Back for another round, the father-son duo of David and Robert Cordtz at Sonoma Cider have returned to the market with a seasonal release to join the lauded line-up of quaffable, unique ciders. Each branded with an instrument you could find in most garage toolboxes, the latest cider onto the scene is The Wimble: a hand tool used for enlarging holes, or, in this case, a sour gose-style cider. Pronounced “gos-uh,” this German style of beer is fermented with yeast and lactic bacteria (to sour the flavor) and then is spiced with coriander and salt (if salted water isn’t used to brew in the first place).
Stepping outside of convention both with beer and cider, Sonoma Cider ferments organic apples from Washington’s Yakima Valley and blends with organic red rhubarb juice and sea salt to finish the gose-style cider off. Part of the cidery’s “Limited Run” series — a voracious variety of flavor combinations spawning from the twosome’s generational collaboration — The Wimble is just slightly sour, but extremely refreshing. With a hint of salt and a twinge of rhubarb, sour apple (think red fruit, not the tangy green Jolly Rancher) dominates the palate and cleanses with every sip. Pack it in or pack it out this summer, The Wimble is available in 12-ounce can 4-packs and stands at a sessionable weight of 5.5 percent ABV.