Happy Halloween!

Trick or treat! I know it's not Wednesday and we missed our post last night, but we have excuses... I mean reasons. On Tuesday Liz injured her shoulder and needed to seek medical attention. On Wednesday, she was prescribed some medication that doesn't allow her to drink any alcohol. Lame! I know, right?

Seeing as how we are our own bosses in this adventure, we decided to treat ourselves with a vacation on the week of our favorite holiday, Halloween! So go out this weekend and have a cider for us. Let us know what you had and what you thought. We will be back next week, unless I find a way to injure myself (which is very possible). We have a special post for next week so check in at the normal time.

Happy Halloween and Happy Tasting!

-Liz & Rob

H.P. Bulmer's Strongbow

OMG!!! Hashtag Excited! Wait, that's how you do that, right? Whatever, it's time for another cider adventure. This one in particular has been years in the making. Tonight Liz and I will be reviewing our first cider; Strongbow. If you're a cider fan, you've probably had this one, or at least seen it offered where ever you choose to unwind.  

A few years ago a friend and I were discussing great tasting beers, turns out that is a pretty short list. Beer to me has always been an acquired taste. When I turned 21, because I never touched a drop of alcohol before that, beer was an awful experience. Then you experiment with what kind of drinks there are out there, and you watch your drinking budget dwindle. Turns out beer may not taste great, but it's the cheapest way to enjoy yourself when you're out with friends. I am not saying everybody didn't like their first taste of beer, but I believe there are others like me out there. Back to my story about my friend and I: eventually, someone with us mentioned what hard ciders were like. Needless to say, I was intrigued, so I called over the bartender and asked what kind of ciders they had. What he returned with changed my perception of adult beverages.

Last year Liz and had a vacation across the pond in England and had a chance to have Strongbow from its native land. We were both excited to have a taste of it from where they brew it. What we have to say below is being based off of the Strongbow we are drinking here in the States. Believe it or not, it really does taste different over in England. Different as in better. 

As I mentioned, Strongbow comes to us from across the Atlantic. Brewed in Hereford, UK by H.P. Bulmer Ltd., Strongbow comes in at 5% alcohol by volume. It's England's number one selling cider, and there's probably a reason why! (See the comment above about it being better over the pond.) Srongbow keeps the description simple: "Crisp, refreshing taste."

Since I feel like being nice, for once, Liz can go first. Liz says:
I'm going to try to be objective about this. I have always loved Strongbow. It isn't my number one favorite cider if you factor in the hard-to-find stuff, but if I'm out and about, it's  my go-to cider. Strongbow is the right amount of sweet, tart, warm, and dry. It gives you a slight bite at the back of your jaw when you first swallow, but it warms up a bit and is slightly dry, but only for a moment. It makes you want to keep drinking. I could definitely drink more than a couple in a night. Okay, who am I kidding, I definitely have had more than a couple in one night. Strongbow that we can get here in the US gets 4 apples. If you care to know, UK Strongbow would get at least a 4.5.

Now on to my own thoughts. I really hope the Packers can keep their lead in the division with all of their injuries. Oops, wrong thoughts...

As it says on the bottle, Strongbow is crisp and refreshing. I actually find myself wanting to let out a commercial-like "Ahh…" after each sip. This cider is rich in taste but remains light as the sweetness tickles your tongue. You should probably drink this cider fast or enjoy it on ice because it does taste much better chilled. I hate to sound pretentious, but Strongbow did taste better on tap in the UK so we'll have to just base this review on what's available in the US. However, seeing as most bars now offer Strongbow, I recommend it to anyone who isn't quite sure what they want to drink. 4 apples isn't the best I've given out so far, but there is no denying its deliciousness!

Looks like we agree once again. So, when you're out this weekend for Halloween celebrations that are more than likely going to happen, try a Strongbow and let us know what you think! And if you're in the UK, enjoy one for us, will you?

Don't forget to enjoy your ciders responsibly, friends.  And as always, until next time:
Happy Tasting!
-Liz & Rob

Angry Orchard Cinnful Apple

This week's post is full of other people! Our first other person is the reason why we're trying the Seasonal Cinnful Apple by Angry Orchard. He has been a long time friend of both Rob and I from college, and he is a dedicated DeCider's reader. Randy S. is our first special someone. In his suggestion he said that Cinnful Apple is "pretty good." Thank you, Randy, for the suggestion! 

Angry Orchard Cider Co. is based out of Cincinnati, Ohio, and puts out quite a few special ciders every year for the season. This past summer we just missed their seasonal cider and figured we'd keep our eye out for the fall one. Surprise! It's here! Angry Orchard says: Our Cinnful Apple cider is crisp and refreshing with a spicy twist. The sweet, slightly tart apple flavor is balanced with cinnamon spice, adding a slight heat for a flavor that is truly cinnful. 

It comes in at an almost expected 5% alcohol by volume, and has a very Angry Orchard-esque bottle and label. Take a peek!

Our second other person this week is a guest review! This one comes from our friend Meghan. Meghan drinks her fair share of ciders, as she lives the gluten-free lifestyle. She's become one of my best friends, and Rob kind of gets along with her, too. Okay, yeah, they get along great. We would have had three "other" people today, but Meghan's hubby, Bill, isn't a cider fan and wouldn't have a drink with us. Oh well. Every party needs a pooper...
On to Meghan's comments!
Have you ever tried to swallow a tablespoon full of cinnamon? Well, you can't. Cinnful Apple is about as close as you'll get to swallowing that tablespoon full. With this much cinnamon, you might as well just chew on a cinnamon stick. Although it has a nice fall flavor, drinking more than one is difficult. With that, Cinnful Apple gets a 2.5 apple rating.

Next up we've got Rob.
Off the bat, I was expecting this cider to have quite the kick with the cinnamon. Turns out, it stays relatively smooth. The cinnamon doesn't burn you like when chewing a piece of Big Red. The cider also doesn't seem as sweet thanks to the cinnamon, but it does remain rather tart. Not being the biggest cinnamon fan, I don't think I would be able to drink more than one of these at a time, but the flavor reminds me of apple pie. And who doesn't like pie? Oh yeah, I don't... Cinnful Apple gets 2.5 apples out of five. Although I have had better, I've also had worse.

And last, but not least, little ol' me. Cinnful is dry and quite warm on the tongue. After the first sip, there is so much cinnamon I can feel it on my tongue, and the more I drink, the rougher my tongue feels. Not to be weird, but it makes me think of how a cat's tongue might feel in their own mouth. Thankfully it wasn't a hot sensation that you can get from eating too much cinnamon.  I definitely couldn't drink more than one of these in a night. Or maybe more than one in a week. I was torn on what to give this one because I like how warm and full it makes me feel, but I really am not the biggest fan of how cinnamon-y it is. With that, I give it 2.5 apples. 

It looks as if Cinnful Apple has hit the middle mark this week! Thank you again to both our guests, Randy and Meghan. 

Has anyone else tried Cinnful Apple? What were your thoughts? Too much cinnamon? Not enough? Let us know down below! Hey, that rhymed! 

Until next time, enjoy the brisk fall weather! 

Happy Tasting!

-Rob & Liz 

Ciderboys First Press

Before we get started, sorry this is so late. I, Liz, have had a bit of a difficult week and needed a girls night with a close friend. Poor Rob was left to fend for himself tonight, and I waited until the last possible minute to finish my thoughts on Ciderboys First Press. I've made you wait long enough by slacking, so let's get down to it!

Ciderboys First Press is our second cider by Ciderboys. Our first was an adventure with their Magic Apple, which was a strawberry cider, that got middle-of-the-road scores from both Rob and I. How does First Press match up? Well, this one is claimed to be a "Traditional Hard Cider," per the bottle's label, and hits at 5% alcohol by volume The bottle is much like the one for Magic Apple.

Since I made Rob wait all night for this, let's see what he has to say first! Rob said:
When I first opened the bottle, this cider had a very strong presence. Unlike the Magic Apple which we previously tasted, this has just one flavor, apple. And it's very true to it's name, First Press. The flavor is very strong and bold. It tastes very much like a freshly squeezed red apple and it's rather thick as well. However, the drink does seem to be loaded with sugar which would leave you feeling ill the next day if you had a few the night before. Also, the aftertaste lingers around a bit longer than I would want from something so sweet. This one also falls at 3 apples, like it's sister-cider.

As for little ol' me? Well, First press is about what I had expected it would be. It is quite tart at the beginning, and warms up and gets a bit heavy tasting before the slight sweetness at the end. My first sip reminded me of something along the lines of Jolly-Rancher-Meets-Hot-Cider. Non-alcoholic hot cider, that is. I really didn't fall head over heels for this one, but I would definitely get it for a girls night, or if I wanted something sweet. I don't think I could drink this all the time, though. I struggled on the scoring for this one, because it's not my favorite, but it's definitely not bad. I settled on 3 apples for this first press.

It looks like Ciderboys have given themselves a steady feel, with 3 apples a piece, both times! A steady 3 apple rating is much better than being up and down the board, don't you think?

Have you tried anything by Ciderboys? What did you think of it? We'd love to hear from you! Comments, emails, carrier pigeon, owl, it doesn't matter. Let us know what you think!

Always remember to drink responsibly, and until next time...

Happy Tasting!
-Rob & Liz

Crispin Honey Crisp Artisanal Reserve

Welcome back! It's time for another Cider Adventure. This time it's with a familiar face; our Friend Sam is going to be joining us as we taste a wildly popular brand, Crispin. As I am sure you are aware, just a few weeks ago we did a review for Crispin's Saint Artisanal Reserve, and needless to say we were blown away. Unfortunately our cider stockpile is dwindling, so looks like we are going to need to go get some more! Let's get down to business...

Crispin Honey Crisp hails from Colfax, CA and comes in at 6.5% alcohol by volume, all while being contained in a 22 ounce bottle. Before we get to our own thoughts on Honey Crisp, here is what Crispin themselves had to say about it:
Smooth Operator. Naturally fermented using a premium blend of unpasteurized fresh-pressed apple juice, not from concentrate, with no added malt, spirit or grape alcohols. Experience an earthy, fruity bouquet with an authentic cidery aroma and hints of honey. A yeasty, full-bodied flavor, creamy mouth-feel with a crisp finish and unusual complexity. Honey Crisp Artisanal Reserve, Unflitered Cloudy Hard Cider, uses racked apple-wine smoothed with pure organic honey, with no added sugar, colorants, sorbate or benzoate preservatives. Best served cold for smooth, delicious refreshment.

So I guess I should be polite and let our guest go first. Sam, what did you think? 

I've never been much of a cider person, but it seems like Crispin might have given me a little change of heart. Most ciders that I've tried in the past have been way too sweet and I've never been able to drink more than one of them without getting gut rot. This one though, didn't overdo it and kept me wanting more. The cider flavor was refreshing, but I think my favorite part was the subtle honey aftertaste. I'm a sucker for honey, so this got me pretty easily. All in all, if I were to stumble upon this cider at a bar or in the store, I would buy it for sure. It's definitely worth the try if you haven't had it before. Enjoy!

With that glowing review, Sam gave Crispin Honey Crisp 4.5 apples. 

Looks like Sam is pretty good at this review thing, or he's trying to make us look bad. Liz, it's up to you to let them know we've still got it!

I know we said it's a one-and-done thing, but I've started to take a sniff of my ciders before drinking. The smell of this cider got me so excited. This one is true to their two word opener for the explanation: Smooth Operator. It goes down so smooth and ends with that sweet honey-flavor. Quite a bit of sediment will hit you towards the end of the bottle if you don't give a quick tip upside down before opening it. No, don't shake the cider! Just gently tip it over. If I were Winnie the Pooh, I would have just found my favorite honey pot. 

Liz comes in giving this her highest ever score of 4.5 apples. 

Well now, looks like those two agree on Honey Crisp, can I make it three of a kind?

Our first encounter with Crispin was one to remember. Turns out, they might know what they are doing! As the name implies, Honey Crisp contains honey, but by no means is it the first thing you taste. In fact, you can smell the honey more than you can taste it. Honey fans, fear not, the honey is there, it compliments the cider perfectly in my opinion. It seems to tame the tartness of it and leaves a nice taste in your mouth after you swallow. This cider isn't to sweet which makes it easier to drink and like the Saint, the higher alcohol percentage and larger bottle make this cider extra special.

The highest score I have given out to date went to Honey Crisp's brother, the Saint. And it looks like it is going to stay that way... It comes close, but it's just not as good to me. Honey Crisp gets a respectable 4 out of 5 apples.

So close! All things considered, that's three great scores! Needless to say, if you're out and about and you're craving a cider, look for a Crispin. I know there are more varieties of Crispin out there for us to review, but if you come across one first, let us know what you think of it! Comment below or send us an email at decidersblog@gmail.com

Thanks for joining us Sam, and Happy Tasting!

-Liz & Rob