Breweries "Visited"

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Apple (and Cherry) of My Eye

Beer #224 Anthem Cherry / Wandering Aengus Ciderworks, Salem, OR

Feeling pretty awesome after churning through a 24 mile bike ride this morning.  We bought bikes last fall, and I realized quickly that it had been roughly 20 years since I had rode a bike.  Basically, the minute I got my drivers license, my old ten-speed was officially retired.  But, as I continue to try and fight off middle age, cycling is a great way to do battle.  Each week, we're adding additional miles on, which I greatly enjoy.

Also helping me fight off middle age is the occasional cider.  Yes, this is without a doubt a beer blog, but when you think about it, ciders are just beers with different ingredients.  They can be equally as complex or refreshing as any beer you'll find.  There are some overly sweet varieties that most everyone is likely familiar with (which aren't all that great), but some craft cider producers are out there cranking out really interesting and enjoyable products.

With that in mind, I'm going with the Anthem Cherry today from Wandering Aengus Ciderworks, out of Salem, Oregon.  It has a garnet color with virtually no head, with a light, almost tart cherry aroma, which reminded me a bit of wine. The taste is light and refreshing, with crisp apple flavor and a nice cherry tartness coming through.  This is not overly sweet (which is a good thing), but is dry, mellow, and easy drinking, with a 6.2% ABV.  Could definitely see myself enjoying a few of these at night, sitting outside on the deck, wishing we had a fire pit.

Tasty

If you're wondering about the brewery name (um, ciderworks), Wandering Aegnus is an old Celtic folktale about a man who wanders far to pursue a mystical woman who bewitches him.  Hopefully he brought along some cider for the journey.

Thing to Think About Today:
This cider is brewed with apples, and finished with a variety of cherries.  I have no idea how to tie that into something for you to think about today other than this video.  It does, thankfully, correct the glaring lack of hair band links on this site:


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