Hard Cider FIEND

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Reverend Nat’s Cider Taproom Opening in Portland, OR

Last summer I attended the opening of Reverend Nat’s Cider Taproom as part of the 2013 Oregon Cider Week. Reverend Nat’s cider is most definitely one of my favorite ciders on the West Coast and is in Portland. They had band playing and the space was filled with a diverse array of cider lovers. Here I am trying the Hibiscus Hymnal which was my favorite of his ciders that I have not tried before. I'm so excited to try more ciders this summer. 

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Enjoying a Docs Raspberry Hard Cider at the Parkway Tavern in Tacoma, WA. Look forward to more posts soon I'm back from my hard cider hiatus!

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I am so excited to be in the Northwest for Oregon Cider Week! If you are in the area I would highly recommend checking it out :) Stay tuned for updates on my trip to oregon!

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Sidreria Isastegi Sidra Natural 

ALCH: 6%

http://www.isastegi.com/

Appearance: Bright golden yellow, slightly cloudy. 

Aroma: Strong musky earthy aroma with alcoholic and grape notes. 

Taste: Sour, tart with earthy has subtle apple and grape undertones with a mild woodsy finish. 

Mouthfeel: Dense flavors, not too acidic or carbonated. 

Ingredients: Contains sulfates 

Overall: I was very excited to try my first Spanish cider from the scenic area of the Ernio and Aralar mountains in Basque country in Northern Spain. I bought this cider at Astor Wines in NYC. For the density of flavors, this cider was surprisingly drinkable. I enjoyed this unique cider especially the sour flavors woodsyness on the finish. Isastegi was very different from the mostly American ciders that I drink and more tame then other organic or "Natural" ciders. 

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Just took a trip to Monticello and visited the Beer cellar which was also used to hold cider called a "table liquor" which was served at dinner.

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Two Towns Ciderhouse: Pearadise

ALCH 7.5%

"Hand crafted in Oregon with all Northwest ingredients, Pearadise lives up to its namesake. Sweet and subtle hints of juicy pear and a light body truly make this pear cider a delectable treat. Made from 100% NW pears. Find your Northwest Pearadise"

http://2townsciderhouse.com/ciders.php

Appearance: Dark oak color ( very dark for a pear cider almost similar to the color of the Prohibition Sea Cider,) 

Aroma: Woodsy pears

Taste: Strong flavor of muddled apples, and bitter pear, almost similar to the taste of Asian pears. A crisp semi-sweet without having a clingy sweetness and also had bitter and woodsy notes on the finish. 

Mouthfeel: Medium body dark but not too syrupy. 

Overall: Two Towns is a quality company based in Corvallis, OR.  I love pear cider but depending on the company it can be a hit or miss . Pearadise is pear cider done right. This semi sweet perry features the flavor of pears but the woodsy and bitter notes made this cider complex, while still being superbly refreshing. If you have had a bad experience with pear cider I would recommend giving Pearadise a try. I am really excited about trying their Rhubarbarian cider this summer!

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Carlton Cyderworks: Carry Nation from Oregon

ALCH: 6.75%

“Pure Northwest Cider: In honor of the resolute and tenacious Carry Nation, we craft this refreshing and unique Northwest cider. Made from a blend of apples grown in the fertile soils of Oregon’s Willamette Valley, our cider is approachable, sprightly, with a hint of sweetness - the exact opposite of the original Carry Nation. So drink to the memory of a woman who smashed bars with a hatchet - while carrying a bible. Drink to the memory of this leader who was banned from Kansas City for life. Honor her memory in the best way possible - with a bottle of Carry Nation!”

Appearance: Light golden yellow

Aroma: Strong apple smell with hints of spice

Taste: Full sweet apple taste with undertones of clove and spice yet alcoholic and not too sweet.

Mouthfeel:The aftertaste is flavorful as the apples and spice hints linger. Its is very refreshing without being light or too simple.

Overall: I loved this cider! Made from Oregon apples it was full bodied and complex but was still approachable and extremely drinkable. Would pair well with a Brie or goat cheese and/or cured meats.

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The Rosewood Cafe in Tacoma, WA switched the glasses! Enjoying a delicious Anthem Pear Cider to finish off a hard days work. 

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ahhhhh the difficult task of trying new hard ciders! What a life....more reviews on the way! The college radio station that I work for had a BBQ last weekend and I went a bit Ham trying new ciders. 

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I've discovered that having a Hard Cider habit can be very expensive. I really like Wyder's because the six back is reasonably priced and it is drinkable and refreshing without tasting like cheep cider. 

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Found this lovely picture of Tieton Cider that I had @ The Pine Box in Seattle, WA. The bar is in Capital Hill and also had a good beer menu.

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Which is the cider and which is the beer? @ The Red Hot in Tacoma, WA 

The Red Hot normally has at least one cider on tap which is awesome:)

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Etinne Dupont Cidre Bouche Brut de Normandie USDA Organic 

ALCH 4.5% 

Appearance: Cloudy pale caramel 

Aroma: Woodsy with muddled apple hints 

Taste: Savory sweet with a mild clean apple taste that is not too sweet, there is a lingering taste of cedar and woody flavors with an organic finish

Mouthfeel: Full-bodied carbonation, and unfiltered

Overall: I bought this cider on my trip home to Manhattan and have finally tried it. My last experience with an unfiltered, unpasturized organic cider did not go very well (think minor explosion) but I really enjoyed the Etinne Dupont Cider. While some USDA organic ciders do not tast that different from other non organic ciders this had a special almost wild taste that I really enjoyed. It gave the cider a depth and complexity that would pair very will with  a strong aged cheese and some figs. I loved the apple flavor in the cider because it was both mildly tart and had a bitter syrupy essence. Delightful! 

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12 Things You Didn't Know About Hard Cider

Great article about Greg Hall of Virtue Cider ( who formally worked for Goose Island in Chicago) and Tom Oliver of Oliver's Cider and Perry. Cider is much more popular in England than in the US with one cider for every twenty beers!! 

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Sea Cider Prohibition  

ALCH 12%

Northwest Reading News 2011 Reader's Choice Award Best Cider

"Apple wine flavored & colored with molasses and aged in bourbon barrels fro six months. The secret to Prohibition lies in the barrel. Rich, full-bodied and intriguing Newfoundland Screech barrels were the inspiration for Prohibition which opens up to reveal notes of molasses, apples and sugar cane." 

http://www.seacider.ca/

Appearance: Amber (definitely the darkest cider I have seen) 

Aroma: Syrupy apples

Taste: Very flavorful! Full bodied, strong notes of whiskey and brown sugar with maple flavors. The darkness of the whiskey and maple makes the cider heavy. Strong alcoholic flavor upfront. 

Mouthfeel: Very effervescent (as shown in the picture), yet syrupy on the finish.

Overall: So interesting! One of the more memorable ciders that I have had in a long time. I was saving this cider for a special occasion and paired it with mushroom and parmesan risotto. While I very much enjoyed the complexity of Prohibition, it is very heavy, and so I would recommend pairing it with a heavy meal rather than something you would sip casually, unless you are a whisky person. I am thrilled to try more Sea Ciders and was very impressed with Prohibition. 

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I am obsessed with going to this festival. I don't care that this is the weekend before finals... where there's is a will there's is a way.....

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Reverend Nat's Deliverance Ginger on draft at

The Noble Fir in Seattle, WA

ALCH 6.5%

"For Deliverance Ginger, I make hard cider made with American dessert apples, and add fresh ginger juice along with just hint of pure cane sugar. It’s not sweet though; it’s off-dry. So much ginger flavor explodes in your mouth that it’s a far cry from a wine cooler. Fermented using white wine yeasts with light carbonation." 

(http://reverendnatshardcider.com/my-ciders/)

Appearance: Transparent amber 

Aroma: Ginger with herbal hints 

Taste: Strong ginger flavor, fairly dry not too bitter, blends very well with a more muddled apple flavor 

Mouthfeel: light and effervescent 

Overall: Another great cider from Reverend Nat. I have had other ginger ciders before but this is by far my favorite. The ginger was strong without being too overbearing and complemented the apple flavors.