Cider Summit Chicago Part 2

Now here it is, Part 2 of the Cider Summit Review. This time we feature Hawke's favorite ciders. Now, as Bailey had noted the apple crop this year has been poor due to the weather. As such ciders this year have been mostly on the bitter side. However, there are still some standouts that should be mentioned.

Hawke's Top 4:

#1. Mad Bark - Cider Boys of Wisconsin

http://www.ciderboys.com/

It is not surprising that this cider is #1. Cider boys has been making some excellent ciders and this is no exception. The cider combines the apple flavor with that of cinnamon for a unique taste. 

Color: 

Dark yellow, very clear with no particulate. Few few bubbles present. 5/5

Smell:

The cider has a sweet smell, a hint of apples and a dash of cinnamon. Almost smells like cinnamon toast crunch. 5/5

Taste: 

Sweet, cinnamon sugar flavor. It's not overwhelmingly, but is quite smooth. 5/5

Aftertaste:

Very mild yet quick aftertaste. Had a slight cinnamon flavor. 5/5

Overall: 

This is a good occasional cider to have. The flavor is fairly unique. The cider is readily available at some of the better stocked stores and the price is $8-10 a six pack. This cider gets a 20/20

#2 Smackintosh - Tandem Ciders of Michigan

We found this cider to be one of the more unique ciders. While on the surface it seems quite ordinary, it is full of surprises. 

http://www.tandemciders.com/

Color:

This is a pale yellow color, with a few bubbles. 4/5

Smell:

This cider smells surprisingly sweet, and full of apples. Bailey gives this cider the best smell award. 5/5

Taste: 

A very strong mackintosh apple flavor. Very crisp. 5/5

Aftertaste:

This cider has a slightly sweet finish to it, It did not linger.

Overall: 

This cider is very good, It surprised both Hawke and Bailey that the mackintosh flavor was so strong, Especially in the smell. Overall: 19/20

Blood Orange - Two Rivers Cider of California
A different cider that promises a citrus taste.
http://www.tworiverscider.com/

Color:

This cider was very red, almost blood red. It remained very clear, with few bubbles. 5/5

Smell:
This cider has a sweet smell too it, but it was not overwhelming. It also featured some citrus smells. 4/5

Taste: 
A subtle flavor of citrus, with a slightly bitter taste 4/5

Aftertaste:
A decent aftertaste that had an orange flavor. It was surprisingly full flavored, but with a decent linger time. 5/5

Overall: 
This cider is another unique cider that has its namesake present in the taste, but it does not overwhelm the senses. Overall: 18/20

Sweet Knockers from Apple Knockers of Illinois

This is a more traditional cider. We were interested to try it as there are not many ciders from Illinois. 

http://www.appleknockerhardcider.com/

Color:

A very bright clear cider, with many bubbles. 4/5

Smell:

A very sweet smelling cider, with some, but not a lot, of apple smell. 3/5

Taste:

A very sharp taste that is very sweet. Full of apple flavor. 4/5

Aftertaste:

A very light after taste, but still had some pleasant apple flavor to it. 4/5

Overall:

A solid traditional cider that offers a strong apple taste. It may still be a little sweet for some people. 

Overall: 15/20

This year was a good year for ciders. There were many unique varieties and flavors. Hopefully next year will bring out even more good ciders!