McKenzie's Black Cherry

Happy New Year, fellow cider lovers! We hope your New Year's Eve was spent with great people and that you are entering the new year with health and high spirits.

We're ringing in the new year by bringing you a new cider - and a new guest! Well, the cider is new to us. Maybe you've had it. McKenzie's Black Cherry hand-pressed hard cider comes to us from West Seneca, New York from Mayer Brothers Apple Products, and reports at 5.0% alcohol by volume.

McKenzie's has quite the interesting description, too. If I had read this before trying it, I might have been a bit hesitant to drink it. What does it say, you ask? Well, here, read for yourself.  "The blacker the berry… the sweeter the juice. Reserved for the darkest of hearts, McKenzie's Black Cherry is an inspiration to hard cider - rich amber, full body with a refreshingly sweet cherry finish."
Darkest of hearts? Man, that's scary. Nevertheless, we had tried it before reading. And, to be honest, we would have tried it anyway.

Rob can go last this week, because we're letting the ladies go first. Yes, ladies as in plural. This week's guest is one of my best friends, and a New cider lover, Nicole. She not too long ago swore off anything that came in a bottle, unless it was wine, and was a slave to the hard liquor. Now she's come into the light and is always willing to try a new cider with us. She's finally here, folks! Her thoughts go something like this:
I really liked the black cherry cider. I've never had any cherry ciders before, though, so I have nothing to actually compare it to. Cherry wise, I'm glad they chose a black cherry rather than a sweeter cherry like a bing cherry, which would have probably been too-sweet of a taste. It's definitely got some fizz to it though, because I had a few good burps after drinking it (ha!). I will definitely buy this one when I come across it. I was on the fence about the ratings, too.  I really truly enjoyed it, but I think it's going to roll in at four apples.

We also asked her hubby to try it. And by "we" I really mean me. And by "asked" I mean bugged. Billy is definitely not a cider guy, and he doesn't really go for anything fruity or girly. After some playful teasing he finally took a swig. Immediately after he gave us one of those smiles you give your Aunt when you've just opened the most hideous of sweaters for a Christmas present. Through this smile he said, "It's great." We all laughed and then he goes, "Really, it just tastes like a Luden's cough drop."
Well. We know not to offer him any ciders anymore!

Is it my turn? Yay! I have to say, I was surprised with this one. The black cherry flavor is extremely strong, but not overwhelming. Truthfully, it tastes more like a black cherry soda than any sort of cider. It's very sweet and has a heavy, sugary feel on your tongue like if you accidentally put too much sugar in your kool-aid. Although it was very sugary, I thought the flavor was great.  It's a nice and warm feel, with the right amount of sweet-cherry-apple-kick at the end. I am glad this came as a six pack because I know what I'll be finishing off this weekend! I am going to bring it in at a three and a half apples. Because of how sugary tasting it is, I can't quite give it a four.

As for Mr. Rob, he's actually currently in bed. His third shift schedule had him working last night when the new year rolled in, and has him working again tonight. Fear not! He wrote down his thoughts before drifting off to dream-land.
When we reviewed Island Orchard Apple Cherry Cider awhile back, I was excited for the fusion of apple and cherry. Unfortunately I was somewhat disappointed by the result. This week, however, we gave it another shot with McKenzie's Black Cherry Hard Cider. And I'm happy to announce that this one is good! If you're a fan of black cherry (gourmet) sodas, this will be perfect for you. It starts out with a very distinct, but not too tart, cherry flavor. Eventually the cherry mellows out and you get a hint of a crisp sweet apple at the end of your sip. Reluctantly I gave this one three and a half apples because I still wish the cherry and apple were evenly mixed. McKenzie's is great, but still not what I had in mind for when apple meets cherry. I'll keep looking for you... and me.

Thanks for checking out this week's post. If you have any suggestions, questions, or comments, please leave them below.

 Happy New Year to you and yours, and as always...

Happy Tasting!
-Rob & Liz