Sarasola Astigarragako Sagardoa Basque Cider

Sarasola Astigarragako Sagardoa Basque Cider (yes it's a mouthful) was a new addition to our local liquor store, so we decided to give it a try. This cider is traditionally from the Basque region of Spain, which borders France. This cider is not filtered or pasteurized, which promised a unique taste. We were also curious to see how it would compare to the other European ciders that we have tried, including the Dupont cider. We could not find a website for this company.

Color:
Hawke commented that it was a very brilliant bronze tint with a bit of gold. He rates this with a 5/5 apples.
Bailey also really liked this color, it was a very rich gold that looked delicious. She also gives it a 5/5 apples.

Smell:
Bailey could smell some faint sweet apple aroma, but mostly there was a wine or alcohol smell that was overpowering. She rates it with a 3/5 apples. Hawke also felt the wine smell was a bit much, but also detected a sour apple smell. He gives it a 2/5 apples.

Flavor / Complexity:
When Bailey took a sip from her glass, she was very surprised at the texture of this cider. It was somewhat thick with a creamy feeling. Not being used to this in a drink, she was a bit unsure how to feel about it. Next, the sour apple taste set in. This cider will definitely make you pucker. She gives it a 2/5 apples. Hawke was taken aback by the bitter taste this cider gave him, but didn't mind the alcohol taste as much. He rates it with a 3/5 apples.

Aftertaste:
After a few drinks, Bailey just couldn't taste anything but the bitter apples. She was somewhat disappointed  with this cider and ranked it with a 1/5 apples. Hawke agreed that the aftertaste was just a very strong sourness and a bit vinegary. He also gives it a 1/5 apples.

Price:
$10-12. We got about 4 glasses out of it. Bailey thinks that the price of this cider does not match the quality by far. She gives it a 2/5 apples. Hawke was thinking the same thing, giving it a 2/5 apples.

Overall:
In our opinions, this cider was a very low performer compared to some of the others we have rated. However, we realize that there are some liquors out there for people who like sour tastes (pucker comes to mind.) So if you wish you could blend up some sour patch kids and eat them, this might be the cider for you. When it comes to apples, Bailey strongly feels like this cider did not do a good job of representing flavor. Who knows though, maybe this is the flavor they really enjoy in Spain.



Hawke gives this cider 13/25 apples, or a red apple.

Bailey also gives this a 13/25 apples, or a red apple.