COMPARATIVE LIT ESSAY:
With such beautiful soils and a cool climate in western Montana, it should be no surprise that Montana is starting to produce excellent ciders. (While Last Chance is in Billings, their cherries are sourced from the western part of the state) Today I am trying to cherry offerings from two of the most successful cideries in the state, and neither disappoints! To break the two down: Flathead has a deeper color—a deeper, heavier, everything really—and to my nose a more inviting and stronger flavor of sour cherries. The Flathead is not only heavier, but it is fuller bodied, stronger, more rustic and its cherry taste is more robust and sour than Sour Cherry. However, Western Cider’s Sour Cherry is a real cider drinker’s delight. It is stiller and smoother with a more sustained flavor throughout all phases. Sour Cherry is more tannic and drier, all while maintaining its flavor.
In choosing a winner my choice is for Sour Cherry because it is so clean, smooth and refreshing yet dry and complex. It really is excellent. Last Chance is very good and if you are looking for something more rustic, more hardy, more stereotypically Montana, then this might be your drink. However, if you want the new, more modern, Montana that retains some of its hardy mountain man roots, but is a bit more polished yet ruggedly sophisticated, go for the Western Cider. It is perfectly balanced with a little bit of tartness and natural grit, as well as a bit of charm and sophistication—smooth, fruity and intriguing. You’ll want another.