Other Fruit Wines: Ciders!

Unfortunately the wine tasting at the vintage cellar did not happen this week due to inclement weather. Instead of wines then this week we will be testing different Hard Ciders from the sweet, normal to flavored and awful.

As a note I will review each wine separately giving both my impression of the Cider and the description from the Cider maker themselves. Following that I will rate each Cider on a scale [-2, 2]. Where:

-2: Bad Cider, undrinkable

-1: Disliked, but drinkable

 0: Okay Cider, neither disliked or liked

 1: Good Cider, might buy

 2: Great Cider, definitely will buy

Wine #28

Name: Schilling Ginger Cider
Variety: "Cider Apples"
Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 2014
Price: $2

Winery review: Ginger Burst, Spicy surge, complex balance, invigorating sips, crisp finish, schilling ginger.








My Review:
With a strong smell of Ginger this cider has little bite or flavors from the actual cider themselves. This cider is strong smelling with under currents of granny smith apple. This cider overall is ruined by the ginger that it promotes, overpowering and disgusting in a bad butter kind of taste.

While the idea of ginger in cider sounds great and I know can be done well, this drink was just done wrong and should be avoided.


Rating: -1


Wine #29

Name: Strongbow Honey & Apple
Variety: "Cider Apples"
Country: England
Year: 2014,15
Price: $2

Winery review: A seamless blend of fresh apple taste and silky honey.








My Review: 
Sweet fruity apple, smooth and slightly carbonated. This cider is almost exactly like apple juice, easy to drink with slight flavors of blueberry and raspberry finish. Fizzy and fun!


Rating: .5

Wine #30

Name: Anthem Hops
Variety: Red Delicious, Honeycrisp, Granny Smith
Region: Western
Country: USA
Year: 2014
Price: $2

Winery review: Anthem's tribute to the Northwest's love of hops, a gluten free cider dry hopped with Oregon grown Cascade hops for over three weeks. The result is a light largish cider with all the beautiful citrus and floral aromas of Cascade hops with only slight bitterness on the finish. Shy of dry. Mild tart.  








My Review: 
Citrusy, with a pine forest in the mouth this cider had a slightly dry demeanor that struck hard with a hoppyness that was very pleasant. Almost like a camp in your mouth enjoying the outdoors and campfires. A slight bitterness on the tongue, little bit of lemon with that malic acid citrus zing.


Rating: 1

Wine #31

Name: McKenzies Black Cherry Cider
Variety: "Cider Apples"
Country: USA
Year: 2014
Price: $2

Winery review: The Juice Reserved for the darkest of hearts, McKenzie's Black Cherry is an inspiration to hard cider – rich amber, full body with a refreshingly sweet cherry finish.











My Review: 
IN YOUR FACE black cherry. Smells like old a trader joe's shampoo that I had a long time ago which makes the cider taste like soap to me. For everyone else it is like a Twizzlers and black cherry candy had a baby. Tastes like an apple at the front but then is overpowered by disgustingly sweet flavors in the mid to after pallet.

Rating: -.5

Wine #32

Name: Magners Pear Cider
Variety: Pear
Country: USA
Year: 2013
Price: $2

Winery review: 
Not Available.









My Review: 
With a closed nose this pear cider does not give anything away. It does have a slight pear flavor on the nose. The taste is sweet at the front with a very fruit forward that is more tart at the end than you would think for such a sweet pear wine. Strong on the pear and lightly refreshing.

Rating: .5