Fox Barrel: Ginger and Blackcurrant Pear Cider

This week Bailey and Hawke wanted to try something a little exotic. Fox Barrel's Ginger and Blackcurrant Pear Cider with Organic honey is what we chose. This cider is unfiltered, and contains 6.5% ABV. You can find this cider and all the Fox Barrel products at: http://foxbarrel.com/cider/

Color:

The color of this cider is a very rich berry red. It is a tiny bit cloudy because it is an unfiltered cider, but it is very bold. Hawke remarked that it reminds him of a very rich cranberry juice. Bailey rates this with a 4/5 apples. Hawke gives it a 4/5 apples also.

Smell:
The aroma of this cider is very fruity and enticing. Bailey said that it brought back memories of her adolescent  days when she had a love affair with wine coolers. Hawke also enjoyed the smell, but added that the fruit smells all mixed together and you couldn't really determine one from another. Bailey rates this with a 3/5 apples. Hawke also gives it a 3/5.

Flavor / Complexity:
Bailey was very impressed with this cider after she sampled it. There is a very pungent ginger taste right away, and a little spicy kick to it from the blackcurrant. The pear and any other fruit juices, take a back seat to the spices. Hawke thought that it tasted like a mix of pear and grapefruit juice with a lot of ginger mixed in. He did not detect the spicy kick that Bailey did. Bailey rates this cider with a 4/5 apples. Hawke gives it a 3/5 apples.

Aftertaste:
Bailey enjoyed this aftertaste. It was very fizzy and tickled her tongue a bit. She mostly tasted the strong ginger in the aftertaste. Hawke agreed, not tasting anything but ginger and lots of it. Bailey rates it with a 4/5 apples. Hawke also gives it a 4/5 apples.

Price:
$6-8 Bailey thinks that this cider has a lot of flavor and is totally worth the price. She rates it with a 5/5 apples. Hawke thinks this is very reasonable and rates it with a 4/5 apples.

Overall:
We both feel that this cider has a lot of kick and pizzazz! If you are looking for something new and different this would be a great cider to try. Usually Hawke and Bailey are not big on pear ciders, but this one has won us over. The only area of improvement we have for this cider would be to lessen the amount of ginger in this cider, and allow the great flavors of the fruit juice to come forward a little bit.
Bailey gives this cider a 20/25 apples, or a Green Apple!

Hawke gives this cider an 18/25 apples, or a Yellow Apple!

Woodchuck Private Reserve Belgian White

This came to us as a special surprise. We had first heard of this Cider a couple of weeks back, but were unable to locate it in our area. A store did come through for us though, and we managed to get our hands on this beverage. 


This cider is made with Belgian Beer yeast, coriander, and orange peel. It is as interesting as it sounds. You can navigate their website here: www.woodchuck.com 

Color:
 Bailey thinks this cider looks like apricot nectar because of the unfiltered cloudiness and the orange tint. It makes her mouth water just looking at it. Hawke was impressed with the color. It was not dull, and the cloudiness betrayed no large particles. Hawke 5/5 Bailey 5/5 

Smell:
There are so many smells to take in when you inhale the essence of this cider, and each one of them are very robust. You can faintly smell the yeast, which usually bailey would be opposed to (she doesn't like beer) but it isn't overpowering. Second, you can detect the sweet smell of the apples. The last, but definitely not least is the orange aroma. These smells perfectly blend together, and are very appetizing indeed. Hawke detected the smell of apples, along with another more mysterious fruit smell. It was not unappealing, but pleasant.
 Hawke 5/5     Bailey  5/5

Flavor  / Complexity:
Bailey takes more than one sip when trying this delectable cider. She is very surprised by the first taste that hits her. It's almost as if you are taking a drink of beer, but the taste is so smooth it doesn't result in a lemon face as any beer would usually make her produce. There is no bitterness to this cider. The next flavor is the apple cider, a mix of sweet and tangy apple goodness. The last is of the orange, that starts very mild and builds in the aftertaste. Once you take one sip, you won't be able to put this bottle down.
Hawke 5/5     Bailey 5/5

Aftertaste:
The aftertaste that Bailey gets the most is of the orange flavor. It almost tastes juicy...the only way she can describe it. It reminds her of a burst of flavor that you would get from biting into a popping boba, the little tapioca balls of juice that the frozen yogurt places have as toppings. The orange flavor is very sweet, and it leaves you wanting more. Hawke thinks that this after taste is quick, but flavorful. Many of the previous ciders have had a a strong, or bitter aftertaste, and in one case no aftertaste at all. This offers a good balance between all possibilities, while not compromising the flavor. Hawke 5/5     Bailey 5/5

Price:
 $11-13 Bailey thinks that the price is a little steep, but it is a new product, and with the quality of this cider, she thinks it is worth it. Hawke is feeling a tad bit more lenient, and feels like that the price would go down if it because a year round blend. Hawke 4/5   Bailey  4/5

Overall:
This would make an awesome summer drink. It's like drinking an everlasting gobstopper of apple and orange goodness! We know that this is currently a private stock reserve, but we would very much like it to become a regular product, or possibly a seasonal. This cider offers and ideal balance of all the above categories. Not too sweet, not too bold, no bitter after taste. Of all the ciders we have tried so far, this is Bailey's favorite!
 Hawke 24/25 Bailey 24/25  both rate this with a green apple!

Thistly Cross Cider

Thistly Cross is a cider made in east Lothian, Scotland. The bottle lacks a good deal of information regarding what is to be expected, but Bailey and Hawke went on. While it does state that it is made from 'Scottish apple varieties' it is not clear what apples in particular, as there are many different kinds.

website: http://www.thistlycrosscider.co.uk/

Color: 

Upon pouring, Bailey and Hawke with both intrigued by the color that this cider produced. Considered a light gold, it was also very clear with very little, if any, unfiltered pieces inside.  Bailey: 5/5  Hawke: 5/5

Smell: 

The smell of the cider was another intriguing factor. Hawke thought the cider had a wine smell, but it was not very strong. Bailey detected a light smell, almost slightly sweet apple smell, not very powerful Bailey: 3/5  Hawke: 4/5

Flavor / Complexity:

Hawke delighted with the flavor apples and sweet taste with a slight hint of bitterness. bailey was raptured with a perfect blend of bitter and sweet, very suprised that it has such a bold flavor, the apple flavor is really great.  Bailey: 5/5 Hawke: 4/5 

Aftertaste:

Bailey thought there was a short burst of bubbly taste and bitter-sweet. Hawke thought it was a very short lasting aftertaste, detecting some  bitterness, but not overwhelming.  Bailey: 3/5 Hawke: 4/5(if the aftertaste lasted 

longer, bailey would have scored higher)

Price: 

$5-8 we only attained one bottle for this price, and only filled 2 wine glasses. I'm sure in the native country they sell it in 6 packs, and in several more varieties. Which is a shame, as we are intrigued by this particular brand.
Bailey:3/5 Hawke: 3/5 

Overall: 

Bailey loved the taste, wished the aftertaste lasted longer, stating that this is a great summer cider, very bold and refreshing. Hawke: Auprisingly good considering the bottle has very vague information on the brewing process or apples used. 

Bailey: 19 or a yellow apple

Hawke: 20 or a green apple

Crispin Honey Crisp Artisanal Reserve

This week Hawke and I tasted a cider that I have been very pumped about. For this variety, Crispin uses apple wine smoothed with organic honey. Honestly, they had Bailey at apple wine, the honey did make her eyes gleam with excitement though. It says on the website that wine can be a mix of 3 to 5 different apple varieties. You can check out their full line at : http://www.crispincider.com/cider/

Color:

After pouring a glass, Bailey remarked that it resembled a light Chardonnay. Hawke agreed, adding that it also is close to the color of a light Champagne. It is a bit cloudy, but from reading up on this particular cider, it's supposed to be that way because of the unfiltered apple wine used to make it.

Bailey:  4/5 Apples

Hawke: 4/5 Apples

Smell:

The aroma of this cider is quite delightful. Bailey was very happy with the boldness of sweet apples and a slight white wine smell. She didn't detect any of the honey, but Hawke said he could. He also commented that it smelled very crisp and fresh, but he felt it was lacking something.

Bailey:  5/5 Apples

Hawke: 3/5 Apples

Complexity / Flavor: 

Bailey took a hefty swig and got a surprise. This cider seemed to have a very overpowering flower, or blossom taste. There was almost a slight berry taste that couldn't quite be pinpointed. She was a bit disappointed in this. This means that the honey used came from the pollen of different flower strains and not clover, which is her favorite. Hawke picked up the apple wine flavor right away, and did not pick up any honey or sweetness. He thought the flavor was definitely lacking and not strong enough to impress him. 

Bailey: 2/5 Apples

Hawke: 3/5 Apples

Aftertaste: 

For Bailey, the very pungent flower and berry flavor gets stronger in the aftertaste. It completely voids any of the apple taste that she detected before. Hawke didn't get much of an aftertaste in this one, but did pick up a slight sweet fruit flavor.

Bailey: 2/5 Apples 

Hawke: 3/5 Apples

Price: $6-8

The alcohol is 6.5% abv. The price is fair, and if you like a more flowery bouquet (no pun intended) you will like this cider. Hawke thinks there is definitely room for improvement on this one.

Bailey:  4/5 Apples

Hawke:  4/5 Apples

Overall:

This one was a bit of a let down, however we would like to mention some determining factors. Obviously everyone's taste buds work a little differently. Where Bailey picked up flowers right away, Hawke did not taste them as much. So, just because we aren't over the moon for one of the ciders doesn't mean it's not worth trying. Also, because they are using honey as an ingredient, this means that each batch may not taste exactly the same. Since honey is made from pollen picked up by bees, each batch is going to be made from a different mixture of plants and flowers every time. It could be that this batch was not the best year for the honey they used. 

Bailey :  17/25 or a Yellow Apple

Hawke: 17/25 or a Yellow Apple:

Dupont Reserve

Hawke and Bailey came across this bottle of French hard cider at a local store and were immediately intrigued. The Dupont Reserve is just one of many products from Domaine Dupont. You may find all of their products including Ciders, Givre, and Calvados (an intriguing alcohol) on their website: http://www.calvados-dupont.com/
This particular hard cider has been aged 6 months in Oak Casks that were previously used to store Calvados.

Color:

Bailey was intrigued by the color of this cider. Pouring out the cider into a glass revealed a slightly cloudy, almost golden color. Hawke was curious about the the bright color. 

Bailey: 5/5

Hawke: 5/5

Smell:
 Hawke eagerly smelled the cider. Detecting a slight vinegary smell, but also gathering hints of apple, and possibly some wine. Bailey also detecting the apple smell, but also got a smell best described as blossom smelling. She also got a faint smell of alcohol. 

Bailey: 4/5

Hawke: 4/5

Taste:
 Wasting little time both had curious sips of the beverage. Bailey initially had a sour taste, filled with apples and again more blossom flavor. Hawke savored his drink, tasting a slightly bitter taste that was filled with a strong apple flavor. 

Bailey: 4/5

Hawke 4/5

Aftertaste:
Replacing the initial taste of the cider was the aftertaste. Hawke noted the taste turned to that of sweet taste, reminiscent of brandy. This makes sense as the cider was aged in Calvados casks. Bailey also got the sweet flavor, but detected more of a butter scotch taste. 

Bailey: 4/5

Hawke: 5/5 

Price:
 Both Hawke and Bailey are concerned about the price tag regarding this cider. At ~18-22 dollars a bottle, it is fairly pricey. Similarly, the bottle only fills about 4 glasses before being empty. Though at 6.9% ABV, Bailey feels that it is worth the price. 

Bailey: 3/5

Hawke: 2/5

Conclusion: Hawke and Bailey were both delighted by this cider. It is an excellent cider, though the price has some drawbacks. However, the Dupont Reserve is a recommended Cider. 

Bailey: 20/25 or a Green Apple

Hawke: 20/25 or a Green Apple

As always thanks for reading and Happy Valentines Day!

Original Sin Cherry Tree

This week Bailey and Hawke obtained a bottle of Original Sin Cherry Tree hard cider. This cider uses heirloom apples and tart cherries to create its' flavor. Made and bottled in Oregon, but the company is based in New York.

Color:

Hawke was immediately surprised by the color of this cider, a red clear cider, as opposed the traditional amber color. Bailey was also pleasantly surprised by the light cranberry color, in fact she thought you might mistake it for sparkling cranberry juice.
Hawke gives  5/5 Apples
Bailey gives 5/5 Apples

Smell:
The smell exuded by the drink is sweet, with a hint of cherry. Also present is the smell of alcohol, consistent with a wine smell. Other than its sweet smell, there is no direct apple smell from this Cider.
Hawke: 3/5 Apples
Bailey: 4/5 Apples

Complexity/Flavor:
The flavor on this cider is almost overwhelmingly cherry. The main flavor does feel to be real cherries, as opposed to artificial cherry flavoring which both Bailey and Hawke feared would be the case. It has a strong tart flavor, suggesting real cherries were used. Bailey was saddened as she couldn't taste any apples. Hawke noted that it would be more like a cherry flavored sparkling wine. Sadly, the flavor is not that complex and feels straight cherry throughout.
Hawke: 4/5 Apples
Bailey: 4/5 Apples

Aftertaste
As mentioned before, this cider is overwhelmingly cherry. Usually in most ciders the flavor changes to have an aftertaste as it slides down ones' throat. In this case, the change did not occur and the flavor was consistently cherry. While not a bad thing, it was not what was expected in an apple cider. Bailey was not pleased with this aspect of the cider. While Hawke was a bit more lenient as he assumed cherries are harder to work with due to the infrequent appearance in hard ciders.
Hawke: 3/5 Apples
Bailey: 1/5 Apples

Price:  $8-11 This hard cider comes in a 750ml bottle and 6.7 abv. Both Hawke and Bailey noted that it is strong cider, and the price is reasonable for what one receives.
Hawke: 5/5 Apples
Bailey: 5/5 Apples

Overall:
Hawke: 20/25 awarding this a Green apple.

Bailey: 18/25 awarding this a Yellow apple.

Samuel Smith's Organic Cider

Today Hawke and I review Samuel Smith's Organic Cider. This one comes all the way from Yorkshire, UK.
We couldn't find a website to link for this one, but if your palate perks up for more bitter tastes, you are going to like this one.

Color:
 Even though this one is organic, like the previous cider we reviewed, Samuel Smith's is filtered. The color is a very light blonde, with lots of bubbles rising to the top. Bailey gives this one a 5/5 apples for being very clear.

Hawke gives this one a 4/5 apples.

Smell:

Bailey took one whiff of this and was already disappointed. In her opinion, this smells more like champagne than a hard cider. It's very heavy on the alcohol smell and not much of apples. She gives it 3/5 apples. 

Hawke was reminded of non-alcoholic sparkling cider when he took his turn sniffing the glass. He did detect a slight twinge of apples. He also gives 3/5 apples for smell. 

Complexity / Flavor: 

When Bailey tipped the glass up, she was very surprised at the bitter flavor. This is where it started to really resemble a champagne more than a hard apple cider. There was barely any apple flavor present, and there really wasn't much complexity to the taste. She scores this with a 2/5 apples. 

Hawke also puckered a little after tasting this variety. He commented that he got a slight vinegar taste along with the alcohol, but also not much apple flavor. He rates it with a 2/5 apples.

Aftertaste:

Following the face that quite possibly looked like she had eaten a lemon, Bailey detected a very brief sweetness in the aftertaste, but it didn't linger more than a few seconds. This could have been the only time the apples were prevalent in the taste. She rates it with 2/5 apples.

Hawke did not get the sweetness in the aftertaste, but he did say that he thought he could very faintly taste apples. He also give this a 2/5 apples. 

Price: $5 - $7

Bailey commented that it seemed they got what they paid for. She would have been a bit upset if she had spent more money on the bottle. She gives it 4/5 apples. 

Hawke agrees, also rating it 4/5 apples.

Overall:

Now obviously we didn't enjoy this one as much as we have some of the others. In Bailey's opinion, this might be the PBR of the hard cider world, so there will be some of you out there who like it. Like we stated earlier, if you do enjoy a bitter tasting drink this one is for you. But it is cheap, so if that's a factor, it's not too bad. 

Bailey's overall: 16 / 25 apples

Hawke's Overall: 15 / 25 apples