The two most recent additions to Zupan’s Markets’ Farm To Market collaboration series saw the Portland grocery chain teaming up with Wayfinder Beer and Bauman’s Cider. Both releases are perfect for fall drinking, and the PR agency sent me samples of them recently. My notes on each are below.

Wayfinder Beer – Premium Festbier

I always look forward to a Wayfinder lager, and for this collab the brewery went with a modern German Festbier style. From the press release:

Zupan’s Markets has partnered with Portland’s Wayfinder Beer to develop the 20th beer in their Farm-to-Market lineup: Festbier, a crisp-bodied, golden malted lager. This take on a classic Oktoberfest beer is lightly golden, strong and incredibly sessionable. As a Wiesn beer, this Festbier is more like a strong Export Helles than a traditional Marzenbier.

This Festbier is 5.7% ABV with 28 IBUs.

Appearance: Clear, bright, and golden, with a good white head.

Smell: Lusciously malty, with cracker and biscuit notes and a really clean fermentation profile. No appreciable hop aroma.

Taste: Crisp malt that’s got a bit of sweetness and a grainy snap that’s got some cracked wheat and wheat chaff with a hint of Rice Chex cereal. Good balancing bitterness level without being overtly hoppy. This is tasty and uncomplicated and quite nice.

Mouthfeel: Crisp, dry, medium-light body, with a malty finish.

Overall: It’s excellent and uber drinkable.

Bauman’s Cider – Barrel-Aged Estate Cider

I always appreciate when cider gets the spotlight, and with Zupan’s partnering with Bauman’s on the latest collaboration in this series, it’s definitely a highlight. This estate cider is a blend of apple varietals that is aged in barrels for a year, and is 6.9% ABV. A bit more detail from the press release:

Zupan’s Markets has partnered with local cidery Bauman’s Cider Company to develop the 21st beverage in their Farm-to-Market lineup: a Barrel-Aged Estate Heirloom Cider. Tropical, citrusy and smooth, this cider begins with barrel-aging a blend of Golden Russet, Yarlington Mill, and Porter’s Perfection heirloom apples for a year. Freshly harvested Gravenstein apples are then added for the perfect, bright finish. A delicious fall beverage, this cider pairs well with a charcuterie board with cheddar or blue cheeses, hearty grain salads, roasted root vegetables and even pumpkin soup.

Appearance: Bright, brilliant clarity, deep gold with some orange. Moderately active carbonation.

Smell: Rich apple character with a bit of sweet-almost-caramel structure (from the barrel?). As it breathes there’s a bit of acidity, with tannins apparent.

Taste: Semi-dry with tannic body bolstering a light acidity. Really nice essence of apple captured here, it’s a mix of tart with some sweet juice and apple peel and lightly tannic wood/oak flavors.

Mouthfeel: Semi-dry, semi-petillant, the apple character lingers.

Overall: Interesting and nice structure, perhaps more like a wine than a cider?