Winchester Ciderworks

Cidery in Winchester, Virginia, United States 🇺🇸

Established in 2012

Contact
2504 N Frederick Pike, Winchester, VA, 22603, United States
Description
Founded in 2012, Winchester Ciderworks makes handcrafted Virginia hard cider with apples from our own orchard. Come visit our newly renovated tasting room!

Before prohibition, cider was the drink of choice for the American working man. Every sensible farmer with a few trees would have his own home fermented cider, it was only natural.

In England, cider never lost its stature as a staple libation. The diversity and quality of English ciders is well-known to the traveling tippler.

A chance meeting at a local bluegrass concert in 2011 between an Englishman homesick for quality cider, and a local orchardist of German descent, led to the marriage of old world tradition with new world know-how that makes Winchester Ciderworks unique.

The Shenandoah Valley produces an excellent crop of apples, and four generations of orchardists have been caring for the soil and trees whose fortunate fruit go into Winchester Ciderworks' creations.

The foundation for the Ciderworks' tasting room was laid in 1900, and the building served for decades as a barn for the orchardists until it was converted to an apple cold storage facility in 1946.

Winchester Ciderworks' tasting room is a natural evolution of this space, and overhead you can still see the refrigeration lines which once kept crops of Malus cool and fresh until processing.

     Show


5.2
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 5

Super clear golden and pale ghostly white coloured body with a ultra fast-dying white head, like soda, of course. Aroma of dough, bread, light pears, apples, caster sugar, light lemons and a dash of flowers, but the dough especially and bread notes are the most pungent in the nose. Light-bodied; Very sweet, almost cloyingly so, pear and apple flavours show up at first with some bread and dough notes along with a hint of floral elements, but the sweetness is strong, as is a minor astringent quality at the end. Aftertaste is very sweet, almost hard to get down, with only a tiny bit of tartness to mellow this out, along with a hint of lemons and flowers, but this really all about the pears and sugars. Overall, a decent enough fruit-based cider that is too sweet and cloying for me, but the dough and bread notes provide an off-putting flavour to couple with the rich sugars. While I love pears, I'd definitely pass on this one again, given how many better ciders are out there. I sampled this sixteen ounce, pint-sized can, purchased from The SperryVille Corner Store in Sperryville, Virginia on 09-July-2022 for US$4,19 sampled in my hotel room here in Richmond, Virginia on 22-July-2022 after watching Miss Norah Jones play a concert with my wife and three kids.

Tried from Can on 23 Jul 2022 at 15:18


5.1
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 4.5

Ginger aroma. Taste is very tart and gingery. So tart it’s almost sour, reminds me of ginger beer.

Tried on 18 Jun 2022 at 00:06


6.9
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5

Crisp and clear light purple coloured body with a thinnish very light pink head that fades very quickly (obviously) and leaves nothing on top, after just a few seconds.Aroma of soured, tart blackberry and blackcurrant notes with a lot of tartness and even more sweetness with a tiny bit of wheat and body here and a touch of grasses as well and a bit of herbs. Light-bodied; Very tart and strong fruit flavours dominate here with a ton of dryness and grassy qualities and only a bit of the sugars peeking through the edges. Aftertaste shows the dry and tart super pungent blackcurrant note that isn’t mistaken at all - quite pungent, but enjoyable, with a touch of the apple, yeast and light blackberries on the finish. Aftertaste is fairly mild, but showing some good sweetness and dry characteristics, especially for the style, with a big hit of blackcurrants and soured notes new the end. Overall, a nice and tart, soured, but enjoyable cider with some good flavours throughout that has some subtle complexity and range for the style. I sampled this sixteen ounce, pint-sized can, purchased from Wegman’s [grocery] in Tyson’s Corner (Vienna), Virginia on 29-October-2021 for US$1,99 (part of a mixed six pack), sampled on the train from New York back to Washington on 05-December-2021.

Tried from Can on 05 Dec 2021 at 21:57


8

That's a lot of sour peaches! Almost forgot it was a cider, nice inventive thang. More sour than sweet though but more wild ale vibes than cider too.

Tried from Bottle on 12 Sep 2021 at 14:30


6

Refreshing and flavorful but not feeling the blackcurrant in this, get more medicine than jammy but I can recognize that it could be delish.

Tried from Can on 10 Apr 2021 at 14:18


6.6
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5

16oz can from Tavour. Ruby colored pour, flat. Fruity aroma of apples and blackcurrant. Currant a bit more prominent in the taste, still sweet, apple notes throughout.

Tried from Can on 22 Feb 2021 at 00:35


8.5
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 8

500ml bottle from Total Wine and More in Reston Aroma: apples, apple skin Appearance: pale golden, still Taste: moderate sweetness, moderate tartness Mouthfeel: uncarbonated, slick feel, medium body, long finish Tasty

Tried from Bottle on 09 Jul 2020 at 23:11


5

Pink pour. Rank nose. Sweet taste of fruit of some sort and not too appealing. Light carbonation. Not my favorite

Tried on 12 May 2020 at 00:01


5.9
Appearance - 2 | Aroma - 4 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

Bad gym sock nose, hibiscus, currant nose. Cloudy pink. Currant and cumquat. Light body, easy carbonation.

Tried on 11 May 2020 at 23:36


6.1
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 4 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8.5

Pour is clear. Aroma of processed food with vinegar nose. A sweet and sour initial taste with a processed meat taste palate

Tried on 25 Jul 2019 at 03:11