Reverend Nat’s Hard Cider
by
Kathy Sullivan
Summary: Reverend Nat’s Hard Cider is located in Portland, Oregon. A visit to this cidery offers visitors an opportunity to discover many unique ciders.
While visiting Portland, Oregon in July, one of our sons took us on a visit to Reverend Nat’s Hard Cider. The urban cidery is located in an old book bindery building with the stainless steel cider tanks at the back and a front area that is subdivided into a tasting counter and areas for tables and chairs. A large garage door was rolled up allowing the warm summer sun to brighten the interior. The atmosphere is relaxed and seems to be a good representation of Portland’s lifestyle.
While tasting several of the ciders that Reverend Nat produces, we discovered how his cider journey began. Reverend Nat is an official reverend who also enjoys drinking beer. As a beer drinker, he suddenly had access to a large amount of apples. There were too many apples for apple pies, applesauce and jams, so for Reverend Nat, the best solution to this good problem was to make a hard cider.
Nat began making cider in his home garage and expanded to his basement. In 2011, he began to produce cider commercially. The present location at 1813 NE 2nd Avenue in Portland was opened in 2013. Today he is crafting many ciders with a wide range of flavors.
First time visitors to the cidery may wonder is Nat a real reverend. We were quickly informed that yes Nat is officially a Reverend. Nat was asked to officiate at the marriage of two friends and soon became an ordained minister.
Reverend Nat’s Hard Ciders
Reverend Nat appears to enjoy creativity when it comes to cider making. Just a quick glance at the cider menu, it actually becomes difficulty to decide which ciders to choose to taste. For example, at the time of our visit we saw ciders made with apples and coffee, pineapple, cherries and chocolate. At the time of our visit, 12 ciders and tepaches were served on two boards.
One cider we tasted was named The Passion. This cider was produced with a blend of apples, passion fruit, coconut and vanilla. The cider was a gold color with apple and passion fruit notes. It was very tropical. Rev. Nat’s Cascadia Granny Smith cider with 5.8% alcohol was produced with apples. The result was a translucent gold cider. This cider offered notes of apple with some smoky traits. Rev. Nat’s Revival Dry 2015 was produced with heirloom apples and French and English bittersweets. The cider was bitter-sweet with a translucent gold color. The cider was appley with spices.
Rev. Nat’s Cascadia Dry had a higher alcohol with 6.1%. This was produced with PNW culinary apples.The cider was a translucent gold color. This cider was appley. Hard Apple had 6% alcohol. This cider was made with different apples using a Belgian beer yeast. This cider was very appley with some notes of hops. Lorrie’s Gold was produced with English and French bittersweet and apples. The cider was an opaque orange/gold color with notes of apple, barnyard and spice.
Reverend Nat’s Tepache
Tepache is a low alcohol beverage made from pineapple peel and rind. It is a popular drink in Mexico. Pineapples are purchased from a relative who owns a pineapple plantation in Costa Rica.
Rev. Nat’s Tepache y Model with 4.8% alcohol was produced with pineapple wine and Mexican lager. The tepache offered notes of pineapple, earthy and chalk. Rev. Nat’s Spicy Hot Tepache with 3.2% alcohol was created with pineapple wine and ghost chilies. This cloudy yellow/brown colored tepache offered notes of pineapple with a chili pepper kick. The aftertaste had a spicy heat on it. Rev. Nat’s CoMochaPache with 3.2% alcohol was a blend of pineapple, wine with Chameleon cold brew coffee and liquid chocolate. The tepache was a cloudy brown color. There was an aroma of chocolate. The taste offered pineapple and chocolate notes. Coffee was on the aftertaste.
Rev. Nat’s The Pomander with 3.2% alcohol was a mix of pineapple wine, oranges and cloves. This yellow colored tepache with intense notes of tropical fruits and cloves, makes it the perfect selection for breakfast. Rev. Nat’s Smokedy Ghostedy with 3.2% alcohol was a blend of pineapple, ghost chili peppers and smoked apples. The tepache was a dark yellow color with a brown hue. This cider would pair well with a barbecue. The tepache offered notes of pineapple followed by hot peppers and than an intense smoky flavor. The finish had a bit of spicy heat. Rev. Nat’s TepaCherry with 5% alcohol was a blend of pineapple wine and Sacrilege Cherry wine. The tepache was a red color with an orange hue. The taste included notes of pineapple and cherry.
Cider lovers can experience a wide selection of ciders and tepaches when visiting Reverend Nat’s Hard Cider facility in Portland, Oregon. Visit the cidery and tasting room for a low-keyed friendly experience.
Reverend Nat’s Hard Cider
1813 NE 2nd Ave.
Portland, Oregon 97212-3933
Article written August 2016
Support the following Oregon Wineries.
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| Civic Winery | King Estate | Sweet Cheeks Winery & Vineyard | |
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| Reustle Prayer Rock Vineyard | Youngberg Hill |
