Crispin Artisanal Reserve Honey Crisp Cider

Hello everybody, I know it's been a while but my school semester is wrapping up and now I can resume what I really love to do...drink cider! This review is for Crispin brand Artisanal Honey Crisp Cider. My head hasn't been in the game for a while, but I can not recall ever seeing this brand before. According to their website, Crispin makes several different kinds of ciders. There are four different types of cider in their "Blue Line" hard apple ciders. These include an extra-dry 'european' style cider, a "crisp" cider, a "extra-bright" lite cider, and a draught cider which is presumably the same cider as their "crisp" variety. HOWEVER, Crispin also makes two different kinds of special reserve "artisanal" ciders, one of which is called the Reserve Honey Crisp Cider, and this is the type I purchased today. The other artisanal cider is called "The Saint," and it goes without saying that I am very intrigued.

Nose:

The nose on the honey crisp cider is very nice. It smells sweet but this is not overpowering-it smells more like apple sauce then apples. Im not sure exactly what kinds of apples were used to make this cider, although I recall there actually being a apple varietal call "honey crisp" that I used to buy back in California, and it would make sense if this cider contained some of those. There is very little alcohol on the nose, which is a little surprising considering this cider's alcohol content at 6.5%. Honey is added to this cider, and it is quite apparent, and I would say the cider smells quite floral as well. The nose on this cider is one of the best that I have reviewed.

Appearance:

Another thing I noticed before tasting was the thickness of the cider. Its very thick, and looks as if it has a skin on top (it doesn't), and I have to guess that the honey added to the cider has something to do with this. Also before tasting this cider, I can see that it is quite carbonated. This is because they add carbonated water to it. I'm not sure if that is legit or not, but I know a lot of commercial brands do this. It is very light in color, and were it not for its thickness and cloudiness, it would be indistinguishable from champagne.

Taste:

Ok, now the important part. Firstly, I would like to note that on the bottle, and on the website, Crispin recommends serving this cider over ice. This is definitely not legit in my book. In my limited experience, usually when it is suggested to serve a fermented beverage over ice it is to mask alcohol, and indicates low quality. Anyways, I did not drink this over ice, and I am happy to say that it actually contains its alcohol quite well. I think it would have been greatly unjust to drink this cider over ice. In fact, I think this cider is very balanced. It is not too sweet, a little bit dry, and very easy to drink despite its high alcohol content. The honey makes its presence well-known, but it is somewhat mellow and overall tastes like a barrel of fresh apples. The aftertaste is very good as well, leaving a faint baked-apple taste lingering for some time.

Conclusion:

Crispin Artisanal Reserve Honey Crisp is a very well-rounded cider. One could take issue with Crispin's advice to drink over ice, or the added carbonation, or the "Natural flavors" listed on the ingredient list, but please do not let these foibles disqualify this cider from your shopping cart. I would recommend this cider, and feel that it is one of the most balanced and enjoyable ciders I have tried thus far. I feel this cider legitimately deserves the 8/10 score I award it. It does not stand out extraordinarily in any area, and is not particularly unique, but it tastes good and would be pleasing to many different palettes.

Price Paid: $5.00

ALC Content: 6.5%

Final Score: 8/10

http://www.crispincider.com

Yea my windowsill is dirty I know

Spire Mountain - Dark & Dry Apple Cider

Another week, another awesome cider.  The Aspall cider I reviewed last week is a tough act to follow, but I lucked out by finding Spire Mountain Dark & Dry apple cider.  This is a brand I have never heard of or seen before, probably because it is brewed locally, in Olympia, not too far from Tacoma.  Spire Mountain Ciders make three different types of cider: Pear Cider, Apple Cider, and Dark & Dry Apple Cider.  My local market did not have their regular Apple Cider in stock but they did have the Pear Cider, and of course, the Dark & Dry cider that I have before me now.  The the label of this cider was immediately intriguing.  It says that molasses and brown sugar are used as a sweeteners.  Clearly this is the case, as you can see in the picture the cider is indeed quite dark.  After the first taste, I can tell that the cider is also pretty sweet, and not all that dry, betraying the claims on its label.  Nonetheless, at first taste, I like it.  The brown sugar and molasses ingredients make for a very unique flavor, a flavor unlike other ciders I have tried.  The apple flavor still comes through nicely, and is very tart.  My favorite part about this cider is its aftertaste.  Very awesome, with a touch of molasses.   

I would have to say that this cider is hard to compare against other ciders I have tried.  I do like it though, and I would recommend it, but not to a first-time cider drinker, because its taste is much different than most ciders one would come across.  I paid $3.19 for a 22oz bottle of this cider, and that seems to be a pretty good value to me.  --On par with many other ciders of this size.  I would have scored this cider a bit higher, but I feel that it really could be much better if it was less sweet and more dry.  I give Spire Mountain Dark & Dry Apple Cider an 8 out of 10.  

Price Paid: $3.19

ALC content:  5%

Final Score:  8/10

Aspall -Dry- English Draft Cider

Its been a while since I have reviewed any ciders, and I'm sorry thats the case.  Since my last post I've relocated from the Los Angeles area to Washington state.  Its nice up here, but cold and rainy, and I cannot think of anything I'd rather be doing than drinking cider.  

...

Aspall Dry English Draft Cider.  I have been meaning to try this cider for some time, but the high price tag has scared me off once or twice.  I finally broke down and purchased a bottle, and I am glad that I did.  I'm very impressed.  After the fist sip it is obvious that this is a cider to be taken seriously.  Immediately I notice that this is cider is different that the other ciders I have tasted, as it is very champagne-like and possesses an excellent balance of dryness and sweetness.  The flavor is very clean and not overpowering.  I immediately enjoy this cider, and this cider gets even better as I approach finishing the bottle.  

Aspall is imported from England, and according to the website, has been milled in Suffolk for eight generations.  The cider is a blend of multiple apple types, with "Cox for sweetness, Bramley for acidity and apple aroma, and finally, a combination of bittersweet apples to give a heady perfume, body and depth of finish."  Eight generations of cider making has payed off.  

First, let me say, that if price is no object, I highly, highly, recommend this cider.  How does this compare to ACE brand Honey Apple cider (my benchmark)?  As far a scoring goes, I give Aspall Dry English Daft Cider a 9/10.  Actually, I give it a 9.5/10.  I appreciate the fact that is is not too sweet, nor too dry, unlike that Ace Honey Apple cider which is a little on the sweet side.  But, compared to my benchmark ACE cider, Aspall is kind of unmemorable.  Unlike ACE, its flavor is not particularly distinct.  Furthermore, it is not a particularly good value at $6.50 a bottle.  --That said, at 6.8% Alcohol content it packs a serious punch.  Overall, Aspall is a connoisseurs cider, and I certainly am curious to try other ciders made by this company.  

P.S.  This cider has an awesome, clean, aftertaste.  

price paid: $6.50 for 500ml bottle.  

6.8% ALC

ACE brand Cider Part 1 of 5

The review of Ace ciders will have to be a five part series, because there are five different kinds of Ace cider.  The Ace "Honey Apple" cider is the best cider I have ever had.  Milled locally in Sebastopol, Ace brand ciders uses honey and apples harvested right in Sonoma county.   From the first sip you can tell you are drinking something special.  The distinct flavor of  Granny Smith apples really impressed me, and remains a strong presence in the after taste as well.  There is also an subtle honey flavor that adds some intricacy to the experience.  Ace Honey Apple is a little bit on the sweet side, but not too sweet, and also has a teeny bit of dryness that really completes the cider.  

Ace brand Honey Apple cider is now officially my benchmark for rating cider.  I give it a perfect 10 out of 10.  I cannot think of anything that could be improved.  I feel thats its price ($3.29) is a good value considering it comes in 22oz bottles.  -I think there are six packs also, but im not positive about that.  Would I buy Ace Honey Apple cider again?  There is a 100% chance I will.  I'll even tell my friends to buy it.  Thats how good it is.  Buy this cider.  

Price paid $3.29 (tax not included)

ALC 5%

Fox Barrel Hard Cider

The more you drink it the better it gets.  Fox Barrel is one of those brands that I always seem to see when I'm in the cider isle.  The label is boring, so I have put off buying it until now.  The first time I drank a bottle of Fox Barrel cider a few days ago, I didn't smile once.  I was unimpressed with its flavor, and found the cider to be as boring as the label on the bottle.  I would have left it at that, but I purchased a six pack so now I have to drink all of them.  I'm glad I waited a few days to write the review, however, because this time around it isn't so bad.  I am comparing Fox Barrel cider side-by-side with Hornsby's Amber Draft, and I can still undeniably say that Hornsby's Amber draft is horrible.  Nonetheless, Hornsby's Amber draft has helped me to keep everything in perspective.  

On first taste it is apparent that Fox Barrel cider is on the dry end of the spectrum.  It has a good amount of dryness.  The problem is, aside from the dryness there is not much flavor to speak of at all. A bit boring and bland.  On the other-hand, there are no foul flavors like Hornsby's has.  Thats worth something in my book.  The alcohol taste in Fox Barrel is downplayed, which I think is a good thing, even though the alcohol content of each drink is a substantial 6.0%.  

Would I buy Fox Barrel Hard Cider again?  Probably not, but thats because it's so unremarkable, not because it's really that bad.  Also, I paid over $7 dollars after tax for the six pack, which makes this cider a bad value when compared to the other brands I have reviewed.  My girlfriend says that she tried Fox Barrel's Hard Pear cider over the weekend, and enjoyed it.  We have similar tastes when it comes to these kinds of things, so I'll take her word on it.  Hopefully its more entertaining than the apple variety.  I give Fox Barrel Hard Apple Cider a 6 out of 10.  

PS.  I just dumped the bottle of Hornsby's I opened for this comparison down the sink.  

Price paid $6.99 for a six pack

ALC 6.0%

Ace in the Hole

The review of Ace brand ciders will come shortly.  For now, let me just say that they are my favorite so far.  Ace in the Hole has Ace ciders on tap, which is awesome.  Also, it happens to be in Sebastopol, just a short drive from my house.  I have wanted to make it out to Ace in the Hole since I first tasted Ace cider, so last night I got my friend to drive me over there so I could drink my fill (more on this later).  

The first thing I noticed about Ace in the Hole was the physical size of the building.  I had expected to see something small and dusty like I imagine a cider mill to be.  But I was wrong.  The building was two stories high with plenty of room inside, and  a large area for outdoor drinking as well.  Ok, so it wasn't cozy, but thats not exactly why I wanted to be there.  Cider on tap is why I wanted to be there, so I headed over to the bar right away.  This is where my experience went from awesome to a 6 out of 10.  The barkeep attempted to fill my pitcher, but the tap went dry.  I was shocked, but my shock was turned to disappointment when I saw the barkeep open a few bottles of ace cider and just pour them into the pitcher to top it off.  If I wanted cider from bottles, I could have just gone to the store and bought them.  Well that was shitty, but on the upside I now had a pitcher of Ace cider at my disposal.  Well this didn't go as well as planned either.  The Ace cider I had ordered, the Honey Cider, is delicious, but hardly dry at all, just sweetness.  I love it in small bottled quantities, but drinking it from a pitcher, however, I quickly discovered that its just too much sweetness for one man. Or more than one man.  I couldn't bring myself to order a second pitcher as I had planned to do, so we ended up leaving after the first.  Oh well.  

Would I return to Ace in the Hole again?  Possibly.  But I'm not sure its worth the drive out there just to get one or two cups of cider, which is all I now know I would want to drink in one sitting.  But it had a nice feel to the place anyhow, and during a hot summer day it might be just the thing a guy like me needs.  But for now, because of the way things unfolded last night, I am forced to give Ace in the Hole a 6 out of 10.  

Cider: Hornsby's "Amber Draft" and "Crisp Apple"

I entered Bottle Barn with high expectations.  Around Santa Rosa, Bottle Barn is the place to go to if you're after a wide selection of beers and wines but don't want to go to BevMo.  My high expectations would have been met if I had gone there for beer or wine.  But I didn't, I went there for cider.  I've been catching some flak lately for drinking cider, but I think its really great.  I love apple juice, and I love alcohol, but I don't always feel like drinking beer.  Anyhow, to everybody who says cider is for wimps and the British, I say 'whatever.'  I like cider.  Anyhow, Bottle Barn does not have a great cider selection, and in retrospect, I'm not sure why I thought that they would.  They had four or five different brands.  Before I go any further, let me just say that I am new to the cider game, and have strictly been a beer drinker until about two weeks ago when I decided to experiment in other areas.  -Point being that I have only tried two cider bands to date.  This time, I settled on Hornsby's Hard Cider, because I liked the picture on the bottle, and the name sounded important.  I bought both Hornsby's "Amber Draft," and "Crisp Apple" varieties.  Here are my thoughts on each of these ciders.  

Hornsby's Amber Draft:  

Price Paid $5.99 for a six pack

ALC 6.0%

Like the name (and picture on the bottle) says, Hornsby's Amber Draft is made from red apples, and is supposed to be Hornsby's driest cider.  Well, this cider did not live up to the picture on the bottle.  It wasn't great.  It wasn't horrible either, its just that it kind of tastes mildly like everclear and apple juice.   Or maybe a little like rubbing alcohol.  But these flavors aren't overpowering, and are just a bit unpleasant.  Oh, and the aftertaste is kind of vinegary, but not in a good way.  Its drinkable, but not something I would buy again.  Not too much else to say about Hornsby's "Amber Draft".  I give this cider a 4/10.  

Hornsby's Crisp Apple

Price Paid $5.99 for six.

ALC 5.5%

Fortunately, Hornsby's redeems itself with its Crisp Apple variety.  Hornsby's Crisp Apple is lighter in color than the Amber Draft, but its packed with flavor.  Good flavor.  It really tastes like you're biting into a crisp apple.  A fermented crisp apple.  I could drink this stuff all day.  Well, probably not, because I'd be drunk after six or seven of these.  But I'd gladly be drunk off of six or seven, because the awesome green apple flavor really comes through on this cider.  This cider isn't nearly as dry as Hornsby's Amber Draft, although its a teeny bit dry, and the sweetness is the same.  I suppose that either of the Hornsby's ciders are about as sweet as normal apple juice would be.  Anyhow, I thoroughly enjoy the Hornsby's Crisp Apple variety, and would buy it again.  I give this cider a 7 out of 10.  

In this last picture, you can see the difference in color between the Amber Draft and Crisp Apple varities.