It’s been a long time….
Just have to say: Tieton Maker Reserve. Get it while it lasts.
Category Archives: Uncategorized
July 5, 2012
Happy day after Independence Day!
So, it looks like there’s a problem with the taps today, so I went bottle. Gave me a great chance to try something I hadn’t before: Fox Barrel Pacific Pear. As expected, it’s pretty sweet. Still nice and crisp, and not as sweet as Ace Pear for example. According to the bottle, they don’t add any sugar and they only use pear juice (not concentrate!) in the fermentation process. According to the ingredients, they do use concentrate, so I’m guessing that’s after in order to sweeten it. All and all, not a bad drink, but I couldn’t handle more than two, max, if I was going to have another. Really what people typically think of when they think “Cider.”
It’s been a long time
Blue Mountain Peach
Sweeter than I like, but a lot of peachy flavor without getting too sweet. I prefer the cherry.
Sea Cider, Kings and Spies
Nice crisp, dry to semi-dry.
Interesting bite in the finish, not exciting, but solid.
December 7, 2011
I have been in a few times and not posted, so I’ll do my best to catch up.
Bushwhacker Cxa Cxa Cxa, v1
This is Bushwhacker’s attempt at a Basque style cider. The base is clearly what I’m starting to think of as the Bushwhacker style: a thinner, lighter cider. I hesitate to use the word “weak”, but the flavor is not very bold. I don’t think of it as a negative as much as a style choice. This cider has a distinct Basque flavor, but I would call it underdeveloped. Looking forward to v2, available any day now.
Blue Dog Mead, OR
I’ve tried to like mead. Really tried, but it just doesn’t do it for me. Therefore, I’m not a very good judge of mead quality. This was interesting to taste, great honey finish, but a little harsh up front with a heavy hit of alcohol. Would love to know what other people think of it.
Weston’s Stowford Press
Typical English style. Solid. Not much to note.
Ace Apple
Meh. Not bad, not great. I really associate this with what I used to get at bars on occasion, though they usually had pear, which is very sweet.
Today:
Carlton Cyderworks Trapper
This is a whiskey barrel aged cider. It was very different to taste on tap and from the bottle, mainly because the bottles were room temperature. Sadly, not very impressed. I LOVE Carlton’s Asian Pear cider, and the rest of their line is quite tasty. Although the flavor of the warmer bottle pour stood out more, I really liked the Bushwhacker version much more. This is their first attempt and the maker (on hand for tasting) is already talking adjustments for next year.
Original Sin
I got this because I remembered it being drier. Sweet.
November 9, 2011
Well, I was here a couple weeks ago for the Two Towns Tap Takeover, which was totally amazing. Sorry, distracted by a hot date (the notorious Honey Badger), so that will simply have to be lost to time.
I can say that they all rocked.
Today on tap:
Bushwhacker Red Headed Stranger
Apple cider plus ginger. I have a very narrow band of ginger tolerance, and this is a very mild concoction. Light on the carbination (seeming to be a trait of Bushwhacker house ciders), crisp, medium dry and mild flavor. The ginger really comes across as a tingle in the back of my throat than a distinct ginger flavor. Delicious.
Forest Edge Pear Apple – OR
Forest Edge is a winery. This comes in a wine bottle. It tastes like wine! I’m impressed. Dry, mildly fruity with a distinct mustiness I associate with wine. Amber said Savingon Blanc and I honestly don’t know enough about wine to disagree. Thumbs up, but distinctly wine-like.
Weston’s Stowford Press – England
English cider. I could tell with my eyes closed. Heavier and fruitier than Crispin, almost a chewy texture and a distinctly cider golden color. Simple, straight forward, English cider.
October 12, 2011
New on Tap: Ovino from Oregon
Sour. Very sour. In a good way. Pretty dry. Not getting much depth from it, but it is tasty.
Faint Apple aroma. Not much else to say. It’s possible that my allergies are acting up and getting in the way, but it doesn’t feel like it.
Wandering Aengus, “Anthem Hops”
First impression, smells slightly beery. Light, not very sweet, certainly more going on than the Ovino. Sour finish with Apple in the aftertaste. This is a cider that makes me want to know more about tasting cider. There’s a lot going on in the middle that I don’t have the vocabulary for. Highly recommend.
Wandering Aengus “Wanderlust”
I’m biased. This totally hits my sweet spot. More than slightly sour, kind of dry and all delicious. A bit of yeast mixed with Apple in the finish. Sooooo good. This is what I would drink all day if I wasn’t so curious about everything else.
Bushwhacker “Cold Brooklyn Nights”
Just went for a taste, just too sweet, obvious honey/cyser component. Maybe when the weather is colder, maybe even warmer than room temp. On cask.
Sarasola (Basque style)
One of my absolute favorites. Sour, complex, yeasty, almost reminds me of some kind of off-brand cola when it first hits the tongue. The only thing I get from the nose is very distant vinegar, maybe a little “farm”, but the flavor kicks you in the teeth. It has a greasy or oily texture that I can only assume comes from the sediment. There is so much going on in these, I just don’t have the words. It’s raw and incredible. The French ciders may be very complex, but the Basques are the masters, for now.
Side note: Amber is the bartender/chef with mad skills. Her cheese plate was generous and balanced, but her chili is from another planet. Habenero and Goat Cheese. Wow.
Appeltreow “Sparrow Spiced Cider”
I usually avoid the spiced ciders, but Amber gave me a taste and I decided to go for it. The nose is certainly clove. The flavor is light and crisp, not too dry. Excellent balance with the clove and nutmeg, really.