Cider Review: Beanblossom Original

Seeking cider is kind of my thing - hence the name. I enjoy visiting bottle shops I've never been to before to see what new-to-me cider they carry. I always have a few ciders in mind that I'm hoping to find, but also enjoy the surprises that come with uncharted territory. Sometimes I'll find a cider I had heard of but wasn't looking for, and other times I find something I've never heard of at all.

Beanblossom Cider by Oliver Winery in Bloomington, Indiana falls into the "had never heard of before" category. Discovering an unknown cider is usually enough in itself to warrant picking it up, unless I can tell from the description (if there is one) that I wouldn't like it. This cider didn't have much info to form a decision on, but the funky label art gave it the extra push it needed to land in my cart.

It sat in the cider fridge until I decided it was the right time to venture into the unknown. We were making a full gluten-free and half-vegan pizza and wanted something to go with it. With an ABV of 9% and being from a winery, I figured this would be a nice stand-in for a glass of white wine and would have a decent amount of acidity - perfect for our pizza.

Appearance:

Pale yellow, completely clear. Thin but has legs. Light carbonation that quickly dissipates and leaves a few large bubbles in the glass.

Aroma:

Fresh green apple, pear, floral citrus, and the slightest hint of vanilla.

Flavor:

Sweet berry notes up front but quickly balanced out by oaky tannin. Not nearly as sharp as the smell made me think it would be, but there is some acidity in the background that also balances with the sweetness.

Finish:

Semi-sweet but with drying astringency that leaves the palate feeling drier than expected. The alcohol is most apparent at the finish but still never overpowering. This cider finishes more like a wine with some minerality.

Overall:

From the bottle I wasn't sure what to expect. When I smelled this cider, I thought it would be acidic and off dry. The sweetness up front threw me for a loop but it all came around and balanced out. It's smooth and easy drinking for it's higher ABV. We enjoyed it overall and it paired very nicely with our pizza. This cider is a good alternative to a semi-dry to semi-sweet white wine.

I'm not sure how young or old this bottle was. It appears to be sold in 500ml bottles, but I found this larger format 750 during the summer of 2018.

#OliverWinery #Beanblossom #Cider #GlutenFree #PickCider #IllTryCider #IveHeardThatItsGood