Cider Review: Schilling Cider House's Excelsior Spaceport Imperial Pineapple

Right now, my brain is awake and thinking about colors, scents, and textures. I feel like some parts of me have been asleep all winter, and only just now want to rouse and seek out excitement. It’s not always a comfortable thing, certainly not when compared with the gentle hibernation of winter. At the same time, I’m ready for all parts of Spring, even if that means skunk smells, muddy walks, and the delicate hope that late frosts will not kill vulnerable plants and buds. I’m happy to have a super optimistic cider for it too; today I’m reviewing Schilling Cider House's Excelsior Spaceport Imperial Pineapple.

Here’s just a short excerpt from Schilling’s website introducing the cidery, “All our beverages are handcrafted in the Pacific Northwest. We use 100% fresh-pressed apples, locally sourced ingredients, and hand-selected yeast strains to create a cider experience that’s truly unique.”

This is only my 2nd-ever Schilling cider review! I reviewed the Schilling Spiced Cider back in 2015, so it’s been a while. You can find more background on this Seattle cidery and tap room in my first review.  

Spice Cider: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/02/reviewing-ciders-for-winter-schilling.html

Visit Schilling Hard Cider online to learn about the full lineup of ciders: https://schillingcider.com/cider-houses/seattle/

Here’s how Schilling describes the  Excelsior Spaceport Imperial Pineapple

Pining for the perfect pairing, Excelsior Pineapple combines our passion-for-fruit with a tantalizing cosmic creation that makes its landing at 8.4% ABV.

Start your journey with its vibrant pineapple aroma and let it lead you to your first sip of this celestial cider! The combination of fresh-pressed Pacific Northwest apples, tart passion fruit, and juicy pineapple bursts with the tropical flavor of the getaway you’ve been daydreaming about.

And yes, you did read that right: 8.4% ABV in a can! I'm splitting mine, and there's no shame in that.

Appearance: deep saffron gold, high intensity, visible bubbles, slight haze

Deep saffron gold and visible bubbles decorate this ever-so-slightly hazy cider. 

Aromas: Pineapple, tropical fruit, passionfruit

This smells very much like I expected from the combination of passionfruit and pineapple. The Spaceport’s aromas leap out of the glass with wonderful intensity!

Sweetness/Dryness: Sweet!

The Spaceport is an emphatically sweet cider. There’s no denying it! This is a tasty fruity sweetness that surely comes from pineapple and passionfruit as well as apple. 

Flavors and drinking experience: high acid, bubbly, fruity, pineapple

The pineapple dominates the drinking experience for Schilling’s Spaceport, which suits me fine as I love pineapple. It’s a powerfully fruity cider with loads of sweetness and plenty of acid as well. 

The cider has lots of body, but the bubbles help keep it zesty and refreshing. This was a fun one to have with springy salads and dreams of sunny days to come. 

Cider Review: 2 Towns Ciderhouse 10th Anniversary Cider Pacific Northwest Heirloom Blend

We’re more than halfway through January. I’ve kept up with some healthy or happy-making habits to make things easier this season for myself. I’m happy to say that more exercise, more vegetables, and choosing the ciders I’m most excited about each week has been a nice balance of indulgence and effort. This week, I was very excited to try my 2 Towns 10th Anniversary cider.

2 Towns is an Oregon cidery with a dizzying array of inventive ciders. I review this company’s ciders often, and they consistent surprise and intrigue me. Here’s a list of all my earlier 2 Towns reviews. You can also find a lot more background info on the cider in these previous posts!

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

Learn about all of 2 Towns’ ciders online here: https://2townsciderhouse.com/

Though I often receive review samples from 2 Towns, I purchased this cider of part of my new Northwest Cider Club! You can learn about all of what went into the first shipment and how the club works here: https://nwciderclub.com/.

The 2 Towns official description for the 10th Anniversary reads.

PACIFIC NORTHWEST HEIRLOOM BLEND

A decade of boldly crafted cider, and what a wild ride it's been. Never in our wildest dreams did we imagine coming as far as we have, and yet because of the incredible enthusiasm and support of our fans, here we are! It is in honor of you, our supporters, we release our 10th Anniversary cider, a paragon of our craft. Boldly crafted using a blend of rare, heirloom cider apples, this anniversary cider is the embodiment of our ethos as cider makers. Bringing the old and new worlds together, our cider is an ode to the craft we love and the supporters who have been with us on this journey. 5.7%ABV

Appearance: Brilliant few visible bubbles, bright daffodil yellow

This cider shines! It's hard to emphasize enough how utterly brilliant and eye catching I find this cider. There are a few bubbles I can see in the bottom of the glass but not many. The color makes me think of daffodils; it’s a warm bright yellow. 

Aromas: Cream cheese, green apples, powdered sugar

The 10th Anniversary smells like cream cheese and powdered sugar and green apples. The notes are all clean and distinct. The cider aromas are fruity, with luscious wet fruits like grapes and melons.

Sweetness/Dryness: Semi-sweet

I wasn’t sure quite what to expect in terms of sweetness level, but I think I’d call this cider a semi-sweet. The sweetness that’s there is very fruity.

Flavors and drinking experience: red fruit, very juicy, high acid, clean fermentation

I appreciate how true to the 2 Towns cider style, the 10th Anniversary cider stays. It’s a high acid, semi-sweet cider with juicy fruit flavors and a totally clean fermentation. Not all of the cidery’s beverages fit this profile, but that’s front and center 2 Towns Ciderhouse. 

Tiny bubbles keep this cider lively and fun. I’d call the body medium and the mouthfeel pleasantly full. The fruit notes remind me of many red fruits like strawberries and plums. What a treat to enjoy such a forwardly juicy and well-balanced cider!

The Tall One paired this cider with a fun movie date: takeout and our projector screen in his office. We chose Thai food and this lovely cider to accompany the long awaited Tenet. Creating special moments in dark times is incredibly worth it, and this cider helped make it a wonderful time. 

Cider Reviews: Finnriver's Lavender Black Currant and Peckham's Cider with Boysenberry

Hey cider friends. I am so sorry to have a late blog post up this week, but I’m glad it’s here late rather than not at all. I got knocked out with a cold late in the weekend, and I’m only just now crawling out from under the germs. But before falling ill, I was able to try two really intriguing ciders this week. But before we get to the reviews I do want to give one last show out to Cider Week NYC!

It's happening all over the city from through November 11th. Read about it here: https://ciderweeknyc.com/nyc/

One of the most tempting events is the Lower East Cider Fest coming up November 8th! There are a ton of fantastic cideries sharing samples and pairings in a beautiful historic market setting. Read all about it and buy tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lower-east-cider-fest-tickets-50910466576

On to Finnriver’s Lavender Black Currant Cider!

Finnriver is a farm based cidery on the north Olympic Peninsula of Washington state in the Chimacum Valley. The cidery is organic and very locally minded. They have a year round cider garden and an active events calendar for visitors. 

You can find out all about the company on it’s website: https://www.finnriver.com

I have previously reviewed only one cider by Finnriver, the Dry Hopped: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/07/cider-review-roundup-common-cider-co.html

The official description of Finnriver’s Lavender Black Currant is divided into sections online, so I will share a few including the Cidermaker’s Notes.

 “Our botanical ciders share the earthy essence of life in the fields and forests of the Olympic Peninsula. Small batch seasonal production features cider fermented on the farm, blended cider with organic black currant, and then steeped with organic lavender flowers sourced from local farms (Jardin de Soleil and Wilderbee Farms) A final addition of unrefined organic cane sugar adds depth, sweetness and flavor. Lightly carbonated.” 6.5% ABV

And the aromas and flavors are described, “Bright apple fruit balanced by berry complexity and the rich, floral depth of local, organic Royal Velvet lavender. Notes of purple and chocolate.” The apples aren’t listed super specifically, but they are organic eating varieties from Washington state. 

Appearance: Deepest glow of purple, impossible to tell clarity, few visible bubbles

Wow! I am amazed by this cider’s impossibly deep color; it looks black at most angles. I can see deepest purple color when light shines through the cider but only then. I cannot tell how brilliant versus hazy this cider is. The color is so dark that the question is difficult. There aren’t many visible bubbles.  

Aromas: lavender, black currants, and ripe apples

This cider smells like all of its constituent parts: lavender, dark berries, and apples. I appreciate that all elements are distinct and notable. The overall impression is one that’s primarily herbal but also fruity. I also get hints that make me think this cider will be semi-sweet. For those who fear that lavender might smell too soapy, rest assured it’s only one note in the whole.

Sweetness/dryness: semi-sweet

This is a semi-sweet cider that might perceive as semi-dry to some drinkers. The level of acidity and complexity of flavors make this one a little challenging to quantify.

Flavors and drinking experience: high acidity, lots of black currant flavor, medium-low sparkle

The first thing I notice when I sip the Black Currant and Lavender is the different balance of the three elements when compared to the cider’s aroma. The cider loses intensity of apple flavor as compare to its aroma, but it increases the black currant flavor and maintains a consistent lavender presence. Both levels are lovely, but they are distinct.

Other elements of the drinking experience that stood out to me is how the cider is a medium-low level of bubbly but with lots of body. Again and again the cider’s tartness makes its presence felt. The very first hint of flavor introduces that tart zing and it lasts through to the cider’s finish.

I had mine with a dinner of a fried egg with savory carrots and little broccoli and cauliflower patties. The cider’s sharpness was a pleasurable contrast to my salty, garlicy, vegetables and egg. I like the body and tartness very much, and I appreciate that the lavendar isn’t overpowering. I could still enjoy a bit stronger apple presence to balance both of the adjunct flavors, but it was plenty tasty as is. 

Peckham’s cider with Boysenberry

I found this cider on a trip home to Louisville to visit my family. After having tasted some of Peckham’s ciders at CiderCon, I was thrilled to have the chance to try another one. Finding these ciders is something of a rarity because the cidery is in New Zealand. Luckily Shelton Brothers imports some varieties, but they still aren’t seen everywhere.

Caroline and Alex Peckham planted their current orchard in New Zealand in 2007, but the couple has been orcharding in New Zealand since 2004. Though the company is now bigger than its roots as a two person operation, it still has the feel and approachability of a small family agricultural business.

Here’s a link to  the Peckham’s website which describes all of the company’s ciders: https://www.peckhams.co.nz/

I have reviewed one Peckham’s cider before, the Wild All the Way: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2018/09/cider-review-blakes-hard-cider-companys.html

Here’s the Official description: “This delightful cider is made with heritage Moutere apples and boysenberries grown in the Peckham’s orchard. 120 grams of Riwaka Choice boysenberries in a pint deliver a fresh-picked, intense berry taste, but the background cider still comes through. It pours a rich deep red.” ABV of 5.7%.

Appearance: deep deep red, brilliant, no visible bubbles 

This is a lovely cider to see. It looks like a rich red wine with its deep dark red color. When looking carefully I can see that it’s brilliant, and it doesn't show much in the way of visible bubbles. 

Aromas: grape, black currants, malic acid

The cider with Boysenberries smells to me  like grapes and black currants. I don’t know Boysenberries particuarly well as a fresh fruit. I’ve eaten them but not more than a few times. It’s a tart berry not unlike a blackberry, but I’ve found them often less sweet. 

Certain smells in the cider remind me of both citric acid and malic acid. A few notes add depth and darkness like dark malt and chocolate too. It’s a wholly intriguing smell that makes me even more excited to try the cider. 

Dryness/sweetness: Semi-sweet

Like many berry balanced ciders. It it almost certainly more sweet than it tastes because the berry notes add so much flavor that’s not in a traditional apple-only cider.

Flavors and drinking experience: balanced, burnt sugar, dark berries

I can definitely still taste a dark berry flavor, but something I didn’t expect from the aroma is a fun burnt sugar note. This is not an American berry cider. There’s some different flavors and the overall profile is much less acid based. 

I think this cider has a beautiful balanced finish. Maybe it’s because I am American, I do find it a teensy bit low on acid, then a full second later the apple flavor comes through to give the finish a great boost. It gets plenty of tannins from berries and likely some of the apples as well.

Overall, I find this cider very pleasant and balanced. I had this cider with a homemade hearty vegetable soup, and it was excellent.

Very Perry May: 2 Towns Ciderhouse's Pearadise and Wildcraft Cider Works Hard Cider

Welcome to the last week of this year’s Very Perry May. I hope this continued exploration of perry, pear cider, and pear blends has been as fun to read as it has been to taste. I have one last pear blend and a cider to share this week, both of which come from Oregon. Also, I want to point folks once again to the GLINTCAP page to learn the full medal results of this year’s competition. 

Let’s start with the Pearadise by 2 Towns Ciderhouse out of Oregon.

I’ve written about a fair number of 2 Towns ciders and shared some background in these prior entries. Just to give a quick bit of background. 2 Towns Ciderhouse is based in Corvallis Oregon since 2010. Now they have a tap room and two production facilities. It is Oregon’s largest craft cider outfit. They make several differnt lines of ciders including seasonals, limited releases, collaborations, their flagship ciders and a line called traditions.

Some of my previous 2 Towns Ciderhouse reviews include the following:

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

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

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

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

Find out more online: https://2townsciderhouse.com/

Here’s the Pearadise’s Official description: 

Imperial Getaway. Fruity and complex, Pearadise is found in this distinctly Northwest libation. Fresh-pressed pears are fermented together with local apples, then finished by blending in a touch of white wine, resulting in a sophisticated imperial style with plenty of panache. 8.6% ABV, which explains the Imperial tagline.

On the same page it say, “Made with D’Anjou pears and Muscat grapes.”

Thank you for the fruit detail. That’s always something I appreciate. Also, this cider is a revamp of a 2012 limited edition cider, tweaked up the aromas and structure. This bottle was shared with me as a review sample.

Appearance: brilliant, deep straw, some bubble

This cider looks very appealing. I appreciate its brilliance and deep color. The color would most often be called straw but its deep and a hint warmer than some ciders that receive the term.

Aromas: ripe apples, pears, grapes, all dusted in sugar

Oh la la! These aromas are striking and different. I can smell sugar-dusted fruits, primarily ripe red apples, but also pears and grapes. I also get the impression of tropical fruits. There’s also a creamy note going on in the Pearadise. I get some salivary response for certain to all this excitement.

Sweetness/dryness: sweet

This is one sweet and fruity cider.

Flavors and drinking experience: fruity, sweet, boozy

This is definitely influence by the pear juice in flavor, but it feels much more tropical than that. I can taste pineapple and citrus as well. The fruity notes play together nicely in concert. The initial hit of flavor is distinctly sweet but it shows some maturation as the flavor builds and develops. There’s even the briefest glimpse of astringency in the mid-palate, but it vanishes quickly. 

What I do notice is that the booziness impacts the mouthfeel and the finish. It feels a little hot. I enjoy this cider’s tartness, even as sweetness eventually dominates. This is a complex beverage with a lot going on. I had mine with a very summery plate of corn, baked beans, and new potatoes. It worked well with those simple foods because this beverage has enough flare on its own!

Wildcraft Cider Works Hard Cider

Now for a cider from Oregon: Wildcraft Ciderworks Hard Cider. This is my first writing about anything by Wildcraft Ciderworks. They are based in Eugene, Oregon and have this to say about themselves, 

At WildCraft Cider Works, we pride ourselves on developing innovative, artisanal dry ciders inspired by traditional and wild methodology. We insist on whole fruit and botanicals grown in Oregon to create pure ciders without artificial flavorings, sulfites or added sweeteners. WildCraft cider is uniquely dry cider unpasteurized & bottle conditioned. We consider ourselves stewards of the outdoors and always act consciously to ensure that our ingredients are regional.

These concepts of local fruit, wild fermentation, minimal additives is a distinct style of low-intervention cidermaking. Looking at the website makes me very curious to try the other styles the cidery makes, including several dry fruit-blended ciders. I got this bottle entirely by chance in the Portland, Oregon airport on my last trip there.  

I’m starting with the flagship hard cider. Here’s its official description

Hard Cider6.9%  ABV  |  500mlOur flagship Dry Cider, made entirely from Oregon apples is locally sourced and pressed. This is a classic dry session cider with enough complexity to enjoy year round, all the time. Unpasteurized & bottle conditioned.

Appearance: Hazy, lemon curd, bubbly

This cider looks hazy and very bubbly in the glass. The color reminds me of lemon curd.

Aromas: yeasty, lemon, hay, phenolic

The cider smells like good clean bakery yeast in a good way. I surmised that it might have been fermented with a nonstandard yeast based on the aroma before reading about the cider. Other aroma notes include lemon and hay. Something about it also smells phenolic and a bit cottony.

Dryness/sweetness: Dry

Whoa. Yeah. This is a dry cider

Flavors and drinking experience: lemon, tannic, grapefruit, high acid

Lots of what came through in the aromas of this cider remain present in its flavors also. This dry cider tastes very lemony and somewhat phenolic. There’s a tiny sweet note that appaers and then disappears almost instantly. The tannins, astringency, and bubbles all conspire to rise fast and cancel out the sweetness.They then flourish brightly before a relatively clean finish.

What a fascinating cider! I found it super refreshing. This cider tastes best in big sips. I love that nice grapefruit-peel flavor that causes such salivary action. Some of the wild fermentation comes across in grainy notes flavor notes. Overall this cider is fun and super tart and dry. I had mine with a version of Cobb Salad (radishes and veggie bacon, yay!) and homemade multi-grain bread. That was utterly fantastic. 

The last thing I’d like to share today is the full GLINTCAP results. There are so many ciders here I’ve never tried! And so much sounds delicious. This would be a great list to shop from, just find your favorite style and start tracking down the golds (and silvers and bronzes)!

http://glintcap.org/

Cider Review: Portland Cider Company Pineapple and Two Towns Ciderhouse Pacific Pineapple

Dear cider lovers, it has been a busy month! Cider Con and the Gathering of the New York Farm Cideries are both big events in my world. I'm so glad that a month as gray as February has these things to enjoy within it. But, I am glad to return to my more usual reviews. One things I like especially about doing my event write ups is getting to include at least mini-tasting notes on multiple different ciders. I want to continue that pattern today with a double review of pineapple ciders.

Lots of companies make pineapple ciders, sometimes with additional flavors or with a varying amount of pineapple inclusion. They can be a divisive beverage, because some folks never want a tropical fruit in their ciders while other people would drink pineapple cider all the time. I fall somewhere in the middle, but I do love pineapple on my pizza. Deal with it. Today's review includes Portland Cider Company's Pineapple and Two Towns Ciderhouse's Pacific Pineapple.

Full disclosure: both of these ciders were shared with me as samples for review.

First, a little background about each of the cider companies.

Portland Cider Company

This cider company claims inspiration from England's cidermaking tradition and yet at least one foot in the modern world of experimental craft cidermaking. Lynda and Jeff Parrish have been running Portland Cider Company since 2012.

And you can visit them online: https://www.portlandcider.com/

I have one previous review the Kinda Dry by Portland Cider Company: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2015/05/cider-review-portland-cider-company.html

Their pineapple cider is just called Pineapple, and its official description reads, “Like a sun filled day cruising down the Valley Isle, our pineapple cider brings a tropical oasis to your mouth. Sweetened with fresh pressed pineapple juice, this seasonal cider might as well come with a little paper umbrella. ABV 6%”

They include a little production information online as well, “We use whole pineapples that we fresh squeeze in the back of our cidery, added to our cider after fermentation to reach the perfect balance of sweetness. There are no artificial flavorings or concentrates used here, keeping the flavor of the pineapple delicate and delicious.”

Appearance: bright jeweler's brass, brilliant, bubbly

This cider reminds me of jeweler's brass in its bright golden shade of yellow. This is a brilliant cider with lots of visible bubbles.

Aromas: pineapple, tropical flowers, stone

This smells extremely fresh and fruity. It doesn't offer a lot of apple characteristics, but the pineapple sure smells tasty.

Sweetness/dryness: Semi-sweet

This cider tastes semi-sweet, packed to the gills with fruitiness.

Flavors and drinking experience: Fresh, pineapple, tart

I found this cider super fresh and natural. The pineapple dominates the flavor profile, but it always stays vibrant and juicy rather than sticky or stale. The freshness of the pineapple is supported in no small part by the pleasantly high acid. There were hints of stony, dusty, floral flavors but everything worked together in a tasty approachable way. 

2 Towns: Pacific Pineapple

This Portland and Corvallis based cidery has been operating for eight years and always sharing tasty and innovative specialty ciders. These run the gamut from traditional to wild. Check out my previous reviews for more background on the cidery.

Find out all about them on the website: https://2townsciderhouse.com/

Recently, I reviewed their Cidre Bouche:http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2017/11/cider-review-2-towns-ciderhouses-cidre.html This cider also made my Ten Favorite Ciders List of 2017.

I've also reviewed their Bright Cider in a round up from 2016: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/07/cider-review-roundup-common-cider-co.html

My first review of a 2 Towns cider was their Hop and Stalk: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2014/12/cider-review-2-towns-ciderhouse-hop-and.html
This cider made my 10 Favorite Ciders list of 2014.

Official description:

UNFILTERED PINEAPPLE CIDER
Juicy and tropical, Pacific Pineapple rolls ripe Costa Rica golden pineapples into fresh-pressed Northwest apples. This refreshingly juicy and easy drinking session cider will relax your state of mind, no matter your locale! 5% ABV.

Appearance: hazy, bright pineapple color, no bubbles

I couldn't see any bubbles in this cider. I could see that it was unfiltered and had a bold yellow color just like ripe pineapple flesh.

Aromas: pineapples

This cider smells rampantly and lusciously like pineapple. Again, there's not much apple but the pineapple that's here smells amazing. Everything about this cider smells tropical; it's juicy, floral, and somehow even manages to connote warmth on this February day. It also has a hint of that stony dust aroma that I find often and quite like.

Sweetness/dryness: sweet

This is unambiguously a sweet cider.

Flavors and drinking experience: high acid, pineapple, punch

Let's start with the obvious. This cider is fun! It has nearly stinging High acid that help balance out the tropical fruit sweetness. The Pacific Pineapple reminds me of punch or even fresh pineapple juice, but everything in the flavors tastes very real. It had some hefty mouthfeel but no tannin, no chalk or bitterness. It was very peachy and floral. This is a totally approachable and drinkable cider for those who love pineapple.

I had both of these with vegetarian mexican food with lots of spice, beans, cheese and peppers. The sweetness worked particularly well with spicy notes. All in all, they were a delightful experience exploring the pineapple as adjunct fruit for cider. Sometimes it is the best way to handle February to just escape to a warm and fruity vision of summer.

Cider Review: Snowdrift Cider Co.'s Cornice

Whew! I don’t know about you, but much of the United States just made it through the #bombcyclone (Bombogenesis) and Winter Storm Grayson. It was snowy, windy, and seriously cold. Mostly, this was terrible. But this kind of weather really is perfect for curling up at home in a cozy fashion. And nothing goes better with cozying up than a glass of cider. And this time, it may have been the only way I survived cabin fever. Today, I'm sharing my thoughts on one of the ciders that helped us in the cold.

I've not reviewed anything by Snowdrift Cider Co. before because I simply never see it for sale. I've been curious about them for ages. I finally picked up a bottle when traveling to San Francisco. They are based in Central Washington State on the Columbia River where they grow apples, make cider, and keep a tasting room open on weekends. Their orchard dates back to the 1960s and includes eating apples, heritage apple varieties, crabs, and apples best used for cider. The cidery dates from 2008.

I love this excerpt of how they introduce themselves and their cidermaking:

All of our ciders start with tree ripe fruit that we carefully crush and ferment. Often unsightly and a challenge to eat fresh, the French, English and old American cider apple varieties we grow to make our ciders carry intense aromatic flavors that shine through fermentation and aging. As the cider ages through the cold snowy winter, the bitter tannins that made the fruit so edgy while fresh give way to soft, complex and surprising flavors that linger and evolve on the palate. Our ciders are best served at a cool room temperature.

You can learn more on the company's website: http://www.snowdriftcider.com/

Today's cider is the Barrel-Aged Cornice. Here's the official description:

In our region, winter winds whip layers of snow into majestic formations called cornices. They hang in a gravity-defying balance, ready to cascade at any moment into a rushing avalanche. We wanted to craft a cider to carry these traits… So we aged cider in oak barrels, knitting tannins and aromas into an avalanche of flavors. Notes of bourbon vanilla, fall fruit and toffee coalesce in this off-dry cider.This cider's smooth complexity and luscious vanilla-toffee notes pair well with grilled meets, pulled pork, bacon-wrapped dates, as well as rich desserts. Alcohol 7.5% by volume.

Appearance: brilliant, deep copper, few bubbles

I don't see a lot of visible bubbles, here but I see some and an intense color. I love that deep copper hue. It's totally brillliant, as my bookshelf picture demonstrates clearly. 

Aromas: ripe apples, paper, dust

The Cornice smells bracing and bitter, though the apple presence in the aroma is undeniable. Something about the smell strikes me as brittle; I think perhaps its the barrel that gives the cider a wooden note. I could even call it paper or pencil shavings. Other notes make me think of a stone cracking. And yet amidst these hard things, I can still smell soft apples, wispy smoke, and vanilla.

Sweetness/dryness: Off dry

This cider is very nearly dry, and perhaps you could call it dry. I think its fruitiness makes me perceive it as off dry in a very natural and reserved way.

Flavors and drinking experience: high acid, plummy, warm, golden

Oh, this is a rich one! The Cornice offers up high acid zing but so much more. Some of the flavors remind me of rich golden dried fruits like sultanas or apricots. Some of the richness comes from beautiful fruit esters that make the cider feel so plummy.

Yes, I'd call it off-dry but with a lingering warmth because of the barrel qualities I'd be curious to know the actual levels of residual sugars, but not much.

Other flavors include baking spices, caramel, buttered toast crumbs. As for the mouthfeel, there are tannins and gentle bubbles. The high ABV makes it feel fuller still in the mouth. This is a decidedly decadent cider with fullsome fruitiness and powerful booziness. It just sweeps in from all sides, offering a pleasant degree of complexity, but not overpoweringly so. I found it extremely pleasing with a hearty vegetable stew and warm cats. I didn't eat the cats. They just sat on me.

Cider Review: 2 Towns Ciderhouse's Cidre Bouché French Style Keeved Cider

Today, I want to raise my glass to a cidery stretching its own boundaries and doing a lot with its multiple different lines of ciders. To this end, today's review is of 2 Towns Ciderhouse Cidre Bouché from the Traditions line.

2 Towns Ciderhouse is a cidery based in Oregon, started by Lee Larsen and Aaron Sarnoff-Wood . They've been producing ciders since 2010. Their focus is very local and process oriented. I've had the honor of meeting lots of folks from 2 Towns at various cider event over the past five years. When describing their approach to making cider, the website emphasizes that 2 Towns Cider house does not use any artificial flavors, concentrates, or processed sugars. 

To focus in a bit more on the Traditions lineup, I read more about it on the company website, learning that it focuses on heirloom apples, barrel aging, and other historically inspired cider-making techniques. I received this sample of the Cidre Bouché for review and didn't pay for it. But, when i get the chance to buy 2 Towns Ciders, I also do.

Find out more about the Traditions line, as well as their Flagship and Seasonal ciders online:

https://2townsciderhouse.com

My previous reviews for 2 Towns Cider House have included:

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

and the Brightcider was part of my roundup of vacation ciders: http://alongcameacider.blogspot.com/2016/07/cider-review-roundup-common-cider-co.html

To be prepared for the Cidre Bouché, I read the official description to see exactly what french style means to 2 Towns Ciderhouse. Here it is:

Inspired by the bittersweet ciders of France, Cidre Bouché is made using an old-world process called keeving. Starting with 100% traditional cider varieties like Kingston Black, Michelin, Reine des Pommes, Dabinett and Muscat de Lense, we let the fruit ‘sweat’ and intensify in aroma. The apples are crushed and left to soak on the skins before the juice is fermented slowly over the course of a year, and aged in French oak casks. When finished, this keeved cider is rich, thick, and brimming with overripe bittersweet apple character. 6.9%ABV

Appearance: dark red, hazy, very very bubbly

This photo is totally unfiltered. The cider really is this dark and intensely autumn colored. The shade reminds me of strong tea and falling leaves. I'd call the cider slightly hazy and very very bubbly, which I hope comes through in the picture.

Aromas: overripe apples, leather, hay

I smell those bittersweet apples like whoa. Notes include leather, overripe apples, lemons, hay, and something woody. You could also say applesauce and a cedar aftershave. This is a gentle mellow and rich set of smells. Holy anticipation.

Sweetness/dryness: semi-sweet

This semi-sweet cider still has bitterness, and in the best possible way. I think folks who like semi-sweet ciders will enjoy it, but as a habitual dry drinker, I also find it very satisfying.

Flavors and drinking experience: rich overripe apples, bubbles, full mouthfeel

Wow! Wow wow wow. I know, that's not terribly informative or articulate, but I need to lead with that holistic first impression.This cider offers up high tannins, medium low acidity, and a rich full mouthfeel. The Cidre Bouché is very much like a french cider, but somehow just a bit more balanced with acid and very freshly bubbly.

I paired this cider with a rustic bean and vegetable stew topped with fresh green onions. The stew emphasized acidity and strong salty, earthy flavors. The rich and sweet cider made for the perfect counterpoint. To say I recommend this pairing, or something like it, would be an understatement.

This is without any doubt my favorite cider from 2 Towns Ciderhouse. They consistently make innovative and drinkable ciders, but this one stands head and shoulders above the rest. They really knew just what to do with those bittersweet apples. Yum!