In 2008, Craig and Sharon Campbell began experimenting with cider production using dessert apples from their 400-acre fruit orchards in Yakima, Washington. Defying conventional wisdom that cider apples require a maritime climate, Craig planted a two-acre test orchard with 25 cider apple varieties. That modest trial has since blossomed into Cider View—a 30-acre high-density orchard dedicated to cider apples. At Tieton Cider Works, their commercial cidery, longtime head cidermaker and operations manager Marcus Robert blends American heritage, English, and French cider apple varietals with dessert apples to craft ciders that balance sweetness, acidity, tannin, and aroma. It’s Monday, which means it’s time for another Peaks & Pints in-house cider flight—this week featuring Tieton Cider Works in our Peaks & Pints Monday Tieton Cider Flight.
Peaks & Pints Monday Tieton Cider Flight
Tieton Lavender Honey
6.5% ABV
Tieton has been growing apples in the Yakima Valley for three generations. Craig Campbell’s grandfather planted apple trees in the 1920s, but it wasn’t until 2008 when he and his wife, Sharon, began growing cider apples on their Harmony Orchards in Tieton, Washington. They launched Tieton Cider Works in 2009 to maintain their practices as good stewards of the land. The Campbells’ Lavender Honey cider is made with Yakima Valley-sourced honey and whole lavender buds. The lavender in this cider is slight, but it’s there, and the honey gives it an excellent mouthfeel and, well, balance.
Tieton Hazy Strawberry
6.9% ABV
Unfiltered, cloudy-looking ciders are much like the hazy-style IPAs that have been taking the beverage scene by storm. When the step of the cidermaking process that filters these sediments out is omitted, it results in a clouded appearance, a fuller mouthfeel, and a richer flavor. Sweet strawberry blends with fresh pressed tart cider for a balanced summer sipper.
Tieton Bourbon Barrel Peach
6.9% ABV
Tieton blends American heritage, English, and French cider varietals with dessert apples to capture the best of what each variety brings to the bottle: sweetness, acidity, tannin, and aroma. Their popular Bourbon Barrel Peach cider was aged in previously used Dry Fly bourbon barrels. Aging in bourbon barrels gives the cider deep, rich notes of vanilla and spice.
Tieton Blood Orange
6.9% ABV
Tieton Blood Orange is a vibrant, citrus-forward craft cider that bursts with juicy flavor and bright acidity. Crafted in Washington’s Yakima Valley using fresh-pressed apples from the family-run Harmony Orchards, this cider is infused with real blood orange juice for a zesty twist. The result is a refreshing and slightly tart beverage with a deep blush hue, lively carbonation, and notes of sweet citrus and tangy apple.
Tieton Chili Lime
6.9% ABV
Tieton Chili Lime is a bold, refreshing blend that brings a spicy kick to traditional cider. Crafted with Washington-grown apples, this vibrant seasonal release balances the zesty tang of fresh lime with a subtle but satisfying chili pepper heat. The result is a crisp, effervescent cider with a tantalizing sweet-heat contrast.
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