Oliver Beanblossom Raspberry Hard Cider

Happy early Valentines Day! Hopefully everyone has got someone to spend the day with. If not, trust me, you're probably better off saving your money and time... Just kidding, honey! (or am I?) Let's move on before I ruin any more relationships. What cider do we have for you this week? Well let's get to it!

This week we have Oliver Beanblossom Raspberry Hard Cider brought to us by Oliver Cider Works in Lawrenceburg, IN. Packing a punch at 8% alcohol by volume, Oliver has this to say about their own brew:
We create hard cider with our blend of apples and natural flavors, cooly fermented, delicious, bright like the noon day sun, magical as Beanblossom Hard Cider should be.

Since Liz picked this one out at the store, she can go first:

I don't know what has happened to me, but the fruity drinks aren't much my style anymore. The raspberry in this is tasty, don't get me wrong. I think it might be a little bit too much, though? It's smooth, sweet, a little tart, and it's a bit dry at the end. I can taste the apple wine at the very end after the heavy raspberry has subsided. I didn't expect to really like this all that much. Surprisingly, I think it's decent. For me it falls right in the middle at 2.5 apples.

Now it's my turn:
It's good, I'll say that, but it's too sweet for me. The raspberry overpowers the cider qualities but it still goes down smooth. The tartness of the apple eventually cuts off the taste of the raspberry. To me, this kind of tastes like Mike's Hard Raspberry. The biggest difference being Oliver seems to have a little less sugar. Not being a big raspberry fan, Oliver gets the benefit of the doubt from me. Also the high alcohol by volume helps make this one receive three out of five raspberry- I mean apples.

There you have it; another week, another cider. Thanks for stopping by and tell your friends! Also, if you have had a cider recently that has blown your mind, let us know. We usually just end up going to the local grocery store for our ciders, but eventually we will run out. So if there is something out there that is a little harder to find but totally worth it, we don't want to miss out on that. Comment below or email us at DeCidersBlog@gmail.com. See you next week for another cider adventure!

Happy Tasting!
- Liz & Rob

Gaymer Cider Co's Blackthorne

Hello cider lovers! Welcome to February. January just flew by for us. Hopefully you are all making the best of the winter season.

To paraphrase one of my favorite movies, this week's cider is, Bigger, Yellow, Different. Yes, I did just go there. And if you don't know what that's from, I might cry inside.

Onward to the cider. Blackthorne comes to us out of England from Gaymer Cider Co. Ltd. As you can see, it's made from English cider apples. At 6% alcohol by volume, it's not too hard, not too sally. This one is a bit different, though, since it's in a can. We've never done a canned cider before here at DeCider's, and we were kind of excited to see if Blackthorne would get us on the canned cider bandwagon. First, though, we should probably tell you what they have to say about themselves:
A distinctive crisp, dry taste.
Yeah, a short and to the point description. Nice!

Rob's up to bat first. He said:
I don't know what happened here… I tend to be a fan of dry ciders, but Blackthorn is its own kind of dry cider. For starters, it doesn't pop and fizz when you open the can. Secondly, the smell makes me reconsider what I'm about to do. And last but not least, the taste is bland. Like I said earlier it is dry, so it goes down smooth and not sharp like most sweet ciders; almost as if it's flat. There is an iron after-taste as well. All this leaves me wanting something else. Unfortunately, from the same country that gave us Strongbow, Blackthorn falls short of my expectations lands with one and a half apples.

Thanks, Rob. How can I save this one?
Blackthorn sounded like it would be good. The name was edgy, the description sounded interesting, the alcohol content was decent. And then I tried it. It tastes like the can it came in. A liquid version of apple sauce, with that dry sandpaper-tongue afterward. There's a bit of a sweet note right in the middle, but it leaves as quickly as it showed up. I kept trying to drink this to give it more of a chance, but every time I take a swig, I am instantly reminded why I shouldn't. Maybe we got a bad set of cans? Maybe it's just like this always. I'm honestly so sad about this one. I had such high hopes. I'm giving Blackthorn one thorny, lonely apple.

Sorry for the bad apple this week, guys and gals. Do you have any good ones we should be looking for? Let us know!

Happy Tasting,
- Rob & Liz

B. Nektar's Zombie Killer Cherry Cyser

You may think I spelled that wrong but it really is Cyser. And yes, it does say Zombie Killer. Although I may be getting ahead of myself. WE'RE BAAAAAACK! I was sick last week. As in hugging the porcelain throne for two days. Sorry for the visual. I'm all better, though. Hopefully you are all handling this cold and flu season better than I am. Thankfully Rob hasn't gotten sick (yet - knock on wood).

On to the cider! Zombie Killer comes to us from B. Nektar out of Ferndale, Michigan. Zombie Killer stumbles in at 6% alcohol by volume. What is Zombie Killer? Glad you asked. B. Nektar says:
An apple-honey wine with cherry juice added. Dedicated to the freaks and the geeks! What started as a top-secret experiment with Michigan honey, cherries and apple cider became a viral epidemic. It won't be easy to survive, so gram your weapons and don't forgt this bottle for backup! Serve cold... zombies hate the cold... B. WARE GRrrHaarrhUrrgh...

Since Rob has been so great while I was ill, he can go first. I know it's not a big deal, buuuut, let's just pretend it is.
Woo-hoo! Zombies! They're in these days, right? Anyways, this 'Cyser' was quite the treat. Out of the apple, cherry, and honey included in this cider, the cherry was subtle. I couldn't really taste it, but I can only assume it played a role in making this as delicious as it is. The apple flavor is nice and sweet with the honey that really neutralizes the tartness before it becomes overwhelming. I believe this one is best enjoyed as cold as possible, so drink it fast or over ice. As it warmed up, the iron became more prevalent. Still, I was very happy with this one and can't wait to pick it up again! 4 outta 5 reanimated apples from me.

As for me? I might have some different thoughts than Rob...
I think the cherry notes in this are great. They're prominent, but not overpowering. Unfortunately, with how sweet the  cherry, honey and the cider is, it's teetering on the edge of juice rather than a cider. I want to like this so much more, but the sweetness is just holding me back. I am going to give the Zombie Killer three solid apples.

If anyone has suggestions for something we haven't tried yet, let us know! We're always looking for some new ciders (duh, Liz).

Stay warm and Happy Tasting!
- Rob & Liz

Calling in sick...

Sorry guys and gals, we are going to have to take another bye week... Liz has been home from work the past couple of days with some kind of stomach bug. Adding alcohol would not yield a positive result. We'll be back next week unless it's contagious, in which case I will be sick. Let's hope not!

Happy Tasting!
-Liz & Rob

Thistly Cross Scottish Cider

Top of the morning to ya! Wait a minute, that's Irish, and we have Scottish cider this week. I screwed it up already! Sorry guys, it's not even morning... Either way, let's continue with the business at hand.

How's winter treating everyone? Anyone travel to some exotic places to escape the cold? Not me, I love the winter! However, the last vacation Liz and I traveled for was a great one. We've mentioned it before, but in 2012 we traveled over to the United Kingdom for a week. We spent half of our stay in England, and the other half in Scotland. The whole experience was amazing, but our time in Edinburgh, Scotland is something we yearn to return to as soon as we can! So when I was shopping around for this weeks cider, I was more than happy to bring a little bit of Scotland home with me.

This Scottish Cider from the Thistly Cross Cidershed comes to us from Dunbar, Scotland. It's imported for our drinking pleasure by USA Importer Orchard Gate in Raleigh, NC (thanks guys!). On the bottle, they keep it strictly business letting us know that this one packs a fair punch at 6.2% alcohol by volume. As you can see in the picture below, they do give you a little pamphlet about themselves and the brew you are about to enjoy. Here's a little bit of what they had to say about their Scottish Cider.
Thistly Cross is at the forefront of the craft cider movement in Britain, and the first and only Scottish cidermaker recognized by the Association of Cidermakers.
Thistly Cross Cider promises full and real fruit flavor. Brewed in small batches, we slow ferment our ciders for a strong taste profile, and mature for smoothness and a beautiful depth of color that varies from fruit to fruit, season to season.

I have a feeling that liz should go first because she talks about Scotland all the time. I'm sure she's more than excited to give this one a go:

Thistly Cross is definitely not thistly. It is so incredibly smooth, a bit heavy, a bit sweet, and has that almost caramel-like flavor of an almost perfectly fermented apple. Even with all of those fantastic things, I feel like it's missing something. I don't think it's quite sweet enough, maybe. It could use just a little bit of tartness. Pour me a tall one, because I think this is one of my favorite ciders I have ever tasted. I am giving Thistly Cross Scottish Cider 4.5 apples.  

Now it's my turn:

First thing I noticed is that Thistly Cross smells like a regular beer. It pours with the texture of a regular beer as well, but it is noticably sweeter. Another nice thing is that nothing about this one is overwhelming. Towards the end of the sip there is just a hint of iron and the tartness is mellow throughout the sip. I also get the impression that this cider could be enjoyed bottle after bottle and wouldn't be a problem at all. Being so smooth but heavy, Thistly Cross gets 4 outta 5 from me.

I guess everything from Scotland is having a lasting impression on us, find out if it does the same for you! There ya have it, another cider adventure in the books. Tune in next week and as always, drink responsibly. I'm going to go find some haggis to enjoy now...

Happy Tasting!

-Liz & Rob

Fox Barrel Blackberry Pear

Thank you! We can't say it enough. It doesn't matter if you're here every week, or here by accident. Family, friend, complete stranger, thank you. This past week we passed one thousand page views! At first I didn't really know if this was really going to work or if anyone was actually going to read these (you might just be here for the pictures), but thanks for stopping by. On to the business at hand.

If you live in the United States (shout-out to our readers in England, Russia, Germany, and a number of other countries) you're probably loving this polar vortex. Hopefully you've managed to thaw out long enough to enjoy some cider. This week we've got another offering from Fox Barrel. Tonight we find ourselves drinking their Blackberry Pear cider. The cider comes to us from Colfax, CA and it weighs in at 4.5% alcohol by volume. Fox Barrel has this to say about their brew:
Blackberry infused 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 infused with natural blackberry juice. With no added colorants, sugar, sorbate, or benzoate preservatives. No added malt, spirit, grape or apple alcohols. Naturally elegant, refreshingly adult with an authentic blackberry dark-fruit taste and a sweet-sharp fresh tang. Mouthwatering juicy complexity. Luscious pear-berry bouquet.

Let's move on to our own thoughts. Liz goes first, because it may be crazy cold outside, but no one is as cool as she is, or crazy...
It's tart, it's sweet, it's kind of dry… it is not what I expected, but it is totally refreshing. Going into this one I was not sure what to think. The other two Fox Barrels we did were such opposites. The tartness and sweetness really gets you right as you swallow, but the dry and fruity flavor sticks around. I think this would be great with dessert. Really, I'm just saying that because I want dessert. I give it 3 apples.

What did I have to say about Fox Barrel Blackberry Pear? Oh, how thoughtful, thanks for asking!
I honestly don't know what I was expecting going into this cider, but boy was I surprised. It's very, very sweet but I think it's delicious! The blackberry and pear are perfectly fused and become reminiscent of wine part of the way through your sip. It finishes smooth and leaves a small taste of blackberry on your tongue after you've gone a minute without a sip. I'm not saying I could spend a whole night chugging bottle after bottle of Fox Barrel, but one here or there would be nice. It's also worth mentioning that the bottle is very good looking and leaves me thinking, what does the fox drink? 3.5 apples outta 5 for me!

I hate to be all gushy but it really does mean a lot to both Liz and myself that you are visiting our blog, and we would love to hear from you as well. As always you can comment below, or email us at DeCidersblog@gmail.com. Once again, thanks a bunch and stop by every Wednesday night for more Cider Adventures!

Happy Tasting!
-Liz & Rob

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