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As far as the Midwest goes there are plenty of states like Wisconsin and Illinois with a wealth of cideries scattered around large cities and towns. Minnesota is one of those great states with an amazing selection of cider. Somehow, until very recently, the area of Duluth was barren when it came to cider. That is where couple Jake and Valerie come in. This couple met at the University of Minnesota Duluth and came up with the idea while at another cidery in MA. The rest is history as they say and after years of moving around, they came back to Duluth and resorted a 100-year-old building. We obtained some of their ciders and have some tasting notes I think the Midwest will find favorable! You can find these in cans around MN as well and get your own tasting on.
Duluth Cider Tasting Review
Gitch
Flavor: Semi-Sweet
ABV: 6.1%
Gitch which gets its name first off is short for “gitchi gami”, the Ojibwe name for Lake Superior, and one of the flagships for Duluth Cider. The cider pours with a very clear yellow hue with low carbonation which makes sense for this cider. You get a strong apple scent on your nose with the slight sweetness of apple natural sugar. While we have tried many semi-sweet ciders we would say that is well defined and reads as a fresh classic cider. Since the carbonation is low you get a smooth, medium-bodied mouthfeel that starts with a slight tartness and ends with some sweet and added tart green apple notes. Overall, it is nicely flavored and apple forward — easy to drink.
Overview: Rating at 4.25. For a semi sweet which is typically not our favorite this one is fantastic
Quick Hits: Good Sweetness Level, Fresh, Apple forward
Trailside
Flavor: Strawberry Basil
ABV: 6%
Trailside is a strawberry basil cider that is available around spring/summertime. As you can imagine from the fruit involved the color pours with a slight reddish hue that is almost a light pink, which makes quite the statement in the glass. As with the Gitch, the carbonation is low and the cider is quite clear. The nose of the cider screams with sweet and ripe strawberries with a touch of herbaceous on the back end from the basil. Berry ciders have a tendency to roll over the apple flavor and smell and in this case, that is also true but the floral and fruity nose is welcomed. The taste is where the cider goes into overdrive, the tart background of the apples plays off the tart and sweet strawberries. The cider is a bit sweeter than we prefer but it’s not sticky sweet or syrupy like some berry ciders are. With summer coming up we think this would be great frozen or put in a frozen cocktail with some rum or vodka!
Overview: Rating at 3.75. Great sweet strawberry flavor paired with light herb flavor.
Quick Hits: Sweet, Ripe Strawberry, Slight basil ending note
If you want to find more of the awesome ciders coming out of the Duluth Cider team make sure to visit them on social media or at their website: https://duluthcider.com/
