Lake Chelan Gold Hard Cider

“The color of this cider is a beautiful pale-straw while the delicious aromas and flavors are robust and balanced as you would expect from the cool climate orchards of eastern Washington. Fragrant apple pie and fermented apple notes form a great presentation.”

Rating: 3.5/5

Location: Chelan, WA
ABV: 7%

Dixon’s Thoughts: Chelan Gold has been one of my go-to ciders for a few years now. It’s a bit of a one-off from our normal fare, due to the fact that it’s a completely un-carbonated (still) cider. It’s also made with champagne yeast, and while that’s not completely uncommon, Chelan Gold is the only champagne-yeast cider that makes it into my regular rotation.
It’s extremely light and smooth, with a finish that borders on watery without being offensive. Drinking it is kind of like eating 6 different apples at once, which is how it’s made. Overall, this is a very drinkable cider that is light enough to be consumed in large quantities, but delicate enough with a strong enough presence to be served with grilled pork or lighter fare.

Mindy’s Thoughts: I rated this lower than Dixon did as it’s not a favorite of mine, but I basically agree with everything Dixon said — Chelan Gold tastes very apply but not overpowering. Really light, almost like apple champagne without the bubbles. Borders on so light that it tastes like water? Or at least not like cider. If you like to pair liquor with food, it would go well with a lot of subtler foods as it’s not overpowering but has sweet apple “notes”.