In honor of Oregon Cider Week, going on now (and which wraps up on Sunday the 28th), here is a pair of reviews featuring one of the latest from Portland Cider Company, as well as its flagship. Portland Cider had sent out samples of each in the past months, and they are both nice ciders to have going into summer.

Ciderade

This is Portland Cider’s entry into the low-cal, low-carb market with a lemon lime and electrolyte infused light cider, sent to me in April. It has 4% ABV, and has 96 calories and 3.5 grams of carbs per 12-ounce serving—even though it’s sold in 19.2-ounce stovepipe cans. The cidery says:

Freshly squeezed lemons and limes brighten this cider made with 100% Northwest apples. A cider that’s refreshing & replenishes with electrolytes sourced from sea salt harvested in Netarts Bay along the Oregon coast by Jacobsen Salt Company. Rejuvenation & relaxation in a glass!

Perfect after a workout or pairing with yard work in the sunshine. A light cider that won’t weigh you down, but still has body and flavor.

Appearance: Brilliantly clear, bright, pale yellow color. Brassy and crisp, with a fizzy, quickly dissipating, white wisp of foam.

Smell: Light apple note that might a touch sulfury, and there are subtle citrus notes. Perhaps a hint of malic acid? Understated, mellow.

Taste: Light with a just-almost-puckering citric acid note and a crisp, watered-down apple flavor. Lemon-lime itself is present but subtle, there’s a hint of soda pop character here, then a dry apple snap to finish at the back, reminiscent of green apple.

Mouthfeel: Thin, dry, semi-petillant, quite crisp and light.

Overall: As advertised, easy-drinking if a little on the thin side, but it accomplishes what it was intended. I’d love to taste a bit more lemon-lime flavor and possibly even a touch of the sea salt.

Kinda Dry

Portland’s flagship cider is now available in six-packs, which is why the company sent me several cans. At 6.9% ABV, it’s an award-winner available in various formats. Incidentally, a 12-ounce serving is 151 calories, with 4 grams of carbs.

Here’s a bit more from the press release that went out with these cans:

The company’s best-selling product and winner of multiple gold medals, Kinda Dry is an ode to the heritage of Portland Cider Co. co-owner Lynda Parrish and her home of Somerset, England. The product is the ideal representation of Portland Cider Co.’s mission to handcraft cider in the English tradition featuring 100% Northwest apples.

Kinda Dry features fresh pressed juice from a blend of Northwest-grown culinary apples––including Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Jonagold, Golden Delicious, and more––carefully fermented with a yeast to preserve the subtle characteristics. The cider is given time to develop to its full potential before being canned, bottled or kegged. The resulting cider is just off-dry and lightly carbonated with a lingering fresh finish.

Appearance: Golden in color and quite clear, bright, with a steady stream of bubbles feeding a fizzy, semi-petillant head.

Smell: Clean apple notes with a hint of tartness and a touch of apple skin.

Taste: Straightforward apple flavors, crisp with a dry rusticity. A bit of tea-like astringency in the dry body. Hay, ripe apples, and slightly tart green apple (orchard) notes all come through.

Mouthfeel: Crisp, semi-dry, semi-petillant with a lingering dry-tart note of apple skins.

Overall: A nice representation of “apple,” with an apple essence that’s straightforward and unfrilly and rather good. This is a good “base” cider to fall back on for casual drinking and to develop other flavors.