Cider Review: 2 Towns Apricot Cosmic Crisp

This weekend, I finally saw the sun in February. What an amazing restorative. Each chance for a walk in bright light  feels like a stolen treasure. Relish them. When we don’t have the golden orb blessing us, there are bit of brightness that can come from other directions. I’m happy to enjoy those too. I was so happy to get 2 Towns’ Apricot Cosmic Crisp review samples recently. 

2 Towns is named for Corvallis and Portland, Oregon where the cidery is based. I’ve been fond of this adventurous cidery since I first tasted them in 2014! I can’t believe it has been 10 years! You can find lots more background about the cidery in these previous blog posts.

Here’s a rundown of my earlier reviews for 2 Towns! 

The Baddie: https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2023/03/cider-review-two-towns-ciderhouses.html

Crimson Bliss: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2022/10/cider-review-2-towns-ciderhouses.html

Hollow Jack’d: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2022/09/cider-review-2-towns-ciderhouses-hollow.html

Two Berry Dream: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2022/08/cider-review-2-towns-ciderhouses-two.html

10th Anniversary Cider Pacific Northwest Heirloom Blend: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2021/01/cider-review-2-towns-ciderhouse-10th.html

Good Limes Roll: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/07/cider-reviews-two-towns-cider-house.html

Cosmic Currant: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/12/cider-review-two-towns-cosmic-currant.html

Hollow Jack’d: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/10/cider-review-two-towns-ciderhouse.html

Afton Field: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/06/cider-review-2-towns-ciderhouse-afton.html

La Mûre: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/02/cider-review-albemarle-ciderworks.html

Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/12/cider-review-eden-ciders-siren-song-and.html

Cidre Bouche: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/11/cider-review-2-towns-ciderhouses-cidre.html

Pearadise: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/05/very-perry-may-2-towns-ciderhouses.html

Pineapple: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/02/cider-review-portland-cider-company.html

Bright Cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/07/cider-review-roundup-common-cider-co.html

Hop and Stalk: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/12/cider-review-2-towns-ciderhouse-hop-and.html

I recommend visiting 2 Towns’ Ciderhouse has a website  to find out about the cidery’s releases and events: https://2townsciderhouse.com/

Here’s how 2 Towns describes the Apricot Cosmic Crisp on the website. 

Score your first intergalactic ace when you approach with this apricot adaptation of Cosmic Crisp. Crafted with Northwest apples & apricots, this sweet & zingy cosmic-apricot combo is guaranteed to break some chains. Careful now, too much hyzer and you’ll end up out of this world. 9% ABV.

I’m super curious to taste how the 9% ABV comes across.

Appearance: pale warm straw, brilliant, bubbly

All of 2 Towns’s ciders are lovely. That’s not a surprise, but I really wasn’t sure what to expect from an apricot cider. I associate apricots with a mellow opaque orange color, so this elegant pale straw was a fun surprise.

Aromas: Peach, lemon, minerals,

The Apricot Cosmic Crisp smells intensely peachy! It’s enticing and reminds me of fruity candies with citric acid, but also of stones and lemons.

Sweetness/dryness: Sweet

Flavors and drinking experience: High acid, apricot, peach bubbly, boozy

I have to start by acknowledging that this cider is doing a lot with sweetness and high acidity. It tastes very much like dried apricots; it’s more vivid and bold than fresh ones would be. I do wish I could taste the specificity of the Crimson Crisp apple, since it’s named here.

The higher ABV is apparent in some warming to the throat and stomach, but it’s remarkably smooth and full bodied. And since that 9% is coming in a full sized can, it’s a great size to share.

I found the Apricot Crimson Crisp Also very exciting as a sweet mixer- I used it with a barrel aged tequila and plain seltzer. For well balanced food pairings, the accompaniments should be similarly bold but not overly complex. I have had the pleasure of this cider twice. The first time was when I tasted it and experimented with using it as a mixer at a fabulous horror movie party. What a set of combinations! 

The films we watched were Dolls (1987) and Eraserhead (1977). I can certainly recommend the whole experience thought it will be hard to reproduce without the fantastic company.

And the second time I tried this cider, I took notes and then finished my glass with vegetarian burritos with The Tall One and my absolute favorite new album of 2024. If anything manages to top this, I will be shocked.

https://open.spotify.com/album/1ycq58KRtWt3wFtbuIkvLn?si=QUfXDq4CRPaQMiAFTUhafA

Maximize your deliciousness however you like. A big cider like this deserves it.

Cider Review: Portland Cider Co.'s Imperial Abbey Apple Cider

Another whirlwind of holiday and birthday fun has come and gone. This past week has been full of movies, food, friends, family, dice rolling, and yes, cider. When a mysterious cider package arrives when your house is filled with family, of course you have to open up it up and show everything off. Portland Cider Co. was kind enough to surprise me with a cider arrival just before Thanksgiving! 

What I know about Portland Cider Co. is that this company is wild for flavor combinations and experimentation. The company uses Northwest apples but a whole slew of additional flavor elements. Over the years, I’ve tasted their take on peach, pineapple, pumpkin, and more.

I’ve reviewed a slew of Portland Cider Co.’s offering in the past decade. Here’s the rundown.

Bloody Hell: https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2021/07/cider-review-portland-cider-cos-bloody.html

Lemon-Lime Ciderade: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2021/06/cider-review-portland-cider-companys.html

Crangerine: https://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/12/cider-review-portland-cider-companys.html

Razzberry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/06/cider-review-once-upon-tree-wild-flight.html

Peach Berry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/04/cider-review-portland-cider-companys.html

Kinda Dry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/05/cider-review-portland-cider-company.html

Pineapple: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/02/cider-review-portland-cider-company.html

Cranberry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/03/cider-review-seed-stone-cidery-heritage.html

Pumpkin Spice: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/10/cider-review-portland-cider-co-pumpkin.html

Pineapple Rose: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/07/cider-reviews-portland-cider-cos.html

Get the full scoop online from Portland Cider Co. directly. Here’s a link to the cidery website: https://www.portlandcider.com/home

My review today is for Portland Cider Co.’s Imperial Abbey Apple. Here’s how the cidery describes this release.

Juicy & bright Belgian-inspired Northwest Apple Cider

Expertly crafted by our cider makers in a unique Belgian-style cider, Abbey Apple showcases Northwest apples fermented with Belgian ale yeast. The result is a smooth, full-bodied cider with a bright, juicy finish. 8.4% ABV

Tasting Notes

Juicy, bright, subtle banana and clove, tropical aromas, unique finish.

Food Pairings

Shepherd’s pie, dark chocolate cake, spicy thai basil chicken, roasted vegetables

Ingredients

NW apples

Belgian ale yeast 

Always Gluten Free

Appearance: shining, mild warm straw, no visible bubbles

This is a lovely cider with a gentle warm straw hue. I don’t see any haze or bubbles. It’s brilliant and almost still in appearance. I do expect that I’ll find bubbles once I taste the cider.

Aromas: yeast, cheddar, bread, candied sugar, apple

The Imperial Abbey Apple Cider smells yeasty a little cheddar funk. This is undoubtedly the Belgian Beer style coming through. The aroma initially reminds me of bread but also of dark candied sugar. It’s fascinating! I do get some apple notes, but the are secondary to the yeast character.

Sweetness/Dryness: Semi-sweet

This cider is semi-sweet, but it’s also got some bitterness that add complexity.

Flavors and drinking experience: Bittersweet, belgian-beer influenced, full bodied, high acid

This is a cider for beer lovers, specifically for Belgian beer lovers! The Imperial Abbey Ale’s taste is notably bittersweet with a fun balance of these two elements. The Belgian ale yeast profile is prominent. The cider comes across petilliant and full bodied with that heavy imperial ABV.

There’s plenty of malic acid and apple present, but neither are as powerful as the yeast flavors. I find it pleasingly complex. This would be a perfect pairing for a hot plate of fish and chips. 

As we head into the darker days and longer nights approaching the northern hemisphere’s Winter Solstice, don’t forget to give yourself quiet cozy time to hibernate! 

Cider Review: Stormalong Cider's Massive Appeal

This morning I woke to the first premonition of Fall. The color of the light leaned grayer and the drizzle felt relaxed and autumnal. After the brief rain, we didn’t get the tropical steam bath feeling that has followed many recent rainstorms. It’s a bittersweet moment, but today it feels like relief as much as anything. Summer’s not done with us yet; it may even be back in full force by afternoon. The variety gives shape to the days and weeks, so I’m grateful. This weekend, it felt like the perfect time to pull out Stormalong’s Massive Appeal.

The kind folks at Stormalong sent this from Massachusetts along with the Berry Perry to me for review in May. I have no shortage of previous reviews of Stormalong’s ciders. Here’s the full list. I give a lot more background on the cidery. 

Berry Perry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2023/05/cider-review-stormalong-ciders-berry.html

IPC Collaboration with Exhibit A Brewing: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2023/02/cider-review-stormalong-ciders.html

Pearman Quince(my #10 cider of last year): http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2022/08/cider-review-stormalong-ciders-pearmain.html

Unfiltered: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2022/04/cider-review-stormalong-ciders.html

White Mountain Magic: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2022/02/cider-review-stormalong-ciders-white.html

Bittersweet Symphonie: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2021/10/cider-review-stormalongs-bittersweet.html

Wicked Little Wickson: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2021/08/cider-review-stormalongs-wicked-little.html

Winesap: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2021/04/cider-review-stormalong-ciders-winesap.html

Happy Holidays: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/11/cider-review-stormalong-ciders-happy.html

Esopus Spitzenburg: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/08/cider-review-ravens-moon-craft-ciders.html

Ashmead’s Kernel: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/07/cider-review-brannland-just-cider-and.html

Peariful: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/05/cider-review-left-foot-charleys-fortis.html

Legendary Dry: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/12/cider-review-stormalongs-legendary-dry.html

Kingston Black: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2019/08/cider-reviews-ninepin-light-cider.html

Light of the Sun: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/08/cider-review-descendant-cider-company.html

Mass Appeal: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/12/cider-review-prospect-ciderworks.html

Boston Heirloom: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2020/01/cider-review-stormalong-ciders-boston.html

Visit Stormalong Cider’s website to learn about the current lineup and what else this Massachusetts cidery has going: https://www.stormalong.com/

Here’s the official description for the Massive Appeal. 

An imperial cider that has a similar taste profile as Mass Appeal, but with a higher ABV at 8.2%. It's juicy, crisp and apple forward.

FLAVOR Juicy, Crisp & Apple Forward

APPLES Golden Delicious and McIntosh

Appearance: brilliant, warm straw, fine bubbles

Shiny! The Massive Appeal sure does look fabulous. This cider is truly brilliant with lots of lovely bubbles and a ripe hay color.

Aromas: ripe apples, fresh sweet cream, baking spices

Mouthwateringly, this cider smells like fresh ripe apples and a bit like custard cream. This is just so friendly and yummy in aroma!

Sweetness/dryness: Sweet

The Massive Appeal is a sweet cider with lots of fun flavors. 

Flavors and drinking experience: apple, cinnamon, petillant, bittersweet finish

I wasn’t sure quite what to expect from an imperial cider like this. Ciders vary tremendously in ABV and some releases highlight that like an imperial release while others do not. I was curious to see if the booziness would make a prominent impression.

What I found is a cider that tastes sweetly like cinnamon and apple. The Massive Appeal is petillant more than strongly sparkling. It doesn’t taste hot or even particularly boozy. 

The cider is well balanced with a delicious bittersweet edge on the finish. It’s got nice mellow maturity- the cider reminds me of fallen leaves and wood. 

Overall the Massive Appeal comes across as roasty toasty and darkly sweet. Sip after sip, this cider remains intensely appley. Rather than boozy, it’s friendly and almost too drinkable for an 8.2% ABV! 

We enjoyed this summer with a grilled meal of corn on the cob, zucchini and yellow squash, and BBQ chicken or tofu. I like pairing barbeque entrees with sweeter ciders as the sweet and spicy combination is usually particularly harmonious. This was no exception!