What CIDER are you drinking?

Figured this should be separate from the Beer thread.


To start things off:

Nose is not very expressive or complex, but does show some funky leather – horsebarn a bit. Medium-dry. Leathery palate. 8.2% alc. well-hidden. Simple, but delicious.

2010 Henney’s - Still Cider
Leather and horse tack. Rich apple flavor, but very dry. 6.5% alc… Very good. Cider should be more popular amongst those who enjoy old-world red wine.

Brian, I have not really branched out into ciders. My girlfriend drinks lots of them because they are gluten free and she has an allergy. But, generally when I have tried hers (primarily various versions of Woodchucks and I believe Crispin) they have been too sweet for me. Any suggestions for Ciders that are not so sweet other than potentially the Henney’s?

Strongbow is on tap in a lot of bars and is significantly drier than woodchuck’s.

Henneys
Henry Westons
Sheppy’s
Wynchwood

Basically, look for any English cider labelled “medium-dry” or “dry” and you will start finding ciders that are more to your liking.

BTW, imo, Strongbow is rather sweet.

Sea Cider Farms, from Victoria, BC, and Red Barn, from Mount Vernon, WA. Both make very dry ciders, and both are delicious.

I don’t find it so, but I like it best in a snakebite – 1/2 Guinness 1/2 cider.

two major problems with strongbow, 1) they were leeds’ shirt sponsor for a while. That’s an instant DQ in my book. 2) it kinda sucks (just like leeds )


Jimmy, you should be able to find some norman (as in normandy) ciders around chicago. I wouldn’t be surprised if west lakeview has some and I know binny’s carries some norman ciders

Light yellow color. Not much head. Medium-dry (although advertised as Dry). Rather simple Nose and Palate. Comes across like a very cheap Chardonnay. Pales in comparison to many of the English artisan ciders I’ve tried recently; only a step or two better than Strongbow, Magners, and Bulmer’s. 3.0/10.

On the US front, had my first taste from a new producer - “The Cidery” out of Wurtsboro, NY. They’re using pippin apples, presumbly with a closer resemblence to their eating-apple parents than any cider apples, and it shows in the cider, which is very appley but softer and less tannic than a straight cider apple. But they clearly know what they’re doing, since the cider sort of falls halfway between a less tanninc scrumpy and a really clean, dry cider like Farnum Hill or Bellweather. Lots of apple character. No added sugar and minimal RS. Very good indeed.

Drinking the following two by Cyril Zangs (planning to make crêpes tonight actually!)

It’s natural cider.

I don’t know how I missed this comment previously … love it!

If you have a chance, try Mckenzie’s Cider. It is excellent. And their Winter Reserve is fantastic. You’ll never want to try a Strongbow or a Woodchuck again. Ever.

Addlestone’s – Cloudy Cider
– tasted non-blind from a wine glass –
– crown-capped 500mL bottle –

NOSE: light leather jacket note; slightly tart; apples.

BODY: hazy yellow-orange color is reminiscent of a Berliner Weiss; no carbonation or head; medium-light bodied

TASTE: dry/tannic; palate mirrors the nose: light leatheriness, slightly tart; finish is long and of medium-light intensity; kind of has a garrigue note on the finish, too; 5% alc. not noticeable.

Had a brilliant cider with dinner last night. 2011 Etienne DuPont Cidre Bouché Brut. Super funky nose, dry and refreshing.

These looked interesting today, what do I have here?
Besides what I have just read in the post before mine…

New vintage is out. Same qualitative impression as for the 2010: simple, but quite good.

Had some of this recently.

Sucks.

(way too sweet)

Yeah, Magners does suck. Bulmer’s and Strongbow suck in the exact same way. Those three are the Budweiser, MGD, and Coors Light of ciders.

In case you were wondering, Woodchuck is the Steel Reserve of ciders.

Bordelet Poire Granit.