Vander Mill Apple Blueberry Cider

This week is an epic tale of two bloggers making a bike trip to a music festival and almost losing their booze along the way. We traveled to the Ravinia music festival in Illinois this past weekend and wanted to review our cider while listening to some amazing music. Unfortunately, our wine glasses and most of our alcohol did not survive the perilous biking journey because the cooler was haphazardly fastened to the back of Hawke's bike. However, although the bottle of Vander Mill cider lost its' top, there was enough left inside for us to review.....Huzzah! This cider is made from fruits grown in Michigan, and promises a balanced flavor. It is 6.8% ABV and the website can be found here: http://www.vandermill.com/ciders.htm

Color:
Although you can't see it because shattered wine glasses are not fit for use, this cider has a really nice color. It resembles a deep red wine if you were to mix in some blueberry juice. Hawke and Bailey both rated this cider with a 4/5 apples.


Smell:
We both agreed that the smell of this cider was delightful. The apples were most prevalent in this cider, but the blueberries were definitely detectable. There was a light alcohol smell in the mix, but it was not overpowering like some of the other ciders we have tried. Hawke rated this cider with a 4/5 apples. Bailey was a little put off by the alcohol smell because in the past this usually foreshadows a lack of taste. She rates it with a 3/5 apples.

Taste / Complexity:
This cider does most certainly give a very balanced flavor. It is an even balance between apples, blueberries, and alcohol. Bailey really liked how everything was very balanced and none of the flavors overpowered the others. Hawke also liked this cider, but was expecting a little more blueberry flavor than was present. Bailey gives this cider a 4/5 apples. Hawke rates the flavor as a 3/5 apples.

Aftertaste:
Bailey detected mostly blueberry in the aftertaste with a small alcohol burn. The aftertaste did not linger very long however. Hawke didn't think the aftertaste was much different from the original taste, but did comment that it wasn't overpowering. Bailey rates the aftertaste with a 4/5 apples. Hawke also gives this a 4/5 apples.

Price:
$11-13
This bottle is 750 ml, so it the size of a normal wine bottle. Depending on serving size, one should get around 4-5 glasses out of a bottle. Bailey thinks that this cider would be good for a date night or special occasion. She rates it with a 5/5 apples for value. Hawke rates it with a 4/5 apples because he normally wouldn't spend this much for a everyday drinking cider.

Overall:
We both enjoyed this cider, however Bailey feels like it would be more appropriate for a nice dinner or special occasion. The price is a decent value for the amount you get, and also has to reflect the use of blueberry juice, which is not cheap. Hawke would have liked the blueberries to take center stage in this cider, but thought it was still a solid drink.

Bailey rates this cider overall with a 20/25 apples, or a Green Apple!

Hawke rates this cider overall with a 19/25 apples or a Yellow Apple!

Doc's Draft Original Hard Apple cider

This week we decided to try Doc's Draft Original Hard Apple cider. This cider promises a semi-dry taste with a crisp fruit taste. The website can be found here: http://wvwinery.com/cider/

Color:
Hawke was a fan of the clear brass color to this cider. He also noted that upon pouring it was carbinated. He gives it a 4/5 apples. Bailey defined this as a butterscotch color and noticed it was very clear and thus filtered. She rates it with a 5/5

Smell:
Bailey detected a wave of apple smells. Accompanying this wave was another of alcohol. She noted that it felt like it was 50/50 apples and alcohol scent. She gave it a 3/5 apples. Hawke felt a strong odor of apples upon smelling this cider. A slight alcohol tinge was also noted but did not seem to be as large as other ciders reviewed previously.  He rated it with a 4/5 apples.

Taste/Complexity:
Bailey felt that this particular cider had a little sweetness, but the flavor was mostly alcohol based, rather than apple. She had to give it a 1/5 apples. Hawke got a mostly carbonation flavor to this cider. The other flavors were slight apple and the remainder being alcohol. He rated it with a slightly higher 2/5 apples.

Aftertaste:
Hawke felt that the after taste had some apple flavor, but did not linger very long. It was not sour, or bitter. He gives it a 2/5 apples. Bailey detected an apple aftertaste, and a mixture of sweet and sour. She was disappointed with how short the aftertaste lasted. She feels as though the aftertaste has more flavor then the initial flavor. Bailey gives it a 3/5 apples.

Price
$5-8 at the local store. Bailey thought it was good for the price, but any more would be a tad discouraging. Hawke thinks the cider is okay for the price, though there are some better options. About 4 glasses were got out of the bottle, making it a decent value. Bailey: 4/5 apples. Hawke: 3/5 apples.

Overall:
This cider is good if you just want a cheap option to drink. It is not a terrible cider, but it does not preform well in comparison with some of the previous ciders, nor is it high quality. Likewise, Hawke feels that the carbonation of the cider may distort the flavor too much. Bailey: 16/25 apples, or a yellow apple.

 Hawke gives it an overall score of 15/25 apples, or a yellow apple.