Wandering Aengus Golden Russet Cider

Greetings readers! So sorry for the delay between ciders! Bailey had an unfortunate injury but has now recovered enough to continue rating ciders. This week, we tried one from Wandering Aengus. This cider company was at the Cider Summit this spring but had some issues with shipping, so we didn't get to sample any. We were very excited to finally see all of their varieties at our local beverage depot. The apples used for the golden russet cider are grown in Ashland and Salem Oregon. It is slightly dry and boasts fruit and honey aromas and flavors. It also packs a whopping 9.8% ABV per bottle. You can find all of their ciders and where to buy them here: http://www.wanderingaengus.com/wordpress/?page_id=12

On with it!

Color:

Hawke was impressed with the brilliant bronze color of this cider. He commented that it was very clear with a little carbonation present. He rated it with a 5/5 apples.

Bailey was also fond of the beautiful golden amber hue of this cider. She also thought it was very clear which means it has been filtered. There were a few bubbles to be seen, but not overly carbonated. She also ranks this cider with a 5/5 apples for color.

Smell:

Hawke took a whiff and stated that the smell was a little overwhelmingly sweet for him. He could detect apple and alcohol notes, but they were blended and neither one stood out over the other. Hawke isn't one that typically likes overly sweet things, but he did like the aroma of this cider. He gives it a 4/5 apples.

Bailey, having the sweet tooth that she does, fell in love with the smell. It promises good quality because of the sweet and slightly spicy smell of properly fermented apples. She also could smell the alcohol, but it wasn't strong enough to take away from the apples. She rates this cider with a 5/5 apples.

Taste / Complexity:

If you can imagine the face of someone who has bitten into a lemon, then you can imagine how Hawke's face looked after taking a sip. He was very surprised to find that this cider is very bitter. He could also feel the slight dryness that the cider left on his tongue. Hawke did say that the apple flavors were present, but the bitterness overtook them. He rates the taste with a 3/5 apples.

Bailey was cautious after seeing the face that was made, but knew that she had a job to do. The first sip was the most harsh because it was quite bitter. After that, she slowly swished the cider around a few times to let her taste buds get used to it. She concluded that this cider is very smooth, and the bitter apple and alcohol flavors mix well with each other. She also commented that this might be a great cider for Beer lovers because it could be considered a "manly" cider because of the bold flavor. She rates it with a 4/5 apples.

Aftertaste:

Hawke continued to be unimpressed as he could only taste bitterness in the aftertaste. The dry feeling on the tongue also lingered for him. He gives this cider a 2/5 apples. 

Bailey felt that the aftertaste was bitter and sour flavors mixed together. This cider also gave her a nice warm feeling down the throat, close to what whiskey might feel like. She rates it with a 3/5 apples. 

Price:

$8-10 for 500 ml. This cider has a 9.8% ABV.

Hawke feels that because of the ABV, this cider is not a bad value for the price. Clearly this was not his cup of tea but he feels that the price is fair for the amount you will get. He rates the price with a 4/5 apples.

Bailey feels that the price is a bit high for the amount. The ABV is high, but the flavor may only suit a select amount of people's palates. She gives this a 4/5 also.

Overall:

Hawke and Bailey agree that this might be another great cider for the Beer lovers who are also cider lovers, or who need some convincing. This may also be for cider lovers who are looking for more than a dominate apple flavor. Another thought is that this cider may work better with food than drinking it alone.

Overall, Hawke rates this cider with a 18/25 apples, or a yellow apple.

Overall, Bailey rates this cider with a 21/25 apples, or a green apple.

Thanks so much for your patience in between posts, and for being loyal readers! Hope you have a great week, we will be on the lookout for the next cider worthy of judging!