I have three posts left (including today's) to see it off. I'll have my annual Vincent Price-esque post next time (no AI is used in its making!), followed by the Halloween post proper. But first, we have to get to the only ciders I'm doing up this month. Out of the four varieties in the Thriller Pack, these are the two I wanted to write about. Without further ado: Angry Orchard's Blood Orange and Headless Pumpkin.

Angry Orchard doesn't have an "About" page, but they do have a spot on their FAQ page about their name. Their cider makers noticed that the best cider apples looks a little rough, a little angry, if you will. And there you have it. I'll also quickly point out that the cidery's based out of Walden, NY and they're owned by the Boston Beer Company (who owns Sam Adams and my once-beloved Dogfish Head).

Like I said earlier, Blood Orange and Headless Pumpkin are both part of the Thriller Pack. I love that Jason Voorhees' mask graces Blood Orange (it's just a cool collab) and I'm all about The Legend of Sleepy Hollow callbacks in my Halloweeny brews. 

We're doing these up a can at a time, starting with Blood Orange. This is billed as a 5% ABV cider with "...apple [duh], honeysuckle, and bold citrus flavor." The provided nutrition facts list it as having 160 Calories.

The first waft from my can gives me orange and honey, mingling pleasantly. A second provides a slightly more over-powering orange but, honestly, it's still a fine bouquet. Layered beneath is the apple (duh). Melba gave my can three quick whiffs. Maybe she's picking up on something I'm not.

My initial swig lets me know why Melba thinks what she does about the cider. The blood orange in Blood Orange is big and bold, and not something I'm keen on in a cider. When combined with the apple in the can, I'm getting heavy "chugging orange juice immediately after brushing your teeth" flavors. Jason might like this, but I'm not too sure I do.

The mouthfeel's fine. It's light, crisp, and quaffable. A standard American canned cider. Nothing to write home about, but nothing to complain about, either.

Turning now to Headless Pumpkin, it's a cider with apple, vanilla, pumpkin, "...and buttery pie crust." It also rings in at 5% ABV but is 170 Calories.

This nose is closer to what I want from a Halloween cider. There's apple, sure, but it mixes perfectly with the pumpkin and pumpkin pie toppings. Each waft is warmer and richer than the last. I'm really impressed with the bouquet, especially after finishing my can of Blood Orange. Melba, again, only gave my can three whiffs. Maybe she's not a cider girlie.

The pumpkin and vanilla rush to the fore of my first swig, closely followed by the apple and that graham cracker crust. I'll hand it to Angry Orchard: The billing for the cider's spot-on. But there's a near-cloying sweetness to the whole affair that brings it down a notch or two. It's a good cider, just not the best pumpkin cider I've ever had.

Like with its brother, Headless Pumpkin's mouthfeel is fine. It's the minimum I expect, which is all I could ask for.

We went to an orchard yesterday to pick apples. We had to take a hayride out to the trees and we spent a fun morning munching fruit and filling up a half-bushel. It was chilly but sunny. A great send off to the season before Halloween comes rolling through. Despite my feelings on these ciders, they (especially Headless Apple) would've been perfect sippers for the occasion.

I drastically prefer one of these to the other. Angry Orchard's Blood Orange is a 5.0/10 cider and, despite being the flagship for the Thriller Pack, is the weakest of the bunch. Headless Pumpkin, on the other hand, nets an 8.0/10. It's a good cider that'd be even better if it weren't so damn sweet. I don't think it's worth you getting the whole pack, but if you have a buddy who did maybe you could snag a Headless Pumpkin from them.