Number 12 Sparkling Dry

September 21, 2016December 30, 2016 cidersays Number 12, review cider, cider review, cider tasting, dry, hard cider, Minnesota, Number 12, sparkling, tasting notes

Review of Number 12 Ciderhouse’s Sparkling Dry, their flagship cider. I previously tried their Chestnut Semi-Dry.

>>This is a review of a sample bottle provided to Cider Says by Number 12. 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: Sparkling Dry
Cidery: Number 12 Ciderhouse
Cidery Location: Buffalo, Minnesota
ABV: 7.4%
How Supplied: 750ml bottles
Style: American craft cider from Minnesota apples, fermented dry, sparkling

Availability: Number 12 ciders are sold in these locations in Minnesota.

Cider Description: Number 12 Sparkling Dry is a truly dry, English style cider with a slightly tart finish. It has just the right amount of dry and tart, with an appley bouquet and a champagne-like sparkle. It is blended with 10 varieties of local apples, picked and pressed and fermented to goodness. Sparkling Dry is the culmination of 17 years of experimentation and we’re ready to share!

Cidery Description: Balance is everything . . . In life, and in great ciders. Number 12 is no different. We are continuously experimenting to achieve a perfect balance. Number 12 gets its namesake from the 12th recipe developed in 2011. It became our first award winner and the beginning of our recognition from the cider community. Since then, it has become more of a concept, our ideal if you will. Number 12 represents the idea that greatness in cider is out there somewhere . . . To strive for, to create, to perfect!

They have a tap room in Buffalo Minnesota.

Price: n/a (retails for $13)
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: n/a

First Impression: Dark straw yellow hue. Moderate carbonation with some foam. Smells mild, of citrus with hints of sourness and funk.

Tasting Notes: Fully dry. Light bodied. Moderate tartness. Very high acid. Moderate astringency. Mild tannins, bitterness, funk, and sourness. Notes of lemon, grapefruit, mineral, green apple, pineapple, white blossom, and crabapples. Sharp mouth-puckering flavor. Moderate length finish. Low apple flavor. Low sessionability. Moderate flavor intensity. Moderate complexity.

My Opinion: Well-made, but its not really a style I enjoy. It reminds me of farmhouse-style cider, with its high acidity and some sourness & funk. Sparkling Dry is similar to their Chestnut Semi-Dry, but drier, higher acidity, more fruity, and without oak. I didn’t really pick up on the English-style mentioned in the description (which makes me think of tannins and rich cider apple flavor).

Most Similar to: Other farmhouse-style dry acid-forward ciders such as Millstone Farmgate Dry, Sietsema Traditional Dry, and Angry Orchard Walden Hollow.

Closing Notes: I’m glad I got to try this one. Next up I have their Black Currant Dry.

Have you tried Number 12 Ciders? What did you think?

Stem Ciders Malice

September 20, 2016September 17, 2016 cidersays review, Stem Ciders cider, cider review, cider tasting, Colorado, Denver, hard cider, Malice, Stem, tasting notes

Review of Malice from Stem Ciders, a flagship dry tank-aged cider. I’ve previously tried their Le Chene (see here). My husband brought this and 4 of their other ciders (plus even some Pommeau!) back from Colorado for me.

Cider: Malice
Cidery: Stem Ciders
Cidery Location: Denver Colorado
ABV: 6.8%
How Supplied: four pack of 12oz cans, and kegs (previously sold in 750ml bottles)
Style: American craft flagship dry cider made from dessert apples, tank-aged

<isn’t the can design cool? its actually a clear wrap-around sticker, not etched>

Availability: Only in Colorado, year round, at these retailers.

Cider Description: Tart, dry, and clean, allowing the apples to speak for themselves. Alluringly clean and unassuming, this crisp and fruit-forward cider is crafted from Pacific Northwest apples, fermented dry, and aged in stainless steel.

Cidery Description: At Stem Ciders, we are committed to creating ciders of the highest quality that honor the purity and complexity that is inherent to the apple. We can’t wait to introduce you to your perfect cider match. We are dedicated to reviving the cider tradition, which goes far beyond what you enjoy in your glass. We hold our growers in the highest regard, and by fostering relationships with them we reward their hard work and promote the regrowth of heirloom apple cultivation. We love our home-base in Denver, and embrace the Colorado lifestyle that makes us lug a bottle to share up a mountain to enjoy a drink with a view. Most importantly, we love nothing more than seeing that smile on your face when you have your first sip of one of our crisp, refreshing ciders.

Price: $10 / four pack
Where Bought: Stem Ciders tasting room in Denver
Where Drank: home
How Found: I read about Stem Ciders online. Last time my husband was in Colorado, he picked me up a bunch of ciders, including Stem Le Chene. I keep hearing about their Banjo special release cider, but I’m 0/3 as far as finding it (apparently its only available about 1 month a year; its currently still barrel aging). This time around I thought I’d make it easier on my husband and give him a shopping list all from the same cidery, so he could just stop by the tap room (vs. trying to find ciders at multiple bottle shops). I e-mailed the cidery ahead of time and they were nice enough to send me a list of what they had in stock.

First Impression: Medium straw yellow hue. Very low carbonation. Smells mild, dry, and of citrus with a hint of funk.

Tasting Notes: Fully dry. Light to medium bodied. Moderate tartness. High acid. Low to moderate astringency. Low bitterness. Hints of funk and sourness. Notes of lemon, green apple, mineral, and white grape. Moderate length slightly astringent and tart finish. Low to moderate apple flavor. Moderate sessionability. Low flavor intensity. Low to moderate complexity.

My Opinion: Nice. Wine-like. Its a bit on the boring side for my tastes (I prefer very flavorful ciders), but its well-crafted and I really don’t have any complaints.

Most Similar to: Original Sin Extra Dry, which is also a fully dry sessionable acid and cirtrus-forward canned cider from dessert apples

Closing Notes: If you live in Colorado, enjoy a fully dry cider, and want something sessionable and/or available in a multipack, Stem Malice is a great option. Next up I have their canned Remedy (hopped) and Branch & Bramble (raspberry) ciders, then special releases Blood Orange Cyser, Whiskey Barrel-Aged Apricot, and Pommeau.

Have you tried Stem Malice? What did you think?

Number 12 Chestnut Semi-Dry

September 19, 2016September 19, 2016 cidersays Number 12, review Chestnut, cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Minnesota, Number 12, oak, Oak Aged, tasting notes

Review of Number 12 Ciderhouse’s Chestnut Semi-Dry, a cider made from Minnesota apples and aged with toasted French oak spirals. This is Number 12 Ciderhouse’s newest release, and the first cider I’ve tried from them.

Cider: Chestnut Semi-Dry
Cidery: Number 12 Ciderhouse
Cidery Location: Buffalo, Minnesota
ABV: 7.4%
How Supplied: 750ml bottles
Style: American craft cider from Minnesota apples (including Chestnut Crabapples), aged with toasted French oak spirals

Availability: Number 12 ciders are sold in these locations in Minnesota.

Cider Description: Number 12 Chestnut Semi-Dry combines 5 local apple varieties with toasted French Oak. It features the Chestnut Crabapple, developed and introduced by the University of Minnesota in 1946. Hints of orchard honey and crisp apple come alive against a light sparkle and subtle tannins. This cider is approachable, balanced and delicious!

They have a tap room in Buffalo Minnesota.

Price: n/a (retails for $11)
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: n/a

First Impression: Hazy dark lemonade hue. Moderate carbonation. Smells of citrus, sourness, funk, and oak.

Tasting Notes: Dry to semi-dry. Light bodied. Moderate tartness. Low sourness. Very high acidity. Low funk. Low tannins. Notes of sharp crabapples, grapefruit, lemon, honey, and charred oak. Moderate length finish. Low to moderate apple flavor. Low sessionability. Moderate flavor intensity. Moderate complexity. Low oak influence.

My Opinion: Well-made, but its not really a style I enjoy. It reminds me of farmhouse-style cider, with its high acidity and some sourness & funk.

Most Similar to: Other farmhouse-style dry acid-forward ciders such as Millstone Farmgate Dry, Sietsema Traditional Dry, and Angry Orchard Walden Hollow, except with an oak aged twist.

Closing Notes: I’m glad I got to try this one. Next up I have their Sparkling Dry and Black Currant Dry.

Have you tried Number 12 Ciders? What did you think?

Square Mile Spur & Vine Hopped Cider

September 16, 2016September 11, 2016 cidersays review, Square Mile cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, hopped cider, Spur & Vine, Spur and Vine, Square Mile, tasting notes

Review of Square Mile’s Spur & Vine hopped cider. I’ve previously tried their other variety, Original.

Cider: Spur & Vine
Cidery: Square Mile (part of Craft Brew Alliance)
Cidery Location: Portland OR
ABV: 6.7%
How Supplied: six packs of 12oz bottles and 22oz bottles
Style: American craft cider made from dessert apples, with Galaxy hops

Availability: Year round in WA, OR, CA, HI, AK, NV, AZ, TX, MT, ID, MI, & CO

Cider Description: Spur & Vine puts a Northwest twist on our classic American hard cider. Starting with the same apples and yeast as The Original, we added a generous amount of Galaxy hops during cold conditioning. Since no heat is applied to the hops, our cider takes on flavors and aromas of peach, melon and honeysuckle but none of the traditional hop bitterness. Spur & Vine is best served straight up to allow the complexities of this cider to shine.

Cidery Description: Inspired by the pioneering spirit of those who traveled the Oregon Trail in the pursuit of a dream, we offer Square Mile Hard Cider. We set out to reinvigorate an enduringly classic American beverage with a blend of apples hand-selected for the perfect balance of sweet and tart. Our hard cider pays homage to the fortitude and perseverance of the original pioneers.

They were founded in 2013.

Price: $1.99 / single bottle (runs ~ $9 / six pack)
Where Bought: Total Wine
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing. A couple people have told me they liked this, and its even won awards, but I held off for awhile as I didn’t care for their Original cider.

First Impression: Dark straw yellow. Still (no carbonation). Smells of hops, floral, and citrus.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry. Medium bodied. Low tartness. Moderate acidity. Low bitterness. Hints of tannins. No sourness or funk. Notes of citrus (lemon), hops, floral, herbal, mineral, lemongrass, and honey. Moderate to long finish. Moderate hoppiness, apple flavor, sessionability, flavor intensity, and complexity.

My Opinion: I’m a fan. Nice hops flavor without going too overboard, and without the bitterness. Oddly enough I found this less beer-like than their Original cider. Its probably my favorite hopped cider to date. This category has grown on me. I think I started off on the wrong foot, not liking beer, then having Reverend Nat’s Envy (an intensely hopped bitter dry cider) being the first I tried.

Most Similar to: Other hopped ciders. This one has a nice balance of citrus, floral, and herbal flavor from the hops. Some other hopped ciders sway only towards citrus or floral.

Closing Notes: Now I’ve tried both offerings from Square Mile; oddly enough they only make two.

Have you tried hopped cider? What did you think?

Schilling Trouble in Paradise (Passionfruit Pineapple)

September 15, 2016September 11, 2016 cidersays review, Schilling cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, passion fruit, passionfruit, pineapple, Schilling, tasting notes, Trouble in Paradise

Review of Schilling Cider’s Trouble in Paradise, a passionfruit pineapple cider. I’ve tried a lot of their ciders before (see here).

Cider: Trouble in Paradise (Passionfruit Pineapple)
Cidery: Schilling Cider
Cidery Location: Auburn WA
ABV: 5.0%
How Supplied: 22oz bottles (and draft)
Style: American craft cider from dessert apples, with pineapple and passionfruit juices

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

Cider Description: YOU ASKED, WE ANSWERED! Introducing our unscheduled surprise seasonal, Trouble in Paradise! This pineapple passionfruit hard cider is a tropical paradise and a bit of trouble in a bottle!

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

Price: $7
Where Bought: Schilling Cider House in Seattle WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: I tried in on tap awhile back and thought it would be a nice summer cider to get a bottle of.

First Impression: Hazy yellow orange hue. Still (no carbonation). Smells of pineapple juice with a hint of passionfruit.

Tasting Notes: Semi-sweet to sweet. Medium bodied. Low to moderate tartness and acidity. No bitterness, tannins, sourness, or funk. Notes of pineapple, orange, passionfruit, and peach. Moderate length tart finish. No apple flavor. Low complexity. Moderate to strong flavor intensity. High sessionability.

My Opinion: Yum! A tropical vacation in a glass. However, this is very juice-like, and I couldn’t really taste any alcohol (or apple influence). It was more like juice with vodka or something neutral. I imagine it would make an awesome slushee. It had more orange flavor, was slightly sweeter, and more juice-like than I remembered it having on tap. Its curious they didn’t carbonate it.

Most Similar to: Other tropical/pineapple ciders, such as Ace Pineapple, Jester & Judge Pineapple Express, and Portland Cider Pineapple.

Closing Notes: I’ve been enjoying Schilling’s seasonal and special release ciders (especially King’s Shilling), although I don’t find their regular line of ciders too interesting (albeit better than they used to be).

Have you tried Schilling Trouble in Paradise? What did you think?

Cider Summit Seattle 2016 Post 2/2 – Tasting Notes

September 14, 2016April 16, 2017 cidersays 2 Towns, Apple Outlaw, Aspall, Cider Summit, Coquerel Calvados, D's Wicked, Double Mountain, Dragon's Head, event, Finnriver, Incline, J. Seeds, local, Maeloc, Montana Ciderworks, Moonlight Meadery, Nectar Creek, Number Six, NV Cider, Rev Nat's, review, Sea Cider, Seattle Cider, Steelhead, Summit Cider cider, cider event, cider review, cider summit, cider tasting, hard cider, seattle, tasting notes

This is post 2/2 on Cider Summit Seattle 2016, covering tasting notes. Post 1/2 (see here) covered the event.

2 Towns (Corvallis Oregon) Hollow Jack (6.4% ABV) – This fall seasonal pumpkin cider was just released. They added caramelized pumpkin, sweet potato, honey, and spices. Semi-dry. Light bodied. Low tartness, acidity, and bitterness. Notes of pumpkin, squash, and cinnamon. It was very lightly flavored, unlike many other pumpkin (and more frequently found, “pumpkin” spice ciders, which actually don’t have any pumpkin) which are overwhelming.

Apple Outlaw (Applegate Oregon) Chocolate Raspberry (unknown ABV) – This was their fruit cider challenge entry. The chocolate was added by soaking cacao bean husks in the raspberry cider. These husks would otherwise be discarded in the chocolate making process. Smells delicious, purely chocolate and raspberry. Semi-dry. The flavor is almost all raspberry, but hints of dark chocolate shone through in the slightly bitter and tannic finish. Moderate tartness and acidity. This was a bit of a novelty, but nice.

Aspall (Suffolk England) Perronelle’s Blush (4% ABV) – Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Moderate tartness and acidity. Light to medium bodied. Lovely fruitiness with moderate blackberry flavor plus hints of cranberry and blueberry. This is a nice sessionable summer sipper without forgoing flavor. I’ve never been disappointed by Aspall.

Boonville (Boonville CA) Bite Hard Semi-Sweet (6.9% ABV) – Their semi-sweet flagship cider is a follow up to their Dry Bite Hard variety. I found it as advertised, semi-sweet. Medium bodied. Fruity, with notes of tropical fruit like pineapple, plus green apple (all from the apples). I prefer this semi-sweet cider to their drier variety, which was more wine-like (which corresponds to their wine making background and methods).

Bull Run (Forest Grove Oregon) Mango (unknown ABV) – This was their fruit cider challenge entry. This hazy cider looked like mango juice. Semi-sweet. Medium bodied. Very juice-like and moderate mango flavor intensity. Moderate tartness and acidity. Simple but tasty.

Carlton Cyderworks (McMinnville Oregon) Impearial Asian Pear Hard Cider (5.8% ABV) – This is a pear cider (apples + Asian pears + Hood River Oregon pears). Semi-dry. Light bodied. Light sourness. Mildly flavored with notes of pear, pineapple, lemon, green apple, and mineral. I prefer more flavor, but this would pair well with food.

Coquerel (Victot-Pontfol, Normandy, France) Calvodos Fine VSOP (40% ABV) – This was my first time trying straight Calvados, an aged apple brandy (I’ve only had it with cider, as Pommeau). Semi-dry. Definitely boozy, with a very long warming finish. It surprisingly had only a mild apple flavor, although its possible my palate was a bit overwhelmed by the alcohol. I’m not really into straight alcohol (especially when served room temperature). I think I’ll stick to Pommeau.

d’s Wicked (Kennewick WA) Cranny Granny (6.9% ABV) – This is a granny smith apple cider with cranberry juice. Hazy pink hue. Semi-sweet. Medium bodied. Simple with only notes of moderately tart granny smith apples and cranberry. If you like tartness and cranberry, you’ll like this cider.

Dragon’s Head (Vashon WA) Columbia Crabapple Cider (6.7% ABV) – A single varietal cider made from Columbia crabapples. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Light bodied. Moderate tartness and acidity with hints of bitterness and tannins. Sharp flavor with notes of mineral, green apple, honey, white blossom, and lemon. Wine-like and nuanced with low flavor intensity. This is the sweetest variety I’ve tried from them. Their Kingston Black or Traditional is probably my favorite though.

Double Mountain Brewery – I’ll add a bit about them as they aren’t yet distributed in Washington, only Oregon. They have brewed beer for 9 years, but just started making cider, and have one introductory variety.

Double Mountain (Hood River Oregon) Jumpin Jack Heirloom Cider (7.3% ABV) – Fully dry. Mild sourness. Moderate tartness and acidity. Mild bitterness and tannins. Notes of green apple and a hint of hops (not sure if they were added, or there might have been some tap line contamination). I didn’t pick up the richness of any of the cider apple varieties they added, but there was definitely sharp heirloom apple flavor. I thought it was ok.

Finnriver (Chimanum WA) Apple Abbey (6.5% ABV) – A Belgian-inspired cider made from dessert apples. Foamy and hazy. Smells of sourness and citrus. Semi-sweet. Medium bodied. Yeast-forward. Notes of citrus and green apple. Hints of sourness. Moderate tartness and acidity. I liked it.

Finnriver (Chimanum WA) Pomona’s Nectar (6.5% ABV) – This is a new Crew Selection sour nectarine cider. Smells like Spanish Sidra. Semi dry. Mild to moderate sourness. Notes of lemon, yeast, and mineral (I didn’t pick up any stone fruit). I’m still trying to acquire the taste for sour ciders, but I found this one pretty tolerable; its a bit more approachable than the average Sidra.

Incline Cider (Auburn WA) Scout (6.5%) – A hopped marionberry cider. Semi-dry. Light bodied. Light marrionberry and moderate hops flavor. I think I prefer their plain Explorer hopped cider variety.

J. Seeds (Fairfield CA) Apple Cider Whiskey (35% ABV) – Whiskey made including apple cider. Semi-sweet. Apple forward and quite tasty, although I don’t have anything to compare it to as I’m not a whiskey drinker (I’ve previously found it too harsh). However, I’m not into straight booze, so I think I’d prefer it watered down or mixed. It looks to be available locally and is quite affordable. I wouldn’t mind trying this again. Being sweeter, it reminds me of what flavored sweetened vodka is to plain vodka.

Maeloc Cider (Galithia Spain) Dry (4.8% ABV) – This is a commercial Spanish Sidra. Semi-dry to semi-sweet (despite the “Dry” name). Medium bodied. Mild sourness and funk. Notes of citrus and green apple. It is a more approachable Sidra, a style I’m still learning to acquire a taste for. I learned they use apples from within 50 miles of the cidery, grown in a damp climate similar to the PNW, and use wild yeast fermentation for all their ciders. Overall it was ok.

Montana CiderWorks (Darby MT) Spartan Dry-Style (5.5% ABV) – This is a small batch oak aged single varietal made with Montana-grown Spartan apples, in the style of Northern Italy’s Sauvignon Blanc. Dry. Light bodied. Nuanced and wine-like, with high acidity, and sharp green apple, herbal, and baked apple notes. It was nice, but I prefer their fuller flavored Darby Pub cider. This is a wine-lovers cider.

Moonlight Meadery (Londonderry NH) Crimes of Passion (4.1% ABV) – A black currant seasonal cider. Semi-dry. Light sourness. Moderate tartness and acidity. Mild to moderate black currant flavor intensity. I enjoyed it, although without the sourness I would have enjoyed it more. I was excited to learn they will soon be offering their How Do You Like Them Little Apples cider in cans (currently all their ciders are draft-only), starting in October/November, including in the Seattle area.

Nectar Creek (Corvallis Oregon) Honeycone (6.9% ABV) – This is a hopped mead (no apples, just honey and water). The smell is all hops, no honey. Semi-dry. Mild flavor intensity with more hops than honey. I found this sessionable lightly carbonated mead to be lacking the full flavor I enjoy in the higher ABV sweeter meads.

Number Six Cider (Seattle WA) Peach Fuzz (6.5% ABV) – This was their fruit cider challenge entry, a spiced peach cider. Semi-dry. Very full bodied (chunky and smoothie-like). Low peach flavor and moderate to high spice intensity. It was a bit too strange for my liking as it was so full bodied, and overly spiced.

NV Cider (East Wenatchee WA) Watermelon Raspberry (unknown ABV) – This perry (no apples) with watermelon and raspberry was their fruit cider challenge entry, and was served through a watermelon. Semi-sweet. Light bodied. Moderately flavorful, but with more raspberry than watermelon notes, and no pear. I prefer their watermelon perry without the raspberry. Both however are refreshing options.

Reverend Nat’s (Portland Oregon) Sour Cherry (7.2% ABV) – This cider was made from granny smith apples, with pie cherry juice which was soured, pear juice, and “hint” of ghost chili peppers. Semi-dry. Moderate cherry flavor. Low sourness. Low to moderate heat/spiciness from the ghost chili peppers. I liked the cherry portion of the cider, but spicy ciders aren’t my thing (and a bit of a palate killer too). I’d love to see this without the spiciness (which I believe was new for this year).

Reverend Nat’s (Portland Oregon) The Passion (6.9% ABV) – Cider with passion fruit juice, coconut, and vanilla. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Medium bodied. Mild sourness. Moderate tartness and acidity. Hints of bitterness and tannins. Strong passion fruit flavor with hints of vanilla, pineapple, and coconut. I really enjoyed it. I liked how fruity it was without being too sweet. I had heard this was very sour so I hadn’t got around to trying it, but I wish I had sooner! I wonder if they did away with the sour aspect this year, as I really didn’t pick up any. I’ll have to try this again to see if my sour taste buds were busted when I tried it.

Reverend Nat’s (Portland Oregon) Whiskey Barrel Aged Golden Russet with Black Currant (9.5% ABV) – This is Wandering Aengus’ Golden Russet cider with black currant puree from Oregon Fruit Products, aged for 6 months in whiskey barrels. It was made for the Portland and Seattle Cider Summits, but will be a Tent Show cider club release in October. Semi-dry. Moderate tartness and acidity. Mild tannins and bitterness. Moderate barrel and spirit influence. Awesome! I really loved this cider. I usually find berry ciders to be boring, but when barrel aged, they can be amazing. This reminded me of Alpenfire Calypso and Apocalypso, except more boozy, and whiskey not rum barrel aged. Too bad they weren’t selling bottles of this at the event, as I would have picked some up.

Sea Cider (Saanichton, B.C., Canada) Ruby Rose (9.9% ABV) – This summer seasonal is made with rhubarb and rose hips. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Medium bodied. Mild to moderate tartness and acidity. Hints of bitterness and tannins. Intensely fruity, with floral, rhubarb, strawberry, and watermelon notes. I really liked it! Oddly enough I didn’t find it too boozy, despite being 9.9% ABV.

Sea Cider (Saanichton, B.C., Canada) Witch’s Broom (9.9% ABV) – I got a taste from the first bottle poured in the U.S. of this fall seasonal. It was described as a “bouquet of pumpkin patch spices”. Semi-sweet. Medium bodied. It was moderately spiced with notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, and baked apple. Mild tannins, bitterness, tartness, and acidity. Cinnamon was the most present, both in the nose and the finish. One of my favorite spiced ciders, but I’m not usually a huge fan of them.

Both of these ciders from Sea Cider are part of their Canadian Invasion Series, meant to draw attention to invasive species and their threat to farms and natural areas.

Seattle Cider (Seattle Washington) City Fruit (6.3% ABV) – This is a special release cider only sold at Whole Foods, made using apples collected in the Seattle community by the non-profit City Fruit. Dry to semi-dry. Wine-like and acid forward. Notes of red grape and mineral. Overall very mild flavor intensity. This is a wine-lovers cider, and would pair well with food.

Steelhead Cider (Manson WA) Chimera Cherry Apple (5.5% ABV) – This is a newer cidery who just started distributing (at least kegs) in the Seattle area. I previously tried their Peargatory. Semi-sweet. Medium bodied. Moderate to strong real cherry flavor. It was sweeter than I prefer, but I liked the intense cherry flavor.

Summit Cider – I’ll add a bit about them as they aren’t yet distributed in Western Washington (only Idaho and Eastern Washington). This cidery was started in 2014, making them the first in Idaho, and the only in Coeur d’Alene. Their bestseller is Apricot, although of late their Hibiscus cider has been popular with wine drinkers. They have a tap room in Coeur d’Alene. I met co-founder Davon Sjostrom, who has a background in Botany, which I imagine brings something new to cidermaking.

Summit Cider (Coeur d’Alene Idaho) Apple (6.5% ABV) – Semi-dry. Low tartness and acidity. Low to moderate apple flavor. Rather plain, but likeable.

Summit Cider (Coeur d’Alene Idaho) Apricot (6.5% ABV) – Semi-dry. Lots of (true) apricot flavor for the level of dryness (typically drier ciders have a less intense flavor than sweeter ciders). I really enjoyed it. Davon described testing out many varieties of apricots to find the one whose flavor came across best in cider.

Summit Cider (Coeur d’Alene Idaho) Hibiscus (6.9% ABV) – Semi-dry with nuanced light floral and herbal notes. I can see why this would be a wine-lovers cider.

Summit Cider (Coeur d’Alene Idaho) Blackberry (unknown ABV) – This was their fruit cider challenge entry. I found it semi-dry and very mild in flavor. I think with some barrel aging it would have been nice though.

In Summary

My Favorite Cider – Reverend Nat’s Whiskey Barrel Aged Black Currant

Other Favorite Ciders – Reverend Nat’s The Passion, Summer Cider Apricot, Sea Cider Ruby Rose, and Steelhead Cherry

Most Interesting Cider – One Tree’s PB&J cider, a raspberry cider with peanut butter whipped cream (I didn’t try it, but a photo is available here – more dessert than cider).

Other Interesting Ciders – Reverend Nat’s Sour Cherry, due to the use of ghost chili peppers. Schilling’s Grumpy Bear, due to the use of coffee and a Nitro can (my tasting notes here). Schilling’s Sour Raspberry Smoothie, due to its high viscosity (apparently for some of their ciders with high fruit content, they have a keg or two per batch which are smoothie-like). Apple Outlaw’s Chocolate Raspberry, due to the use of chocolate in a cider (I’ve only heard of Woodchuck doing this previously). 1o1 Ciderhouse Black Dog, due to the use of activated charcoal (poured last year, with my tasting notes here).

Cider Summit Seattle 2016 Post 1/2 – The Event

September 13, 2016September 14, 2016 cidersays Cider Summit, event, local cider, cider event, cider summit, cider tasting, hard cider, seattle, tasting notes, washington

What an epic cider event! This was my second year attending (see here for previous posts), but was the seventh annual Cider Summit in Seattle Washington. It took place on Friday & Saturday September 9th & 10th. This is post 1/2, covering the event. Post 2/2 will cover tasting notes on the dozens of ciders I tried. [Update – Post 2/2 is now up here].

Info

We had some beautiful weather for the weekend. It was still warmer than I prefer, but not as bad as last year. Same as last year, I attended both days, and even stayed locally overnight. Even though I don’t live far, its very convenient, and makes a fun weekend getaway with the hubby. See here for the full event info and here for the full list of cideries (60) and ciders (196 ish).

There were some substitutions, but about the same number of ciders as expected were poured. The most interesting booths were those for Coquerel Calvados (French apple brandy), Schonauer apple liquor, and J. Seeds apple cider whiskey. They were even pouring a few meads, from Moonlight Meadery and Nectar Creek. Although most ciders were from the PNW, there were a good number of national and international ones as well. Also, the selections were primarily on the craft (vs. commercial) end.

There were 16 entries for the Fruit Cider Challenge. I learned that the cideries were provided fruit puree from Oregon Fruit Products which they made cider with. Votes were taken by text (1 per phone). Although I didn’t try them all, my vote was for Reverend Nat’s Whiskey Barrel Aged Golden Russet w/ Black Currant.

Entry included a tasting glass, tickets (8 for regular and 12 for VIP, each one good for a 4oz pour of most ciders), and wristband. A cool feature of this event is that in addition to in & out privileges, one entry fee gets you in both days (and you can even skip the line on the second day). This event is very well organized. Everything from pre event information online to signage at the event to thinking of the little things like having rinse water available.

Another thing about this event that I really like is that the folks pouring the cider are associated with the cidery (cidery employees, sometimes even the cidermakers, or the distributor). When its not too busy, you can ask about the cidery and cider. The crowd was really varied, from the cider enthusiasts like myself to people who just wanted to drink. We even spotted a couple in wedding garb (apparently they attended Friday straight from their wedding), and an adorable older lady with her walker.

Layout

Besides the main attraction of cider booths, they had music (from a local radio station, KEXP), food for sale from Whole Foods and SUSU rolled ice cream, cider cocktails from Capitol Cider, samples of unfermented juice from Ryan’s and Krave beef jerky (both for sale), some misc booths such as for Northwest Cider and fancy growlers, a shop with bottle sales and Cider Summit t-shirts and such, a dog lounge, stand up tables, covered seating, cold filtered water (from Easy Tap), and port-a-potties (which were actually quite clean, and one set of them had outdoor sinks). There was less covered seating this year, but it seemed to be sufficient.

My Tips

I’m glad I brought a hat, sunblock, good walking/standing shoes (for uneven grass), 1 water bottle to fill up, snacks (including something starchy, good both to absorb alcohol and as a palate cleanser – I chose animal crackers this year), notebook, pencil, and tote bag with an outside pocket for my tasting glass. You might also want a bag to put free swag in, but a couple cidery booths actually gave out bags too. Some cash isn’t a bad idea either, although I think at least the bottle shop took cards. ID is required.

My best advice for avoiding the crowds it to attend early on Friday, although even later on Friday is less busy than anytime on Saturday. I ended up only staying a few hours on Friday and a couple hours on Saturday, leaving once I’d had enough. There are also a number of restaurants (and Whole Foods) within walking distance, so another option is leaving if you need a break, then come back after a bit. I did that last year, especially as it was so hot (we took advantage of the a/c as Whole Foods).

A great way to get free admission is to volunteer; they had several shift options each day, and I heard that if you work closing on Saturday you may even get leftover cider. For the best ticket price, buy them in advance. Although VIP tickets are online sales only, if you are getting regular tickets, buy them in person at one of the places around town which sell them, as there isn’t a service charge. It didn’t sell out as far as I know, but the price was higher at the door. Designated driver tickets ($5) were only at the door.

Photos

Dunkertons Black Fox

September 12, 2016September 11, 2016 cidersays Dunkertons Black Fox, cider, cider review, cider tasting, Dunkertons, English Cider, hard cider, organic, tasting notes

Review of Dunkertons Black Fox, an Organic medium dry sparkling cider from England. This is the last of three bottles I received from them (see my Dry and Perry reviews).

>>This is a review of a sample bottle provided to Cider Says by Dunkertons. 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: Black Fox
Cidery: Dunkertons
Cidery Location: Pembridge, Leominster, United Kingdom
ABV: 7.0%
How Supplied: 500ml bottles
Style: organic English cider from cider apple varieties

Availability: Dunkertons is just becoming available in the U.S. for the first time, so its probably not in stores quite yet, but look for it at finer bottle shops in the future (distributed through Winesellers, Ltd.).

Cider Description: From the earliest times, rural communities have told stories of fantastic and unusual creatures which have supposedly lived in their locality. The lush rolling countryside of North West Herefordshire is no exception. Here stories tell of an animal which has evaded capture by farmer and huntsman alike; a Black Fox. The red fox has always existed, but the belief grew that there was also a fox “as black as night, so that it might live in a man’s shadow and so never be seen”. A favored haunt of the BLACK FOX is………the Cider Orchard.

Translucent in color with light golden honey hues. Fragrant notes of apple pie fillings and honey aromas. This is a deliciously robust with a mouth full of lively sweet and sour flavors of green apples, honeycomb and fresh lemon.

Apple Varieties: Brown Snout, Foxwhelp, Kingston Black, Balls Bitter Sweet, Stoke Red, Dabinett

Cidery Description: We make premium award winning organic cider and perry at our Cider Mill in Herefordshire. Our success is down to our unique blending method using traditional varieties of organic cider apples and pears grown in our own orchards. We started making our ciders and perry in 1980. We only ever use the finest tasting traditional varieties of certified organic apples and pears. It is this careful selection of fruit that gives our drinks the delicate and aromatic characteristics required to be award winning.

Price: retails for $8
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: n/a

First Impression: Dark straw yellow hue. Low carbonation. Smells tannic, slightly sour & funky, fruity, and of citrus.

Tasting Notes: On the sweeter side of semi-dry. Medium bodied. Moderate tannins. Low tartness. Moderate acidity. Hints of bitterness, sourness, and funk. Notes of cider apples, orange, yeast, honey, and stone fruit. Moderate to long warming finish. Moderate apple flavor. Low sessionability. Moderate flavor intensity. Moderate complexity.

My Opinion: Awesome! This is different but similar to their Dry. It is a bit more approachable than their Dry as it is slightly sweeter and lower in tannins, and has slightly more fruity than rich flavor notes.

Most Similar to: Medium dry moderately tannic English and English-style ciders such as Sheppy’s Somerset Draught.

Closing Notes: I highly recommend Dunkertons cider if you can find it in your area. They are high quality and affordable (and even Organic). I think the Dry and Black Fox are tied for my favorite; each is well suited for a different mood and/or menu.

Have you tried Dunkertons cider? What did you think?

Schilling Cider House Visit 20 Tasting Notes

September 9, 2016October 8, 2017 cidersays Christian Drouin, Greenwood, Red Tank, Rev Nat's, review, Schilling, Seattle Cider, Steelhead cider, cider bar, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Schilling Cider House, seattle, tasting notes

Tasting notes from my 20th visit to the Schilling Cider House in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle WA. Check out my past posts with tasting notes here.

<can’t beat 32 cider taps!>

I was there on Labor Day for a random visit, since I had the day off work. I started with a flight.

Steelhead (Manson WA) Peargatory (Vanilla Pear), 5.5%: This is from a brand new cidery, and available in bottles as well. Semi-sweet. Medium bodied. Pear-forward, with green apple, pineapple, and mineral notes. I didn’t notice the vanilla, but I didn’t know about it until I looked it up later either. Low to moderate tartness. Moderate acidity. No bitterness, sourness, funk, or tannins. High sessionability. High pear flavor. Low complexity. Moderate flavor intensity. Pretty good (I definitely preferred it over Red Tank’s as it was more flavorful).

Greenwood (Seattle WA) Lavender Blackberry, 7.4%: This is a draft-only release. Semi-dry. Light bodied. Moderate tartness and acidity. Low bitterness and tannins. No sourness or funk. Notes of lavender, blackberry, and a weird herbalness. Low flavor intensity. Low complexity. Moderate sessionability. No apple flavor. I didn’t care for this one.

Red Tank (Bend OR) Tropical, 5.8%: This appears to be a draft-only release. Semi-dry. Medium bodied. Low to moderate tartness. Moderate acidity. Hints of bitterness and tannins. No sourness or funk. Notes of pineapple and green apple. Low flavor intensity. Low complexity. Low apple flavor. Moderate sessionability. I thought this was ok, but needed more flavor.

Red Tank (Bend OR) Pear Bear, 5.8%: This appears to be a draft-only release. Semi-dry. Medium bodied. Moderate tartness and acidity. Hints of bitterness and tannins. No sourness or funk. Pear and pineapple notes. Long boozy finish. High sessionability. Low to moderate pear flavor. Moderate flavor intensity. Low complexity. The flavor was a bit weird on this one.

Seattle Cider (Seattle WA) Gin Botanical, 6.5%: This seasonal release is also available in bottles. Semi-dry. Medium bodied. Light herbal flavor from the gin botanicals. Low to moderate tartness and acidity. Hints of bitterness and tannins. No sourness or funk. Low flavor intensity. Moderate complexity. Low apple flavor. Moderate sessionability. Not bad; I can see why its popular.

Christian Drouin (Rouen Normandy France) Pays d’Auge, 4.5%: This is also available in bottles, made from cider apples, and wild yeast fermented. Smells rich and a bit funky. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Light to medium bodied, frothy and foamy. Low tartness and acidity. Low sourness, funk, tannins, and bitterness. Notes of bittersweet apples, brown sugar, and orange. Moderate to high apple flavor. Moderate sessionability, flavor intensity, and complexity. Great! I was expecting more sourness and funk, but it was quite tolerable.

Reverend Nat’s Revival Dry: Although this shares the name with their popular sweeter Revival variety, its quite different…2/3 English & French bittersweet and 1/3 American heirloom varieties, partial wild fermentation, multiple yeast strains, and no piloncillo. Only in 750ml bottles. A friend shared some with me. Smells fruity. Dry. Light bodied. Mild sharp tropical flavor. Mild sourness, tannins, and funk. Moderate tartness, acidity, and bitterness. Low apple flavor. Low sessionability. Moderate complexity. Moderate flavor intensity. I prefer the regular version. This would probably appeal well to wine lovers.

The Christian Drouin Pays d’Auge was my favorite, which isn’t a surprise as it is the only one made from cider apple varieties.

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

Dunkertons Dry Organic Cider

September 6, 2016September 17, 2016 cidersays Dunkertons, review cider, cider review, cider tasting, Dunkertons, England, English Cider, hard cider, organic, tasting notes

Review of Dunkertons Dry Organic Cider, from England. This is my first time trying their cider. This is one of three samples I got from them, so it won’t be the last I try.

Cider: Dry Organic Cider
Cidery: Dunkertons
Cidery Location: Pembridge, Leominster, United Kingdom
ABV: 7.0%
How Supplied: 500ml bottles
Style: organic English cider from cider apple varieties

Cider Description: An offering of a drier, crisper blended cider for the connoisseur, or more adventurous enthusiast. Sharp, crisp and to the point. Certified organic by Soil Association Organic Standard. Pours a red hued gold with a slight haze. Moderately strong aromas of toffee and hints of farmhouse/blue cheese character to ground it. Flavors bring tannins from the bittersweets to the fore with freshly picked apples, honey, and wisps of smoke playing strong support. Full bodied with a carbonation that makes a strong first impression before finishing with a sharp dryness.

Apple Varieties: Brown Snout, Sheeps Nose, Foxwhelp, Kingston Black, and Yarlington Mill

Price: retails for $8
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: n/a

First Impression: Hazy light orange amber. Low to moderate carbonation. Smells of tannic cider apples, must, orange, and leather.

Tasting Notes: Dry. Medium bodied. Low tartness. Moderate acidity. Low bitterness. Moderate to high tannins. No sourness or funk. Notes of cider apples, must, orange, leather, mineral, caramel, toffee, and smoke. Long warming tannic finish. Low to moderate apple flavor. Low sessionability. Moderate to high complexity and flavor intensity.

My Opinion: Awesome! A cider this dry and tannic isn’t for everyone, but its a taste I’ve acquired. I liked how it wasn’t too bitter and was quite complex. I’m hoping we can get more ciders like this in the U.S. as more orchards of cider apples grow up. Until then, imports like this can be surprisingly affordable.

Most Similar to: Other dry tannic English ciders. Sheppy’s and Aspall are some of my favorites, but are more entry level than this one (sweeter and lower tannins). Worley’s makes some great higher tannin ciders too, but they are sweeter. This was actually really similar to Alpenfire Ember.

Closing Notes: I look forward to trying the other two bottles from Dunkertons.

Have you tried Dunkertons cider? What did you think?

Slyboro Hidden Star

September 2, 2016August 29, 2016 cidersays review, Slyboro cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Hidden Star, New York, Slyboro, tasting notes

Review of Slyboro Hidden Star, from New York. I’ve previously only tried their Old Sin cider.

Cider: Hidden Star
Cidery: Slyboro
Cidery Location: Granville NY
ABV: 6.9%
Residual Sugar: 2.5%
How Supplied: 750ml bottles
Style: American craft cider made from heirloom apple varieties

Availability: Year round in limited markets

Cider Description: Discover the secret in the apple! Cider from historic, hearty Northern Spy apples blended with ecologically grown Liberty apples, brings a deeply rooted American tradition to the modern table for your enjoyment.
Made from apples grown at Hicks Orchard, a family farm in the Adirondack foothills and New York?s oldest U-Pick orchard. Clean, crisp, aromatic and refreshingly smooth, like a ripe apple just picked from a tree. Hidden Star pairs well with Summer barbeques, Autumn picnics, Winter festivities, and Spring frolics.

Cidery Description: Named for the centuries-old hamlet that is home to Hicks Orchard, Slyboro Ciderhouse re-introduces the lost craft of traditional American ciders. Just as grapes are transformed into wine, our ciders are fermented from our own orchard-grown apples; unlocking the full potential of the apple by creatively blending a a distinctive range of delicious, award-winning ciders.

We at Slyboro Ciderhouse are dedicated to reclaiming cider – “true cider” – as America’s favorite drink. We invite you to explore and discover the flavors and delights of Slyboro Ciders. In any season, for special occasions, or to enrich the moment, “consider cider.”

Slyboro has a tasting room open seasonally, July through Christmas.

Price: $17 (which is apparently $5 more than the going price in New York)
Where Bought: Schilling Cider House in Seattle WA
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing. I previously tried and enjoyed their Old Sin, so I was game to try something else from Slyboro.

First Impression: Medium straw yellow. Smells fruity, of stone fruit and pineapple.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry. Medium bodied. Moderate carbonation, tiny bubbles. Moderate tartness and acidity. Mild tannins. Hints of bitterness and funk. No sourness. Notes of honey, peach, pineapple, mineral, green apples, and a slight metallic flavor. Long finish with some sharpness and warming (tasting higher than 6.9% ABV). Moderate apple flavor. Moderate flavor intensity. Moderate complexity. Low sessionability.

My Opinion: I enjoyed it, although I prefer their Old Sin (which is richer). This is a nice summery cider in flavor, although not sessionable.

Most Similar to: Eve’s Beckhorn Hollow (although Hidden Star is sweeter and more fruity). It even reminded me a bit of ciders which used some crabapples (such as Raven’s Moon and Dragon’s Head Columbia Crab), as it had a sharp flavor. It also seemed a bit boozy, especially in the finish, like something Sea Cider or Eaglemount would make.

Closing Notes: I look forward to trying more from Slyboro, and the East Coast / New York in general. I have seen two more varieties from them locally.

Have you tried Slyboro Hidden Star? What did you think?

Angry Orchard Easy Apple

August 30, 2016August 29, 2016 cidersays Angry Orchard, review Angry Orchard, cider, cider review, cider tasting, Easy Apple, hard cider, sessionable, tasting notes

Review of Angry Orchard’s Easy Apple, their newest release, added to their core ciders. It is marketed as a less sweet and easy drinking (low ABV) cider.

>>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: Easy Apple
Cidery: Angry Orchard
Cidery Location: Walden NY (their R&D facility)
Cider Production Locations: Cincinnati OH & Breingsville PA
ABV: 4.2%
How Supplied: six pack of 12oz bottles
Style: American commercial cider made from dessert & cider apple varieties

Availability: Currently (since early Aug) year round in RI, WA, OR, ID, MT, and AK, and it will be in variety packs Aug-Dec 2016.

Cider Description: Angry Orchard Easy Apple is a less sweet, refreshing and easy-to-drink hard cider. It is unfiltered with an apple-forward taste, slightly hazy appearance and a refreshingly dry finish. It never weighs you down, making it the perfect drink choice for those long, relaxing days.

Apple Varieties: Dessert (Braeburn, Fuji, Granny Smith, and Gala) and French Bittersweet (Dabinett, Harry Master Jersey, Frequin Rouge, and Bisquet)

Ingredients: hard cider, water, cane sugar, apple juice from concentrate, malic acid, natural flavor, carbon dioxide, sulfites

Price: n/a (but retails for $8.99-$9.99 / six pack)
Where Bought: n/a
Where Drank: home
How Found: n/a

First Impression: Slightly hazy amber orange hue. Still (no carbonation). Smells of apple juice with a hint of sharp apples and citrus.

Tasting Notes: Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Medium bodied. Low tartness. Low to moderate acidity. Hints of tannins. No bitterness, sourness, or funk. Notes of apple juice, citrus (orange), honey, and honeycomb. Hints of richer tannic cider apple flavor. Quick finish. High sessionability. Moderate to high apple flavor. Low complexity. Low flavor intensity.

My Opinion: Better than I expected–I actually enjoyed this. It was very easy to drink and refreshing. It was very simple, but had hints of complexity (I would have liked to see a higher percentage of cider apples). While it remains on the sweet size, it isn’t too sweet for me (ie. I could actually drink more than one of these). Too bad these drier (superior in my opinion) varieties don’t make it to restaurants and bars and such like their flagship Crisp Apple does. However, I’m not all that pleased with the ingredient list (its definitely commercial).

Most Similar to: 2 Towns Out Cider, One Tree Crisp Apple, and Downeast Original, which are apple-forward and less filtered. Easy Apple also reminds me a bit of Angry Orchard’s Traditional Dry variety, which I think they discontinued, which was a similar sweetness level and seemed to have hints of cider apple flavor. The honeycomb notes reminded me of Long Drop Vanilla Honey.

Closing Notes: This was surprisingly tasty. Angry Orchard is definitely trying to keep up with changing expectations in the cider market, and they remain the market leader by far.

Have you tried Angry Orchard Easy Apple? What did you think?

Le Brun Organic Cidre

August 24, 2016September 10, 2017 cidersays Le Brun, review cider, cider review, cider tasting, cidre, France, French, hard cider, Le Brun, organic, tasting notes

Review of Le Brun Organic Cidre. I’ve tried this previously on tap (the only cider I’ve tried from Le Brun), but wanted to give a bottle a go.

Cider: Organic Cidre
Cidery: Le Brun
Cidery Location: Plovan in the Brittany region of France
ABV: 4.0%
How Supplied: 750ml corked & caged champagne bottle
Style: Brittany French cidre, organic, secondary fermented

Availability: semi wide release (imported by Winesellers Ltd., Niles IL)

Cider Description: This cider presents lightly sweet, fruit and then develops to be more dry as the taste goes on. Tannins feel fairly high, acidity is moderate and a fairly bitter/sharp to end, with a mild hint of wood in the aftertaste. This cider has a juicy feel to it, but also has depth and character.

Apple Varieties: Kermerrien, Marie Ménard, Douce Moên, Peau de Chien, Douce Coëtligné

Cidery Description: Le Brun Cidres have been produced in Brittany, France since 1955. our cidres are made using the traditional method of natural fermentation of pure pressed juices from handpicked apples

Price: $10.99
Where Bought: The Wine Seller in Port Townsend WA, which had a nice cider selection for a small shop, including this one (which I haven’t seen locally lately) and a couple others I hadn’t even seen in Seattle (I picked up one other bottle too)
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing

First Impression: Amber orange hue. Moderate carbonation with foam upon pouring. Smells of rich apples with hints of funk and must.

Tasting Notes: Semi-sweet. Medium bodied. Low tartness, acidity, funk, and tannins. No sourness or bitterness. Notes of bittersweet apples, apple juice, apple pomace, orange, floral, and must. Moderate length finish. High apple flavor. Moderate sessionability. Moderate flavor intensity. Low to moderate complexity.

My Opinion: I enjoyed this. I’m a fan of Brittany France ciders in general too (but not typically Normandy France ciders, which tend to have sourness). However, I remember it tasting more clean (no funk) when I tried it on tap, which I prefer.

Most Similar to: Other ciders from Brittany France, such as Celt and Dan Armor, which I think I slightly prefer, and are both more affordable too ($8 for a four pack of 11.2oz bottles of Celt and $5 for a 750ml bottle of Dan Armor – only sold at Trader Joe’s).

Closing Notes: This is a nice selection from Le Brun. I hope I can find their other varieties locally to try (I know at least a couple others get imported).

Have you tried French Cidre? What did you think?

Magners Original Irish Cider

August 23, 2016August 15, 2016 cidersays Magners cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Irish, irish cider, Magners, Original, tasting notes

Review of Magners Original Irish Cider. Its my first time trying it oddly enough (I had never got around to it).

Cider: Original Irish Cider
Cidery: Magners (C&C Group)
Cidery Location: County Tipperary in Ireland
ABV: 4.5%
How Supplied: four pack of 12oz bottles
Style: commercial Irish cider

Availability: wide release (over 50 countries)

Description: We love making cider, but we reckon there’s only one way to do it properly. That’s why we’re still taking inspiration from the historic methods we used when we started making cider back in 1935. That’s part of the Magners taste. So in this way we use 17 varieties of apples, waiting until they drop before pressing and filtering them in the traditional way. We take time to ferment the cider and even more time to let it mature, up to 2 years in fact, tasting it along the way. Sure, there are faster ways of making cider, but then it wouldn’t be Magners.

Price: ~ $1.50 / single bottle
Where Bought: Total Wine
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing. I realized I had never tried Magners, which is often one of the first ciders people try.

First Impression: Fake orange amber hue. Nearly still. Smells of apple juice and a fake chemical scent.

Tasting Notes: Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Medium bodied. Low tartness and acidity. Hints of bitterness and tannins. No sourness or funk. The notes didn’t go too beyond apple, with a touch of caramel. Quick finish. Moderate to high apple flavor. High sessionability. Low flavor intensity. Low complexity.

My Opinion: It was what I was expecting…simple and fake tasting. It was drier than I was expecting, but that is more typical for European ciders (vs. American commercial ciders).

Most Similar to: Other commercial ciders, although this had a bit of English cider twist with the hints of bitterness and tannins.

Closing Notes: Now I can finally say I’ve tried Magners. I don’t really get why this sells so well, but I guess its easy to drink.

Have you tried Magners? What did you think?

Reverend Nat’s ¡Tepache!

August 19, 2016August 12, 2016 cidersays not cider, Rev Nat's, review cider, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, pineapple, reverend nat's, tasting notes, Tepache

Review of Reverend Nat’s ¡Tepache!. Note this technically isn’t even cider, as it is only made using pineapple juice, no apples. I tried this awhile back, and I’ve sampled a number of ciders from Reverend Nat’s (see here).

Cider: ¡Tepache!
Cidery: Reverend Nat’s
Cidery Location: Portland OR
ABV: 3.2%
How Supplied: 22oz brown bottles
Style: American craft fermented pineapple juice with spices

Availability: Summer Seasonal sold in Oregon, Washington, Southern California, Idaho, Hawaii, Alaska, British Columbia Canada, Japan, and Singapore

Cider Description: During a holiday in Veracruz I had a chance meeting with a peddler hawking Traditional Tepache out of a push-cart. A few pesos poorer and I was on Cloud Nine. ‘I unquestionably must have that recipe!’ I shouted. My Spanish is dreadful and his English was no better but over a few minutes of pictographic correspondence, I felt sanguine in my capacity to recreate that sumptuous drink upon my return to Portland.

Composed exclusively of pineapples sourced from my second cousin’s plantation in Costa Rica, piloncillo from the Mexican state of Michoacan and a furtive selection of spices, this lightly alcoholic elixir is sure to please your palate.

Much like American Apple Pie, there is no recipe for Tepache. It is a traditional Mexican drink, frequently consumed out of a plastic baggie with a straw, sold by street vendors in Jalisco and made at home. It’s not a cider – NO APPLES! The fermentation happens on the scales and rind of the pineapples, imparting a deep and unique flavor. This beverage is low-alcohol and sweet like a Summer Shandy or Radler due to a partial fermentation of the pineapples. Available starting Cinco de Mayo.

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: $6.99
Where Bought: Total Wine
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing. It sounded good, and I wanted to try mixing it with cider this time versus drinking it straight, so it ended up being an impulse try.

First Impression: Hazy yellow/brown hue (I recommend to lightly shake before pouring to distribute the sediment). Still. Smells strongly of pineapple and moderately of spices.

Tasting Notes: Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Medium bodied. Low tartness and acidity. No bitterness, tannins, sourness, or funk. Notes of juicy pineapple, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Moderate length finish. Moderate pineapple flavor and moderate amount of spice. Low complexity. Moderate flavor intensity. High sessionability.

My Opinion: Yum! Great by itself or mixed with cider. I tried it with Number Six Dry 99 (although that didn’t help boost the 3.2% ABV much as its only 4.2% ABV). I agree with the suggestion to use more Tepache than cider (or 50-50). I don’t like beer so I can’t comment on that mixture, although it appears plenty popular.

Most Similar to: Nothing really. You can’t really compare it to pineapple cider as it doesn’t use apples. However, like a number of other beverages, I thought the pineapple came across more in the scent than the flavor. I only know of one other cidery doing Tepache, Argus Cidery in Texas, although I haven’t tried it as I heard its sour and thats not my thing.

Closing Notes: If you are looking to try something unique and like pineapple and spices, Tepache may be to your liking. This definitely isn’t an everyday drinker (like his Revival, which remains my favorite from Rev Nat’s), but its unique.

Have you tried Tepache? What did you think?

Number Six Dry 99

August 18, 2016August 12, 2016 cidersays Number Six, review cider, cider review, cider tasting, Dry 99, hard cider, Number 6, Number Six, seattle, tasting notes, washington

Review of Number Six Hard Cider Dry 99. Its my first time trying this cider, although I’ve tried a couple others from them (see here).

Cider: Dry 99
Cidery: Number Six Hard Cider
Cidery Location: Seattle WA
ABV: 4.2%
How Supplied: four pack of 16oz cans
Style: American craft dry sessionable cider from dessert apples

Availability: Western Washington

Cider Description: None given. It is marketed as a dry low calorie cider (99 calories per 12oz serving). Note however that any dry low ABV cider will have a similar calorie count.

Cidery Description: Whats Number Six? It’s a tunnel in the mountains. But this is no ordinary tunnel. This mile of rail at 7000 Sierra Nevada feet connected east to west like no other. In 1867, Transcontinental Tunnel Number 6 finally broke through solid granite after 2 years of hand picks, dynamite, willpower and a startling disregard for safety. Number Six was the most deadly and ambitious railway tunnel ever built. What used to take 25 days to cross, now could be done in a matter of hours. People, materials, and cider now flowed freely.

Number 6 Hard Cider is a tribute to hard fought progress and the connections it creates. Come taste our flagship True Cider and crafted seasonal releases at our rail-side cidery and taproom. 100% Washington apples and a relentless toil for perfect taste is what we’re made of. Raise a cold, crisp pint to progress. Onward!

They have a tasting room in Seattle Washington.

Price: ~ $2.50 / single can
Where Bought: Total Wine
Where Drank: home
How Found: Browsing. I hadn’t tried it, and was picking up some Reverend Nat’s Tepache (fermented pineapple juice with spices), and this sounded like it would mix well.

First Impression: Medium straw yellow. Completely still (no carbonation). Smells mild, of sharp apples.

Tasting Notes: Dry. Light to medium bodied. Low tartness. Moderate to high acidity. Low astringency. Low bitterness. No sourness or funk. Sharp bite. Notes of lemon, honey, mineral, and floral. Moderate length finish. Low to moderate apple flavor. Moderate sessionability. Low flavor intensity. Low complexity.

My Opinion: I found this to be an average dry sessionable cider. As expected, it wasn’t overly flavorful. It did however mix well with Reverend Nat’s Tepache (although it didn’t add much to Tepache’s 3.2% ABV).

Most Similar to: Original Sin Extra Dry (which I prefer as I found it to be more complex) and Ace Joker (which is carbonated). It is becoming easier to find drier ciders, even on the more commercial end of the industry.

Closing Notes: If you are in Washington and a fan of dry sessionable ciders, this may be something you’d enjoy. Although this is on the conservative end of Number Six’s lineup, they also have some ciders which push the envelope, like their Cold Brew Coffee cider (which I haven’t tried yet, although I have tried Schilling’s take on it, Grumpy Bear, which is now available in Nitro cans).

Have you tried Number 6 Dry 99? What did you think?

Schilling Cider House Visit 19 Tasting Notes

August 12, 2016August 7, 2016 cidersays 2 Towns, Dragon's Head, Dupont, Incline, Locust, review, Schilling cider, cider bar, cider review, hard cider, Schilling Cider House, tasting notes

Tasting notes from my 19th visit to the Schilling Cider House in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle WA. Check out my past posts with tasting notes here.

<can’t beat 32 cider taps!>

I was there on a Monday for 2 Towns’ re-release of Made Marion (this time in cans) and the re-release of their Cot in the Act cider (this time as a Fruit Seasonal).

I enjoyed a flight of four ciders, then samples of Cot in the Act and Made Marion.

Incline (Auburn WA) Lemongrass Lure (6.5% ABV): This is a draft-only limited release cider with Citra hops and lemongrass. Smells of lemongrass, citrus, and herbs. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Light bodied with a nice frothy texture. Low tartness and acidity. No bitterness, sourness, tannins, or funk. Notes of lemon, grapefruit, herbs, and only a hint of hops. Low apple flavor. High sessionability. Low to moderate complexity. Moderate flavor intensity. I enjoyed it; I think it had just the right amount of hops–not overpowering (the flavor was primarily lemongrass).

Locust Cider (Woodinville WA) Berry Session (4.0% ABV): This is a draft-only sessionable berry cider. Smells of blackberries and strawberries. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Light to medium bodied. Low to moderate tartness and acidity. Hints of bitterness and tannins. No sourness or funk. The flavor is just berry, mostly blackberry with some strawberry. High sessionability. Low apple flavor. Moderate flavor intensity. Low complexity. I’m usually not a huge fan of berry ciders as I find them overly simple, but I thought it was pretty good.

Dragon’s Head (Vashon WA) Columbia Crab (6.0% ABV): This is a new draft & bottled cider made from crabapples. Smells of sharp crabapples, honey, and lemon. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Light bodied. Moderate tartness and acidity. Hints of bitterness and tannins. No sourness or funk. Light flavor, not as sharp as most crabapple ciders. notes of crabapples, honey, lemon, and white blossoms. Moderate apple flavor. Moderate sessionability. Moderate complexity. Low to moderate flavor intensity. This is much sweeter than the other ciders I’ve tried from them, which was surprising, but I’m guessing it may have been perceived. I enjoyed it.

Etienne Dupont (Pays d’Auge France) Aperitif / Pomme / Pommeau (17% ABV): This is a special release of Pommeau (cider mixed with apple brandy). It is Cidre Bouche from bittersweet apples, aged in a Calvados barrel, with 1998 reserve Calvados mixed back in. Smells boozy, like Pommeau, rich, and of caramel. Semi-sweet to sweet (although apparently it is very low residual sugar so it may just perceive sweeter). Still. Medium to full bodied. Mild tartness. Moderate acidity. Mild tannins. Hints of bitterness. No sourness or funk (which was surprising considering the base Cidre Bouche definitely had that going on). Notes of rich bittersweet apples, caramel, brown sugar, and vanilla. No sessionability. Moderate to high apple flavor. Moderate complexity. High flavor intensity. Amazing!

<2 Towns Cot in the Act>

2 Towns (Corvallis OR) Cot in the Act (6.0% ABV): Although this unfiltered apricot cider has been out for a few years, it is being newly released as a Fruit Seasonal, in both bottles and kegs. Smells mild and fruity. Semi-dry. Light bodied. Moderate tartness and acidity. Hint of bitterness. No sourness, funk, or tannins. Notes of apricot and peach. Low apple flavor. Moderate to high sessionability. Low complexity. Low flavor intensity.

<2 Towns Made Marion>

2 Towns (Corvallis OR) Made Marion (6.0% ABV): Smells strongly of blackberries. Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Medium bodied. Moderate tartness and acidity. No bitterness, sourness, funk, or tannins. The flavor is primarily blackberry, with hints of blueberry. Low apple flavor. High sessionability. Low complexity. Low flavor intensity.

The Etienne Dupont Pommeau was my favorite; I wish bottles were available of it locally. I thought it was worth the $5 for 2oz! Its probably my favorite Pommeau so far, although I also enjoy the 2 Towns and Finnriver varieties.

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

Summer Cider Day 2016 in Port Townsend WA – Tasting Notes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Schilling Cider House Visit 18 Tasting Notes

July 15, 2016July 9, 2016 cidersays Locust, One Tree, Portland Cider, review, Schilling, Tieton, Wandering Aengus cider, cider review, hard cider, Locust, One Tree, Portland Cider, Schilling Cider House, tasting notes, Tieton, Wandering Aengus

Tasting notes from my eighteenth 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 last Thursday, for the One Tree Crisp Apple cider release party, and enjoyed a flight of four ciders, plus One Tree’s new cider.

Portland Cider Company (Portland OR) Pineapple (5.7% ABV): This draft-only pineapple cider poured foamy but settled down after awhile. This may be their “Maui Cruiser” variety, which also has coconut blossom nectar, as I couldn’t find any evidence that they have a strictly Pineapple cider. Smells of fresh pineapples. Semi-dry. Light bodied. Low to moderate tartness. Low acidity. The flavor is purely pineapple, with low flavor intensity. I felt this cider smelled much better than it tasted…it left me wanting more flavor. The pineapple aroma was so strong (especially in comparison to the cider’s flavor) that it makes me curious if it was added.

Wandering Aengus (Salem OR) Barrel Aged Wickson (8.0% ABV): This is a barrel aged draft-only version of their single varietal Wickson crab apple cider, which is available in bottles (which I tried previously and found overly harsh). Smells mild, with hints of crab apples and oak. Dry. Low flavor intensity. The barrel aging seemed to mellow the cider’s intensity compared to the original version. Light bodied. Moderate tartness and acidity. Low bitterness and tannins. Alcohol-forward with crab apple sharpness, oak, and honey notes. This is best drank cold as it becomes more harsh as it warms up. I found this more drinkable than the original version, but I still didn’t care for it.

Tieton (Yakima WA) Bourbon Peach (6.5% ABV): A draft-only bourbon barrel aged peach cider. Hazy lemonade hue. Smells of bourbon, peaches, and pineapple. Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Hints of boozy bourbon (but not overpowering) and peach & pineapple notes. Yum! Medium bodied. Moderate tartness and acidity. Moderate flavor intensity. Low apple flavor. Medium to high sessionability. I’m a fan of bourbon barrel aged ciders, but often they tend towards being overly boozy, harsh, dry, etc…this one was tasty and easy to drink.

Locust (Woodinville WA) Sweet Aged Apple (6.9% ABV): This is a barrel aged cider made from dessert apple varieties which is available on draft and in bottles. I’ve tried this previously (when it was called Aged Washington Dessert Apple; see here), but had heard they significantly changed the recipe, so I wanted to give it another try. Last time it was quite hazy and unfiltered looking, but this time there was no haziness. Smells mild and apple-forward. Semi-sweet (less sweet than the previous recipe). Less flavorful than the previous recipe, but much more sessionable. Mild tartness and acidity. Caramel, vanilla, and honey notes. Medium bodied. Moderate to high apple flavor. Moderate flavor intensity. I’m not sure which recipe I preferred, as there are pros & cons of each, but I enjoyed both versions.

One Tree Hard Cider (Spokane WA) Crisp Apple (6.8% ABV): This is their new flagship cider, sold in four packs of 16oz cans and on draft. Hazy. Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Medium bodied. Unfiltered baked apple flavor with honey notes. Moderate tartness and acidity. High sessionability. Strong apple flavor. I enjoyed this. I found it very similar to 2 Towns Out Cider, but slightly sweeter and slightly more flavorful. Much less sweet than any of the other ciders I’ve tried from them.

The Tieton Bourbon Peach cider was my favorite, and my favorite cider from Tieton so far.

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

Pacific Northwest Cider Awards Festival 2016 Tasting Notes

July 1, 2016September 23, 2016 cidersays Apple Outlaw, Carlton, Longdrop, Phillippi, review, Spire Mountain, Wandering Aengus, Wards cider, cider awards, cider festival, cider review, cider tasting, hard cider, Pacific Northwest, tasting notes

The third-annual Pacific Northwest Cider Awards Festival took place on Saturday June 25th 2016. Its a chance for the public to try some of the ciders which were judged on the day prior. It took place outside The Woods in Seattle WA, which hosts both Seattle Cider and the Two Beers Brewing company. I attended the event with some cider friends. Here is a list of the 2016 winners.

Wandering Aengus (Salem OR) Bittersweet (5.2% ABV): This is a draft-only one-off release using only bittersweet cider apple varieties from Poverty Lane Orchards (Farnum Hill) in New Hampshire, wild yeast fermented. Semi-sweet to semi-dry. Medium bodied. Low carbonation. Lovely rich bittersweet apple flavor with notes of caramel and honey. Mild bitterness, tannins, acidity, and tartness. Long finish length. I wouldn’t have guessed at all that this was wild fermented, as it lacked any sourness or funk, although they mentioned it was a very long fermentation. This is the first cider I’ve truly enjoyed from this cidery (see here for previous reviews)…they tend to be too bitter for my liking. This won Silver in the Wild Ferment category.

Phillippi Fruit (Wenatchee WA) Snow Dance (16% ABV): This is a Pommeau-inspired apple brandy fortified cider, and the first time I’ve tried anything from Phillippi (they aren’t even distributed to Seattle WA yet). Semi-sweet. Full bodied. Rich and boozy with notes of honey and caramel. I really enjoyed it. This would be nice served ice cold after dinner, but was a bit much just after noon! I’m a big fan of Pommeau, ice cider, mead, etc.

Longdrop Cider (Eagle ID) Electric Cherry (6.0% ABV): I previously tried a few of their ciders at a tasting event at the Schilling Cider House (see here). Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Moderate to high tartness. Light bodied. Moderate cherry flavor intensity. The tartness was a bit overpowering for me, but fans of tart cherry would like this. The flavor was true and non-medicinal, which can be tough to pull off with a cherry cider.

Apple Outlaw (Applegate OR) Thompson Creek (9.0% ABV): I’ve previously tried a few of their ciders (see here). This is a new keg-only rye whiskey barrel aged cider, the first in their Heritage line. Awesome whiskey and oak scent. Semi-dry. Light bodied. Mild bitterness, tannins, acidity, and tartness. Overall the flavor was a bit harsh. I think I would have liked it with more sweetness or less ABV.

Wards (Kelowna B.C. Canada) Original Hard Cider (5.5% ABV): I’ve actually never tried anything from this cidery, although I’ve seen them. Semi-sweet. Light bodied. Moderate carbonation. Low to moderate tartness and acidity. Low flavor intensity and simple apple juice flavor. I found this to be average.

Wards (Kelowna B.C. Canada) Festive Apple Cider (5.5% ABV): This ended up being cherry. I had assumed it would be spiced (although its not really the season for that…). I didn’t enjoy this semi-sweet cider at all…the cherry flavor seemed medicinal. Someone else said it tasted like a Shirley Temple.

Carlton (McMinnville OR) Citizen Cider (6.75% ABV): I’ve tried a few ciders from them (see here). This is their flagship cider, but I actually hadn’t tried it yet. It is made from traditional English cider apple varieties. Semi-dry. Medium bodied. Mild to moderate tannins and bitterness. I liked the flavor, and I’m probably being over critical, but I found it a tad bitter and not quite rich enough. This won Bronze in the Traditional Sweet category.

Spire Mountain (Olympia WA) Crisp and Dry (5.0% ABV): I’ve tried a few ciders from them (see here). This is their newest release. Semi-dry to semi-sweet. Moderate carbonation. Medium bodied. Apple-forward. Notes of mineral and honey. Quick finish. We discussed this cider and decided that it may taste sweeter than it actually is as its tangy and fuller bodied. However, its likely not anywhere near truly try, just dry for their cider lineup. I found it to be average.

My favorite of the afternoon was the Wandering Aengus Bittersweet. Overall the event was a bit disappointing, as they listed quite a few ciders online (and even in the handout they gave us) which they didn’t end up having. I imagine cideries had said they would drop off kegs/bottles/cans and didn’t end up doing so, or changed what they brought. These were about the only ciders I hadn’t tried before, and many of those were more commercial than I usually enjoy.

Admission was $25 + tax at the door for 8 cider tokens and a tasting glass. A few ciders were 2 tokens instead of 1, and most were 4oz pours. The venue was also a bit lacking in shade and seating. Apparently they previously had this be an indoor-outdoor event, but this year switched to outdoor only. The cider booths were under tents, they had a few standing tables, one food cart, kegs of water, and a few port-a-potties. Its always fun to try new ciders and hang out with folks with a common interest though.

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