$8 bottle from New Beer Distro. Bottled July 2010. Been sitting in my fridge since March. Into an un-etched tulip. Clear, pale golden yellow color. Constant activity. Flash of white soda fizz. Smells like a sparkling semisweet wine. Sharp apricots, oak, a bit of ammonia, minerals, & generic English stuffiness. What is initially bittersweet apples, rolls out in the middle to become more like lemon butter sauce(heavy on the lemon). Hard, unripe green pears. Finish is composed of yeast & a leafy bitterness. A bit lingering. Sort of like a soured, gentle white table wine. Light on the preservatives. Strong, beaded carbonation. Light, minerally, & slightly tacky. Imbedded/tolerable alcohol. Skipped on one of those stale Mikkeller single variables & went with this. Wasn’t amazing, but was pleasantly surprised.

$8.25 at New Beer. Pretty label would of at least gotten me to second base regardless. ;) July 2010 bottling. Ommegang Anniversary glass. Brief flash of whitewashed head. Constant stream of activity. Clear, pale amber body. Smell of buttery English cider apples, leather, & crab apples(&... fresh beets?). Bit of sweetener. Somewhat briny. Dab of oaky vanilla. Very standard for an import, except, this is not an import, unless Oregon doesn’t really sync with your traditionalist views these days. /shrug. Taste is very tart & tangy up front, leading into grassy. Very reminiscent of the better English imports we get here. Coarse woody/minerally tannins peak casually in the middle of every other sip. More bitter then bittersweet. A winey bitter. Preservatives walking in broad daylight. Finish lingers with some tart, eventually falling into a dry, subtly yeasty exit. Crisp, with seemingly intentional astringency. Pretty dry. Noticeable alcohol. Missing some texture. Solid English clone with some added tart. Splicing in a low dose of a single sweeter/milder varietal could of rounded it off more to my liking, but as is, it does a better job with food.

It’s a clear pale yellow, no head. It smells like apples, grass, earth, peaches, strawberries and a touch of cough syrup. The taste is sour apples with floral sweetness. Mildly effervescent mouthfeel. Nice cider.

500ml bottle pours a clear, bright yellow with a spitty, white head. Nice nose, honey, apples, fruity. Flavor is sweet, apple juice, light honey. Medium bodied, dry finish. Very one note.

Bottle from Ledgers Liquor (priced/shelved 8/10?10). Pours very light gold with transient white bubbles. Mild clean apple aroma. Near med body. Rather tart. Mild fruit flavor. A very dry, crisp and clean drink.

Bottle (bottled in July 2010). Pours with a very pale and clear straw yellow body with a white head that fades to a ring in about a minute. Aromas of dry and spicy, nearly peppery, some acidic notes. It smells really good! Some oak and a light richness (apple sweetness). A light mineral quality with a bit of a CO2 tinge. Flavors are very sharp and super acidic (natural juice acidity, not wild yeast). Very puckering. Nearly Warhead (which I think is mainly malic acid, so it makes sense) like tartness throughout. Strong and fun malic acid. A light mineral and hay like quality as well. Lively bubbles. Dry. Really a palate assaulting cider!

Bottle (bottled July 2010) from Healthy Spirits. Pours with a clear, vibrant golden body and a large white head that fades to a ring. Aromas of oak, white wine, very dry apple, tannins, oak, musty, CO2, and some acidity. Flavors of super dry apple, radicchio, champagne (carbonation, flavor, acidity, etc), candy sugar. Very dry. Slight complaint that it is relatively thin stripped of carbonation. Light oaky finish. Vibrant carbonation. A well made cider overall.
Earlier Rating: 3/8/2009 Total Score: 3.6
Bottle. Sent in a picture to be uploaded. Pours with no head and a dehydrated yellow body. Light legs. Aroma has some sweetness, dry apples, light normandie corkiness. Taste is very dry with light crab apple bitterness. Very dry finish with a hint of oak. Light alcohol (for 8%). Very dry mouthfeel, lively bubbles...

Bottle. Pale yellow. Aroma of rotted, sour apples. Taste is very sour white wine vinegar. Interesting.

12 ounce bottle from Whole Foods Market, Charlottesville, VA. Pours a clear pale amber color with a thin head that fades quickly. Aroma of Fairly simple but clean sweet apple aroma. The taste is sweet apples with honey and vanilla notes. Tart slightly grainy finish. Medium bodied. Quite nice.