Cidering, Part Six

Angry Orchard Hop'n Mad Apple
5 out of 5

The smell is really nice - light, refreshing, sweet and crisp - with both apple and grape notes. The taste is more grape than apple - a crisp white grape. It's got some strong dessert wine notes to it along with a tartness at the end. You can totally taste the hops in the middle - some nice citrus sweet notes as well as something that, when strong in hops reminds me of dill pickle. It's not dill pickle here though, just "flavorful, smooth hop". This one isn't super sweet - it's more of a dry sweet than a syrupy sweet, but it's nicely balanced on the refreshing side of things. And I think, while not very beer like, would be a great by-the-pool refreshment.

Square Mile Cider Co Spur & Vine Hopped Apple Cider
2 out of 5

Okay, the smell is definitely hoppy. A pungent, almost-pickle-like level of hops. I'm not a huge hoppy beer girl, so I was concerned, but the taste is a lot milder than the smell. There is a short note of fruity apple on the end, but the majority of the taste is very beer-like though without the typical strong bitterness. Dan said it is very much lager-like and I completely agree.

For those looking for a replacement for a kind of regular beer (Coors, etc), I think this would be a good GF replacement. I've never cared much for American lagers though so this one isn't for me.

Woodchuck Hopsation
3 out of 5

The smell is tart and grape-y with a note of not-quite-pickle hops. The hops make it slightly bitter, but it pairs nicely with the tartness of the apples. There are some dry champagne notes to it and a nice aftertaste with some good hop/citrus notes that aren't bitter.

Overall this just falls flat for me. It's not offensive, just sadly boring. It gives hints of greatness but just doesn't deliver. Dan, however, says it tastes a bit of sour, a bit of funk and nothing really worth anything. He hated it.

Virtue Percheron
4 out of 5

The taste is different than I expected - it's wet and sweet with a little pucker at end but it blends with the front sweetness so it is very well balanced.It makes me think of white wine and grape juice. I can taste the funk from the yeast on my tongue after a sip and it reminds me of El Gobernador but this funk does not taste of bandaids; this has nice levels of funk.

This one is probably not my favorite cider, but it is really well done. Dan and I both think it might be a bit sophisticated tasting for our general style but we do quite like it.

Cidering, Part Five

Anthem Cider
3 out of 5

This one is very wine-like which is a bit unusual because, instead of the not uncommon white wine notes in many ciders, this one both smells and tastes of red wine. It's sweet and wet (versus a dry red wine), but yeah, it makes me strongly think 'merlot' when I sip.

There is some slight tartness on the front end, but it's nicely balanced and pretty smooth. It's quite nice. There is a tiny bit of an apple note on the back end but still. Wine.

I think this one would be really good if I were looking for a wine replacement. But since I'm looking for a beer replacement...

Woodchuck Barrel Select
3 out of 5

The smell of this cider is a mix of sugary candy and spices. The taste is very bourbon (as proven by a sniff test of Dan's bourbons). The front end is tart apple and the back is kind of fruity-cigar-smoke (in a good way).

Honestly, it's pretty nicely balanced and really interesting, but the bourbon of this makes it very rich and heavy. And that heaviness makes me feel like I should sip this slowly in a wood paneled room.

I respect this for what it is - I think the balance is good and it is a nice bourbon-aged cider. But apparently I don't want a bourbon aged cider.

Finn River Black Currant Cider
4 out of 5

Yay for purple cider! I was going to be disappointed it this one wasn't purple.

It has a sweet red-wine-like smell (which is apparently popping up everywhere now), but with an added note of dark berry sweetness on the end. The taste is purple-grape-juice-meets-natural-flavored-SweeTart-candy. It has a grape juice/dessert red wine flavor on the front and a tart, pucker-your-lips taste on the back. As someone whose favorite candies were Spree and SweeTarts, I quite like that pucker.

This one is definitely not a beer replacement, but I really like it.

Smith & Forge Hard Cider
3.5 out of 5

It smells like apple juice with a hint of the menthol-feel/coolness of alcohol evaporation. And it kinda tastes like apple juice, too. I like apple juice.

It's sweet and wet with not much carbonation. There's a heavier, darker flavor from the fermentation - sort of tingly and herb-y. It's not bad but it's a bit overbalanced to the heavy/sweet/cloying side so I think this would be one to cook with, not one to sip by the pool.

That being said, I'd really like to cook some sausage in this one.

Cidering, Part Four

Angry Orchard Crisp Apple
3.5 out of 5

The smell is interesting - there's a little bit of something that's not quite funk but close. A mustiness that reminds me of cheese without the actual cheese. There's a grape note to it, too - muscadine, specifically. If you've ever had Muscat gummies from Japan, that's what this smells like.

Taste isn't overly sweet. Overall, it's nicely tart without being pucker inducing. There's a bit of cloying sweetness at the end that builds to be unpleasant after drinking the whole thing coupled with a tartness that also builds.

It's not bad, but I prefer their Apple Ginger one hordes better.

Strongbow Gold Apple
1 out of 5

Dan took this one for the team. I didn't realize until after I cracked open the can that it has glucose fructose syrup, which is usually another word for corn syrup. So none for corn-allergic me. His thoughts on this one follow.

It's really rather plain Jane. Tartness like a Granny Smith apple, a little sharp on the end. The tartness of the apple is good but there is a different layer of sweetness on the top that doesn't seem to jive as much with it as sweetness does in other ciders. Honestly, not bad but overly sweet on the end. Very smooth though, if cloying.

ACE Apple Hard Cider
1 out of 5

This cider smell is weird: it's like crackers and feet. Or blue cheese. Just weird.

The taste is... not great. It's super tart with the taste of green apple skins and dirty socks. I'm okay with green apple skins but not the dirty socks. The aftertaste is sticky and unpleasant.

I didn't finish this one. I have another one of this brand left to try and I'm a bit scared.

Woodchuck Limited Edition Winter
3.5 out of 5

I had this one at my parents' house. The smell is mild: fruity, a bit wine-like.

The taste is mild and smooth with a bit of a wet white wine note. It's sweet but not overly so and has a hint dark spice - not quite cinnamon but similarly heavy and tingly. There's a little bit of gentle funk, too.

This one isn't quite as multi-faceted as some others, but it has a good, full flavor to it that is very enjoyable. (I drank two.) This one is very close to a 4 out of 5 for me.

Four more ciders down! This now catches me all up on the holiday cider revelry. (I told you, I had a good Christmas.) Hopefully as I start to feel better post-glutening, I will be able to sample a few more ciders. I need to make sure have some good options for pool-side drinking!

Cidering, Part Three

More cidering has occurred! A whole lot actually, as I still have another post to get ready after this one. What can I say? I had a happy and celebratory Christmas.

Sidra Natural El Gobernador
2 out of 5

This one was recommended by the beer guy at the grocery store since I like a bit of yeasty funk in my ciders. And oh yeah, this one has some funk. The smell is sour, tart and there's something there that makes me think of nail polish.

Taste-wise, it's like drinking stinky cheese. With olives. And bandaids. I tasted no apples. At all. It's wet (not champagne-like dry) and not at smooth. And full of funk.

A bit too much funk for me, honestly, with the whole bandaid/lanolin aftertaste, but it sure is... uh, interesting.

Harpoon Pumpkin Cider
4 out of 5

It smells of apples and pumpkin pie and pretty much matches my expecting of how a pumpkin cider should smell - nice with a warm spiciness.

The taste is much less in-your-face-apple than most ciders. Mild overall, but with a lot of flavors going on: a mild white grape taste on the front end, some plain pumpkin in the middle, and end notes that alternate between pumpkin pie spices and almost-graham-cracker. It's a touch drier than a lot of the sweater ciders but not to the point where it's actually dry.

This one is probably a bit busy for a daily drinker for me, but I really like it.

Crispin Artisanal Reserve The Saint
5 out of 5

The smell on this one is simply fabulous - full on yeast and fresh bread dough with hints of sweet apple. I was seriously almost afraid to taste this lest I be disappointed.

Fortunately, the taste is lovely. Lots of yeast throughout with apple that is sweet, mild and dark. The sweet sharpness (it's not candy sweet but just enough sweet to nicely balance the tart) of the apple gives a great balance to the heavy, funky yeast. Probably one of the all-around most wonderfully balanced ciders I've had.

This is stronger than most of the ciders I've tried and it comes in a big bottle. Whee! Winner all around!

Woodchuck Fall Harvest
3 out of 5

It smell is of stewed apples with lots of spices - specifically cinnamon, ginger and cardamom (Dan reads it as bubble gum which I can see, but I think cardamom).

The taste is very Jolly Rancher apple cinnamon. It's like Halloween in liquid form with a chaser of potpourri. It's crazy sweet and candied, which I can see some folks really getting behind.

For me, though, it's too sweet and spicy for me to get into it. I don't like Red Hots, either. This one isn't for me, but I think that someone with different cider desires could love it.


So this batch of ciders has probably my favorite so far, Crispin's The Saint. I really think it supplants my previous favorite of Woodchuck's Belgian White. However, the Belgian White comes in a normal sized bottle and The Saint comes in a big one. And is strong. Which means I don't think I'll be buying six-packs of The Saint any time soon. Singles though? Oh yeah.

Other ciders that remain front-runners in the "I'd buy it again" category are Crispin's Original, Angry Orchard's Apple Ginger, and Woodchuck's Farmhouse Original '91. Lots more still to try!

Cidering (Part Two of ??)

Woodchuck Private Reserve Pumpkin Cider
3.5 out of 5

It smells like apple candy but with a little extra. The taste is kinda different - apple, yes, but there's the extra in there that is obviously gourd. I was expecting more pumpkin pie with sweetness and spices but this is really more straight raw pumpkin. It does add a nice depth of flavor which I am finding I like in ciders but I'm just not sure if I'm a pumpkin girl. As it warms, I get a sweet vanilla note and I quite like that. I think I might have to try the second bottle closer to room temperature to see how I like that.

Woodchuck Cellar Series Mint
3 out of 5

The smell is champagne and mild feet. I don't think I get mint on there other than a note that transforms apples into champagne. It smells very dry.

The taste is very bright and, yes, there is mint. It's sweet but not over powering and gives a nice tingle on my tongue. This does hit the sparkling white grape juice note more than apple cider but I do like it, especially the sweet yet slightly earthy mint at the end.

It's not my favorite cider but I approve of its uniqueness. I prob like the cheese flavored cider more but this is similar in style/sweetness/lightness to the Crispin so yeah, I like it well enough.

Magner's Irish Cider Original
2 out of 5

This one smells of apple, good funk, crackers and some fermented fruit that isn't apple. Almost a prickly pear.

Taste is interesting. It makes me think of rotten rubber band fruit. There's something in the aftertaste - it's so fruity and sour - that all I can think of is rotten fruit. Which is a shame because the first part of the taste seems like it would be a good beer substitute as it isn't overwhelmingly fruity or wine cooler, but rather something with a little funk and personality.

Great potential, but disappointingly not for me.

Angry Orchard Hard Cider Apple Ginger
4.5 out of 5

The smell is very sweet and apple-y, like candy. It's very nice. Candy sweet can have its place.

The taste is interesting. It very apple-y on the front end and very ginger-ale on the back end. The ginger gives it a nice balance to the sweetness of the apple so it's not just candy sweet. It also gives the flavor just enough earthy funk to make it super tasty.

This one is one of my mom's favorites and I can totally see why. Nice flavor, great balance. This is up there with the Woodchuck Belgium for me. Definitely going to have to buy more of this.

Cidering (Part One of ??)

It's a bit ironic that I've had to go gluten free after I was just starting to get into beer. Even more so considering that my favorite types of beers ended up being wheat beers. Yes, irony abounds.

Since I had gotten to enjoy having a beer every so often and now I can't have any of my favorites, Dan and I have decided to find new gluten-free favorites. While that means I'll be trying some gluten free beers, I'm doubtful I'll have too much luck (as I didn't have much luck with beers in general - it takes a special beer for me to love it). So I wanted to try some ciders, too.

And thus begins our quest!

Woodchuck Private Reserve Belgian White
5 out of 5

We really started this quest of with a bang; this was the first cider we tried and it is fabulous.

It's apple-sweet with a tingle of tartness and a citrusy herbal note on the back end (from the added coriander and orange peel) that isn't strong but gives a great depth of flavor. This earthiness keeps it from being overly sweet, too. There's a hint of a wet white wine sweetness, like a muscadine or dessert wine, that can build to a bit of a tart apple aftertaste at times, but that's not unpleasant.

I like this one so much, the next time we saw it in the store, we bought a six pack.

Crispin Natural Hard Cider Original
4 out of 5

The taste isn't near as sweet as I thought it would be based on the smell, which is very green apple sour candy. The taste is more like that dark apple flavor in warmed apple juice. There's a touch of dryness and a hint of tart but nothing that builds to stickiness. It has a fairly clean aftertaste with an aftertaste of green apple peel.

This one is not as fabulous as the first cider we tried, but still very good and I'd have no problem drinking it. It does strike me more as a wine or wine cooler replacement than beer replacement because of the strong apple smell and lack of mustier notes.

Tieton Cider Works Barrel Aged Cidermaker's Reserve
2 out of 5

Well, there goes my theory that I am just a whole lot less picky with ciders than I am with beers.

This one smells like white wine with occasional notes of feet. The taste is very much white wine, though overall it is rather mild. And rather sour. There's no real apple taste except at the very end and then it is more of a dried or old apple note that alternates with a tart white grape taste. And the aftertaste tastes a bit like mayonnaise and it leaves a thick body-odor note on my tongue.

I can't say that I like this one too much. Feet, mayonnaise and body odor? No thank you.

Woodchuck Farmhouse Select Hard Cider Original 91
4.5 out of 5

This one is very wet-wine with a strong apple candy note. There's something really different at the end of the aftertaste. Brussels sprouts? Cabbage? Fish? It's even in the smell - kind of lemony/sour but not. I couldn't figure it out but Dan got it: stinky cheese! (He votes blue cheese but I think it's more Brie.)

Yeah, it's pretty funky, but honestly, I kind of love it. There's even a bit of something in there occasionally that makes me think of Ritz crackers. Wild!

Of course, while I think it's really tasty (proven by the fact that I ended up drinking most of the bottle that Dan and I were sharing), the uniqueness of it (cheese!) does mean that this one isn't a daily drinker. Definitely a special occasion thing.

So there we go! Four ciders down, lots more to go! So far, I'm starting to detect a pattern: I like Woodchuck ciders. The two I've tried both have a heavier note that reminds me of my beloved wheat beers. We've got a few more offerings from them (including a pumpkin cider) so we'll see if that trend holds true.

I have no idea how many parts of my cidering quest there will be but I imagine quite a few as we are have a lot of different ciders. I'm really enjoying the process so far (but have learned that the big bottles are limited to the weekend!)

Yay for ciders!