where there are a lot of startups as they have an apple surplus due to not being able to export them.

Cider could lead wine drinkers “astray”
Is cider a threat to the wine industry as much as the beer industry?

Behind the scenes at Reverend Nat’s, Portland’s largest cidery (Photos)
Neat writeup of Rev Nat’s with behind the scenes photos!

Video

Made in the Northwest – Liberty Ciderworks
Segment on KXLY Spokane on Liberty Ciderworks.

Text & Video

Olympia Honey Hard Cider, a collaboration of Seattle Cider Co. and the Georgian Room at the Fairmont Olympic hotel. They are featuring the cider in a five course prix fixe dinner dubbed the “Extraction Menu” throughout August. Unfortunately the KING 5 Seattle New Day Northwest segment didn’t say if this cider would be available outside of the hotel’s restaurant & bar, but with some research it appears it won’t be (at least initially). I wonder if you can stop buy and purchase a bottle to go? Sure sounds tasty!

(photo from @FairmontOlympic on Twitter of bees & cider while they were getting ready for the New Day Northwest segment)

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