Farnum Hill Kingston Black

October 9, 2017October 23, 2017 cidersays Farnum Hill, review cider, cider review, cider tasting, Farnum Hill, hard cider, Kingston Black, New Hampshire, single varietal, tasting notes

Review of Farnum Hill’s Kingston Black. I got this as part of the September Cidrbox. I previously tried samples of their Extra Dry and Dooryard, plus I reviewed Extra Dry from this Cidrbox.

>>This is a review of a sample bottle provided to Cider Says by Cidrbox. 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: Kingston Black Reserve
Cidery: Farnum Hill
Cidery Location: Lebanon NH
ABV: 8.5%
How Supplied: 750ml corked & caged bottles
Style: American artisan cider, single varietal from Kingston Black

Availability: This is a special release so it will probably be more difficult to find, but in general their ciders are distributed in CT, NH, MA, ME, NJ, NY, and RI (see here). I haven’t seen their cider in the Seattle area for awhile.

Cider Description: Kingston Black technically is a “bittersharp” apple variety, which in the English-speaking cider world means that its high tannin and acid levels make it a suitable cider apple: however, its sugar level, at least growing here, regularly yields 8.5% alcohol. We release a hundred or so cases of ‘Special Reserve,’ made only from this apple, in years when our KB is showing all its charms.

This is a still cider, in a 750ml bottle with straight cork. Its aromatic and flavor hooks range from floral through fruity (muskmelon) through hormonal suggestions on to further sensory tricks, viz. whiffs of candle-flame and turning off the phone. Like many distinctive flavor signatures, that Kingston Black je ne sais quoi is loved by some but not all.

With food it performs a version of the FHC effect, lending savor and vividness to many different foods. However, unlike our other ciders, Kingston Black in our view belongs with subtle dishes, rather than with spicy or otherwise rowdy flavors. Note that not only Kingston Black’s alcohol but also its price is quite high for a cider. But it’s worth it when you have time to pay attention to the treats before you.

P.S. In old apple variety names, the word “black” means “extremely dark red.”

Cidery Description: On Farnum Hill, we use the word “cider” to mean an alcoholic beverage fermented from particular apples, just as “wine” is fermented from particular grapes. Cider is a word that covers an enormous variety of adult beverages made from apples. Our style is all about flaunting the delights of the fruit that grows best on this place.

Farnum Hill Ciders, at 6.5-7.5% alcohol, tend toward the dry, sharp, fruity and bountifully aromatic. We make them to gladden the moment and light up the flavors of food. During Prohibition, apple-growers urgently needed a new teetotal image. That PR problem helped cut the normal old word “cider” from its normal old meaning, and paste it to the sweet brown ephemeral juice of autumn, normally called “apple juice” or “sweet cider.” So even now, a lot of our fellow Americans find Farnum Hill ciders a bit startling.

We are proud of Farnum Hill Ciders, and delighted to see more and more small-scale cider-makers coming onto the U.S. cider scene. Meanwhile, we’re also encouraged to see skilled commercial apple-growers planting for cider. As in the wine world, cider-apple growers may want to make their own, or to sell their fruit to cidermakers. Already, the price of cider apples is many times the processing price that eating apples bring. That makes cider orchards valuable. Here’s hoping the future of distinctive American orchard-based ciders will outshine the past!

Here is a nice podcast with transcript from an interview by Cider Guide’s Eric West with Nicole Leibon, a cidermaker at Farnum Hill. Farnum Hill also worked with April White on a book, Apples to Cider – How to Make Cider at Home.

Price: n/a (retails for $17.99+)
Where Bought: n/a (through Cidrbox)
Where Drank: home
How Found: I’ve heard of Farnum Hill ever since I got into the cider world, as they were one of the first cideries in the new cider movement (around 1995).

First Impression: Medium straw yellow hue. Still. Smells of rich cider apple.

Tasting Notes: On the sweeter side of dry. Light bodied. Low tartness, acidity, and tannins. No bitterness, sourness, or funk. Notes of cider apple, caramel, brown sugar, lemon, and green apple. Moderate length finish. Low flavor intensity. Moderate complexity, sessionability, and apple flavor.

My Opinion: I liked this one. It was less rich/intense and thinner than I was expecting though, more similar to a NE American heirloom apple cider than an English cider. However, like the Extra Dry, it became more rich and flavorful at room temperature. I’d recommend this to folks of dry still cider.

Most Similar to: I’ve also had Kingston Black single varietals from Whitewood, Dragon’s Head, and Eve’s. My favorite of those was the Whitewood, as it was intensely flavorful, likely at least partially due to the whiskey barrel aging.

Closing Notes: Next up is Farnum Hill’s Semi Dry.

Have you tried Farnum Hill cider? What did you think?

Farnum Hill Extra Dry

September 28, 2017October 9, 2017 cidersays Farnum Hill, review cider, cider review, cider tasting, Extra Dry, Farnum Hill, hard cider, New Hampshire, tasting notes

Review of Farnum Hill’s Extra Dry. I got this as part of the September Cidrbox. I previously tried samples of their Extra Dry and Dooryard, but haven’t done a full review.

Cider: Extra Dry
Cidery: Farnum Hill
Cidery Location: Lebanon NH
ABV: 7.5%
How Supplied: 750ml corked & caged bottles
Style: American artisan cider from cider apples, fully dry, lightly carbonated

Availability: This is their flagship cider so it is probably the easiest to find, but they appear to primarily be distributed in CT, NH, MA, ME, NJ, NY, and RI (see here). I haven’t seen their cider in the Seattle area for awhile.

Cider Description: Pale gold, bubbly, radically dry. Richly aromatic, suggesting myriad fruits of the earth, and the earth itself, with a complex, palate-cleansing balance of fruit, astringency, and acid. Sugar content zero, fruit notes rampant! Made, like Semi-Dry, from a range of specific apple varieties bred and/or selected for excellent cider.

Price: n/a (retails for $16.99+)
Where Bought: n/a (through Cidrbox)
Where Drank: home
How Found: I’ve heard of Farnum Hill ever since I got into the cider world, as they were one of the first cideries in the new cider movement (around 1995).

First Impression: Light gold yellow hue. Low carbonation. Mild scent, clean, with a hint of honey.

Tasting Notes: Dry. Very light bodied. Creamy texture. Low tartness. Moderate to high acidity. Low tannins. Hints of bitterness. No sourness or funk. Notes of honey, floral, lemongrass, orange, and green apple. Moderate length warming finish. Low flavor intensity and apple flavor. Moderate complexity and sessionability.

My Opinion: I didn’t dislike it, but this cider was a bit underwhelming for me and the others which tasted it with me. It gained more flavor intensity and acidity as it warmed up from fridge to room temperature, which was helpful, so I’d recommend drinking it at nearly room temperature (and so does the cidery). It was also really different from the version of Extra Dry I tried a couple years ago (see here), which my notes say was more acidic, tannic, and carbonated. Craft ciders can really vary batch to batch. However, it was very well made and food friendly. I think it would appeal best to true dry cider lovers. If you typically drink semi-dry to semi-sweet like I do, the flavor just won’t be there for you, as this is a very nuanced cider. This is definitely a cider to take some time with to ponder.

Most Similar to: Alpenfire Pirate’s Plank (although that one is a bit more intensely flavored, possible as it is less filtered) and Brooklyn Cider House Still Bone Dry

Closing Notes: Next up are Farnum Hill’s Kingston Black and Semi Dry.

Have you tried Farnum Hill cider? What did you think?

Ramborn Cascade Hopped Cider

September 27, 2017September 27, 2017 cidersays Ramborn, review cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, hopped cider, Luxembourg, Ramborn, Ramborn Cider, tasting notes

Review of Ramborn’s Cascade Hopped Cider. This is my first time trying any cider from this Luxembourg cidery. See my first post on their Perry for more info (I tried them at the same time).

>>This is a review of a bottle gifted to Cider Says by Ramborn. 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: Cascade Hopped Cider
Cidery: Ramborn Cider
Cidery Location: Born, Luxembourg
ABV: 7.4%
How Supplied: four packs of 330ml bottles
Style: cider from Luxembourg cider apples, with Cascade hops from Oregon (U.S.A.) – which hits quite close to home for this imported cider!

Availability: Mostly in Europe, although they are just starting to come to the U.S., as they launched in Milwaukee Wisconsin in August 2017.

Cider Description: We have taken some of our Luxembourgish cider and infused it with American-grown whole-cone Cascade hops. Cascade hails from Oregon in the USA’s Pacific Northwest. First released in 1971, it is loved by craft brewers the world over for its signature citrus/floral aroma. We specially selected a base cider to bring out the full characteristics of Cascade, which in turn compliments the crisp acidity of our traditional cider apples.

Cidery Description: Ramborn is the first Luxembourgish cider producer. We only ferment the freshly pressed juice of apples and pears grown exclusively in traditional orchards of large, standard trees. No concentrate. No industrial plantations.

Price: n/a (and unknown really)
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: the cidery contacted me

First Impression: Light amber gold hue. Low carbonation. Smells of cider apple juice and hops.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry. Light bodied. Low to moderate tartness. Moderate acidity. Low bitterness. Low to moderate tannins, especially on the finish. No sourness or funk. Notes of rich cider apples, hops, floral, and citrus. Moderate length slightly bitter hoppy finish. Low apple flavor. Moderate complexity, sessionability, hops intensity, and overall flavor intensity.

My Opinion: I liked it but didn’t love it. The rich traditional English-like cider was an interesting combination with the hops that I hadn’t had before. I think if I had this on its own it would have stood out more, but I drank it right after their amazing perry. I can say however that it was balanced, and the main thing I didn’t care for was the bitterness on the finish (although the tannins helped make up for it).

Most Similar to: Nothing I’ve had! I’ve only had hopped ciders which used dessert apples as the base (not cider applies), although I’ve heard of a few cideries in England picking up on this American trend, such as Oliver’s. As a whole, the flavoring of cider is an American thing, as we don’t have as many heirloom & cider apples, so dessert apples are often used. Some of my favorite hopped ciders have been 2 Towns Hop & Stalk (with rhubarb), Portland Cider Hop’Rageous, and Tod Creek Mala Hop, which in general had more citrus/floral/herbal flavor than bitter hop flavor.

Closing Notes: Its pretty cool than a European cidery did a hopped cider. I hope to see their ciders in the Seattle area soon, especially if they are at a four pack (instead of single bottle) price. The perry was amazing, so I’d like to try more straight ciders from cider apples or pears.

Have you tried Ramborn Cider? What did you think?

Ramborn Cider Perry

September 25, 2017September 25, 2017 cidersays Ramborn, review cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Luxembourg, Ramborn, Ramborn Cider, tasting notes

Review of Ramborn Cider’s Perry. This is my first time trying anything from this Luxembourg cidery. By the way, for folks like me who don’t know anything about Luxembourg except that it is somewhere in Europe – it is a small country bordered by Germany, Belgium, and France. They have a climate similar to Germany, and are between the latitudes of Normandy France and Somerset England (thanks Real Cider Reviews for that info!).

A cidery rep (Adie Kaye, head of marketing) was kind enough to bring me some samples all that way. We had actually got in touch by e-mail over a year ago (a few months after they launched), and he messaged me again as he was attending Cider Summit Seattle to scope it out in preparation for getting a booth at the Chicago version next year.

Cider: Perry
Cidery: Ramborn Cider
Cidery Location: Born, Luxembourg
ABV: 5.8%
How Supplied: four packs of 330ml bottles
Style: perry from true perry pears grown in Luxembourg

Availability: Mostly in Europe (especially Luxembourg & England), although they are just starting to come to the U.S., as they launched in Milwaukee Wisconsin in August 2017.

Cider Description: Ramborn Perry is made with pears from very old traditional orchards, including Bongert Altenhoven in Bettenbourg. It was created as part of Ramborn’s commitment to protecting and reviving the many unique varieties of fruit that grow in the region. These traditional pear varieties – including Mostbirne and Nelchesbirne – have been carefully selected and pressed to create a perry rich in tannins, and full of subtle fruit flavour.

This cidery started in 2016, are named after the local “Rambo” apple, and their farm accepts visitors (see here). I found a neat trip report from the Cider Sleuth (see here), as well as an article more about the cidery and tasting room / education center in general (see here), plus an article on the distribution of Ramborn (see here), which is through Ansay International at least to Wisconsin as of now.

Price: n/a (and unknown really)
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: the cidery contacted me

First Impression: Moderate straw yellow hue with a hint of peach. Moderate carbonation, large bubbles. Smells of canned pear with tropical fruit.

Tasting Notes: Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Light to medium bodied. Low tartness. Moderate acidity. Low to moderate tannins, mostly on the finish, and especially as I continued drinking it. No bitterness, sourness, or funk. Notes of canned pear, dried pear, mango, pineapple, and guava. Moderate length finish. Moderate to strong pear flavor. Moderate complexity, sessionability, and flavor intensity.

My Opinion: I really enjoyed it! The level of sweetness was exactly to my preference, it was flavorful, and even slightly complex and tannic.

Most Similar to: I’ve tried over 30 perries, but this is one of my favorites, as it is both approachable and complex. It reminded me a bit of AEppeltreow Perry and Snowdrift Seckel Perry.

Closing Notes: I look forward to trying more from them! Hopefully they are available in the Seattle area soon.

Have you tried Ramborn Cider? What did you think?

Notes from a Cider Tasting Class with Reverend Nat

September 22, 2017October 21, 2017 cidersays 2 Towns, Bull Run, Cascadia, Liberty, Rambling Route, Rev Nat's, review, Seattle Cider, Wandering Aengus, Washington Cider Week cider, cider class, cider review, cider tasting, Downtown Spirit's, hard cider, reverend nat's, tasting notes, wa cider week, Washington Cider Week

For my third Washington Cider Week 2017 event, I attended a cider tasting class with Nat West of Reverend Nat’s Hard Cider (in Portland Oregon), at Downtown Spirits in downtown Seattle. It was my first time at that store, which had a large selection (spirits, wine, beer, cider, mead, etc), plus an area set up with chairs & tables for classes & tastings.

The Event

I only read about the event the day before, but it sounded like a cool opportunity, as The Reverend (as he is commonly referred to – and he is an actual online ordained Reverend) has a lot of interesting insight on the industry. I already missed out on some fun cider week events as I didn’t find out about them until after the fact (apparently the official NW Cider calendar stopped accepting submissions pretty early), so I didn’t want to pass this up.

The tasting list was a bit underwhelming with multiple mass market PNW canned ciders, but the two hour event with 10 ciders only cost $10. That was crazy good deal, as that probably only covered the cider (and maybe even not), so Nat was basically volunteering his time. He took the train up from Portland just for this and one other event. There were only 11 of us who attended (and 2 of those were store employees).

I liked that the class was very informal. We were encouraged to ask questions whenever, and we were even allowed to just pass the ciders around and pour how much we wanted (with a suggested amount so everyone got to try some). Although that meant we couldn’t go back and taste anything (unless there were leftovers), it also meant I didn’t have cider poured into my glass which I would have felt obligated to drink to move on.

Cider Tasting Notes

We tasted the following ciders, in this order: Cascadia Granny Smith, Liberty McIntosh, Wandering Aengus Golden Russet, Seattle Cider Winesap Rosé , Seattle Cider Semi Sweet, Rambling Route Apple, Reverend Nat’s Revival, Bull Run Bramble Berry, 2 Towns Cot in the Act, and Reverend Nat’s The Passion. The first was described as a palette cleanser, the next three as American Heirloom, the following three as American common, and the last three as flavored. Most of the time he would also include some European ciders, like English, French, and/or Spanish, but I think he was limited to what this store had in stock and cold.

The only new-to-me cider was Seattle Cider Winesap Rosé. Nat asked if anyone had tried all the ciders, and I said 9/10, and it was the same for him (apparently that is a new ish Seattle Cider release). The majority of the class seemed to be more so fans of Reverend Nat’s cider (which tend to be beer fans), than overall cider enthusiasts like me.

Cascadia Ciderworks United (Portland OR) Green Apple (6.9% ABV) – This retails for $9.99 / four pack of 16oz cans, and is made by Reverend Nat’s. Semi-dry, very tart, and definitely green apple flavor (single varietal).

Liberty Ciderworks (Spokane WA) McIntosh (8.1% ABV) – See my previous notes here. Liberty was described as a more traditional cidermaker, plus I know they are unique in that they are not orchard based, but only use heirloom & cider apples. This single varietal is available in bottles and on draft, and retails around $16 / 750ml. Nat described this apple variety as making a juice which is very appley (more than many other heirloom apple varieties), and it not being as common in the PNW as it is in the NE. Semi-dry. Low to moderate tannins. Notes of apple juice, caramel, honey, and must. Some other folks in the class were picking up hints of “bandaid” flavor (which is from a combination of Brettanomyces, tannins, and polyphenols). I must not be sensitive to that, as I’ve never noticed it with any cider. However, in contrast, I am very sensitive to sourness, common in farmhouse and Spanish style ciders.

Wandering Aengus (Salem OR) Golden Russet (9.0% ABV) – See my previous notes here. Wandering Aengus was described as one of the first cideries in the NW, starting in the 1990s, under the name “The Traditional Company”. This is a single varietal made using Golden Russet apples which they grew themselves, and dry farmed (no irrigation). It retails for around $9 / 500ml. I would have described it as on the sweeter side of semi-dry, but apparently this measures full dry (my all have different palettes!). Tart, acidic, bitter, and slightly tannic. Rich flavor. Long acidic tannic finish.

Seattle Cider Co. (Seattle WA) Winesap Rosé (6.0% ABV) – I’ve tried multiple single varietals from Winesap apples, and multiple rosé ciders, but not this one. Winesap Rosé is a single varietal from Winesap apples, and pink/rosé from being aged in red wine barrels. It retails for around $11 / 500ml. Semi-dry. Watery. Slightly fruity, with a hint of oak. The carbonation was visible but not detectable. Low tartness and acidity. Hints of tannins. Quick finish. I think this would appeal more to wine folks. Like most of their ciders, the flavor was very mild.

Seattle Cider Co. (Seattle WA) Semi Sweet (6.5% ABV) – See my previous notes here. This is a very commonly found cider in Seattle, and retails for about $11 / four 16oz cans. Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Fuller bodied. Low acid. Notes of apple juice, honey, and citrus.

Rambling Route (Yakima WA) Apple (6.9% ABV) – See my previous notes here. This is made by Tieton, and retails for about $9 / four 16oz cans. Higher carbonation. Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Very similar to Seattle Cider, but slightly more apple-forward. We were told these two ciders are so similar as they use the same dessert apple juice blend, same wine yeast, sugar for back-sweetening, etc.

Reverend Nat’s (Portland OR) Revival (5.8% ABV) – See my previous notes here. This retails for about $15 / six 12oz bottles or $6 / 500ml bottle. This is a very unique cider as it gets a lot of different flavors just from the use of multiple yeast strains, piloncillo sugar, and a secret ingredient which he told us but said I couldn’t write down. It is made by mixing two batches of cider together. One has yeast strain 1 and the sugar, and results in a high ABV. The other has yeast strain 2, and results in a more typical ABV. Then fresh juice is added, which is about 20% of the makeup. Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Notes of apple juice, yeast, brown sugar, honey, and hints of tropical fruit.

Bull Run (Forest Grove OR) Bramble Berry (6.8% ABV) – See my previous notes here. This cider with marionberries, blackberries, and boysenberries retails for $8 / 500ml. Semi-dry, with the berry more in the nose than the flavor, low acid, and hints of tannins from the berries.

2 Towns (Corvallis OR) Cot in the Act (6.2% ABV) – See my previous notes here. This is a seasonal apricot cider (made using the whole fruit, not just juice) which retails for about $12.50 / six 12oz cans or $8 / 500ml. Very strong apricot scent. Semi-sweet to semi-dry, juicy, notes of stone fruit, and flavorful.

Reverend Nat’s (Portland OR) The Passion (6.9% ABV) – See my previous notes here. This is a seasonal cider made with Ecuadorian passion fruit juice, toasted coconut, and vanilla, and retails for about $14 / 500ml. I had previously heard this described as a sour cider, but this bottle pour and my previous draft pour were both free from sourness, so I’m game to buy it sometime as I really enjoy the flavor. Semi-sweet (his sweetest cider). Tart. High flavor intensity, with a strong passion fruit scent & flavor, with hints of vanilla & coconut.

My favorite ciders of those were from Liberty, 2 Towns, and Rev Nat’s.

Info from Rev Nat

We discussed some cider basics such as sweetness vs. acidity and the cidermaking process. However, I was surprised that I don’t think the word “tannins” came up at all (although it was on the handout, which had one side of general cider info and one side with info about the 10 ciders), despite at least the Liberty and Wandering Aengus ciders being good examples.
Rev Nat’s has five cider bases, and two of them are the Cascadia green & blue cans
- The green can is used to make Sacrilege Cherry
- The blue can is used to make half of Revival and all of Hallelujah Hopricot
2 Towns (another common Oregon cidery) is six times as large as Rev Nat’s (I assume in context of cider produced/year)
Rev Nat’s currently has 22 employees
Rev Nat’s will be moving into a new 25,000 sq ft cidery space, and will then convert their current 8,000 sq ft space into only a tap room, including food. It doesn’t look like the news about this being finalized has been officially announced, but this article from last year mentioned the same info.
Profit margins are about the same for all cideries, so ciders that cost more do actually cost more to make.
Specific gravity is a way to measure the sweetness of a cider, using the weight of the cider compared to the weight of the same amount of water. The interesting thing with SG however is that you can have a cider with a specific gravity lower than water, so that would say the cider was drier than water lol.
Single varietal ciders are apparently more of an American thing, due to our new experimental cider culture. They are probably second most common in England.
Wine/champagne yeast is often used in cidermaking as it ferments cleanly at low temperatures, is easy to remove (it will clump at the bottom of the tank), and it is designed to not impact the flavor.
Rev Nat’s in contrast uses beer yeast, which is designed to impart flavor (we were told the yeast in beer is actually what has the most impact on a beer’s flavor, not the grains or hops). I think this class did a good job showcasing Rev Nat’s ciders, as they were two of the 2-4 most flavorful ciders of the group of 10.
Nat said cider that is cloudy is more of a marketing gimmick, and cloudy ciders don’t really retain more flavor than the more commonly found filtered ones. Cloudiness in a cider can be from suspended yeast, apple debris/pulp, or pectin (naturally in apples). The first two can be filtered out, but not the last. This really made me think, as I’ve had a number of ciders which were cloudy and very flavorful (Downeast comes to mind). They did tend to be sweet and apple juice forward though, so its quite plausible they would have still tasted like that after filtering. Also, I’ve never tried the same cider before and after filtering, which I think would be the real test.
Nat often does an expanded cider tasting class during Oregon Cider Week, which includes 30! ciders in 3 hours

After the Event

I forgot to snag a photo before the tasting, but I got one of the aftermath:

After the event I looked around the Downtown Spirits shop and was excited to find an entire shelf of cider that was 50% off – Alpenfire, Eden, Eric Bordelet, Slyboro, etc. Its sad, but the high end and/or imported ciders just don’t sell very quickly. I’ve heard from several shops that they won’t be re-stocking those sorts of items. It has got more difficult for me to get imports especially. I hadn’t planned to pick up any cider as my cabinet is full, but I picked up six bottles of high end ciders for under $50, as it was too good of a deal to pass up. Very cool!

Gitche Gumee Ciderworks Entropy

September 20, 2017September 20, 2017 cidersays Gitche Gumee, review cider, cider review, cider tasting, Entropy, farmhouse style, Gitche Gumee, hard cider, Michigan, tasting notes, wild yeast

Review of Gitche Gumee Ciderworks’ debut release, Entropy. It is my first time trying any of their cider.

>>This is a review of a sample bottle provided to Cider Says by Gitche Gumee. 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: Entropy (2015 vintage)
Cidery: Gitche Gumee
Cidery Location: Hancock Michigan
ABV: 6.9%
How Supplied: 750ml corked & caged bottles
Style: American craft “feral” cider from local wild apples, spontaneously (wild yeast) fermented, barrel aged, bottle conditioned

Availability: limited to Northwest Michigan, released August 2017

Cider Description: We hand press wild, feral apples grown in the stunning Copper Country of Upper Michigan. Long winters, fresh air, and beautiful summer days conspire to grow large crops of wild apples. No shortcuts! These small tart apples are hand-picked by our community, providing opportunities for local groups to forage our forests. The juice is spontaneously fermented using the wild yeast naturally present on the apple. No added yeast, water, sugar, sulfites, preservatives, or flavorings. After a cold fermentation, it is cellar-aged 9 months in small French white oak barrels. The outcome is a delicious, dry, funky and naturally gluten free cider done in a time-honored tradition. We’re making cider the hard way!

Cidery Description: Hancock Michigan’s first Hard Cidery. We pride ourselves on producing quality products.

Price: n/a (retails for $15)
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: the cidermaker contacted me (Phillip Kelm)

First Impression: Medium straw yellow hue. Very low carbonation. Smells of funk, sourness, citrus, and must.

Tasting Notes: Dry. Light bodied. Low tartness. Moderate acidity. Low bitterness and tannins. Moderate funk. Low sourness. Notes of lemon, grapefruit, must, oak, honey, herbs, and vinegar. Moderate length sharp finish. Low to moderate apple flavor. Moderate flavor intensity, complexity, and sourness. Low barrel influence.

My Opinion: Regular readers of my blog will know this isn’t my favorite type of cider. Everyone doesn’t like every cider. However, I can say that this is well-made, and an excellent value. I’d recommend this for fans of dry farmhouse-style ciders. It is less acidic & sour than some similar ciders I’ve tried, which is likely more friendly to folks not familiar with this style. There was some nice complexity and flavor.

Side Note: Something was off with the cork. I am used to the button top ones with champagne bottles, and this one seemed like a straight cork which was pushed in too far. Just one of those first release hiccups. It was all good though, as my husband got it open with a corkscrew and some muscle, and didn’t even get any chunks of cork in the cider!

Closing Notes: I’m glad I got a chance to try this cider (and was actually among the first, as it is a brand new release). It’ll be fun to see what they come up with next.

Have you tried Gitchee Gumee cider? What did you think?

Eden Specialty Ciders & Tilted Shed Collaboration, Two Ellies

September 18, 2017September 18, 2017 cidersays Eden, review, Tilted Shed cider, cider review, cider tasting, Eden Ice Cider, Eden Specialty Cider, hard cider, tasting notes, Tilted Shed, Two Ellies

Review of Two Ellies: An East Meets West American Cider Story, a collaboration between Eleanor Leger of Eden Specialty Ciders in Vermont and Ellen Cavalli of Tilted Shed Ciderworks in California. It is my first time trying this, although I’ve tried Tilted Shed’s Lost Orchard, Barred Rock, & Smoked, and Eden’s Sparkling Dry, Cinderella’s Slipper, Heirloom Ice Cider, Sparkling Semi-Dry, Northern Spy Ice Cider, Honeycrisp Ice Cider, Imperial 11 Rosé, Heirloom Brandy Barrel Aged Ice Cider, Guinevere’s Pearls, & Windfall Orchard Ice Cider.

>>This is a review of a sample bottle provided to Cider Says by Eden Specialty Ciders (the cidermaker Eleanor brought it to me in her suitcase!). 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: Two Ellies: An East Meets West American Cider Story
Cidery: Eden Specialty Ciders & Tilted Shed Ciderworks
Cidery Location: Newport VT & Windsor CA (bottle says made at Eden in Vermont)
ABV: 7.5%
How Supplied: 750ml bottles
Style: American artisan cider from Gravenstein apples from Tilted Shed in California and Esopus Spitzenburg apples from Eden in Vermont (both heirloom varieties), naturally sparkling, dry

Availability: Very limited (likely only in parts of CA & VT), released September 2017

Cider Description: This special cider is a cross-country collaboration between the two Ellies of American fine cider – Eleanor Leger of Vermont’s Eden Specialty Ciders and Ellen Cavalli of Sonoma Country’s Tilted Shed Ciderworks – who each contributed an hierloom apple variety particular to their terroir to showcase their mutual passion for traditional cidermaking.

A bit on terroir: The term is most commonly used in the wine world, and describes the impact of the region (soil, topography, climate, etc) on a product. Even ciders made from the same type of apples & yeast using the methods can vary widely region-to-region as the apples are different due to the environmental variance. For example, the same variety of apple from the NE will commonly be significantly higher in acid than those from the NW.

Price: n/a (and unknown)
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: n/a

First Impression: Dark straw yellow hue. High carbonation (natural, from secondary fermentation in the bottle). Smells of funk, acidity, must, and citrus.

Tasting Notes: Dry. Light bodied. Moderate tartness. High acidity. Low bitterness. Low to moderate tannins. Hints of sourness. Low funk. Notes of lemon, yeast, funk, wood, honey, and must. Long acidic fizzy tannic finish. Low apple flavor and sessionability. Moderate complexity and flavor intensity.

My Opinion: I liked but didn’t love this, but that was anticipated, as my personal preference isn’t typically for dry acidic ciders. However, it was expertly crafted. I enjoyed this cider more at close to room temperature, as that cut the sharp acidity and let the fizz settle down. My husband was a huge fan, as expected, as dry sparkling cider is his favorite. It had a surprising amount of tannins for being made with heirloom (not cider) apple varieties, which I enjoyed. I’d recommend Two Ellies for lovers of dry, acidic, highly carbonated ciders.

Most Similar to: This reminded me of Tilted Shed Lost Orchard & Understood in Motion 02 (but both of those were nearly still), and Eve’s Beckhorn Hollow (except that had some different flavor notes).

Closing Notes: Even though this isn’t a personal favorite, I’m glad I got the opportunity to try it and share about it.

Side Note: Eden has previously collaborated with Angry Orchard (see my review of Understood in Motion 01), and also recently released a budget-friendly cider made with Québec dessert apple varieties, called Border Buster (see this article). Tilted Shed has also been staying busy, with multiple new releases, as announced on their Facebook page.

Have you tried any ciders from Eden or Tilted Shed? What did you think?

2 Towns Hollow Jack

September 15, 2017September 10, 2017 cidersays 2 Towns, review 2 Towns, cider, cider review, cider tasting, Corvallis, hard cider, Hollow Jack, oregon, pumpkin cider, tasting notes

Review of 2 Towns’ Hollow Jack, a seasonal cider with pumpkin, sweet potato, and pie spices. I sampled this last year (see here), and I’ve tried most of their line-up (see here).

>>This is a review of a sample bottle provided to Cider Says by 2 Towns. 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: Hollow Jack
Cidery: 2 Towns
Cidery Location: Corvallis OR
ABV: 6.4%
How Supplied: 500ml bottles, kegs
Style: American craft cider from dessert apples, unfiltered, with caramelized heirloom pumpkin, sweet potato, honey, and pie spices (allspice, nutmeg, clove, and cinnamon)

Availability: Seasonably (September to November), primarily CA, OR, & WA, although in general their ciders are available in AK, CA, HI, ID, IL (Chicago), MN, NV, OR, and WA. See their Cider Finder.

Cider Description: Mischievous & spiced, Hollow Jack is far from empty. A brew of fresh-pressed apples, caramelized pumpkin and sweet potatoes is finished with a dash of honey and spices to carve out this special Fall cider.

Cidery Description: At 2 Towns Ciderhouse we believe that the long history of cidermaking demands respect and deserves to be done right. Starting with the highest quality whole ingredients from local farms, we take no shortcuts in crafting our ciders. We never add any sugar, concentrates or artificial flavors, and instead use slow, cold fermentation methods to allow the fruit to speak for itself. As a family-owned company, we are committed to the growth of our team and enrichment of our communities. We take pride in producing true Northwest craft cider.

Price: n/a (retails for ~ $6.99 / 500ml
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: I first tried it at Cider Summit Seattle 2016, but this time it just showed up

First Impression: Hazy straw yellow hue. Still (no carbonation). Smells vegetal and of pie spices.

Tasting Notes: Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Medium bodied. Low to moderate tartness. Moderate acidity. Hints of bitterness and tannins. No sourness or funk. Notes of baked apple, pumpkin, squash, sweet potato / yam, caramel, and pie spices. Quick to moderate length finish. Low apple flavor. Moderate to high sessionability. Moderate flavor intensity and complexity. Low to moderate pumpkin & sweet potato flavor. Very low spice.

My Opinion: Although I’m not a huge pumpkin / spiced cider fan, I liked this one, and it is my favorite of the five I’ve tried.

Most Similar to: Doc’s Draft Pumpkin cider (although that was a full sweet) and Tieton’s Smoked Pumpkin cider (although that was quite intensely flavored compared to this). I’ve also tried pumpkin ciders from Ace and Woodchuck.

Closing Notes: Unlike many pumpkin ciders (and beers), this one is actually made with pumpkin. Many just add the pie spices but still call it a pumpkin cider (or beer). Also, it is well balanced, with both the pumpkin and spices remaining light.

Have you tried 2 Towns Hollow Jack? What did you think?

Cider Summit Seattle 2017 Post 2/2 – Tasting Notes

September 13, 2017September 12, 2017 cidersays Alpenfire, Alter Ego, Anthem, Bad Granny, Cider Riot, Cider Summit, D's Wicked, Eden, event, French Cider Inc., La Chouette, Lefevre, Liberty, Louis Raison, Mission Trail, Montana Ciderworks, Old Swede, One Tree, Pear UP, Pierre Huet, review, Seattle Cider, Swift, Washington Cider Week, Washington Gold cider, cider event, cider festival, cider review, cider summit, cider tasting, cider tasting event, hard cider, seattle, tasting notes

This is post 2/2 on Cider Summit Seattle 2017, with tasting notes on 21 ciders. Post 1/2 covered the event (see here).

The Tasting Notes

Alpenfire (Port Townsend WA) – Although I had previously tried the three ciders they were pouring (see my previous reviews here), I’m including Alpenfire here as they were debuting their new branding and future new cider releases. They have a new logo, bottle labels, and website. The future new cider releases include a rosé Pommeau, “Tempest” New England style, 3 Pommes (apple/pear/quince), a new release of Smoke (my all time favorite cider, which hasn’t been out for a couple years), a Foxwhelp apple single varietal, and even a Pommeau with an apple grown in the bottle (which will only be for the initial members of their new cider club). Sounds like they have been busy!

Alpenfire did however have a cask-aged version of their Pirate’s Plank which I had a sip of. It seemed a tad sweeter (dry not bone dry) and a bit more oaky than I remembered previously.

Alter Ego (Portland OR) The Brute (6.5% ABV) – This was their first time at Cider Summit, although they were founded in 2014. The Brute is one of their two flagship ciders; the other is The Guardian Angel, a blueberry-pomegranate cider (see my tasting notes here). Semi-dry, slightly apple-forward, tart, crisp, and easy to drink, but overall a bit boring as the flavor intensity was low, as is common with a drier cider from dessert apple varieties (which is why most ciders from dessert apples are sweeter and/or flavored).

Anthem (Salem OR) Rye Barrel Aged Cider (8.5% ABV) – Anthem is part of Wandering Aengus. This is a draft-only release, aged in Rye whiskey barrels. Semi-dry to dry and sharp, with moderate whiskey flavor and a hint of oak.

Bad Granny (Chelan WA) Rainier Cherry – They launched a little over a year ago and are new to Cider Summit. Rainier Cherry is a draft-only release using local Rainier cherries, although they sell their Original green apple cider in cans. On the sweeter side of semi-dry (I was told 9 grams sugar / 12oz), fuller bodied, moderate intensity real cherry flavor.

Cider Riot (Portland OR) Everyday Semi-Dry (6.0% ABV) – I believe this was their first time at Cider Summit Seattle. This cider is also available in cans. Semi-dry to dry, with a hint of sourness, but very low flavor intensity and fairly blah.

d’s Wicked (Kennewick WA) Bare Naked (6.7% ABV) – This is a new release, and currently draft-only. It is a less sweet and non-spiced version of their flagship Baked Apple cider. Semi-dry and flavorful, with unfiltered apple juice notes and a hint of honey flavor.

Eden Specialty Ciders (Newport VT) Heirloom Blend Ice Cider (10.0% ABV) – I have tried this special treat previously, but my husband ended up getting a couple pours, burning the rest of his tickets, as it is amazing and a great value to get pours of at an event. Ice cider is made using juice which has been frozen, concentrating the natural sugars and flavors, resulting in a sweet full-bodied intensely flavorful dessert cider. See my previous review here, and my review of the brandy barrel-aged version of this cider here (which is my all time favorite ice cider).

French Cider Inc. – I tried three French ciders imported by French Cider Inc. / Beauchamp Imports Inc. They are Seattle based and fairly new to the market (I hadn’t even heard of them before I was looking over the Cider Summit list!), and thus this was their first time at Cider Summit. French Cider’s focus is on importing French cidre (apple cider), poire (French perry, which is made from pears, not apples), and Calvados (French apple brandy). The owner Joan Harkins (who I chatted with) speaks French and lives French culture. She has hand-selected each variety in their collection after meeting with the cidermakers. I hadn’t previously been aware of any of their selection being available in the U.S. I found all three selections to likely be friendly to an unfamiliar palette, as they were all clean or fairly clean (no to low funk) and no sourness, lining up more with the style of the Brittany France ciders I’ve had more than the Normany France ciders I’ve had (although it appears all three were made in or near Normandy). French Cider’s primary focus is on supplying shops and restaurants, but they also offer local pickup (appointment only) in Seattle, and soon, will ship. Their website is amazingly informative, and they had a helpful handout for each of the three ciders (see below). They are posting a photo blog featuring the French apple harvest season, which is currently underway (see their Facebook page). Also, here is a recent article on the company from Seattle Dining.

La Chouette (Mont-Saint-Michel Bay France) Cidre Demi-Sec (4.5% ABV) – This cider was produced in an area in between the Normandy and Brittany regions in France, from cider apples. Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Lower carbonation and tannins than the other two I tried. Clean (no funk). Retails for $5-6 / 330ml bottle.

Lefevre (Berville Normandy France) Cidre Brut (5.9% ABV) – This cider was produced just outside of Paris, by a 5th generation cidermaker, with cider apples. The scent was the most complex of the three I tried. Semi-dry. Citrus in addition to apple notes, and more. A hint of funk. Low to moderate tannins. French Cider’s website has an interview with the cidermaker, Eric Lefevre. Retails for $5-6 / 330ml bottle.

Pierre Huet (Cambremer Normandy France) Cidre Bouche Brut (4.5% ABV) – This cider underwent secondary fermentation in the bottle and was made with 7 or 8 varieties of cider apples by a 5th generation cidermaker. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Clean (no funk). Low tannins. Flavorful, apple forward, and easy to drink. French Cider’s website has an article on their visit to Pierre Huet as well as an interview with the cidermaker, François-Xavier Huet. Retails for $13-18 / 750ml bottle.

Liberty Cider (Spokane WA) Spokane Scrumpy (6.4% ABV) – This cider was released in the Spring, and made with community harvested apples (of mostly unknown types, from dessert apples to crab apples) and wild yeast fermented. $1 of each bottle sale goes to the Spokane Second Harvest food bank. See this article. On the sweeter side of semi-dry (probably their sweetest cider), buttery, and complex. I couldn’t really put my finger on the flavor profile with the sample size and time frame, so I’d be interested in giving a full bottle a try.

Louis Raison (Le Theil-sur-Huisne France) Organic Dry (4.5% ABV) – This cidery is brand new to the U.S., and first launched here in Seattle. They will have this cider on draft to start in Washington and Oregon, and eventually increase up to three bottled varieties in 2018 (adding Rouge Delice – made from red fleshed apples, and Original Crisp). See here for more info on their launch. Organic Dry is made in France from certified Organic bittersweet cider apples grown on co-op farms. On the sweeter side of semi-dry. Apple and yeast forward and easy to drink. I look forward to this being available in bottles as it sounds like it’ll be fairly affordable to keep around as an everyday cider.

Mission Trail (Bradley CA) Plum Jerkum (6.5% ABV) – They have been around since 2014, but are new to the Seattle market and Cider Summit. Although Mission Trail makes ciders and perries, they are best known for their other fruit wines, and specifically, jerkum (which is fermented stone fruit juice; the term originated just for plums, but has more recently been used to encompass all stone fruits). They were actually only pouring jerkums at this cider event. In this case it was 100% plum juice from 14 red-fleshed varieties. The Plum Jerkum was semi-sweet to semi-dry, tart, with a moderately intense fruity berry flavor (I didn’t really pick up the prune/plum).

Mission Trail (Bradley CA) Goldmine Nectarine (6.0% ABV) – This is another jerkum, with 100% nectarine juice, barrel aged. Semi-dry, quite tart, with pure nectarine flavor. I didn’t pick up any barrel influence, but often it isn’t obvious. I also recently tried their Peach Coast (see here), a peach wine / jerkum, which was my favorite of the three.

Montana Ciderworks (Darby MT) Small Batch Dolgo (5.5% ABV) – This is a single varietal from the Dolgo crabapple, oak aged, part of their Small Batch series. Semi-sweet, tangy, fruity, and apple-forward.

Random note: I got some insight into labeling special releases. In this case, “Dolgo” was stamped on, making it look handwritten with less effort. Very cool. However, many small batch special releases do have actual handwritten labels, like this one. Getting a label approved by the TTB is a time consuming process, so often cideries have a general label they use for multiple small batches.

Ole Swede (Tonasket WA) Mulberry & Friends – It was the cidery’s first time at Cider Summit, and they were founded last year. This is a new cider release made with eight different types of berries and currants (mulberry, blackberry, raspberry, elderberry, blueberry, gooseberry, black currant, and golden currant). On the sweeter side of semi-dry, smooth, low tartness & acidity, with a light real berry flavor.

One Tree (Spokane WA) Pina Colada – This is a new draft-only release, part of the fruit cider challenge (and it turned out to be the winner – 2nd year in a row for One Tree – congrats!). Sweet, very full flavored, with a bit more coconut than pineapple. I loved the flavor of this (it reminded me a bit of Pear Up’s Pearjito Colada with the coconut, which hasn’t been used much in cider), but it would be a bit sweet to have much of.

Pear Up (Wenatchee WA) Pineapple Pear – This was their fruit cider challenge entry, a one-off draft only release. On the sweeter side of semi-dry, low flavor intensity, with the flavor balanced between pear & pineapple. They weren’t serving it through the pineapple, but it was a cool photo op nonetheless.

Seattle Cider (Seattle WA) New England Style (9.5% ABV) – This is a seasonal release which appears to have not been released for a few years, possibly draft-only. It was made in the New England style, typically characterized as a high ABV cider with brown sugar and raisins added. Semi-sweet to semi-dry, sharp & acidic, with caramel notes and a boozy finish.

Seattle Cider (Seattle WA) 2015 Washington Heirloom (7.0% ABV) – This is part of their Harvest series, made with heirloom apple varieties, and also available in bottles. Semi-dry, herbal scent, sharp, with citrus, floral, and herbal notes.

Swift (Portland OR) Pineapple Hop (6.7% ABV) – They have been around since 2014, but it was their first time at Cider Summit Seattle. Semi-dry, balanced flavor between the pineapple & hops with only hints of bitterness, but overall the flavor intensity was low.

Washington Gold (Chelan WA) Northwest Raspberry (5.5% ABV) – This is a brand new small batch canned release. Semi-sweet to sweet, with intense real raspberry flavor.

It was impossible to taste all the ciders at the event (or even one from each producer), so I’d also like to share previous tasting notes and reviews on some of the producers I didn’t get to highlight: 101 Cider House, 2 Towns, Aspall, Atlas, Bull Run, Chatter Creek, Double Mountain, Dragon’s Head, Dunkertons, Eaglemount, E.Z. Orchards, Finnriver, Greenwood, Hi-Wheel, Incline, Jester & Judge, J. Seeds, Le Brun, Locust, Maeloc, Manoir du Parc, Methow Valley, Moonlight Meadery, New West, North Idaho, Number 6 Cider, Reverend Nat’s, Portland, Rambling Route, Samuel Smiths, Schilling, Sea Cider, Snowdrift, Sonoma, Spire Mountain, Steelhead, Summit, Tieton, Ulee’s, Wandering Aengus, WildCraft, and Worley’s

In Summary

My Favorite Ciders – Of the ones I tasted at the event, my favorites were the 4 French ciders, some of the sweeter ciders that were very flavorful (such as One Tree’s Pina Colada and WA Gold Cider’s Raspberry), Montana Cider’s Dolgo, and Liberty’s Spokane Scrumpy.

Other Interesting Selections – There were also some interesting beverages I didn’t try, such as Schilling’s guava barrel-aged sour, a cocktail from Incline with gin and their Compass Rose cider, apple whiskey from J. Seeds, a Cider Summit themed cider from Finnriver which has been available at all four Cider Summit events this year (see here), 101 Ciderhouse’s Black Dog with activated charcoal (see here), and Reverend Nat’s Sacrilege Sour Cherry with ghost peppers (see here).

EZ Orchards Roman Beauty

September 8, 2017September 3, 2017 cidersays E.Z. Orchards, review cider, cider review, cider tasting, E.Z. Orchards, EZ Orchards, hard cider, Roman Beauty, tasting notes

Review of EZ Orchards’ Roman Beauty cider. I tried this before (see here), but didn’t do a full review. I’ve also tried their Semi Dry, Hawk Haus, Poire, and Williamette Valley 2011 Cidre.

Cider: Roman Beauty
Cidery: EZ Orchards Cidre
Cidery Location: Rickreal Oregon
ABV: 4.2%
How Supplied: 500ml bottles (and draft)
Style: American artisan cider, predominantly made from Roman Beauty heirloom apples

Availability: Likely only in California, Oregon, and Washington

Cider Description: Roman Beauty Cider is named for the heirloom apple that provides the predominant juice pressed for this blend. We have been growing this apple variety at E.Z. Orchards since 1929. Fermented cold and slow to retain a ripe apple aroma, Roman Beauty is a semi-dry cider with mild acidity.

Cidery Description: We have been orchardists since the 1920s when we began to grow Roman Beauty apples on the farm. When we began specifically producing cidre apples in 2000, the entire orchard was transformed around that intent and slowly took shape. Surrounding the orchards, the larger farm produces a wide variety of fruits that diversify the land and aid in the pollination process, including peaches, pears, and hazelnuts. Today, we grow a wide variety of heirloom cidre apples including French and English bittersweets, and American semi-sharps. In the Willamette Valley of Oregon where we farm, the ground is an ancient seabed full of rich and nutritious soil. With so much nutrition available to the trees, we have to suppress their vigor through pruning and selection to ensure that each apple receives the most intense nurturing for flavor and aromatics. We grow our apples with specific cidre blends in mind. As you walk the grounds, it becomes clear that it’s organized around specific cultivation and harvesting techniques, enabling us to manage a precise maturation on the tree that we improve with every year’s lessons.

Price: $9.00
Where Bought: Schilling Cider House in Seattle WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: I first tried this when some friends bought a bottle at the cider house and shared some with me.

First Impression: Light gold yellow hue. Low to moderate carbonation. Smells mild and funky.

Tasting Notes: On the sweeter side of semi-dry. Medium bodied. Moderate tartness and acidity. Low tannins. Moderate funk. No bitterness or sourness. Notes of partially baked apples, honey, lemon, and a hint of spice. Moderate length finish. Low to moderate apple flavor. Moderate to high sessionability. Moderate flavor intensity. Moderate complexity.

My Opinion: I really like this cider. However, this batch was quite different than what I tried a couple years ago; that time it was completely clean, and this time it was significantly funky. However, batch variability and funkiness are to be expected when using unpredictable spontaneous (wild yeast) fermentation.

Most Similar to: It reminds me some of Dragon’s Head Wild Fermented (but Roman Beauty is more flavorful, sweeter, and easier to drink) and Eden Guineveres Pearls (but Roman Beauty is drier, less acidic, and less flavorful).

Closing Notes: I hope to be able to try more ciders from EZ Orchards. However, they seem to be getting more difficult to find in the Seattle area.

Have you tried cider from EZ Orchards? What did you think?

North Idaho Cider Wild Cherry

September 6, 2017August 28, 2017 cidersays North Idaho Cider, review cherry cider, cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, North Idaho, North Idaho Cider, North Idaho Cidery, tasting notes, Wild Cherry

Review of North Idaho Cider’s Wild Cherry. It is my first time trying this one, but I’ve had their Logger cider.

Cider: Wild Cherry Dry Hard Cider
Cidery: North Idaho Cider
Cidery Location: Coeur d’Alene ID
ABV: 6.9%
How Supplied: 22oz bottles (and draft)
Style: American craft cider from dessert apples with cherries

Availability: At least in Idaho and Washington, plus they have an online store

Cider Description: The 1st fruit of summer. Deep in color, rich in flavor; this hard cider displays how satisfying a freshly picked cherry can be less the pit! A subtle fruity sweetness is balanced with a tart and refreshing finish–the perfect pairing for all that North Idaho has to offer this time of year.

Cidery Description: Inspired by the adventurous lifestyle and heritage that sets our region apart, North Idaho Cider crafts cider to be dry, crisp and refreshing. Using Northwest grown ingredients–no artificial sulfites or preservatives. It’s hard. It’s real. It’s natural–like North Idaho, there’s nothing else like it!

They started in 2014, and have a tasting room in Hayden Idaho.

Price: $7.99
Where Bought: Total Wine
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing. It was my first time seeing their cider in a store.

First Impression: Slightly hazy pink-red hue. Nearly still (very low carbonation). Smells very mildly fruity.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry. Light to medium bodied. Moderate tartness and acidity. Low bitterness. No sourness, funk, or tannins. Notes of cranberry, grapefruit, pomegranate, cherry, and lemon. Moderate to long slightly bitter finish. Low apple flavor. Moderate to high flavor intensity. Moderate complexity. Moderate sessionability.

My Opinion: I liked this. However, the flavor was a bit weird; I tasted more cranberry & grapefruit than cherry flavor. The flavor intensity was higher than average for a semi-dry cider, and it had a bit more complexity, both of which were nice.

Most Similar to: Nothing I’ve tried. Most similar fruity ciders are sweeter too.

Closing Notes: I’m interested in trying some of their other ciders.

Have you tried North Idaho Cider? What did you think?

Understood in Motion 02 (Angry Orchard & EZ Orchards Collaboration)

September 4, 2017September 1, 2017 cidersays Angry Orchard, EZ Orchards, review Angry Orchard, cider, cider review, cider tasting, collaboration, EZ Orchards, hard cider, tasting notes, Understood in Motion

Review of Understood in Motion 02, Angry Orchard’s second release in the collaboration series, this time with EZ Orchards. The first was with Eden Specialty Ciders and released nearly a year ago (see my review of Understood in Motion 01 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: Understood in Motion 02
Cidery: Angry Orchard & EZ Orchards
Cidery Location: Walden NY & Salem OR
ABV: 7.2%
How Supplied: 750ml corked & caged bottles
Style: American craft cider from bittersweet & heirloom apple varieties, wild yeast fermented, partially Cognac barrel aged, dry & still

Availability: Angry Orchard’s facility in Walden NY and at select locations in Oregon, released August 2017

Cider Description: The east meets west coast with Understood in Motion 02, a collaboration between Angry Orchard Hard Cider and E.Z. Orchards Cidre. The cider is a homage to style, tradition, and a shared respect for the integrity of the fruit. Apples used are Bittersweet Muscadet de Lense and Marie Menard from Oregon, and heirloom, acid-forward Gold Rush and Northern Spy from New York. The fruit was naturally fermented in a process that requires very little intervention but lots of careful attention.

Angry Orchard’s Ryan Burk and EZ Orchards’ Kevin Zielinski worked together on this cider over the last year. This article has more information.

Price: n/a (retails for $25)
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: I read about it online.

First Impression: Still (no carbonation). Light pumpkin yellow hue. Smells mild, of citrus and must.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry to dry. Light to medium bodied. Low tartness. Moderate acidity. Low tannins. Hints of bitterness, sourness, and funk. Notes of lemon, grapefruit, straw, cork, honey, must, and wood. Moderate length warming finish, which is when a slight Congac flavor shines through. Low apple flavor. Moderate to high complexity. Low to moderate sessionability. Low to moderate flavor intensity. Low barrel influence. Low to moderate spirit influence.

My Opinion: I liked it, but didn’t love it. I was hoping for more bittersweet apple flavor. Although this definitely wasn’t a fully heirloom apple cider (as the acidity was muted), the bittersweets didn’t get to shine through, as it was lacking their richness. The flavor notes I got from this were really interesting and unique.

Suggestions: I liked this cider best in between fridge and room temperature, as the complexity increased as it warmed up. I think it would taste good with something creamy, like cheese or a cream-based soup.

Most Similar to: A mild farmhouse-style cider, such as releases from Wrangletown, Dragon’s Head Wild Fermented, and Angry Orchard Walden Hollow.

Closing Notes: I’m glad I’ve had the opportunity to try these special releases not available locally – I’m spoiled with these samples!

Have you tried any of the Angry Orchard special releases? What did you think?

Mission Trail Peach Coast

September 1, 2017August 26, 2017 cidersays Mission Trail fruit wine, Mission Trail, peach, Peach Coast, peach wine, review, tasting notes

Review of Mission Trail’s Peach Coast. This isn’t actually cider, but fruit wine, or as they call it, Jerkum (only peaches, no apples). However, Mission Trail also makes ciders, and I occasionally review non-cider beverages here. I’ve previously tried Mission Trail’s Perry.

Product: Peach Coast
Cidery: Mission Trail
Cidery Location: Bradley CA
ABV: 6.1%
How Supplied: 500ml bottles
Style: Californian craft peach wine backsweetened with peach juice

Availability: at least in CA, OR, and WA, plus case sales online to AZ, CA, NV, OR, and WA (although this style is listed as sold out on their website, and they only produce once a year, at harvest)

Product Description: Another first! This incredibly aromatic, dry, soft, and complex jerkum is made entirely from peaches. Delicate sweetness and a lingering fruitiness give this jerkum light body with an unmistakable peach glow and soft peach “fuzz” on the finish. Truly a remarkable drink to be enjoyed by all!

Cidery Description: We focus on: artisanal and traditional cider making practices, original seasonals, innovation, and creating one-of-a-kind jerkums, perrys, and ciders done “right”!

They started in 2014 and don’t have a tasting room.

Price: $11
Where Bought: Schilling Cider House in Seattle WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing. Mission Trail’s products are newly available in the Seattle area

First Impression: Smells mild, of stone fruit. Low to moderate carbonation. Moderate peach hue.

Tasting Notes: Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Medium bodied. Moderate to high tartness. Low to moderate acidity. Hints of bitterness. No tannins, sourness, or funk. Notes of peach, apricot, nectarine, and lemon. Moderate peach flavor, flavor intensity, and sessionability. Low complexity.

My Opinion: I liked it, but didn’t love it. My husband however was a bigger fan (although he admittedly loves anything peach). I would have appreciated less tartness and more complexity. I think its pretty cool however that they made a 100% peach wine, as I’d always heard that non-grape and non-apple wines were quite cost-prohibitive (although $11 / pint isn’t cheap).

Most Similar to: I haven’t heard of anyone else making this sort of product, although a handful of grape wineries release some other fruit wines which may include peach. I’ve had a number of peach flavored ciders though, such as Blue Mountain Peach, Blackfin Pacific Peach, Carlton Bourbon Barrel Peachy Keen, Finnriver Country Peach, Number 6 Peach Fuzz, Red Branch Peach Cider, Schilling Road Trip (Peach Citra), and Tieton Bourbon Peach (Tieron’s was my favorite – I think its the best cider they make).

Closing Notes: I think they are doing some pretty cool stuff at Mission Trail, and I’d be interested in trying more.

Have you tried Mission Trail’s fruit wines? What did you think?

OR/WA Cider Collective Wild Plum

August 30, 2017August 31, 2017 cidersays OR/WA, review cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, OR/WA, OR/WA Cider, OR/WA Cider Collective, oregon, tasting notes

Review of the OR/WA Cider Collective’s Wild Plum cider. It is my first time trying anything from this cidery, or even hearing of them.

Cider: Wild Plum
Cidery: OR/WA Cider Collective
Cidery Location: Milwaukee OR
ABV: 6.4%
How Supplied: 750ml bottles
Style: craft cider from heirloom apples (80%) with wild plums (20%)

Availability: Only in Oregon

Cider Description: 80% heirloom apples from old growth, 20% wild plum

Cidery Description: The Oregon\Washington Cider Collective is a community of uncompromising American cider makers. We’re foraging the nation for the last remaining cider trees prohibition couldn’t kill. Our mission is to plant orchards of historical apple trees in the Pacific Northwest and bring back the finest USA-made cider since prohibition.

Price: $14
Where Bought: Bushwhacker Cider in Portland OR
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing. I had never heard of this cidery before.

First Impression: Dark straw yellow hue. Still (no carbonation). Smells acidic and of heirloom apples.

Tasting Notes: Dry. Moderate tartness. High acidity. Low bitterness, tannins, sourness, and funk. Notes of lemon, grapefruit, honey, stone fruit, and mineral. Moderate to long finish. Low apple flavor. Low sessionability. Moderate complexity. Low to moderate flavor intensity.

My Opinion: Definitely not what I was expecting. I actually didn’t taste any plum, just a hint of apricot / peach. With the sourness and funk, I’d guess it was made with wild yeast. If you are into farmhouse-style ciders and such, then I’d recommend it. However, this isn’t a style of cider I enjoy (yet).

Most Similar to: Rustic & farmhouse-style ciders and Spanish Sidra and the like

Closing Notes: This was at a nice price point, especially for a small batch / limited release (hand-labeled!). I’d be interested in trying something else from them in the future.

ADDED – Additional Info from the Cidery: OR/WA commented on my Facebook post that this was a very limited bottle release (only half a case!?), the cider portion was farmhouse-style, and that Bushwhacker in Portland is the best place to find their small batch ciders (including some on tap). Very cool.

Have you tried anything from OR/WA Cider Collective? What did you think?

Snowdrift Cidermaker’s Reserve

August 28, 2017August 28, 2017 cidersays Snowdrift cider, cider review, cider tasting, Cidermaker's Reserve, hard cider, Snowdrift, tasting notes, washington, Wenatchee

Review of Snowdrift’s Cidermaker’s Reserve. I have sampled it twice before (see here and here), but I’m doing a full review this time. I’ve also tried most of Snowdrift’s line-up: Cornice, Red, Perry, Cliffbreaks Blend, Dry, Semi-Dry, Seckel Perry, and Orchard Select.

Cider: Cidermaker’s Reserve
Cidery: Snowdrift
Cidery Location: East Wenatchee WA
ABV: 9.0%
How Supplied: 750ml corked & caged champagne bottles
Style: American artisan cider from heirloom & bittersweet apples (2014 harvest), Methode Champenoise, aged 3 years

Availability: Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey (see here), although this is a more limited release. They also have an online store

Cider Description: Taking the best of the best of our ciders, Cidermaker’s Reserve is a celebration of all the rich complexity cider apples have to offer. After a year of maturation, this cider then begins the full Méthode Champenoise process of in-bottle fermentation, which develops further layers of nuance. The labor of love pays off; its months of conditioning, riddling, and finishing yield a dry cider with continuously unfolding layers of spicy bittersweet apple character, citrusy brightness, and subtleties of toffee, aromatic wood and earth.

Cidery Description: We craft our ciders from great cider apples that we grow on our orchard in sunny East Wenatchee, WA. Our incredible region gives our trees the ideal conditions to grow apples packed with the flavors necessary to produce fine ciders. Hot sunny summers and cold snowy winters result in apples that mature with incredible aromatics and delicious flavors. When ripened to perfection, we pick these apples and craft them with the utmost care into fine cider blends, resulting in rich ciders full of delicious complexity.

Price: $19
Where Bought: Schilling Cider House in Seattle WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: I had tried it before, but my husband really wanted a bottle (this is probably his all time favorite cider).

First Impression: Light gold amber hue. High carbonation. Smells acidic and fruity/grapey.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry. Light to medium bodied with a fluffy fizzy texture. Moderate tartness. Moderate to high acidity. Low bitterness. Low to moderate tannins. No sourness. Hints of funk. Notes of pomegranate, white grape, stone fruit, leather, butterscotch, lemon, and orange. Moderate to long warming finish, the only time when the 9% ABV is noticeable. Low apple flavor. Moderate sessionability and flavor intensity. Moderate to high complexity.

My Opinion: Great! I enjoy this cider. Unique, complex, and bubbly, whats not to like? However, to me it almost tastes more like champagne than sparkling cider, except for the tannins.

Most Similar to: Nothing all that close, but in the same ballpark is AEppeltreow Appley Doux (slightly sweeter, and more green apple & floral), Alpenfire Cinders (much drier), and 2 Towns Traditions Riverwood Brut (more subtle)

Closing Notes: My favorites from Snowdrift are the Red, Cornice, Cliffbreaks Blend, and Cidermaker’s Reserve.

Have you tried Snowdrift Cidermaker’s Reserve? What did you think?

Urban Tree Cidery Classic

August 25, 2017August 21, 2017 cidersays review, Urban Tree Atlanta, cider, cider review, cider tasting, Classic, Georgia, hard cider, tasting notes, Urban Tree

Review of Urban Tree Cidery’s Classic variety, described as crisp, sweet, and refreshing. It is my first time trying any of their ciders, and I sampled their current flagship line-up of three ciders all at once.

>>This is a review of a sample bottle provided to Cider Says by Urban Tree. 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: Classic
Cidery: Urban Tree Cidery
Cidery Location: Atlanta Georgia
ABV: 6.5%
How Supplied: 750ml bottles (and kegs)
Style: American craft cider

Availability: Their tasting room in Atlanta, these locations around Atlanta, and online sales (in Georgia)

Cider Description: Composed to be refreshing and pleasant with bright apple notes, this delicious symphony inspired by Georgia’s sweet charm will make your senses sing. It’s best accompanied with a light meal or snack, dessert, or interesting conversation.

Cidery Description: At the core of Georgian pride and Atlanta’s spirit live the seeds of change. A new legacy is rising – challenging the conventions of good taste and fine drink.

Urban Tree was founded by a husband and wife in 2015, opened a tasting room in 2016, and is described as Atlanta’s first cidery. They use local apples from the Cathey Family Orchard in Mountain City Georgia.

Price: n/a (retails for $13-16)
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: the cidery contacted me

First Impression: Light golden amber. Very low carbonation with some foam. Smells of sweet baked apple with a hint of cinnamon.

Tasting Notes: Semi-sweet. Medium bodied. Low tartness and acidity. No bitterness, sourness, funk, or tannins. Notes of baked apple, caramel, honey, and a hint of cinnamon. Quick finish. High apple flavor and sessionability. Moderate flavor intensity. Low to moderate complexity.

My Opinion: I enjoyed it. It reminded me of fall. Very easy to drink and apple-forward, although slightly juice-like.

Most Similar to: D’s Wicked Baked Apple (except drier and less spiced), Locust Sweet Aged Apple (except drier), One Tree Crisp Apple (except less citrusy), and 2 Towns Return of the Mac (except less citrusy and more filtered).

Side Notes: I love their bottle labels, and their website is well laid out and thorough.

Closing Notes: This was my favorite of the three ciders, likely as it didn’t have any sourness (although the other two only had a hint). My husband’s favorite was the Barrel-Aged, and my friends seemed to prefer the Original. However, if these ciders were available in the PNW, I believe they would do better if sold in multi packs rather than large bottles, especially the Classic (I’m not familiar with the cider market in the South though). Although the price point is on the low end for 750s and they are tasty, I don’t know if they would hold their own in a taste test against other ciders sold in 750s that are more cider apple centric. It was great to have a chance to try ciders not available to me in Seattle. They were a solid initial offering from Urban Tree, and I’m interested to see what they release next.

Have you tried cider from Urban Tree? What did you think?

Urban Tree Cidery Barrel-Aged

August 24, 2017August 21, 2017 cidersays review, Urban Tree Atlanta, barrel aged, barrel aged cider, cider, cider review, cider tasting, Georgia, hard cider, tasting notes, Urban Tree

Review of Urban Tree Cidery’s Barrel-Aged variety, described as a premium cider aged in oak rum barrels. It is my first time trying any of their ciders, and I sampled their current flagship line-up of three ciders all at once.

Cider: Barrel-Aged
Cidery: Urban Tree Cidery
Cidery Location: Atlanta Georgia
ABV: 6.5%
How Supplied: 750ml bottles (and kegs)
Style: American craft cider, rum barrel aged

Availability: Their tasting room in Atlanta, these locations around Atlanta, and online sales (in Georgia)

Cider Description: Our hand-pressed apple juice is slowly fermented with champagne yeast, then aged to perfection in Nicaraguan rum barrels. Hints of brown sugar, woody vanilla and oak notes play in this dry, sturdy sip. A perfect complement to those moments you want to slow down a little to soak up the memory.

Cidery Description: At the core of Georgian pride and Atlanta’s spirit live the seeds of change. A new legacy is rising – challenging the conventions of good taste and fine drink.

Price: n/a (retails for $13-16)
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: the cidery contacted me

First Impression: Light golden amber hue. Low carbonation with some foam. Smells acidic and slightly sour, with a hint of richness.

Tasting Notes: On the sweeter side of semi-dry. Medium bodied. Low tartness and acidity. Low tannins. Hints of sourness, bitterness, and funk. Notes of caramel, lemon, grapefruit, wood, earth, and nuts. Moderate length finish. Low oak influence. Hints of rum influence. Moderate apple flavor, sessionability, complexity, and flavor intensity.

My Opinion: I enjoyed it. I had been expecting more barrel influence due to the cider’s name, but I perceived it as pretty mild. However, my husband picked up significantly more oak & rum flavor than me and my friends, likely as he drinks aged spirits more often. I imagine they were going for approachable, which makes sense. It was similar to their Original, except with the tang mellowed out a bit, and hints of richness.

Most Similar to: This was less intense than the rum barrel aged ciders I’ve previously tried, such as Crispin 15 Men, Sea Cider Prohibition / Rum Runner, and Vermont Cider Co. Wassail. Slightly reminiscent of Montana CiderWorks North Fork Traditional and Moonlight Meadery How Do You Like Them Apples.

Closing Notes: Next up (and last) is Urban Tree’s Classic cider.

Have you tried cider from Urban Tree? What did you think?

Urban Tree Cidery Original

August 23, 2017August 21, 2017 cidersays review, Urban Tree Atlanta, cider, cider review, cider tasting, Georgia, hard cider, Original, tasting notes, Urban Tree, Urban Tree Cidery

Review of Urban Tree Cidery’s Original variety, described as a European-style dry cider. It is my first time trying any of their ciders, and I sampled their current flagship line-up of three ciders all at once.

Cider: Original
Cidery: Urban Tree Cidery
Cidery Location: Atlanta Georgia
ABV: 6.5%
How Supplied: 750ml bottles (and kegs)
Style: American craft cider from bittersweet cider apples

Availability: Their tasting room in Atlanta, these locations around Atlanta, and online sales (in Georgia)

Cider Description: Our original cider is dry, yet crisp, with subtle notes of apple sweetness, the way traditional European-style cider is designed to go down. Crafted from bittersweet apples and with less than .5% residual sugar, it boasts of tannic and acidic notes. For a real taste of the old country, pour yourself a glass and enjoy.

Cidery Description: At the core of Georgian pride and Atlanta’s spirit live the seeds of change. A new legacy is rising – challenging the conventions of good taste and fine drink.

Price: n/a (retails for $13-16)
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: the cidery contacted me

First Impression: Light golden hue. Low carbonation with some foam. Smell is reminiscent of Chardonnay, acidic and slightly oaked.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry to dry. Low to moderate tartness. Moderate acidity. Low tannins. Hints of sourness, funk, and bitterness. Tangy, with notes of lemon, grapefruit, wood, and honey. Moderate length finish. Low apple flavor. Moderate sessionability, flavor intensity, and complexity.

My Opinion: I liked it. Very interesting, as it was tangy, but not really tart or sour. Slightly Farmhouse-style, with the tang, citrus notes, and hints of sourness. The scent was quite different from the taste.

Most Similar to: This was very unique, but I’ve had a few ciders that were slightly similar – Ace Blackjack 21, Angry Orchard Walden Hollow, Number 12 Sparkling Dry, Sietsema Traditional Dry, and Three Kees Dessert Apple

Closing Notes: Next up is Urban Tree’s Classic and Barrel-Aged ciders.

Have you tried cider from Urban Tree? What did you think?

Newton Court Gasping Goose Organic Cider

August 21, 2017April 11, 2018 cidersays Newton Court, review cider, cider review, cider tasting, English Cider, Gasping Goose, hard cider, Newton Court, tasting notes

Review of Newton Court’s Gasping Goose Organic cider. It is my first time trying this, but I recently sampled their perry on draft.

Cider: Gasping Goose Organic Cider
Cidery: Newton Court
Cidery Location: Herefordshire England
ABV: 4.8%
How Supplied: 330ml single bottles (and multi-packs, kegs, and bag-in-box)
Style: English Organic craft cider from cider apples

Availability: Unknown. It looks like they are in at least a few other major U.S. cities, such as San Francisco, plus obviously, England.

Cider Description: This cider is the result of 14 years of Paul’s experience growing, pressing and blending the best cider apples in the country – and now it’s certified organic. Gasping Goose is a complex medium cider with a slightly tannic finish. Pair it with a pork belly or with a chicken pie – it’s a refreshing proper cider that loves hearty real food.

Cidery Description: Paul started Newton Court Cidery back in 2000. His mum and dad still come over most days to help out with the lambing and whatever else needs fixing…For us, craft cider means cider that’s pressed at our farm by a master cider maker named Paul (and a few of his local friends). It means making cider out of proper apples. It means a cidery surrounded by orchards, not industrial equipment. It means people covered in mud and apple peels, not people in suits. Buying craft cider supports local business, the heritage and the countryside…But most of all, craft cider tastes much, much better.

Price: $4 / single bottle
Where Bought: Schilling Cider House in Seattle WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing. Sarah (my friend and the Cider House manager) mentioned she tried when she was in England last year and they were newly available here. They also had a perry from this cidery on draft when I bought this bottle.

First Impression: Dark straw yellow hue. Low to moderate carbonation. Smells rich and tannic.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Low tartness. Moderate acidity. Hints of bitterness and funk. Moderate to high tannins. No sourness. Notes of bittersweet cider apples, leather, oak, butterscotch, and orange. Long tannic drier finish. Moderate sessionability, apple flavor, flavor intensity, and complexity.

My Opinion: Awesome! I really enjoyed it. Rich, tannic, apple-forward, mid-level sweetness, and no sourness….I don’t have a single complaint. This is one of my favorite English ciders.

Most Similar to: Dunkertons Black Fox and Henney’s Vintage

Closing Notes: I like that this is available in single bottles, but hopefully I can find somewhere that sells it in a multi pack so it costs a bit less (although $5 / 330ml is less than $8 / 500ml, which is pretty typical for English cider around here, although they were going for less at Bushwhacker in Portland).

Have you tried Newton Court cider? What did you think?

Schilling Cider House Visit 29 Tasting Notes

August 18, 2017August 12, 2017 cidersays 2 Towns, Double Mountain, Finnriver, Newton Court, review, Whitewood cider, cider bar, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Schilling Cider House, tasting notes

Tasting notes from my 29th visit to the Schilling Cider House in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle WA. Check out my past posts with tasting notes here.

I was there on a Tuesday afternoon with my husband, following the Washington Cider Week preview at Capitol Cider. These definitely aren’t my best tasting notes, as we were in a rush to beat the traffic home, and my husband distracted me from taking notes.

Whitewood Cider (Olympia WA) Jonathan (6.9% ABV): This is a single varietal cider from Jonathan apples, also available in bottles. Dry to semi-dry. Light to medium bodied. Apple forward with citrus and honey notes. This is one of my favorite dry ciders ever, as it is very approachable, without a harsh acidity, and more flavorful than expected.

Double Mountain (Hood River OR) Dry (6.7% ABV): This cider is made by a brewery, and appears to be draft-only. I tried their Jumpin Jack Heirloom Cider on draft at Cider Summit Seattle last year (see here). Dry. Low sourness and funk. Moderate tartness and acidity. Primarily heirloom apple and citrus notes.

2 Towns (Corvallis OR) Afton Field (6.4% ABV): I thought I had tried this one, but can’t find any reviews, so maybe not. Also available in bottles. This farmhouse-style cider is part of their Traditions line, and also available in bottles. Dry. Low sourness and funk. Moderate acidity and tartness. Notes of citrus and mineral.

Newton Court (Herefordshire England) Panting Partridge Perry (5.3% ABV): This is an English perry, also available in bottles, new to the Seattle area at least. They also have a bottled (and likely draft) cider available, Gasping Goose. Semi-sweet. Medium bodied. Low sourness and funk. Pear-forward and fruity.

Seattle Cider (Seattle WA) City Fruit (6.3% ABV): This cider was made using community apples from City Fruit, and is also available in bottles (this was previously only exclusively sold at Whole Foods). Dry. High acidity. Moderate tartness. Notes of citrus and stone fruit.

Finnriver (Chimacum WA) Lavender Black Currant (6.5% ABV): I’ve had this cider on numerous previous occasions, but I never turn down having some on Nitro tap. Also available in bottles. Semi-sweet. Awesome fluffy texture. Moderate acidity and tartness. It is a yummy flavorful combination of fruity black currant and herbal lavender.

My husband’s favorite was Double Mountain Dry, mine was Finnriver Lavender Black Currant, and the most unexpected (in a good way) was Whitewood Jonathan. There were a surprising number of sour / farmhouse-style ciders (3), which isn’t my thing, but maybe I’ll eventually acquire the taste for them.

Stay tuned for more Schilling Cider House tasting notes here at Cider Says! Have you had any good draft cider / cider flights recently?

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