The maple train keeps a-rolling this month. Today, we're looking at one of two maple ciders I have slated for Maple Month '24. I found this single can nestled in the shelves of a nearby bottleshop some few months back. Pleased to see it (I hadn't had much luck in finding maple beers or ciders for this year), I immediately grabbed it and headed to the checkout.
That cider is (as you probably deduced from the title of this post) 1911 Established's Maple Bourbon Barrel Aged Hard Cider. I'm going into my can with no prior experience regarding the cider itself or the cidery. Here's hoping its worth my initial excitement!
That cider is (as you probably deduced from the title of this post) 1911 Established's Maple Bourbon Barrel Aged Hard Cider. I'm going into my can with no prior experience regarding the cider itself or the cidery. Here's hoping its worth my initial excitement!
I'm sick today. Not COVID-19-sick (I took a test as soon as I woke up) but the kind of sick that indicates you really need to stay home from work, get some rest, drink plenty of fluids, and listen to some pleasant tunes.
Well, I've done all of that. And, for the moment, my symptoms are somewhat subsided. Even if they weren't, I can still taste and smell just fine. So I figure, why not keep this resting train a-rolling and break into my next can of mapley goodness?
Today, I'll be cracking into a can of Farmhaus Cider's Brunch. Let's see how its drinking on this warm November evening.
Can you believe that it's been nearly six months since I've discussed a cider on the blog? Truth be told, I haven't had much cider (apart from some homebrew) in that time. Now that spring's sprung and I'm looking forward to blossoms adorning my apple trees (hopefully they finally fruit this year), I have cider on my mind.
Luckily Rhinegeist's Cidergeist brand seems to have just the thing for me in Bloom, a cider bursting with springtime-inspired floral notes. Let's see how it's drinking on this fine Easter Sunday.
Do you remember back in January when I discussed a beer from Breakside Brewery? If so, you may recall that my buddy from Portland, OR brought it as well as another bottle. In the post, I mentioned that I'd save that second bottle for a time closer to Halloween since it was pumpkiny.
Well, I'm breaking into that second bottle now. All the way from Oregon, we have 2 Towns Ciderhouse's Hollow Jack'd. It's been aging in my cellar since January with a bottling date of "1910HWJ07" (which I'm choosing to interpret as October 7th, 2019). Let's see how the bottle's drinking a year and a week after being bottled.
This is it--the culmination of my COVID-19-induced Tales from the Cellar series. I'm now working from my office more often than I'm not. In July I'll be back there full hours. The pandemic's still with us, and likely will be for some time, but (I really hope) we can manage it. If not, I guess I'll be back with More Tales from the Cellar. For now, though, I'm taking time to ease back into life in the safest way I'm able while also replenishing my dwindled beer reserves.
But, today's post isn't a beer. No, this is the first and only Tales for the Cellar entry to feature a cider. I have no idea how old this bottle is, but I can tell you that I've had it in my possession since December 2018. We were visiting family in Michigan for the holidays then and I convinced my dad to swing us by South Haven's McIntosh Apple Orchards' Wine Cellar to sample some of their wares. I came back with two bottles of cider: a dry and a semi-dry. I drank the semi-dry with my father-in-law some time back and, well, now the dry's what's left.
But, today's post isn't a beer. No, this is the first and only Tales for the Cellar entry to feature a cider. I have no idea how old this bottle is, but I can tell you that I've had it in my possession since December 2018. We were visiting family in Michigan for the holidays then and I convinced my dad to swing us by South Haven's McIntosh Apple Orchards' Wine Cellar to sample some of their wares. I came back with two bottles of cider: a dry and a semi-dry. I drank the semi-dry with my father-in-law some time back and, well, now the dry's what's left.
The subject of today's post is special to me. You see, it's been that personal white whale I've been chasing for years. I can now say I've finally caught it.
Woodchuck's Private Reserve Pumpkin was a beverage that was strange to me. I stumbled upon those stark orange and black bottles soon after I started drinking. I had only recently had the cidery's Fall Harvest (which has since been renamed to Spiced Apple) and fallen in love with it. While I was still hesitant to try beers with pumpkin in them, I figured a pumpkin cider might be up my alley. So, I took the plunge and bought the expensive sixer of the stuff at my local Kroger.
That sixer was a catalyst for me. I hated the cider. But, I figured there had to be something to it. Surely, they wouldn't take such care to make it and sell it at such an high price if it was bad! That cider is what got me to work on improving my taste when it came to cider and beer, an effort which led directly into the creation of this blog. A year later, when I was ready to try Private Reserve Pumpkin again, it was gone. After that initial year, I never saw the stuff again. I was heartbroken.
Fast-forward eight years. I was walking around one of my local bottleshops and had to suppress a squeal when I saw a stack of Woodchuck Pumpkin sixers. Sure the packaging was different (and it was a few bucks cheaper), but that didn't matter. I knew it had to be the triumphant return of that cider I'd despised so long ago. I added it to my cart and squirreled it away until today, when I'm finally able to make a post about it. So, here we are: Pumpkin.
Woodchuck's Private Reserve Pumpkin was a beverage that was strange to me. I stumbled upon those stark orange and black bottles soon after I started drinking. I had only recently had the cidery's Fall Harvest (which has since been renamed to Spiced Apple) and fallen in love with it. While I was still hesitant to try beers with pumpkin in them, I figured a pumpkin cider might be up my alley. So, I took the plunge and bought the expensive sixer of the stuff at my local Kroger.
That sixer was a catalyst for me. I hated the cider. But, I figured there had to be something to it. Surely, they wouldn't take such care to make it and sell it at such an high price if it was bad! That cider is what got me to work on improving my taste when it came to cider and beer, an effort which led directly into the creation of this blog. A year later, when I was ready to try Private Reserve Pumpkin again, it was gone. After that initial year, I never saw the stuff again. I was heartbroken.
Fast-forward eight years. I was walking around one of my local bottleshops and had to suppress a squeal when I saw a stack of Woodchuck Pumpkin sixers. Sure the packaging was different (and it was a few bucks cheaper), but that didn't matter. I knew it had to be the triumphant return of that cider I'd despised so long ago. I added it to my cart and squirreled it away until today, when I'm finally able to make a post about it. So, here we are: Pumpkin.
Happy Spooky Finger Puppet Ghost Month! Yeah, I know that October fist was yesterday and, while I would've loved to get my first Halloween post up then, it wasn't meant to be. The good news is that the blog will be incredibly busy this month (see everything I have slated for it over on my Instagram) and I hope you'll join me for all of it!
Today, I'm taking a look at ACE Cider's ACE Pumpkin (Pumpkin, henceforth). I've seen this on shelves since moving to Cincinnati (so, starting in 2014, although I'd bet it's been around longer than that) and I'm happy to finally give it a spot on the blog. Let's see how it fares.
Today, I'm taking a look at ACE Cider's ACE Pumpkin (Pumpkin, henceforth). I've seen this on shelves since moving to Cincinnati (so, starting in 2014, although I'd bet it's been around longer than that) and I'm happy to finally give it a spot on the blog. Let's see how it fares.
For my wedding, my groomsmen and I all brewed special ciders. Mine contained Anaheim peppers and peanut butter. It looked awful as it fermented (it cleared before bottling), and it smelled not so great. But man, you could taste the peanut butter and feel the smack of heat from the pepper. I loved it.
In February, I went to visit one of my groomsmen in Austin, TX. On my first night there, he took me to a slew of local breweries. One of our stops was at Fairweather Cider Co., and the flight I got contained a taster of one Tejano Dreams (complete with phenomenal chile flavor)--I was astounded by it on tap and knew immediately that we'd have to swing by the joint again before I left so I could grab some cans of the stuff to bring back with me for a proper blogpost.
That time--after, what, three and a half months?--has finally come. So, here we go.
In February, I went to visit one of my groomsmen in Austin, TX. On my first night there, he took me to a slew of local breweries. One of our stops was at Fairweather Cider Co., and the flight I got contained a taster of one Tejano Dreams (complete with phenomenal chile flavor)--I was astounded by it on tap and knew immediately that we'd have to swing by the joint again before I left so I could grab some cans of the stuff to bring back with me for a proper blogpost.
That time--after, what, three and a half months?--has finally come. So, here we go.
I've been holding onto this can for months, waiting for the right time to crack it open and share my thoughts. Unfortunately, plenty of those right times have come and gone when I've just been too damn busy to do anything.
Tonight that ends; I'm finally making time for this post.
I love the idea of adding coffee to hard cider--apple and coffee are two flavors that work super well together that rarely get any attention. The third cider I ever brewed on my own was a boozy dry cider with some homemade cold brew steeped into it (I also added some hazelnut extract). The result was an intensely satisfying summer drink that I named Purrline Ann, after my trusty four-pawed sidekick. According to my brother (who drank the last existent bottle of the stuff), the cider soured eventually, adding another, wholly unexpected, layer of awesomeness to it.
When Blake's announced that they were making a coffee cider I just about lost it. I stopped into my local bottleshop weekly after that announcement, hoping that I'd find this then-latest Kinder Cider offering on the shelves. Eventually, I did. Let's find out together if it's worthy of my self-imposed hype.
Tonight that ends; I'm finally making time for this post.
I love the idea of adding coffee to hard cider--apple and coffee are two flavors that work super well together that rarely get any attention. The third cider I ever brewed on my own was a boozy dry cider with some homemade cold brew steeped into it (I also added some hazelnut extract). The result was an intensely satisfying summer drink that I named Purrline Ann, after my trusty four-pawed sidekick. According to my brother (who drank the last existent bottle of the stuff), the cider soured eventually, adding another, wholly unexpected, layer of awesomeness to it.
When Blake's announced that they were making a coffee cider I just about lost it. I stopped into my local bottleshop weekly after that announcement, hoping that I'd find this then-latest Kinder Cider offering on the shelves. Eventually, I did. Let's find out together if it's worthy of my self-imposed hype.
This is a post that, unbeknownst to you, can trace its roots back to February. See, during my bachelor party, my guys and I decided to brew some ciders that we'd crack into the night before the wedding. We all got our own ingredients and concocted some of the coolest cider's I've ever had. I was charged with keeping the stuff as it fermented and bottling it once it was all done.
My groomsmen all made rad ciders--with berries and teas and rose hips--but, since I'm me, I went with something out of left field. My cider had peanut butter and anaheim peppers. The final ABV of it clocked in over 8%.
I took it upon myself to sample my cider while bottling it. I was astounded by it--it was good! Who would've thought it? I posted about it on social media and one of my buddies from high school shot me a message. At the time, he worked for Probar, a food company that makes organic, non-GMO bars and nut butters. Having seen my post about the crazy cider I'd made, he wondered if I'd be interested in making some other crazy ciders with Probar goods. I agreed in an instant.
I came home from work a short time later to find a package from Probar waiting for me. It contained peanut butter, sriracha peanut butter, coconut almond butter, coconut almond bites, and chocolate coconut meal bars. A few days later I ran out to get some peppers, yeast, and pasteurized organic apple juice. Now, months later, I'm finally able to break into these ciders to see how they turned out. And you, lucky you!, get to follow along with me.
My groomsmen all made rad ciders--with berries and teas and rose hips--but, since I'm me, I went with something out of left field. My cider had peanut butter and anaheim peppers. The final ABV of it clocked in over 8%.
I took it upon myself to sample my cider while bottling it. I was astounded by it--it was good! Who would've thought it? I posted about it on social media and one of my buddies from high school shot me a message. At the time, he worked for Probar, a food company that makes organic, non-GMO bars and nut butters. Having seen my post about the crazy cider I'd made, he wondered if I'd be interested in making some other crazy ciders with Probar goods. I agreed in an instant.
I came home from work a short time later to find a package from Probar waiting for me. It contained peanut butter, sriracha peanut butter, coconut almond butter, coconut almond bites, and chocolate coconut meal bars. A few days later I ran out to get some peppers, yeast, and pasteurized organic apple juice. Now, months later, I'm finally able to break into these ciders to see how they turned out. And you, lucky you!, get to follow along with me.
If it's not apparent by now, let me spell this out for you. I adore Armada, MI's Blake's Hard Cider Company. Sure, quick search of this blog will only turn up 4 hits, excluding this post, from the cidery. But that's a fraction of what I've had from the place (like, less than 1/2). When I see a Blake's on store shelves I haven't tried I pick it up, bring it home, and drink it. Each and every time. I haven't had anything anywhere near a bad cider from those Michigan boys.
So, you know what I did when I saw Grizzly Pear--the company's new year-round offering--on store shelves? I picked it up, brought it home, and drank it. That's right, dear readers. This isn't a blind review (to be honest, blind reviews on the blog are few and far between these days). But never fear, because I promise to showcase my raw, honest thoughts here, regardless of how many cans of this cider I've already consumed. I always give my raw honest thoughts.
So, you know what I did when I saw Grizzly Pear--the company's new year-round offering--on store shelves? I picked it up, brought it home, and drank it. That's right, dear readers. This isn't a blind review (to be honest, blind reviews on the blog are few and far between these days). But never fear, because I promise to showcase my raw, honest thoughts here, regardless of how many cans of this cider I've already consumed. I always give my raw honest thoughts.
This is my brother's girlfriend's favorite cider. She was going to have my brother get me some for Christmas, but something went awry and that never panned out. Instead, she ended up getting me some Blake's, specifically a Cyser (Blake's' honey cider)--it was super good.
While she couldn't get me Newton Folly's Authentic Draft Cider, she told me where to find it: Trader Joe's. I went and picked up a sixer (it was roughly $7) and dove in. I had no idea what I was expecting. After trying it, I saw some pretty not good things about the cider online. But I drank Authentic anyway. And now, here I am at my last bottle (I decided to crack it open before snapping a picture, so please excuse my lack of a bottle cap shot). Do I think it's as bad as everyone else?
While she couldn't get me Newton Folly's Authentic Draft Cider, she told me where to find it: Trader Joe's. I went and picked up a sixer (it was roughly $7) and dove in. I had no idea what I was expecting. After trying it, I saw some pretty not good things about the cider online. But I drank Authentic anyway. And now, here I am at my last bottle (I decided to crack it open before snapping a picture, so please excuse my lack of a bottle cap shot). Do I think it's as bad as everyone else?
New year, new me. Well, not really. But kind of. I'm nearly done with school (which'll hopefully mean that I'll have more mental energy to dedicate to the blog, which is nice) and (here's another hopefully) I'lll transition smoothly into a ~career~.
What better way to signify and celebrate all of that than with the successor to one of my favorite ciders? I'm consistently impressed with everything Blake's produces and I believe that Archimedes will continue that trend. But, the question is, how does it hold up to Wayward Winter's standard?
What better way to signify and celebrate all of that than with the successor to one of my favorite ciders? I'm consistently impressed with everything Blake's produces and I believe that Archimedes will continue that trend. But, the question is, how does it hold up to Wayward Winter's standard?
Have you seen The Witch? I have. And I think it's dang good. Then, sometime months and months and months ago (shortly after I saw the movie for first time), Blake's announced an autumny cider based upon one if its characters: Black Phillip, who is a goat (well, in a manner of speaking--I don't want to spoil the flick for those of you who haven't seen it).
After Blake's' announcement, I constantly monitored the cidery for updates on Black Phillip's release. And then, finally, it happened. And I search for it here. After finding nothing, I waited patiently and search again. And again. And again. But to no avail. I even looked in Michigan grocery stores (Blake's is based in Armada, MI). Still no luck.
Then, during my vacation last month, long after I had given up all hope of finding the cider, I spotted it on the bottom of a shelving unit in the Athens, OH Kroger. Without a second thought I snatched up a sixer. I've been drinking it steadily since then, but wanted to save my final can of it for the full John Likes Beer treatment. Is it good? Well, if you'll let me spoil it in advanced of the full review below, yes. Now you'll have to read on just find out how good it is.
After Blake's' announcement, I constantly monitored the cidery for updates on Black Phillip's release. And then, finally, it happened. And I search for it here. After finding nothing, I waited patiently and search again. And again. And again. But to no avail. I even looked in Michigan grocery stores (Blake's is based in Armada, MI). Still no luck.
Then, during my vacation last month, long after I had given up all hope of finding the cider, I spotted it on the bottom of a shelving unit in the Athens, OH Kroger. Without a second thought I snatched up a sixer. I've been drinking it steadily since then, but wanted to save my final can of it for the full John Likes Beer treatment. Is it good? Well, if you'll let me spoil it in advanced of the full review below, yes. Now you'll have to read on just find out how good it is.
I'm excited for this review. I've been excited ever since I went to one of my local beer/cider suppliers to pick out my next brew. I like hard cider. I like spiced chai tea. This cider is billed as having both. Therefore, thanks to the transitive property of equality, I should like it (that's how that works, right?).
Now, before I get into the post proper, please let me take a moment to say that I did not go into the last few brews I've discussed blindly--I'd had them before. I had not run through them with the fine-tooth comb that is the John Likes Beer treatment. But, more or less, I knew what I was getting. The Dude's Rug, I am pleased to announce, is a completely new experience for me. What you're about to read is my 100% first impression (look forward to similar firsts with the next handful of posts I have lined up).
Now, before I get into the post proper, please let me take a moment to say that I did not go into the last few brews I've discussed blindly--I'd had them before. I had not run through them with the fine-tooth comb that is the John Likes Beer treatment. But, more or less, I knew what I was getting. The Dude's Rug, I am pleased to announce, is a completely new experience for me. What you're about to read is my 100% first impression (look forward to similar firsts with the next handful of posts I have lined up).
I had Wayward Winter once, a year ago, at a craft brewing festival somewhere along the coast of Lake Michigan. I was there for a weekend visiting family and taking a short vacation from work. My mom and dad thought that checking out the festival would be fun--it was. Trying new beer is always a blast. However, a lot of the beer was pretty average. There were a few cider companies there too, and the majority of these were fairly average, as well.
I did find a single, brightly shining light, though: Armada's Blake's Hard Cider Company. I only had enough tickets left to snag one of their styles. I chose Wayward Winter; I had seen people carrying around glass of a mysterious red liquid and as soon as I discovered it was offered by Blake's, I had to have it. I was not disappointed. I discovered a sourness with a distinctly maple quality.
Later, I learned that Blake's was distributing cans of their ciders--but only in Michigan. I was bummed that Wayward Winter was a seasonal brew, but happy grab a six-pack of their cider whenever I was in the state. When I saw on their Facebook that Wayward Winter was once again available, I begged my parents to grab me a bottle when they went up to visit my mom's relatives. Much to my surprise, they gifted me six twenty-two-ounce bottles of the stuff for Christmas (my dad said they bought all that the store had!). Is it as good as I remember?
Believe it or not summer seems to be winding down here in Cincinnati. After a good three months of incredibly, unbearably hot days the mornings finally have a chill to them.
I take all of this as a very good sign. Summer can pack its bags and leave. Autumn is the best season, and has the best beers (some of which have already hit the market and have taken refuge in my fridge, where I've picked them off one by one).
In all my rush to enjoy fall and its brews to the fullest, I let something fall behind. Luckily I realized it a few weeks ago and plan to correct my mistake today. With this post, I'm discussing my absolute favorite summer seasonal: Woodchuck's Summer Time.
I take all of this as a very good sign. Summer can pack its bags and leave. Autumn is the best season, and has the best beers (some of which have already hit the market and have taken refuge in my fridge, where I've picked them off one by one).
In all my rush to enjoy fall and its brews to the fullest, I let something fall behind. Luckily I realized it a few weeks ago and plan to correct my mistake today. With this post, I'm discussing my absolute favorite summer seasonal: Woodchuck's Summer Time.
In my very first post, in which I laid out my hopes for this blog, I said I enjoyed hard cider. I'm at a point in my life where I'm purchasing beer and cider in equal quantities; one week I'll buy a pack of beer and the next I'll pick up some cider. This is my fourth real post, so I figure it's time I actually talk about this stuff.
Tonight I'm drinking Woodchuck (but you knew that already because you read the title, right?). I love Woodchuck for their "special" ciders such as their seasonals, special reserves, cellar series, and more lately (since it's been introduced) their Out on a Limb series. Truth be told, if I'm drinking a traditional non-special hard cider, I'd sooner reach for an Angry Orchard or Johnny Appleseed, but when it comes to taking chances on something crazy and unique, Woodchuck does it in style.
Woodchuck's been brewing cider since 1991. I swear I read on their Facebook page once that they kickstarted the US cider revolution, which is impressive (and something that I'd believe. I was only one at the time, but it seems like I didn't start seeing hard cider places until the mid-2000s)*. Still, Woodchuck wasn't on my radar until I saw it in my RA's mini fridge during my sophomore year at Ohio University. The brand's name stuck in my head and when I turned 21, roughly a year later, Woodchuck was one of the alcoholic beverages I bought when I drove to Kroger on my first beer run.
What I'm drinking right now, Cheeky Cherry, is part of the company's Out on a Limb series. Out on a Limb came about in October 2014 as a way for the brewer to get some of its more experimental (some may say "risky") brews into consumer hands. Every few months the kind of cider offered in the series switches. As far as consumers know, once the style is gone it won't return. I never tried Chocolate Raspberry, the series' first offering, but it's second, Spitter Splinter, was delicious. It was sour but had distinct notes of bourbon (probably because it was aged in bourbon barrels).
The series' third and most recent offering, Cheeky Cherry, hit store shelves at the beginning of February (when many Woodchuck fans were still bemoaning the loss of the Chocolate Raspberry). Once I learned it was out I made my way to my neighborhood Kroger (because it sells Out on a Limb on the cheap: $7.50 for a sixer) to nab it. Upon tasting it, I'm not disappointed.
Purrl is disappointed, though. She only gave it 4 sniffs. I guess she doesn't like sour stuff.
Her nose is right: it's sour. But not too much. The story on the bottle implies that Cheeky Cherry is meant to pucker one's cheeks into perfect selfie taking form. It's not doing that for me, but I have a pretty high tolerance for sour things.
 |
| I'm basically Sheen. |
Where I am detecting cherry is in the cider's body. Normally I don't write about body because I'm a strong believer in consuming brews the way they are presented--straight from the bottle (or, at times, can). This cider's an exception to that rule simply because of how pronounced the body is. Even through the amber bottle I can see that the cider's red. That's awesome.
Flavor-wise, it's a lot more green apple than cherry up front. The cherry really only makes its presence known in the aftertaste (I should note that it's also there if you hold a swig in your mouth for a little bit, but the aftertaste is really where the flavor of hits hardest).
Cheeky Cherry is incredibly bubbly, which seems to belie its 5.5% ABV. It almost has a soda-level carbonation. Almost. The sourness coats one's cheeks and sticks around long after a swig's been swallowed.
I lived across the street from a Speedway the summer between completing my bachelors degree and returning to school for my masters. The gas station was running a "Summer of Fountain Fun" (or something) promotion where any sized fountain drink could be had for a buck. I would routinely get an extra-large Speedy Freeze that was half Coke and half cherry-flavored. It was always a deep red color and the cherry was alway there as an aftertaste to the Coke. Those Speedy Freezes and that summer are what this decidedly winter-only release brings to mind. It was a good summer full of hanging out at bars with friends and living off of part-time minimum wage.
Purrl's nuts. Woodchuck Hard Cider's Cheeky Cherry is really good. A treat, if you will (and if you like sour things). Should you find it, I'd suggest you pick it up. It nets an 9.0/10 from me and if your interested in it you need to act fast--it'll only be available for a few months!
*Absolutely none of the facts contained within this sentence were checked and I could just be making all of it up (but I don't think so).
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