COMPARATIVE LIT ESSAY:
It is the end of June and blackberry season is fully upon us, let’s just hope you’ve already picked your berries for the season if you live in the Pacific Northwest because who knows what the record-breaking heatwave did to the berries. Tonight, I’ve got blackberry ciders from two of my favorite regional powerhouses repping each coast, Downeast’s Blackberry and 2 Towns’ Made Marion. In fact, Made Marion was one of the first blackberry ciders I’ve ever had and I thought it would be good to put it up against the new release from Downeast.
It should be said at the outset that both of the cans rock the lavender shade and look sharp. The Blackberry has a sunrise salmon color were the Made Marion is much darker, almost matching a the hue of a good chianti. The nose of Blackberry is soft and gentle with some raspberry notes as well. The 2 Towns is dark, soulful and nothing but blackberries. When it comes to taste, Blackberry is cleaner or more balanced. It is so soft and smooth you drink a sixer of these without blinking an eye. Made Marion is heavier and more forceful. It also packs more of an acidic punch and gives you blackberry flavor from start to finish.
Blackberries have always been one of the best accompaniments to cider with their tart, acidic and rich character and both of these are outstanding examples—though noticeably different. I think I’ll chose the Downeast because it is so soft and refreshing. For a hot summer day this better foots the bill. However, many of you might prefer the bolder tarter blackberry-forward flavor of 2 Towns. Made Marion has beautiful, and compelling, tart notes that just make you pucker more, and which demand more attention. And somewhat ironically, I think it is better suited for crisp fall nights when drinking at a slower pace allows you to savor the rich flavor. Don’t get me wrong this is not an overdone complex drink, it is bursting with fruit flavor and is tart and tasty for sure, but compared to the lighter, chiller Downeast, it is more potent. If I wanted a punch of tart blackberry, I’d grab Made Merion, but when it comes to an easy to drink summer refresher, Downeast would be my choice.