Mybeerbuzz .com Highlights Portland Cider Concord Grape, Apple, Sangria & Hop’rageous

Just because we have the word “beer” in our website name, doesn’t mean we’re limited to just beer.  Between the website and our weekly live radio show, we sample more and more non-beer beverages, and more specifically, lots and lots of hard cider.

Yes we cover cider and yes I’m always excited to not only sample a great new cider, but also to bring it to your attention…and that’s what we’re doing today.

Today we’ll be sampling a new seasonal release coming from Portland Cider Co. in Clackamas, OR, and just based on the name I couldn’t wait to try it.  The cider is called Concord Grape and it is an interesting blend of 100% Northwest apple cider and Northwest Concord grapes.

This new cider is based on a collaboration cider created with Waz Wu (chapter director of Veganizer Portland) for the Willamette Week Beer & Cider Pro-Am in Oct 2017.  This cider won the people’s choice award after Portland Cider owner Jeff Parrish actually helped stomp the grapes by hand (or more accurately foot).

Jump forward a few months and add in a few recipe tweaks and we have Concord Grape…so off we go.  The Concord grapes contribute to a really pretty purple-ish color, enhanced by the clear bottle and grape-filled packaging.  The aromas lead with grapes and end with grapes…all in a very pleasant way.  The taste has a nice balance of sweet grapes and tart semi-dry apples, making for a really nice balance in this cider.  Portland Cider likens Concord Grape to drinking a grape juice box as a kid (“only without the straw”) and I’d have to agree.  Overall the balance is really drinkable and the flavor combination has to be one of my favorite cider blends so far.

Portland Cider Concord Grape is available now through April in 22oz bottles and on draft so be sure to get out there and try it for yourself.  And when you do, be sure to let us know what YOU think.

As a bonus, Portland Cider sent along a few other ciders for us to try:

• Apple.  We loved the bright aromas of juicy apple and we found this cider bright fresh and just slightly dry.  This cider uses 100% fresh-pressed Northwest apples (5.5%-AbV).
• Sangria.  This cider had some really interesting and intriguing flavors.  We found pear and citrus but I know we missed a few other tropical fruit aromas.  This cider had loads of flavors we liked and we kept coming back to Hawaiian Punch…and based on how much I loved that juice as a kid, this is a good thing.  I’d love to try Sangria on the beach and the cider hits 5.5%-AbV.
• Hop’rageous.  We weren’t sure what to expect from this one, but we were all pleasantly surprised.  Hop’rageous is a dry cider that they’ve added Citra hops to.  The aromas are bright and citrusy and we found loads of orange, citrus and apple in the flavors.  The balance of sweetness to bitter was really well done and we thought this cider was refreshing and really drinkable. (6.5%-AbV).

These last three ciders were packaged in 12oz cans.  I think this was the first time I’ve tasted a cider in a can and I’ll admit I think it is a great package.  I can’t wait to try these on the beach this summer.