Sarasola Sidra Natural

Brewed by Sidreria Sarasola
Style: Cider
Asteasu, Guipúzcoa, Spain

Serve in Flute, Lager glass

Bottle. Pours a light yellow with some carbonation. School glue and light apple in the nose. Very tart apple, vinegar, and hairspray. Blah.

Bottle from Astor Wines. This is a very strange cider; more than just funky and sour, it is... salty. My wife describes the flavor as sour pickle brine. Once you get used to it it is surprisingly quaffable. I’m not sure I’ll be picking this up again over Isastegi, but I do enjoy it.

Bottle. Pours a clear gold. A light hint of wood, a touch of sour acid, the lightest funk, wet apples. Medium bodied, lightly sour, a bit of acid and funk. More soft funky acid on the finish. Really nice. Sour meets cider. Definitely like this one.

Pours a slightly hazed bright gold into a snifter. Head forms bubbles on rim. Sour apple and marshmallow aromas. Thin and tart with oak, apple and a lasting brett-like marshmallow finish.

750 ml bottle shared at the Cider Tasting. Pours a pale hazy straw yellow hue, a small offwhite frothy head dies to a ring, laces small. Aromas are tart apples, a faint waft of vinegar, quite tart with apple, faint honey. Initial is lighter bodied throwing a thorough apple cider feel up front, touches of tartness, effervescencence, some vanilla, and lemon. Backend throws a touch of tartness, lively carbonation, with some stinky cheese like funk. Finish is a bit bland, tart. The aroma is much more powerful and pleasing than the cider itself. Ok. Nose grabbed me, but the cider itself was average.

Bottle thanks to Sarah. Pours a hazy pale yellowish gold with a white head that dissipates completely. Aroma has some sweet apples but is mainly tart and a backing blue/stinky cheese. Flavor begins with a lot of tartness but mellows into a sweetness and has a strong funky cheese in the aftertaste.

Bottle from Jubilation. Disclaimer: I’m not a cider guy in experience, knowledge, or appreciation. I was expecting something more interesting, but I’ll discard that probably ill-informed expectation (inspired by the guy at Jubilation) for this review. Aroma: mild, unsweetened, watery apple juice. The smallest hint of something hay and barnyardy. Overall the aroma is boring but fine. Flavor: A bit more interesting here. I can’t tell the subtleties very well, but it’s pretty sour and um, apply. More funky than the aroma, but not very. Actually the start of the finish has some nice dirty sock character. Low carbonation. Ok, I kinda like this.

bottle and tank. medium+ must, juicy, fleshy apples, medium+ acid and bitterness. well-balanced, yeast/musty enough without being overbearing or heart-burn inducing (sessioning, of course).

Bottle from Davis Beer Shoppe. This is a traditional Basque apple cider that pours cloudy yellow golden with a few bubbles on top. There is a fermented cider aroma and a sharp vinous fruit flavor with a very sour finish.