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%