Northwood Cider Company
When a new brewery opens up I am always interest in checking them out. Even though this one is cider and not beer, it still peaked my curiosity. Opening in a non-descript building on a side street in Norwood (the city describes themselves as an “enclave nestled in the heart of the greater Cincinnati metropolitan area”), this is not far from where we live and therefore even more appealing. The interior is almost as non-descript as the exterior with muted colors and an open kind of warehouse appearance. While we were visiting, there were several tables with small children giving the place a decidedly family vibe. Having had two small children once upon a time, I can appreciate having places to take them and still feel like an adult as well. On the flip side though, I do not like having small children running around a brewery. Certainly my opinion, but I do not feel it is the place to take small children and (for me) it takes away some of the fun for me. With that said, the atmosphere was fine but not the inviting, relaxing or fun kind of vibe I would look for in a brewery visit. Too many kids kills the party so to speak.
Northwood does not serve food but they do have a selection of chips, popcorn and pretzels to stave off your hunger whilst sampling their product. You are also welcome to order in from any of the local eateries nearby. As for their ciders…Ms. B and I opted to share a single flight. We also got a couple of beers from the three beers available (from local breweries). The ciders we chose for our flight were the Highlands (ABV 6.2%), described as dry and citrus hopped; the Sandbar (ABV 6.2%), described as semi-sweet with grapefruit, lime and orange; the Coastal (ABV 4.9%), described as semi-dry with blood-orange and pineapple; and lastly, the Sesh (ABV 4%), described as a dry guava session. I found all of them to be very light in body and in taste profiles. I really caught very little of any of the flavors used in the descriptors for each of them. There was not much to distinguish the four apart form each other. Granted, I am not a huge cider person, but as someone who has had volumes of good wine and craft beer, I pride myself on being able to breakdown flavors and aromas. These ciders were not bad, just not something I would come back for. As an aside, it also seemed strange to me that of the three beers available, they did not have a stout to chose from. Not that I am a huge stout drinker, but when I think cider I automatically think Snakebites. I was actually looking forward to mixing a cider with a nice dark brew. Unfortunately I must have been the only one to be thinking of that.
Will you enjoy Northwood Cider Company? There is something for everyone out there and I am positive that there are many who will completely disagree with my review here. As always make up your own mind by giving them a try. Perhaps you will find this to be the place you were missing out on. For me, I will use my credits elsewhere.
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