Note worthy ciders in Oregon!
During our travels through tasting rooms in Oregon, we have found some note worthy ciders that our palate could use more of in the cider industry!
We are, of course, partial to our own Bend Cider Company flavors that have the richness of a beer with the complexities of a wine and “not too sweet” profiles, but appreciate all types of hard cider. Lets see if you have tried any of these:
Chai Cider- Dry/semi-dry >get ready for your taste buds to be tingled! The warmth of the cardamom, cinnamon, clove and ginger with the spice of pepper leave you wanting more. This Chai hard cider is very well balanced and was very carefully crafted by cider maker Kelly Roark in partnership with Metolius Tea.
Carte Blanche- Barrel- Aged Dry Cider> we found this cider to be very smooth, buttery delicious. Their tasting notes state: “Bone dry aged in French oak chardonnay barrels for fourteen months. Aromas of apple blossoms, oak and white grape with delicate flavors of lemon zest, vanilla and honeysuckle. “
Although this cider is dry we do not think it is “bone dry”, it is indeed dry and very drinkable.
Wildrooster- Dry> this cider is a collaboration between Wildcraft Cider and cider riot. I believe that wildcraft provided the juice and cider riot created the “flavors” . Their tasting notes state: “French Oak and mezcal barrel aged collaboration with wildcraft. “ We loved the smokey notes and thought it very creative to use the mezcal barrels. Figuring out how to get that smokey flavor into the cider without it being overwhelming is tricky, this was a great and drinkable dry cider.
Semi Dry Apple > the fresh pressed apple notes and full mouth feel are for real! We love that this cider cafe carries so many varieties that you can compare side by side. Their own semi-dry is where it is at. When heading over to hood river this must be a stop!
Fuzzy Haven- semi-dry>The first Cidery in hood river! They grow their own apples and produce distilled spirits as well! We tried their cider made with specialty Hefeweizen hops from a local brewery and it was like nothing I have tasting in cider. Very smooth, complex and a journey on your palate. Inspiring for sure!
Sacrilege Sour Cherry> lets start by saying that a good cherry cider is hard to come by. Their tasting notes state “ Granny Smith cider with Montmorency cherries, a touch of chili, clove and pear” . This cider company is known to have beautiful ciders already but we were impressed with this one in particular.
Scrumptown > if you are in the market for a BONE DRY CIDER, look no further. Carlton has this market cornered with many varieties, most bone dry. This is a English style mix with 5 apple varieties. They state it is “ intense and concentrated quality of the bittersweet apple”.
Apricot > Sweet- if you're in the market for a sweet cider the apricot juice mixed with the hard apple cider gives a nice touch. Their description is " apricots dominate this uniquely tart cider that still remains highly drinkable ".