Tasting Notes from NW Cider’s Preview of WA Cider Week 2017

August 16, 2017October 21, 2017 cidersays Alpenfire, Bad Granny, Capitol Cider, Dragon's Head, event, Finnriver, Liberty, Locust, Pear UP, review, Schilling, Seattle Cider, Snowdrift, Tieton, Washington Cider Week Capitol Cider, cider, cider review, cider tasting, Cider Week, hard cider, Schilling Cider House, tasting notes, wa cider week, Washington Cider Week

I was recently invited to a Washington Cider Week preview for media and buyers. The 7th annual Washington Cider Week is September 7th-17th 2017, and will include numerous cider events, with Cider Summit Seattle being a main highlight. This preview event was hosted by the NW Cider Association, and held midday on a Tuesday at Capitol Cider in Seattle.

It was a pretty sweet invite-only event, and I enjoyed the excuse to take a half day off work! My husband even joined me; it was nice to have a driver, as there were eleven PNW cidery representatives pouring samples. Even though there weren’t many new-to-me ciders, it was a great opportunity to get some face time with the pourers, which often isn’t possible at the larger events.

Alpenfire Cider (Port Townsend WA): I’ve tried most of their lineup, which includes many favorites, but my husband requested a sample of Glow. It is one of their sweeter options, made from rare red-fleshed apples. It was a good choice as they rarely pour it at events. Awesome as always, semi-sweet, and crazy fruity flavorful without any additives.

Bad Granny (Chelan WA): This was my first time seeing them at an event (the cidery is less than a year old). I learned that they are associated with Karma Vineyards, one of the few producers of Methode Champenoise wine in the state. The cidery is a combination of their MC wine experience and their apple orchard family roots. I had tried their flagship Green Apple cider on draft previously (it is also sold in cans), which is a great simple semi-sweet cider option. They also brought their currently draft-only black currant cider, which I found to have only a very mild flavor, but overall was easy to drink, semi-dry to semi-sweet, with a fuller body than expected. I learned of their plans to release some specialty ciders in large format bottles, such as one from red-fleshed apples and one from Dabinett traditional cider apples.

Dragon’s Head (Vashon Island WA): They just released this year’s vintage of Kingston Black single varietal cider (which I tried last year). However, I decided to go for the Traditional cider, which is my favorite from them – a semi-dry cider with complex rich bittersweet cider apple flavor. I also sampled the Perry, as I wanted to compare it to the Methode Champenoise version I tried recently; I enjoyed this regular version better as it was sweeter (almost semi-sweet), and more flavorful / fruitier. Sometimes I find that a very high carbonation can impede a cider tasting for me as it makes a cider seem every drier and more acidic than it really is.

Finnriver (Chimacum WA): I tried their newish Cider Summit collaboration cider (poured at all four Cider Summit events in 2017 – Chicago, San Francisco, Portland, and next, Seattle), called “Summit Saison”. It is made with organic apples, Saison yeast, dried fruit such as apricots, and spices (which oddly enough included peppercorns). I found it hazy, semi-dry to semi-sweet, with citrus & stone fruit notes with a hint of peppercorn on the finish. I’m not a fan of pepper, even in food, so I wasn’t really sure what to make of it. My husband however was a fan.

Liberty Ciderworks (Spokane WA): This was a great opportunity to have a side-by-side tasting of their English-Style and Stonewall (barrel aged) ciders, which I’ve previously found very similar but hadn’t tried together. I preferred the Stonewall, as it was a bit smoother, with less acidic bite, and the added whiskey & oak notes. I also tried Turncoat, their hopped cider, which had nice herbal flavor without bitterness, which was my husband’s favorite.

Locust Cider (Woodinville WA): At this stop, as I said I had tried all of the regular line up (which was being poured from their new cans), I was treated to a sample of their limited release Bourbon Barrel Aged cider. It was semi-dry, and very mild at first (especially for 14% ABV), then all of a sudden Bam!, an intense bourbon finish. I thought I hadn’t tried it previously, but I actually had, over a year ago at their tap room (good thing for my Cider List!). I liked it better this time because it was served cold, but despite enjoying the flavor, its not something I would drink too often.

Pear UP – formerly Neigel Vintners / NV Cider (East Wenatchee WA): I had a chance to have a longish chat with the always energetic co-founder Kevin. He shared about the recent NW Cider trip where 10 PNW cidermakers traveled to France & England to learn about keeving (see this article). I also learned about the cidery’s packaging changes, such as new 12oz instead of 16.9oz green Aluminum bottles (with a digital wrap instead of labels), and four packs of 12oz clear glass bottles (which enables that SKU to be at a lower price point). I also learned about some new products they have released, including an interesting new partnership with a distillery, a brewery, and a label artist, resulting in Centre Ring, with an initial release of a cider and a perry, at a nice price point of $11.99 / 750ml bottle. Interestingly enough, Centre Ring doesn’t only focus on cider/perry, but craft beverages and food in general.

I started with the new Centre Ring Reserve Pear, which reminded me of a slightly drier and slightly more complex version of their flagship Pear Essentials, as it was semi-dry, medium bodied, and pear-forward with some citrus notes. Next I tried another new-to-me release (draft and bottles), Pearjito Colada; I didn’t pick up any mint, but the coconut was a fun bold flavor in the tasty semi-sweet perry. Lastly, my husband wanted to try the Pearfect Pie, which I had never tried either; it was a bit odd to drink in summer, but is a semi-sweet perry with a hint of pie spice.

Schilling Cider (Auburn WA): I tried the Grapefruit & Chill, which I learned was a different recipe than a grapefruit cider I had previously tried which was flavored with SodaJerk grapefruit soda syrup and I wasn’t a fan of; this time it was a surprisingly pleasant citrus-forward and higher carbonation semi-dry cider. I also re-tried the Pineapple Passion, which is one of my favorite Schilling varieties, with some strong tropical flavor, but it is definitely on the sweeter end (semi-sweet to sweet). My favorite from them is the King’s Schilling.

Seattle Cider (Seattle WA): I tried two new draft-only releases. First – Lavender Lemon, a semi-dry cider with the as-advertised flavor notes. Second – Cucumber Hibiscus, which was semi-dry to dry, and started with cucumber on the nose, primarily hibiscus (fruity/floral) in the flavor, and a cucumber finish. They were both more flavorful than most of the ciders I’ve previously had from them. I found both pretty average – plenty drinkable, but not something I would seek out.

Snowdrift Cider (East Wenatchee WA): No new ciders to try, but I tried the cider I had tried the least of and is the most rare – the Cidermaker’s Reserve. I learned it was made under Methode Champenoise with apples from their 2014 harvest, including bittersweet varieties, and aged 3! years. It is a highly carbonated cider with an awesome texture, on the sweeter side of semi-dry, with a very unique flavor profile – fruity with pomegranate notes, and almost grape champagne-like. I was surprised to hear it had bittersweet cider apples, as it definitely didn’t have the typical profile I’d expect. A fun and unique cider and an excellent value too, at $19 / 750ml (this was my husband’s favorite cider of the event, and he insisted we pick some up afterwards).

Tieton Cider Works (Yakima WA): No new to me ciders here either, so I re-tried the Sparkling Perry. I re-learned that this is made by keeving and is wild yeast fermented (neither of which I would have guessed nor remembered from my taste nearly two years ago). I’d describe it as a semi-sweet to semi-dry pear-forward perry with fruity citrus notes.

They had some nice swag too – tote bags, brochures, postcards, and stickers.

I did some serious cider shopping that day, about 12 bottles between Capitol Cider, the Schilling Cider House, and QFC. My coolest finds were at Capitol Cider, as I don’t get there often: EZ Orchards “Pomme” (Pommeau, a mix of apple brandy & cider), last year’s release of Finnriver Fire Barrel (which I liked better than this year’s batch), and two different single varietals from Liberty (that I only thought were available in their tasting room and online). The Schilling Cider House also had a couple new to me releases, a peach wine from Mission Trail and Gasping Goose from Newton’s Court in England. I also picked up a re-supply of Dunkertons Black Fox, my current go-to English cider, and a couple others favorites from Aspall and EZ Orchards.

Stay tuned for more posts on Washington Cider Week 2017, especially Cider Summit Seattle.

Grizzly Ciderworks The Bruin Dark & Dry Hopped

August 14, 2017August 7, 2017 cidersays Grizzly Ciderworks, review cider, cider review, cider tasting, Dark & Dry Hopped, Dark and Dry Hopped, Grizzly Ciderworks, hard cider, hopped cider, tasting notes, The Bruin

Review of Grizzly Ciderworks’ The Bruin, Dark & Dry Hopped. It is my first time trying this one, but I have had Grizzly’s The Ridge, Woodlander Wit, and Pomnivore.

Cider: The Bruin, Dark & Dry Hopped
Cidery: Grizzly Ciderworks
Cidery Location: WA and/or OR (it isn’t specific)
ABV: 6.7%
How Supplied: 22oz bottles
Style: American craft cider from dessert apples with Molasses & Willamette hops

Availability: year round in Washington, Idaho, and Montana

Cider Description: THE BRUIN is crafted with a dry apple base, blended with dark sugars and steeped with light touch of Willamette hops. The nose has a nice earthiness with a palate of ripe apple, rich sugars and earthy spice. Excellent with pork, steak and other meat dishes or hearty flavors.

Cidery Description: Over three years in the making, Grizzly Ciderworks is pleased to release our entire line of products to the public. We’ve test-marketed over a dozen ciders in kegs and bottles, with varying labels and names, produced in multiple facilities in two states, and worked with a vast network of local vendor partners for each and every ingredient to make our product. From labels to fruit, caps to hops, cases to spices, everything piece of a Grizzly Cider bottle comes from within 150 miles of our cidery. These ingredients are ALL-NATURAL and the ciders are all GLUTEN-FREE.

They started in Woodinville WA in 2013 but moved to the Walla Walla Valley of SE Washington / NE Oregon in 2015. Many of their ciders are beer-inspired (their bottle even said their ciders are brewed?!).

Price: $6.99
Where Bought: The Cave in Kirkland WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing. I’ve been more into hopped ciders lately, plus I’m a fan of Mollasses in cider, so this sounded good.

First Impression: Nearly still (very low carbonation). Moderate orange amber hue. Smells of bitter hops and sweet caramel.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry. Light to medium bodied. Low tartness. Moderate acidity. Low bitterness. Hints of tannins. No sourness or funk. Notes of orange, hops, molasses, caramel, and wood. Moderate to long hopped finish. Low hops intensity. Moderate flavor intensity, apple flavor, and complexity. High sessionability.

My Opinion: I really enjoyed this. It was surprisingly complex, and had a nice mix of earthy & sweet notes without being overly sweet. It was missing the typical citrus/herbal/floral type flavor notes, likely due to the molasses being more dominant than the hops.

Most Similar to: Spire Dark & Dry and Woodchuck 802 (except less sweet and with hops), and Grizzly’s The Ridge & Woodlander Wit.

Closing Notes: Grizzly makes some solid ciders, but so far this is my favorite. Its a nice price point too. I could see this selling well in a multi pack (and for a beer-inspired mid-priced cider, I’m surprised they haven’t gone that route yet…maybe as a canning line costs much more than a bottling line to set up).

Have you tried Grizzly Ciderworks The Bruin? What did you think?

Pear UP Raspeary

August 11, 2017August 11, 2017 cidersays Pear UP, review cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, pear cider, Pear UP, perry, raspberry perry, raspeary, tasting notes

Review of Pear UP’s Raspeary, a raspberry-flavored pear cider (technically a perry, as no apples were used, only pears, but many consumers wouldn’t recognize that term). Note that Pear UP had previously gone by the name Neigel Vintners or NV Cider. I previously sampled this at Cider Rite of Spring in Portland OR (see here). I’ve also tried their Pear Essentials, Half Past Prudent, Cherry Perry, Watermelon Perry, and Watermelon Raspberry Perry.

Cider: Raspeary
Cidery: Pear UP Cider
Cidery Location: East Wenatchee WA
ABV: 5.3%
How Supplied: 500ml green Aluminum bottles (and kegs)
Style: American craft perry from dessert pears with raspberry extract

Availability: Washington and Oregon; see here.

Cider Description: (none given; this appears to be one of their newer varieties, and isn’t listed on the website)

Cidery Description: Neigel Vintners is a family affair. Our cider company is run on our family property. Some of the first pears we press each year come off of remnants of the first pears planted by the family. Over 100 years old, these trees have had their heart-wood rot out and survived. There are several places a person can reach through the center of the tree with a hand. These trees have been a staple of the property for generations.

Price: $4.63
Where Bought: Special Brews in Lynnwood WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: Cider tasting events, such as Cider Summit and Cider Rite of Spring

First Impression: Light straw yellow with a hint of pink. Low carbonation. Smells of syrupy sweet pear and raspberry.

Tasting Notes: Semi-sweet. Medium bodied. Low tartness and acidity. No bitterness, tannins, sourness, or funk. Notes of pear juice, dried pear, and raspberry extract. High sessionability. Moderate to high pear flavor. Moderate flavor intensity. Low complexity.

My Opinion: This was a nice sessionable summer beverage. However, it was a bit syrupy and the raspberry was fake tasting (they use extract, which is actually quite common, even in craft cider). I think a bit more carbonation and tartness could have helped balance those two things. This is one of the few ciders I think wouldn’t be bad over ice, although I didn’t try that, as the bottle didn’t last very long and I was indoors.

Most Similar to: Pear UP’s watermelon and raspberry-watermelon perries.

Closing Notes: I enjoyed this less when I tried it previously (which may have been on draft?). However, they make some tasty easy drinking perries for a reasonable cost. I think they would do even better in this area with a multipack of cans, as that is the current trend, although not my personal preference. I have heard that they are moving from 16.9oz to 12oz bottles, some sold individually (Aluminum) and some sold in multipacks (glass).

Have you tried Pear UP perries? What did you think?

Reverend Nat’s Sacrilege Sour Cherry

August 9, 2017August 9, 2017 cidersays Rev Nat's, review cherry cider, cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, rev nat's, reverend nat's, sacrilege sour cherry, tasting notes

Review of Reverend Nat’s Sacrilege Sour Cherry cider. I tried this at Cider Summit Seattle 2017 (although that draft version was listed at a higher ABV). I’ve also previously tried Rev Nat’s Revival, ¡Tepache!, Hopland #5 / Envy, Newtown Pippin, Ciderkin, Winter Abbey Spice, Hallelujah Hopricot, Deliverance Gin & Tonic, Revival Dry, The Passion, Whiskey Barrel Aged Golden Russet with Black Currant, New Moon Mandarin, Viva la Pineapple, Revelation Belle de Boskoop, Wooden Hellfire, and Tassjara Peach Book.

Cider: Sacrilege Sour Cherry
Cidery: Reverend Nat’s
Cidery Location: Portland OR
ABV: 5.0%
How Supplied: 500ml bottles
Style: American craft cider from granny smith apples with sour cherries, pear juice, and a hint of spice from ghost peppers

Availability: Year round. Rev Nat’s ciders are in general sold in AK, CA, HI, ID, MT, NY, OR, and WA, as well as Alberta & B.C. Canada, and Japan.

Cider Description: Others profess to produce a cherry cider, but none begin with 100% sour Granny Smith apples (eschewing all other apple varieties for their lack of sourness) unified with the superior Montmorency sour cherry (aka Prunus cerasus, a superior and vastly dissimilar cherry to Prunus avid, the bird cherry, the mere mazzard, so commonly used in cough syrup and children’s sweet-snacks) and the exotic Baladon sour cherry (hailing from my native country of Hungary), fermented with an English Ale yeast (procured from a fine brewery in Chiswick, London), rounded out with a spot of Bartlett pear juice (undeniably the world’s greatest pear-flavored pear) and completed with a touch of spiciness (largely attributable to the ghost chili pepper, although married with a secret spice), precisely enough to make your vigor race and spirits embrace another gulp.

Cidery Description: Reverend Nat is a single-minded cider evangelist who searches the world for superior ingredients to handcraft the most unusual ciders that no one else will make.

Price: $7.00
Where Bought: Special Brews in Lynnwood WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: My husband remembered liking this and bought a bottle (this appears to be his favorite cidery…he likes the weird stuff, like Wooden Hellfire), and I tried some.

First Impression: Cherry red-brown hue. Still (no carbonation). Smells of cherry and hot peppers (silly me made the mistake of taking a huge whiff of it too!).

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry. Light bodied. Moderate tartness and acidity. No bitterness, sourness, tannins, or funk. Low spiciness (heat). Notes of real cherry, green apple, lemon, and hot peppers. Long lingering spicy finish. Low to moderate cherry flavor, flavor intensity, complexity, and sessionability.

My Opinion: As expected, same as my previous trial, I didn’t like this due to the spiciness (although it was admittedly mild…I just don’t enjoy spicy beverages). The cherry part of the cider was nice though. My husband said the spiciness dissipated some by the time he got to the end of the bottle, but I only wanted two sips. My husband however really enjoyed it, and was happy he got the whole bottle to himself (he is a big fan of both cherry and anything spicy).

Side Note: Some other reviews said this was sour (like sour beer, from wild yeast), but I only picked up tart (like lemons and granny smith apples); I think the variety of cherries used are called sour cherries (similar to Doc’s Sour Cherry, my favorite cherry cider), but this wouldn’t be classified as an actual sour cider.

Most Similar to: I’ve had plenty of cherry ciders (28 last I counted), but none that were also spicy.

Closing Notes: My favorites from Rev Nat’s remain Revival, The Passion, Whiskey Barrel Aged Golden Russet with Black Currant, and Viva la Pineapple….ie. his more mainstream and sweeter selections.

Have you tried Reverend Nat’s Sacrilege Sour Cherry? What did you think?

Finnegan Cider Harvest Blend

August 7, 2017August 4, 2017 cidersays Finnegan, review cider, cider review, cider tasting, Finnegan, Finnegan Cider, hard cider, Harvest Blend, Lake Oswego, oregon, tasting notes

Review of Finnegan Cider’s Harvest Blend. It is my first time trying anything from this cidery.

Cider: Harvest Blend
Cidery: Finnegan Cider
Cidery Location: Lake Oswego OR
ABV: 6.9%
How Supplied: 500ml bottles
Style: American artisan cider from cider apples

Availability: Oregon, Washington, and California (per Cider Journal, as of 2015, although I have not seen them in the Seattle area), and appear to be distributed through Shelton Brothers

Cider Description: Finnegan Cider Harvest Blend highlights the ripe apple characteristics of class English, American, and French cider apples such as Porter’s Perfection, Chisel Jersey, Ashmead’s Kernel, Calville Blanc, and others. Our cider is a balance of the crucial elements of distinguished cider: tannin, acidity, and aromaticity. Finnegan Cider features aromas of honeysuckle, melon, and ripe apples, with flavors of peach, apricot, and cognac, and it pairs superbly from appetizer to entree.

Cidery Description: An artisan crafted hard cider using only traditional cider apples – Our commitment to a quality-cider experience.

Finnegan Cider has been around since 2010, and planted their own orchard in 2012. The owners/cidermakers are Colleen Finnegan and Josh Johnson. Here is a nice writeup from Beervana, who visited with Josh Johnson at their orchard. At least as of that 2013 article, Josh worked full time as a neurologist (impressive!).

Price: $7.35
Where Bought: Bushwhacker Cider in Portland Oregon
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing. I picked up a lot of ciders that day when I was in town for Cider Rite of Spring. I had never heard of this cidery and the description on the bottle sounded awesome.

First Impression: Light orange amber. Moderate to high carbonation (it tried to overflow after opening…). Smells rich, of ripe apples, caramel, and leather.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry. Light bodied with a frothy texture. Moderate tartness and acidity. Low bitterness and tannins. Hints of funk. No sourness. Notes of rich ripe apples, caramel, leather, orange, stone fruit, honey, oak, and apple brandy (?). Moderate to long finish. Moderate flavor intensity, apple flavor, and sessionability. High complexity.

My Opinion: Excellent. I liked the richness, carbonation, unique combination of flavor notes…everything. Also, this was surprisingly boozy tasting for the ABV (especially on the finish), but in a good way.

Most Similar to: It tastes in between English cyder and French cidre, with the high carbonation & apple-forward flavor of a French cider, the richness & tannins of an English cider, and the cider apple flavor & hint of funk from both.

Closing Notes: This cider is a great value; I would usually pay $15-20 for 750ml of cider from cider apples like this, so $10-13 for 500ml. Hopefully I can find more of their cider sometime soon. I’m actually surprised I’ve never heard of this cidery previously; they remind me of EZ Orchards, also in Oregon, sold in 500ml bottles, and an excellent value.

Have you tried Finnegan Cider Harvest Blend? What did you think?

Ulee’s Light Cider Dry

August 4, 2017July 30, 2017 cidersays review, Ulee's Auburn, cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, tasting notes, Ulee's, Ulee's Cider, Ulee's Light Cider, washington

Review of Ulee’s Light Cider’s Dry. It is my first time trying this cider, which just launched this month. This is described as the first cidery focusing on light cider (although some other cideries also offer something similar, such as Dry 99 by Number Six.

Cider: Dry
Cidery: Ulee’s Light Cider
Cidery Location: Auburn WA (at the Schilling facility)
ABV: 4.0%
How Supplied: six packs of 12oz slim cans (and kegs)
Style: American craft low-calorie cider from dessert apples

Availability: Western Washington (mostly in the greater Seattle area) and Portland Oregon

Cider Description: All of Ulee’s Light Ciders are created with 100% all natural ingredients from the Northwest. Our juice is fresh-pressed from Washington apples and then fermented, filtered and blended with Cascadia water. They are vegan, naturally gluten-free and only 99 calories per can.

Cidery Description: Ulee’s Light Cider was founded in 2016 by three guys who love cider, but hate calories. The journey started ten years ago when founder Scott Gallagher first began visiting Iceland. During his trips he discovered that many of the locals drank hard cider instead of beer. Scott liked the flavor but after sampling many of the European varieties, he acquired a particular taste for Dry-Style ciders. After returning home to Portland, OR, he found that locally available ciders tended to be overly sweet with lots of calories.

Scott and his two buddies, Don Forsythe and Matt Thompson, were drinking cider around the fire-pit—the place where great ideas are born—and started brainstorming what they would like in a cider. It had to by dry but flavorful, locally sourced and all natural, gluten-free, light in calories, and very, very drinkable. It took a while but after working with expert cidermakers and experimenting with 25 different recipes, they finally came up with two ciders that exceeded their expectations.

Price: $1.83 / single can (runs $9.99 / six pack)
Where Bought: Special Brews in Lynnwood WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: On Facebook, as they had a launch party at the Schilling Cider House

First Impression: Light straw yellow. Low carbonation. Almost no scent.

Tasting Notes: Dry to semi-dry. Light bodied. Low to moderate tartness. Moderate acidity. Hints of bitterness. No tannins, sourness, or funk. Notes of green apple, citrus, and mineral. Moderate length finish. Low to moderate apple flavor. Very low flavor intensity. Low complexity. Very high sessionability.

My Opinion: Meh. This tastes like watered down cider (which it is). I’d rather drink a less of a more flavorful cider, especially considering these cost the same as other ciders yet are only 4.0% instead of 5.0-5.9%+ ABV. Its a bit more flavorful though if you drink it in gulps rather than sips.

Most Similar to: Number Six Dry 99 and Seattle Cider Dry. For a dry canned cider, my favorite is probably Original Sin Extra Dry (which isn’t yet sold in the PNW). Or, for a dry cider which is more widely distributed (and more highly carbonated), Ace Joker.

Closing Notes: I don’t really get the point of this (I bought it only out of curiosity), but it is doing pretty well on untappd and such. It also got into a lot of stores very quickly, so they must have some connections. Ulee’s also launched with a second hopped variety, called “Citra”.

Have you tried Ulee’s Light Cider? What did you think?

Locust Cider Tasting Notes #4

August 2, 2017August 2, 2017 cidersays Locust, review apricot cider, cherry cider, cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Locust, Locust Cider, tasting notes, Watermelon cider

After lunch at Tipsy Cow in Woodinville WA, my husband and I stopped by Locust Cider. See my notes here from visit 1, here from visit 2, and here from visit 3.

<Cherry, Apricot, and Watermelon ciders>

Sweet Dark Cherry: I’ve tried this previously (see here), and it is also available in cans. Semi-dry. Light bodied. Low tartness and acidity. Light simple cherry flavor. Quick finish. My husband really liked it, but for me its pretty average.

Apricot: This is a draft-only release. I tried an apricot cider from them awhile back (see here), but it was quite different. Semi-sweet to sweet. Medium to full bodied. Low tartness and acidity. Syrupy tropical and apricot flavor. Quick finish. This was too sweet for both of us, but had a nice flavor. I prefer the apricot ciders from Atlas and Summit.

Watermelon: This is a new draft-only release. Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Hazy hue. Light to medium bodied. Low tartness. Moderate acidity. Moderate watermelon juice flavor. Quick finish. I really enjoyed it (I’m a huge watermelon fan), but my husband didn’t like it for whatever reason. It reminded me of NV Cider Watermelon Perry.

Summary: My favorite was the Watermelon, and my husband’s favorite was the Cherry. Overall, my favorite Locust ciders are the Bittersweet Reserve (one-time special release?), Aged Apple, and a 50-50 mix of Smoked Blueberry & Vanilla Bean, as they are all super flavorful, but also rather sweet (not something I’d drink often).

Locust is a nice place to hang out and drink cider (they even have an outdoor patio and some games), and they often have varieties which don’t even leave their tasting room. However, I noticed the small pours are expensive, at $3 / 3oz, so a flight of five (close to a pint) is $15 + tax. Of course its much cheaper to get a pint ($6-7?), but the vast majority of folks opt for the variety of a flight. Also, they only have 9 taps of their own ciders.

Locust is more convenient for me to get to, so I visit semi regularly. However, I much prefer the Schilling Cider House, as they have cheaper flights ($2 / 3oz), more variety with 32 taps (often a few are the more artisanal varieties made from cider apples vs. the more commonly found flavored ciders from dessert apples), and hundreds of bottles too.

Schilling Road Trip (Peach Citra)

July 28, 2017July 27, 2017 cidersays review, Schilling cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, hopped cider, Peach Citra, road trip, Schilling, Schilling Cider, tasting notes

Review of Schilling Cider’s Road Trip (Peach Citra), a cider with peach and Citra hops. It is my first time trying this, although I’ve previously sampled their Gold, Grapefruit, Oak Aged, Chaider, Ginger, Hopped, Sriracha Lime, Barrel #1, Barrel #2, Mischief Maker Pom-Cran, Grumpy Bear Coffee Nitro, Pineapple Passion, LumberJack (Rhubarb), Blackberry Pear, Dry, King’s Shilling, Vanilla Clove, Raspberry Smoothie, Peach Grapefruit Habanero, Bailout, Trouble in Paradise, Blueberry Cobbler, French Bittersweet, Pippin, and Afterglow ciders.

Cider: Road Trip (Peach Citra)
Cidery: Schilling Cider
Cidery Location: Auburn WA
ABV: 6.6%
How Supplied: 22oz bottles and draft
Style: American craft cider from dessert apples, with peach and CItra hops

Availability: Schilling Cider is sold at least in AK, AZ, CA, CT, ID, MN, NC, NV, OR, SC, VA, and WA, but this is a summer seasonal release (July-September) and is therefore likely to have more limited distribution.

Cider Description: Sweet and juicy peach and farm fresh citra hops.

Cidery Description: We capture the essence of the Pacific Northwest by creating hard ciders that are deliberately innovative, bold, and flavor forward.

Price: $6.99
Where Bought: Special Brews in Lynnwood WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing.

First Impression: Light peach amber hue. Low carbonation. Smells mildly hopped and fruity.

Tasting Notes: Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Medium bodied. Low to moderate tartness. Moderate acidity. Hints of bitterness. No tannins, sourness, or funk. Notes of peach, tropical fruit, hops, and citrus. Moderate length finish. Low apple flavor. Low hops influence. Moderate flavor intensity. Low to moderate complexity. High sessionability.

My Opinion: I liked it. Refreshing, with peach and citrus. Nice level of sweetness and balanced flavor.

Most Similar to: Other cider which were both fruity and hopped, such as 2 Towns Hop & Stalk, Incline Lemongrass Lure, Reverend Nat’s Hallelujah Hopricot, and Ratel Cider Dry Hopped

Closing Notes: Schilling has really stepped up their game since they started out. My favorite cider from them however remains King’s Shilling, a brandy barrel aged cider which is also an excellent value (as low as $4.50 / 22oz).

Have you tried Schilling Road Trip? What did you think?

Locust Honey Pear

July 26, 2017July 22, 2017 cidersays Locust, review cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Honey Pear, Locust, Locust Cider, tasting notes, washington, Woodinville

Review of Locust’s Honey Pear cider. It is my first time trying this cider, but I’ve previously had their Original Dry, Green Tea Infused, Sweet Dark Cherry, Washington Dessert Apple, Bittersweet Reserve, Pumpkin, Thai Ginger, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Winesap, Alder Smoked Apple, Mango, Elder & Oak, Wabi Sabi, Apricot, Sweet Aged Apple, Berry Session, Smoked Blueberry, Vanilla Bean, Winter Banana, Chili Pineapple, Seckel Perry, and Hibiscus.

Cider: Honey Pear
Cidery: Locust Cider
Cidery Location: Woodinville WA
ABV: 6.0%
How Supplied: draft only
Style: American craft cider from dessert apples, with honey and pear juice

Availability: Likely only in bars & restaurants in the Seattle area (including Locust’s tap room), although in general their ciders are sold in CA, ID, OR, TX, and WA.

Cider Description: none given

Cidery Description: My brother Patrick and I founded Locust Cider in March 2015 with the mission of making outstanding hard cider using the fruit that is most available in Washington- the eating apple. Washington growers produce 60% of the apples in the United States, and cider-specific varieties are in a major shortage, so we set out to put innovative spins on classic cider-making methods to bring out the best in the everyday apple.

Our delicious ciders begin with great fruit- we primarily use “cull” apples- those that are not pretty enough or are too small or large to make it to grocery stores, diverting these from destruction because their juice is still great! Our unique process then transforms them into great cider- methodical yeast selection, meticulous temperature control, slow aging, and creative and deliberate blending.

We are now made up a great small team: Chelsea, head cidermaker, Ryan, cellar manager, Shenna, tap room manager, Spring, events manager, and Chris, sales manager. We are a “family” passionate about cider, and we thank you for visiting our tasting room, and being part of our family! -Jason Spears, founder of locust cider

Their Woodinville cidery has a tap room.

Price: $6.50 / pint
Where Bought & Drank: Tipsy Cow in Woodinville WA (an awesome burger restaurant)
How Found: This was one of two ciders on draft at the restaurant (they also had D’s Baked Apple).

First Impression: Light straw yellow hue. Low to moderate carbonation. Smells very mild, slightly of tart apple juice.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry. Light bodied. Moderate to high tartness. Moderate acidity. Hints of bitterness. No tannins, sourness, or funk. Notes of green apple, pear, honey, and citrus. Quick finish. Low complexity. Moderate apple flavor. Low flavor intensity. High sessionability.

My Opinion: I thought this was very average. I liked that it wasn’t very sweet (which most of Locust’s recent releases have been, and is common with draft cider at restaurants & bars in my area as it sells well). However, I actually think the dryness was too much for this cider, as it was very tart and not very flavorful. Also, both pear and honey ciders are typically sweeter, so that would be expected.

Most Similar to: Longdrop Tanager Pear Cider

Closing Notes: I always like finding local cider on tap to go with a nice meal, even if the offering isn’t a favorite of mine.

Have you tried Locust Honey Pear? What did you think?

Atlas Pineapple Mango

July 24, 2017July 21, 2017 cidersays Avid (prev. Atlas), review atlas, Atlas Cider, cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, mango cider, pineapple cider, Pineapple Mango, tasting notes

Review of Atlas Cider’s Pineapple Mango, a summer seasonal release. It is my first time trying this, but I’ve previously sampled their Apple, Blackberry, Apricot, Cinnamon Pear, Pom-Cherry, Session Cider, and Dragonfruit cider.

Cider: Pineapple Mango
Cidery: Atlas Cider
Cidery Location: Bend Oregon
ABV: 6.0%
How Supplied: 22oz bottles
Style: American craft cider from dessert apples with pineapple and mango

Availability: Since May 2017, in ID, OR, NV, and WA (summer seasonal).

Cider Description: Warning: You will become spellbound by this Siren’s irresistible blend of tropical pineapple and mango. The tart pineapple is skillfully balanced with the mangos sweetness and flavor. And although she looks like a sweet treat, we targeted an off-dry but fruit-forward profile that showcases the aromas and flavors of the fruit. A non-cloying clean finish leaves all mortals lusting for more.

Here is a funny video they made about it.

Cidery Description: ATLAS Cider Co. produces authentic hard cider fermented from 100% fresh pressed fruit from our region. Partnering with Northwest farmers to source our fruit has been a priority of ours from the beginning. Our ciders start with a base of NW fruit that are pressed to achieve a balance of sweetness, tartness, and dryness. We forge our ciders in the heart of the NW in Bend, OR.

Price: $6.99
Where Bought: The Cave in Kirkland WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: I saw Atlas’ Facebook post in May and had been looking out for it, but didn’t spot any in the wild until this month.

First Impression: Medium straw yellow hue. Low to moderate carbonation. Smells of tart tropical fruit.

Tasting Notes: On the sweeter side of semi-dry. Medium bodied. Low tartness. Moderate acidity. No bitterness, tannins, sourness, or funk. Notes of pineapple, mango, and citrus. Quick finish. Low apple flavor. Moderate flavor intensity. Low complexity. High sessionability.

My Opinion: Yum! This is a perfect sessionable but flavorful summer cider. I liked that this was a bit less sweet than their year round cider line up (its most similar to their Apricot, but still a tad drier). However, I wouldn’t have minded this being a semi-sweet either.

Most Similar to: Most of the other tropical fruit ciders I’ve tried have been sweeter, such as Jester & Judge Pineapple Express, Locust Chili Pineapple, Schilling Pineapple Passion, Schilling Trouble in Paradise, Locust Mango, Bull Run Mango, Reverend Nat’s The Passion, and Reverend Nat’s Viva La Pineapple. However, Portland Cider Pineapple and Elemental Mango were the most similar in level of sweetness, but less flavorful.

Closing Notes: I imagine this will be a hit, probably more so than their last seasonal release, Dragonfruit (which I didn’t think was as likely to be a crowd-pleaser as it had an unexpected bitterness).

Have you tried Atlas Pineapple Mango? What did you think?

Windfall Orchard Ice Cider

July 21, 2017July 16, 2017 cidersays review, Windfall Orchard cider, cider review, Eden, Eden Ice Cider, Eden Specialty Cider, hard cider, ice cider, tasting notes, Vermont, Windfall Orchard

Review of Windfall Orchard Ice Cider, made by Eden Specialty Ciders. Ice cider is made by using apple juice which has been naturally concentrated by cold, creating a very high sugar fuller bodied juice syrup which is then fermented. It is my first time trying this, but I’ve tried most everything else Eden has made – Sparkling Dry, Cellar Series Cinderella’s Slipper, Heirloom Blend Ice Cider, Sparkling Semi-Dry, Northern Spy (Barrel Aged) Ice Cider, Honeycrisp Ice Cider, Imperial 11 Rosé, and Heirloom Blend Apple Brandy Barrel Aged Ice Cider.

Cider: Ice Cider
Cidery: Windfall Orchard (made by Eden Specialty Ciders)
Cidery Location: Newport VT
ABV: 9.0%
How Supplied: 187 & 375 ml bottles
Style: American craft ice cider from heirloom apples from Cornwall VT

Availability: Their ciders are at least sold in AK, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, IL, MA, MD, ME, MI, NC, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OR, SC, VT, WA, and British Columbia Canada, although this one likely has less distribution. Eden also offers online sales when allowed by state.

Cider Description: Ice cider made from a blend of apples grown at Windfall Orchard in Cornwall, Vermont. This small-batch ice cider is made from apples grown by Chef Brad Koehler on the farm he shares with his wife Amy Trubek, UVM Professor and author of “The Taste of Place”. There are about 200 trees in Brad’s orchard, and among them he has over 80 varieties. Over thirty of them are used to make this light, smooth and extremely elegant ice cider.

Cidery Description: Eden Orchards and Eden Ice Cider began on a trip to Montreal in 2006 when we first tasted ice cider and wondered why nobody was making it on our side of the border. We had dreamed for years of working together on a farm in the Northeast Kingdom; it was a dream that had vague outlines including an apple orchard, cider, and fermentation of some sort. That night we looked at each other and knew ice cider was it. In April 2007, we bought an abandoned dairy farm in West Charleston, Vermont and got to work. Since then we have planted over 1,000 apple trees, created 5 vintages of Eden Vermont Ice Ciders, and have introduced a new line of Orleans Apertif Ciders. Out goals are to create healthy soils and trees in our own orchard, to support out Vermont apple orchard partners who do the same, to minimize our carbon footprint, to contribute to the economic and environmental health of our employees and our Northeast Kingdom community, and most of all to make world-class unique ciders that truly reflect our Vermont terroir.

They have a tasting bar on the main floor of the Northeast Kingdom Tasting Center in downtown Newport VT.

Price: $17 / 187ml or $27 / 375ml
Where Bought: Eden’s online store
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing; it was the only ice cider variety from Eden I hadn’t tried

First Impression: Dark amber hue. Still (no carbonation). Smells of caramelized apple syrup.

Tasting Notes: Very sweet. Full bodied. Low to moderate tartness and acidity. No bitterness, sourness, or funk. Low tannins. Concentrated notes of rich ripe baked apple, caramelized sugar, honey, stone fruit, and floral. Moderate length finish. High apple flavor and flavor intensity. Moderate to high complexity. Low sessionability.

My Opinion: I really enjoyed it; Eden has never disappointed. This was a bit more fruity than rich, and slightly less complex than some of their others. A lovely sipping beverage to have with dessert.

Most Similar to: All of Eden’s other ice ciders. It also reminded me a bit of Tieton Frost.

Closing Notes: My favorite Eden ice cider remains their Heirloom Blend Apple Brandy Barrel Aged Ice Cider, but they are all awesome.

Have you tried ice cider? What did you think?

Liberty Ciderworks Golden Russet SV

July 19, 2017October 21, 2017 cidersays Liberty, review cider, cider review, cider tasting, Golden Russet, hard cider, liberty, Liberty Ciderworks, single varietal, tasting notes

Review of Liberty Ciderworks’ Golden Russet, a reserve series single varietal cider made from golden russet heirloom apples. It is my first time trying this, but I’ve had their Manchurian Crabapple Single Varietal, Crabenstein, English Style, Abbess, Stonewall Dry Fly Whiskey Barrel Aged, Gravenstein, Cellar Series #G15, New World Style, Cellar Series (unknown), and McIntosh ciders.

Cider: Golden Russet SV
Cidery: Liberty Ciderworks
Cidery Location: Spokane WA
ABV: 9.8%
How Supplied: 750ml corked & caged bottles
Style: American craft single varietal cider from golden russet apples

Availability: Likely only in WA, plus their online store (although this variety is no longer listed)

Cider Description: Reserve Series #516. Golden Russet apples are one of America’s greatest cider discoveries, found in New York – a chance seedling – in the early 1800s. This version presents characteristic butterscotch aromas with baked/dried stone fruit flavors. Golden Russets seem to thrive in our region, with off-the charts sugar levels in our 2015 vintage, giving this cider a 9.8% ABV.

Cidery Description: Carrying the torch for Artisan Cider. Located in the largest apple-growing region on the planet, Liberty Ciderworks is all about the apple, showcasing the diversity and wonders of locally grown fruit. From well known apples like McIntosh and Jonathan to rare, cider-specific fruit like Kingston Black and Dabinett, Liberty ciders put apples in their proper place: Front and center. We started Liberty Ciderworks in 2013 with a simple, two-part mission: 1) Using apples from local farms and fields, create unique, wonderful ciders, and 2) Share them with friends and neighbors across the great Pacific Northwest. Welcome to the cider revolution. Cheers! Rick & Austin

Liberty has a tap room in Spokane WA.

Price: $17.00
Where Bought: Schilling Cider House in Seattle WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing. I’ve tried much of their lineup and liked most of them.

First Impression: Light caramel amber hue. Nearly still. Yeast sediment floaters. Smells rich and boozy.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry. Light to medium bodied. Low tartness. Moderate acidity. Low bitterness. Low tannins. No sourness or funk. Notes of butterscotch, stone fruit, honey, orange, earthiness/wood, leather, and a buttery starchiness. Long warming finish. Moderate apple flavor. Low sessionability. Moderate flavor intensity. High complexity.

My Opinion: I really enjoyed it. Nice rich flavor. However, I would have guessed this was a spirit barrel aged cider or even a brandy-fortified cider, as it was that strong (although it is only from the high-sugar apples in this case). I agree with the label’s suggestion to drink it in between fridge and room temperature.

Most Similar to: Liberty Stonewall Dry Fly Whiskey Barrel Aged, Aspall Imperial, 2 Towns Bad Apple, and Wandering Aengus Golden Russet (also, although not very similar, I’ve also tried another Golden Russet SV, from Reverend Nat’s, which was whiskey barrel aged with black currant and excellent – see here)

Closing Notes: This is a heavy-hitting cider, probably best suited for winter sipping (its been sitting around my house awhile…), but enjoyable and an excellent value any time of year.

Have you tried Liberty Golden Russet? What did you think?

2 Towns Cot in the Act

July 17, 2017July 16, 2017 cidersays 2 Towns, review 2 Towns, apricot cider, cider, cider review, cider tasting, Corvallis, Cot in the Act, hard cider, oregon, tasting notes

Review of 2 Towns’ Cot in the Act, an apricot infused seasonal cider. 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: Cot in the Act
Cidery: 2 Towns
Cidery Location: Corvallis OR
ABV: 6.2%
How Supplied: 500ml bottles, 6 packs of 12oz cans, kegs
Style: American craft cider from dessert apples, unfiltered, with apricots (2 lb per gallon)

Availability: Seasonably (July-September) in AK, CA, HI, ID, IL (Chicago), MN, NV, OR, and WA.

Cider Description: Luminous & divine, Cot in the Act is just too tempting to resist, coupling Northwest apples with local Rival apricots. Referred to as “golden eggs of the sun” by the Greeks, apricots make this seasonal cider the perfect summer treat.

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 ~ $7.99 / 500ml or $11.49 / six pack of 12oz cans)
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: It showed up

First Impression: Medium straw yellow hue. Very low to low carbonation. Smells of dried apricots.

Tasting Notes: On the sweeter side of semi-dry. Light to medium bodied. Moderate tartness & acidity. Hints of bitterness & tannins. No sourness & funk. Notes of apricot, peach, and lemon, and a hint of herbal & floral. Moderate length finish. Low apple flavor. Moderate flavor intensity and complexity. High sessionability.

My Opinion: Yum! I really enjoyed how flavorful and juicy this cider was without being sweet (and it tasted even sweeter than the listed sugar content). It is often difficult to find a drier but flavorful cider.

Most Similar to: I’ve also tried apricot ciders from Anthem, Atlas, Carlton, Locust, Stem, Summit, and Tieton. The most similar was from Summit (as it was also a semi-dry, but flavorful), followed by those from Atlas & Locust, (although both of those were sweeter).

Closing Notes: 2 Towns remains a favorite PNW cidery for a reason.

Have you tried 2 Towns Cot in the Act? What did you think?

Perry Tasting Notes

July 14, 2017July 8, 2017 cidersays AEppelTreow, Dragon's Head, Hogan's, Mission Trail, Oliver's, review, Samuel Smith's, Sea Cider, Viuda de Angelon Sidra AEppelTreow, Dragon's Head, Hogan's, Mission Trail, Oliver's, perry, samuel smith's, Sea Cider, tasting notes, Viuda de Angelon Sidra

There was recently a perry tasting at my house (thanks Sarah, Merce, and Kevin from Cider Log for sharing!). I took a few tasting notes. Note that perry is similar to cider, but made from pears, no apples. [In contrast to pear cider, which in the U.S. is often an apple cider with some pear juice/flavor added.]

We didn’t end up opening every bottle, so we’ll need to have a perry tasting part 2! Our dinner pairing was pizza, which worked surprisingly well.

Dragon’s Head (Vashon Island WA) Methode Champenoise Perry (6.3% ABV), $29 / 750ml: This is a special release of Dragon’s Head’s Perry, which was made in Methode Champenoise, a labor-intensive traditional way of making a naturally sparkling cider. It was made from Taylor’s Gold and heirloom seedling Vashon Island pears . High carbonation. Semi-dry. Light bodied. High tartness. Moderate acidity. Low tannins. Hints of bitterness. Notes of pear juice & skin, floral, and honey. I enjoyed it, although it was very mildly flavored. It would be a nice champagne alternative, albeit pricey (this was by far the most expensive bottle we opened).

Oliver’s (Herefordshire England) Herefordshire Perry (6.9% ABV), price unknown: This is an English bottle-conditioned perry made from perry pears. Smells very funky. Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Light bodied. Low sourness. Moderate funk. Mild tartness. Moderate acidity. Low bitterness. Low tannins. Pear-forward and floral. I enjoyed it.

Hogan’s (Alcester, England) Vintage Perry 2010 (5.4% ABV), ~$10 / 500ml: This is another English perry made from perry pears. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Light bodied. Hints of sourness, funk, tannins & bitterness. Low tartness & acidity. Pear-forward, rich, and nutty. I really enjoyed it.

Mission Trail (Bradley CA) Perry (6.0% ABV), price unknown: This perry was made from Bartlett pears, and claims to be the only true perry (not pear cider) made in California. Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Medium bodied. Moderate tartness & acidity. No bitterness, sourness, funk, or tannins. Notes of pear, stone fruit, and honey. I liked it, but this was the most “commercial” / pear cider type tasting of the group.

Viuda de Angelon (Asturias Spain) Sidra de Pera (5.2% ABV), $4 / 11.2oz: This is a Spanish perry. Semi-sweet. Medium bodied, frothy. Hints of sourness & funk (less so than most Spanish ciders). Low to moderate tartness & acidity. Pear-forward with notes of apricot. I liked it.

Sea Cider (Saanichton B.C. Canada) Perry (6.5% ABV), $18 / 750ml: This is a Canadian perry made from perry pears. Semi-dry. Light to medium bodied. Moderate tartness. High acidity. Very light kinda weird flavor, more floral & herbal than pear. I think this was a bit of an off bottle though, as it was infected with scobies. I’ll have to give it another try sometime.

AEppelTreow (Burlington WI) Perry (7.5% ABV), $12 / 750ml: This is a Methode Champenoise perry made from Comice, Bosc, and Bartlett pears. Semi-sweet. Moderate carbonation. Medium bodied. Low tartness. Moderate acidity. Hints of bitterness & tannins. Tastes exactly like champagne, no pear, but juicy, plus notes of stone fruit and honey. I enjoyed it, although it was not what we were expecting. Also a nice champagne alternative, and an excellent value for Methode Champenoise.

The day after the group tasting I opened up my bottle of Samuel Smith’s perry, as it was already in the fridge.

Samuel Smith’s (Tadcaster, England) Organic Perry (5.0 ABV), $3 / 12oz: This is another English perry, and Organic, but the most commercial (ingredient list included water, pear extract, malic acid, etc). Semi-sweet. Low to moderate carbonation. Medium bodied. Low to moderate tartness and acidity. No bitterness, sourness, funk, or tannins. No pear flavor, but notes of apple, apricot & other stone fruit, and honey (if I tasted it blind I’d call it cider, not perry). I liked this, although it was definitely commercial tasting, and the sweetest option.

Our favorite was the Hogan’s (also an excellent value, under $10 I believe). Our least favorite was the Sea Cider. The most surprising was the AEppeltreow, as it was the least perry-like.

I’ve also previously tried these perries: Dan Armor Poire, Pear UP Half Past Prudent, Pear UP Cherry Perry, Pear UP Watermelon Perry, Pear UP Watermelon Raspberry Perry, Pear UP Raspberry Perry, Domaine Pacory Poire Domfront, Dunkertons Organic Perry, Eaglemount Perry, Locust Seckel Perry, Nashi Orchards Asian Pear Chojuro Blend Perry, Nashi Orchards Island Harvest Perry, Portland Cider Pearfect Perry, Snowdrift Perry, Snowdrift Seckel Perry, Tieton Sparkling Perry, WildCraft Pioneer Perry, WildCraft Elderberry Perry, and William’s Sir Perry

Wrangletown Cider Co. Fieldbrook Nursery Orchard

July 12, 2017July 12, 2017 cidersays review, Wrangletown Arcata, cider, cider review, cider tasting, Fieldbrook Nursery Orchard, hard cider, tasting notes, Wrangletown

Review of Wrangletown Cider Company’s Fieldbrook Nursery Orchard cider. I’ve previously tried their “Original“, Oak Barrel Aged, and Monument Apples Orchard ciders.

>>This is a review of a sample bottle provided to Cider Says by Wrangletown. 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: Fieldbrok Nursery Orchard
Cidery: Wrangletown Cider Co.
Cidery Location: Arcata CA
ABV: 8.3%
How Supplied: 750ml bottles
Style: American craft dry farmhouse-style cider from heirloom & culinary apples

Availability: Only in Northern California. They self distribute, and have a tasting room in Arcata (open Friday thru Sunday and by appointment) in Humboldt county. The owner also said she may also be able to ship through a third party to some states if there was interest.

Cider Description: Wrangletown Cider’s Fieldbrook Nursery Orchard is a dry Farmhouse style Cider. It is sourced from a blend of Heirloom and Culinary apples grown in Fieldbrook, California. This cider from Fieldbrook Nursery Orchard is bold, refreshing and full of fresh apple flavor. It has strong apple aromas and a fruity and full mouthfeel. This cider was fermented in stainless steel barrels. Varieties include Spartan, Glowing Coal, Pink Pearl, King and Cortland.

Cidery Description: Wrangletown Cider Company produces small batch, dry, bottle conditioned ciders featuring family-owned orchards from Humboldt County, California.

The cidery is owned and operated by Pat Knittel, since 2015 (a one-woman show). The cidery is named after the “wrangle” town the cidermaker grew up in, which was infamous for two women brawling in the streets. The cidery had a Kickstarter campaign, successfully raising funds for equipment. Ciderpress wrote an article after touring the cidery. Here is another article on the cidery.

Price: n/a (retails for $18)
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: The owner/cidermaker contacted me.

First Impression: Hazy lemonade hue. Low carbonation. Smells dry, slightly sour, funky, and musty, and of citrus.

Tasting Notes: Dry. Very light bodied. Moderate tartness and acidity. Low bitterness and tannins. Hints of sourness and funk. Notes of heirloom apples, lemon, must, mineral, yeast, and honey. Long finish. Hidden ABV. Moderate complexity and sessionability. Low flavor intensity and apple flavor.

My Opinion: This isn’t my favorite style of cider; I usually go for a more intensely flavored cider, and I found this a bit nuanced. However, I certainly couldn’t find any faults, and didn’t dislike it. This will likely appeal to folks who enjoy wine and milder food-friendly ciders. I always think of my personal opinion as more of an afterthought to my reviews (which is why I don’t rate ciders here). Everyone has a different taste in ciders, and every cider won’t appeal to every person.

Closing Notes: All in all, Wrangletown’s lineup is on the entry level end of the farmhouse-style spectrum, with only a touch of sourness & funk, so they remain rather easy to drink / consumer-friendly. However, the flavor intensity was lower than I prefer, very nuanced, and all four ciders were quite similar (and the other four folks I shared the ciders with also agreed on all those points).

I think their ciders would especially appeal to wine drinkers, and are food-friendly. My favorite of the four was the Oak Barrel Aged, as I found it to be the most flavorful and unique. Also, although the labels look really cool, I think they could be a detriment in the long term, as it is very difficult to tell the varieties apart (as only the name varies, on the bottom left), so a consumer could assume they only make one variety.

Have you tried Wrangletown Cider? What did you think?

Wrangletown Cider Co. Monument Apples Orchard

July 10, 2017July 10, 2017 cidersays Wrangletown Arcata, cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, tasting notes, Wrangletown

Review of Wrangletown Cider Company’s Monument Apples Orchard cider. I’ve previously tried their “Original” and Oak Barrel Aged ciders.

Cider: Monument Apples Orchard
Cidery: Wrangletown Cider Co.
Cidery Location: Arcata CA
ABV: 8.4%
How Supplied: 750ml bottles
Style: American craft dry farmhouse-style cider from heirloom & culinary apples

Cider Description: Wrangletown’s Monument Apples Orchard is dry cider produced from a special orchard in Rio Dell, California. The apples in this orchard are Heirloom and Cider varieties. Varieties from this orchard include Cox’s Orange Pippin, Roxbury Russet, Wickson, Hudson’s Golden Gem, Smith Cider and Golden Russet. The juice was fermented and aged in Stainless Steel. This dry cider shows stone fruit, fruit blossom and beeswax aromas . It has wonderfully bright acidity and is proof that true cider and heirloom apples produce the best ciders.

Cidery Description: Wrangletown Cider Company produces small batch, dry, bottle conditioned ciders featuring family-owned orchards from Humboldt County, California.

Price: n/a (retails for $18)
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: The owner/cidermaker contacted me.

First Impression: Hazy lemonade hue. Low carbonation. Smells dry, slightly sour, funky, and musty, and of citrus.

Tasting Notes: Dry. Very light bodied. Moderate tartness. High acidity. Low bitterness and tannins. Hints of sourness and funk. Notes of heirloom apples, lemon, stone fruit, must, mineral, yeast, and honey. Long finish. Hidden ABV. Moderate complexity and sessionability. Low flavor intensity and apple flavor.

My Opinion: This isn’t my favorite style of cider; I usually go for a more intensely flavored cider, and I found this a bit nuanced. However, I certainly couldn’t find any faults, and didn’t dislike it. This is a more introductory farmhouse-style cider, with only hints of sourness & funk. This will likely appeal to folks who enjoy wine and milder food-friendly ciders. I always think of my personal opinion as more of an afterthought to my reviews (which is why I don’t rate ciders here). Everyone has a different taste in ciders, and every cider won’t appeal to every person.

Closing Notes: Three down, one to go!

Have you tried Wrangletown Cider? What did you think?

Schilling Cider House Visit 28 Tasting Notes

July 7, 2017July 7, 2017 cidersays Aspall, Finnriver, Incline, NV Cider, Portland Cider, review, Snowdrift cider, cider bar, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Schilling Cider House, seattle, tasting notes, washington

Tasting notes from my 28th 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 random Friday afternoon. There were only 2 ciders on the board out of 32 that I hadn’t tried, so that meant I got to order some of my favorites.

Incline (Auburn WA) Compass Rosé (6.5% ABV): This was the only new-to-me cider in my flight. It appears to be a year round release, and is also available in cans. Like all their ciders, it is hopped, plus hibiscus, elderflower, ginger, and rose petals were added (no grape, which is typical for a rosé). Pale pink hue. Very mild fruity scent. Notes of grape, watermelon, and strawberry to start. As it warmed up, I got a hint of hops and some floral & herbal flavor. I didn’t pick up any ginger (which is good, as I don’t like it). On the sweeter side of semi-dry. Light to medium bodied. Low tartness. Moderate acidity. No bitterness, sourness, tannins, or funk. Mild flavor intensity. Interesting that I found it more fruity than floral, but maybe I was tasting what I expected (I only found out later what was added). I enjoyed it.

Finnriver (Chimacum WA) Lavender Black Currant (6.9% ABV): This is a special release, also available in bottles, which I’ve tried previously (see here), similar to their regular Black Currant (see here). This batch seemed a bit less sweet, with more lavender. Too bad it wasn’t on one of their 2 Nitro taps, as that is a special treat. I enjoyed it.

Portland Cider (Portland OR) Sangria (5.5% ABV): This is a relatively new year round release, also available in bottles, which I’ve tried previously (see here). This batch was a bit less flavorful and a bit fuller bodied, but still plenty fruity. I enjoyed it.

Pear Up / NV Cider (East Wenatchee WA) Watermelon Pear (5.3% ABV): This is a year round release, also available in bottles, which I’ve tried previously (see here). This batch had much more pear than watermelon flavor, and had a hint of vinegar flavor & sourness. I didn’t really care for it this time around with the slightly off flavor. Their raspberry perry is my favorite so far (see here).

Aspall (Suffolk England) Dry (6.8% ABV): This is an English import, available year round, also in bottles, which I’ve tried previously (see here). Their Dry is actually my least favorite of their line-up, but still plenty good. Their Imperial is my favorite so far (see here); too bad they stopped selling the black label version of it though, as that was a truly amazing cider.

Snowdrift (Wenatchee WA) Cornice (7.5% ABV): This is a year round release, also available in bottles, which I’ve tried previously see here). This batch of this barrel agsed cider was a bit more fruity / less rich. I enjoyed it.

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

Wrangletown Cider Co. Oak Barrel Aged

July 5, 2017July 4, 2017 cidersays review, Wrangletown Arcata, barrel aged, cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Oak Barrel Aged, tasting notes, Wrangletown

Review of Wrangletown Cider Company’s Oak Barrel Aged Cider. This is my first time trying this cider, but I previously tried their “Original“.

Cider: Barrel Aged
Cidery: Wrangletown Cider Co.
Cidery Location: Arcata CA
ABV: 7.8%
How Supplied: 750ml bottles
Style: American craft dry farmhouse-style cider from heirloom & culinary apples, oak barrel aged

Cider Description: Wrangletown’s “Oak Barrel-Aged” Dry Farmhouse style cider is a combination of several Northern California Orchards. It is a dry cider, aged for 8 months in lightly used French Oak that formerly held Russian River Chardonnay. The palate is rich with fine tannins and a round wine-like mouthfeel. This cider would appeal to both oak barrel-aged beer fans as well as wine drinkers. It pairs wonderfully lively flavored foods. Wrangletown’s Oak Barrel-Aged Cider is made from Heirloom and Culinary apples.

Cidery Description: Wrangletown Cider Company produces small batch, dry, bottle conditioned ciders featuring family-owned orchards from Humboldt County, California.

Price: n/a (retails for $18)
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: The owner/cidermaker contacted me.

First Impression: Hazy lemonade hue. Moderate carbonation). Smells dry, slightly sour, funky, and musty, and of citrus.

Tasting Notes: Dry. Light bodied with a nice fizz. Moderate tartness and acidity. Low bitterness and tannins. Hints of sourness and funk. Notes of heirloom apples, lemon, must, mineral, and yeast. Long finish. Hidden ABV. Moderate complexity and sessionability. Low flavor intensity, apple flavor, and barrel influence.

My Opinion: This was a bit smoother than the “Original”, with a hint of oak and a bit more earthiness. I liked this a bit more than “Original”. However, this isn’t my favorite style of cider; I usually go for a more intensely flavored cider, and I found this a bit nuanced. However, I certainly couldn’t find any faults, and didn’t dislike it. This is a more introductory farmhouse-style cider, with only hints of sourness & funk. This will likely appeal to folks who enjoy wine and milder food-friendly ciders. I always think of my personal opinion as more of an afterthought to my reviews (which is why I don’t rate ciders here). Everyone has a different taste in ciders, and every cider won’t appeal to every person.

Closing Notes: Two down, two to go!

Have you tried Wrangletown Cider? What did you think?

Wrangletown Cider Co. Original

July 3, 2017June 30, 2017 cidersays review, Wrangletown Arcata, cider, cider review, cider tasting, farmhouse style, hard cider, tasting notes, Wrangletown

Review of Wrangletown Cider Company’s “Original” cider. This is my first time trying their cider, and the first of four reviews of their cider lineup.

Cider: Original
Cidery: Wrangletown Cider Co.
Cidery Location: Arcata CA
ABV: 8.4%
How Supplied: 750ml bottles
Style: American craft dry farmhouse-style cider from heirloom & culinary apples

Cider Description: Wrangletown’s “Original” Dry Farmhouse style cider is a combination of several Northern California Orchards. It is a dry cider, lightly carbonated with fruit forward aroma and bright acidity. Made from Heirloom and Culinary apples. This cider was fermented in 74% Stainless steel and 23% used French Oak barrels.

Cidery Description: Wrangletown Cider Company produces small batch, dry, bottle conditioned ciders featuring family-owned orchards from Humboldt County, California.

Price: n/a (retails for $16)
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: The owner/cidermaker contacted me.

First Impression: Hazy lemonade hue. Nearly still (very low carbonation). Smells dry, slightly sour, funky, and musty, and of citrus.

Tasting Notes: Dry. Very light bodied. Moderate tartness and acidity. Low bitterness and tannins. Hints of sourness and funk. Notes of heirloom apples, lemon, must, mineral, yeast, and herbs. Long finish. Hidden ABV. Moderate complexity and sessionability. Low flavor intensity and apple flavor.

My Opinion: This isn’t my favorite style of cider; I usually go for a more intensely flavored cider, and I found this a bit nuanced. However, I certainly couldn’t find any faults, and didn’t dislike it. This is a more introductory farmhouse-style cider, with only hints of sourness & funk. This will likely appeal to folks who enjoy wine and milder food-friendly ciders. I always think of my personal opinion as more of an afterthought to my reviews (which is why I don’t rate ciders here). Everyone has a different taste in ciders, and every cider won’t appeal to every person.

Closing Notes: (1) I look forward to trying the other three ciders that Wrangletown sent. (2) One thing I’m a big fan of so far is that they clearly describe their cider as dry and farmhouse-style on the label. I’ve had a number of ciders that were on the extreme end of the farmhouse-style & sour spectrum, and even they weren’t labeled as such (and sometimes I couldn’t find info online saying that either). It is much appreciated as I enjoy being an informed consumer. (3) Cideries which focus on rustic farmhouse-style ciders seem to be on the rise (I’ve seen it first hand in Portland at Cider Rite of Spring), so there must be a demand.

Have you tried Wrangletown Cider? What did you think?

Cascadia Grapefruit Tangerine

June 30, 2017June 24, 2017 cidersays Cascadia, review Cascadia, cider, cider review, cider tasting, Grapefruit Tangerine, hard cider, tasting notes

Review of Cascadia Ciderworks United Grapefruit Tangerine cider. It is my first time trying this one, but I’ve had their Dry cider.

Cider: Grapefruit Tangerine
Cidery: Cascadia Ciderworks United
Cidery Location: Portland OR (at the Reverend Nat’s facility)
ABV: 4.5%
How Supplied: four pack of 16oz cans
Style: American craft cider from dessert apples, with grapefruit & tangerine concentrates added

Availability: I’m guessing this is a seasonal (not year round) release, and as far as I know, Cascadia cider is only sold in Oregon, Washington, and California

Cider Description: Only the best Ruby Red grapefruits and ripe tangerines are used for this easy-drinking cider. We use choice ale yeast to ferment apple juice then add enough citrus for a tart kick.

Cidery Description: The Pacific Northwest grows more apples than anywhere else in the country, so we make hard cider here. Our ciderworkers use only Cascadia-grown whole apples, never juice from concentrate.

Price: $3.49 / single can (runs $10.99 / four cans)
Where Bought: Total Wine
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing. I had seen this at Bartells (a local drugstore), but this is the first time I saw single cans, so I was game to try it.

First Impression: Pale orange hue. Low carbonation. Very mild orangey scent.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry. Light to medium bodied. Moderate tartness and acidity. Low bitterness. No tannins, sourness, or funk. Notes of real tangerine, grapefruit, and lemon. Moderate length finish. Low apple flavor and complexity. Moderate flavor intensity and sessionability.

My Opinion: I thought this was pretty average. I’m not the biggest fan of grapefruit, but I think it was more the natural bitterness of the tangerine which I found slightly off-putting with this cider. It is plenty refreshing though, and relatively flavorful without being sweet.

Most Similar to: I’ve had a few ciders with grapefruit, but none were really like this – Gumption Citrus Freak, Schilling Grapefruit & Chill, Elemental Hydrogen, and Schilling Peach Grapefruit Habanero. The only tangerine (and mandarin orange) cider I’ve had is Reverend Nat’s New Moon Mandarin, which was very dry and very mild. Of those, my favorite was the Elemental Hydrogen.

Closing Notes: This is a nice spring/summer cider for folks who enjoy both grapefruit & tangerine.

Have you tried Cascadia Grapefruit Tangerine? What did you think?

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