We’re hurtling towards August at breakneck speeds, but the heat makes every moment feel sluggish and melted. Time certainly doesn’t feel precise and scientific in these heights of summer. I feel the need to slow down myself, and I’ll do that as often as I can with my CSA veggies and cider. This week, I tried two very different ciders with veggie-ful summer meals.
We’re starting this week with 2 towns Ciderworks Good Limes Roll. For full disclosure, this sample was shared with me for review. That sharing does not color my perception of a cider.
I have an abundance of previous reviews for 2 Towns. Here’s the rundown
Cosmic Currant: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/12/cider-review-two-towns-cosmic-currant.html
Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy:
Cidre Bouche: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/11/cider-review-2-towns-ciderhouses-cidre.html
Pearadise:
Hop and Stalk: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/12/cider-review-2-towns-ciderhouse-hop-and.html
You can visit 2 Towns online here: https://2townsciderhouse.com/
Two Towns’ official description reads as follows, Good Limes Roll AGAVE LIME CIDER
Fresh & Tangy, let the Good Limes Roll with this easy-drinking cider crafted with fresh-pressed apples, key lime & organic blue agave. This lime-ited release is sure to help make your next summertime adventure your best one yet! 5.6% ABV”
Appearance: goldenrod, brilliant, bubbly
2 Towns Cider House consistently sends beautifully brilliant, intensely colorful ciders. Good Limes Roll is no exception. The color reminds me of Goldenrod or Sungold tomatoes. It’s perfectly brilliant with some visible bubbles.
Aromas: grapes, pears, powdered sugar, lime
Good Limes Roll smells like minerals, powdered sugar, and melon. This fruity cider includes not only notes of apple, lime and melon, but also grapes and pears. All of the flavors come across cleanly and with maximum freshness. There’s one mysterious note that reminds me of spice but in a fruity way, almost like a pepper that’s sweet and hot at the same time.
Sweetness/Dryness: sweet
This is a sweet and dessert-y cider. It reminds me of key lime pie!
Flavors and drinking experience: citrus tartness, hint of herbal spice, melon
This cider’s aromas prepared me well for how it tastes. The Good Limes Roll brings melon, lime, and ripe apple to the forefront. The cider also zaps with a citric acid tang. It starts off sweet and the cider seems gets sweeter over the sip. It’s fun that every sip has two stages.
Good Limes Roll brings medium high acidity but the levels aren’t puckering or overwhelming. There are lingering limey notes and a tiny touch of habanero spice. The cider has only light carbonation. It tastes like key lime pie, complete with graham cracker crust and whipped cream. I had mine with blistered Shishito Peppers. Keeping the pairing simple was key to its success.
Now for Woodbox Cider Co.'s Heritage Imperial Dry!
Unfortunately, Woodbox cider closed in 2019. I only just got to try it through my custom box from Press then Press Cider.
You can still buy this one from Press then Press along with a few other Woodbox ciders: https://press-then-press-llc.myshopify.com/products/woodbox-heritage-cider-500-ml-8-abv?_pos=2&_sid=54437a05d&_ss=r
Here’s the official Description as was shared on the Press then Press site.
Five types of heirloom apples were carefully blended with French & English cider varieties to produce our flagship cider. Partially fermented with wild Northwest yeasts, this cider has a subtle complexity that links to our local terroir making it truly unique. Swirled in the glass it releases intriguing aromas and enjoyable subtleties. Complex apple, notable acidity and minerality, with darker bitterness and mild tannic astringency. A difficult cider to produce, but an easy one to enjoy.
Appearance: hazy, popcorn yellow, very bubbly
What a lovely cider! I enjoy how bubbly it looks. The hazy and color are so different than many ciders from the west coast.
Aromas: overripe apples, oranges, sun-warmed wood, Autumn
This cider smells like so many UK ciders. I get notes of slightly softened overripe apples, spices, orange and wood. It reminds me of an autumnal woodshed. From this array of aromas, I expect tannins in the cider. My co-taster found one hint of coconut in the mix, but I’m not sure I agree.
Sweetness/dryness: Dry
While I wasn’t sure how much sweetness to expect from this cider’s aroma, but it was so softly fruity that I expected it to be semi-dry or off dry, but this cider seems dry. It isn’t austere or overly bitter, but it’s not sweet.
Flavors and drinking experience: Tannic, balanced,
The Heritage Imperial Tastes tannic, as I expected. I appreciate that the cider tastes drier than it smells. The whole experience is pleasingly balanced. It does still remind me far more of a UK cider than a US one, much less a west coast cider.
While Woodbox’s cider is not necessarily for the novice, it’s quite drinkable. The cider finishes while a mildly bitter aftertaste. It's very satisfying, and I wish I’d discovered it years ago!
