Judging of the Ciders

Hawke here. Judging a food or drink is not an easy task. Bailey and I went back and forth for a long time on the various aspects of cider that need to be judged and graded. Bailey with her research, myself with my gut instinct. In the end, we've narrowed it down to a few key categories that each cider shall be judged by.

Color:
-Cider's vary in color from clear, to murky. Ideally, a cider is of good quality is transparent, yet this is not always the case.

Smell:
-Just like flavor, the smell of the cider can be rich or exotic.

Complexity/Flavor:

-The taste of the cider is a integral part of the cider experience. Flavors can vary based on the conditions present and the ingredients used. An example being: Cider made from Granny Smith Apples can have a strong bitter flavor compared to those made from Macintosh apples.

Aftertaste:
-After the cider slides down the throat, it leaves behind a particular taste to please the taste-buds, this can be a strong taste, to a subtle one.

Price:
-Very Important. A hard cider has to be well worth the price that it commands on the shelf.

Overall:
-The total of our thoughts and opinions on the cider. All the previous categories are worth 5 apples for a total of 20. The overall score are these "apples" combined. The 0-10 range will be represented with a red apple. A rating between 10-20 with result with a yellow apple. Finally, anything that makes the 20-25 range will get a shiny green apple!