Originally released in time for June’s Cider Summit in Portland, Oregon, Finnriver Farm & Cidery‘s Farmcrafted Saison Cider is back for this weekend’s Summit in Seattle. A collaboration cider from the farm-based cidery on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula and the national event series, organic Washington-grown apples are pressed and fermented with a saison ale yeast for a funky and flamboyant cider that can span the seasons.
Cidermaker Andrew Byers made sure to maintain the ferment at higher temperatures to foster the tropical and spice notes this oft-persuasive yeast can bring to the table. He then sunk a sachet of dried fruit and spices post-fermentation to fuse with the already spice-forward cider, complementing the seasoning and melding with the fruity flavors. Flashy acidity helps to cut through the ripe pineapple and round apple in the mid-palate, allowing spice and apple skin to persist on the finish.
