Ace Apple Hard Cider

This week has been a bit more relaxed, and thankfully we had time to sit back and enjoy this new cider. But our busy lives aren't what you're here to read about, our Cider Adventures are!

Ace Apple Hard Cider is brought to us by California Cider Co out of Sebastapol, California. It racks up at 5% alcohol by volume. California Cider Co has this to say, "Ace Apple Cider is a premium hard cider made in the heart of Sonoma County's apple orchards. Unlike most other cider brands, Ace is fermented from only pure apple juice. This gives the cider its fresh natural apple taste… Enjoy this alternative to beer or wine."

Mr. Rob isn't as wordy this week, he's getting straight to the point. What did he say, you ask? Oh, fine, twist my arm. Here it is:
To me, this is as close as it gets to a stereotypical cider. It's not very sweet so it has a rich full bodied taste. It's fairly tart and doesn't linger on the tongue to long after your sip. The only draw back is I slight hint of iron as you sip away. Either way, this cider gets a 3 of a kind!

And little ol' me. Finally, a cider that doesn't taste like water! Ace Apple Cider reminds me of a very flavorful dark red apple. It's got a bit of a tart flavor at the end that hits right in the back of your mouth. This one is much heavier than the other ciders we've been trying lately, which is an awesome change of pace. It does have a little bit of an iron taste to it, though. Ace, you're not high or low today, but you're right in the middle at 3 apples.

And, hey! It's not minutes before midnight this week! See, I told you it wouldn't be as late. You thought I was bluffing...

In the next few weeks we're hoping to have some guests give us their perspective on ciders, so keep your eyes peeled for that! I hope you enjoyed our silly little puns. We're so punny. Eh? Eh? Fine, I fold.

Once again, Happy Tasting!
-Rob & Liz

Michelob Ultra Light Cider

It's still technically Wednesday here in Wisconsin! It was a busy day for us. Rob is on his way to work right now, and I just got home and am covered in glitter. Why? Because I went to the Ke$ha concert and had the best time ever. And now I'm currently getting glitter all over Rob's computer. Whoops! 

He did the hard work tonight and drafted this sweet thing for us, and I'm swooping in to finish it. Michelob Ultra Light Cider is on the docket tonight. They only have two words to describe it: light cider. That's why we're here tonight to tell you all about this light cider. Take a peek at the bottle. 

Since I'm full of glitter, that means I go first. Hey, no one said my rules had to make sense!
It honestly tastes like the person who came up with this one had never had cider before. And by cider, I am including the non-spiked stuff at your grandma's holiday parties. It even reminds me of a terribly watered down juice pouch. There's also a weird aftertaste. I honestly can't even describe it, other than saying it makes the back of my mouth feel dirty. And yes, I have brushed my teeth today, thank you very much (and no, it's not a weird taste from after the Ke$ha concert because I tried this one before the concert). I wouldn't pay for this at a bar, and even if it were the ladies-night choice, I'd pass. That's why I give it one very lonely apple.

As for Rob, in his own words, which he graciously typed out for me before he left for work: Once again, I'll take the shallow path and start with the looks. This bottle is not as good looking as the Stella, but it's not far off. Once again it's a clear glass bottle with white labels, this time with light green, which matches the liquid contained inside. Enough about appearances, how does it taste? This cider seems to be of the granny smith variety, which makes it incredibly sweet. After your sip you are left with the tartness you'd come to expect from green apples. Unfortunately, this is only made worse by how light the overall drink is. Also, being fairly fizzy, the cider comes across as apple flavored sparkling water, meets wine cooler. All in all, two apples.

There you have it, folks. Glitter, apples, and all. Next week we won't be so close to Thursday, we promise.

As always, Happy Tasting!
-Rob & Liz

Stella Artois Cidre

Do you know what day it is? IT'S HUMP DAY! Time for another cider adventure with Liz and Rob. Unfortunately, Liz has had a rough day at work and is currently passed out for the night. That means it's up to Rob to make it happen this week! Oh boy... This is a lot of pressure, but I think I can handle it. However, I'm sure we are both going to miss Liz by the end of this post!

Anyway, on to the matter at hand! This week our cider, or rather 'Cidre', comes to us from global brew-masters at Anheuser-Busch. Bottled in Baldwinsville, NY, Stella Artois Cidre comes in at 4.5% alcohol by volume. For those of you afflicted with A.D.D., the description provided on the bottle is short and to the point; "Premium cider made with hand-picked apples". Sounds like we are go for tasting!

Contrary to popular belief, I am in fact a gentleman. So this week, it's ladies first:
Liz says Stella Artois Cidre is one is a sweet one. But it's a good sweet, with a little tartness at the end that hits you right in the back of the jaw. I was actually kind of surprised at how dry it was. The more I drink it, the dryer my tongue gets, so I am finding myself drinking this one quite quickly. It's pretty light, too. For the name, I had almost expected a little bit more of a stand-out flavor or something a little bit more different. After my first few sips, I felt a bit warm in the stomach, too, which is nice. With how sweet it is I wasn't expecting that. I would probably order one of these at the bar if I were in a laid-back mood. This one doesn't scream "party mode" to me.
Even though she wasn't inspired to party, she was still impressed enough to hand out 3.5 apples

The first thing I want to mention about Stella Artois Cidre is in regards to its appearance. The clear glass bottle with white label and golden accents compliment the beverage perfectly. I love the way this cider is packaged! Something makes this bottle pop out to me unlike most of the other ciders out there (usually with dark labels on brown glass bottles). As much as the bottle makes it stand out, the taste is something different to me as well. It's not too sweet and is relatively dry. If you allow some air in as you sip, the fizz tickles the back of  your throat on the way down. All in all, I am a fan of this cider because you can also taste a hint of the regular lager version of Stella Artois mixed in.
I gave Stella Artois Cidre 4 beautiful Apples.

I hope you enjoyed my first post as much as the impending grammar Nazi's will enjoy picking it apart. As always, Liz and Rob can be reached at decidersblog@gmail.com for constuctive (or harsh) criticism, cider suggestions, or questions in regard to the meaning of life. I have to say, I'm proud of going the entire post before shouting "HEY STELLA! STELLLLLAA!!!" It's been fun, but I'm sure we all miss Liz...

Until next week, Happy Tasting!
-Liz & Rob

Fox Barrel Cider Pacific Pear

Have you ever had a week go by so fast that you are in shock it isn't still last week? Yeah, that's what's up today. Going to take some time to slow it down and write about another new-to-us cider. This week we decided to take it back away from just apple cider and throw in another fruit. If you can't tell by the title, this week's cider is pear! When Rob and I were young in our cider endeavors, it really didn't occur to us that there would be pear ciders. Surprisingly, there are quite a number of them out there. We aren't in the apple orchard, anymore, Toto. 

We found the Fox Barrel Cider at the same little specialty wine shop we found the Ciderboys Magic Apple. We have a couple other Fox Barrel Ciders on the ticket for you later on, so keep your eyes peeled. Ha! peeled.... because apples. 

Enough tom-foolery. Down to business! Fox Barrel Cider company is based out of Colfax, California. Their Pacific Pear has 4.5% alcohol by volume, so a few of these and you'd be good to party (but not drive). On the label, they describe their cider as follows:

Fermented pear cider from pure pear juice. Naturally fermented using 100% pear juice, not from pear juice concentrate or pear-flavored hard apple cider. Filtered cold for extra purity, and smoothed with pear juice. With no added colorants, sugar, sorbate, or benzoate preservatives. No added malt, spirit, grape or apple alcohols. Naturally elegant and refreshingly adult with a sparking clean natural pear finish and a subtle woody complexity, complimented by an intense fresh pear bouquet. 

Rob was the first to brave the pear cider, and had the following few words to say: It was crisp, and definitely was a pear cider rather than an apple cider. Actually, it was quite bitter, and had a very sugary aftertaste. 

This, my friends, is why Rob gave it 2.5 apples. 

I wasn't too sure what to think before trying this one, and after I did, I have this to share with you: It was kind of bland, and had almost a soapy flavor as if the glass was reused and wasn't rinsed fully after washing. I also got an almost iron-like taste as if I had bitten my tongue. For a pear cider, I would have expected a heavier flavor. It's only been a few weeks since we tasted this one and wrote down our thoughts, but the biggest thing that sticks out in my mind is that it isn't really a memorable cider. Not something I would crave, but I would drink it if it were handed to me. I give it a measly two apples. 

We were both really sad that our pear-ventures weren't all that memorable or great. We're still hopeful for trying Fox Barrel's other ciders, and they do have other pear flavors to try. We are also stoked to try Woodchuck's pear cider. We're pretty partial to Woodchuck, though, so we may be getting our hopes up a bit. We'll let you know when we get around to tasting that one. 

Have you tried Fox Barrel's other ciders? Have something to share? Let us know in the comments, we don't bite!

Until next week, Happy Tasting!

-Rob & Liz