Last week I tried a couple hard ciders we had at work. The first was Crispin, which cam in a clear, 12 oz bottle. It was almost flavorless and had no mouth feel. Next up was Blackthorn. It came in a 16 oz. can. Equally flavorless and thin. I would not purchase either of these. We also have Redds Apple Ale on tap. Tried that and was blown away! Lots of apple flavor and pretty sweet. Tasted like Martinellis to me. I highly suggest this one.
Commercial Hard Ciders
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Bittersharp
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Redds is beer, not cider. It has apple flavoring added. I'd look for smaller producer that don't use concentrate if you are looking for a more flavorful product. In your area, Julian Hard Cider or Tieton Cider Works are great places to start.
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I would buy Blackthorn before just about any other cider I've tried.
I just prefer dry, wine-like cinders over the Woodchucks and Hornsby's sugar bombs.
I just prefer dry, wine-like cinders over the Woodchucks and Hornsby's sugar bombs.
oljimmy
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I have some news for you: you may not actually like cider. 
oljimmy
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Randzor, that's not an occasion for sadness, that's a badge of honor! One day, after enough of us keep homebrewing and spreading the gospel, the big American producers will sit up and take notice.
I had an Angry Orchard Cinnfully Apple and I was actually fairly shocked that it had a fairly significant sulfur aroma to it. Tasted alright but the smell was still there...
Albionwood
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I dislike almost all commercial ciders since I started making my own. It turns out I like the dry stuff, and no commercial brewers make that
AMEN!!!
I shared some of my dry, tannic, slightly-funky ciders with some major-label cidermakers at the BBF camp last year, and one of them said, "Man, I wish we could make & sell stuff like this." Conventional wisdom in the business is that customers expect 'cider' to be sweet, so the big companies won't even try to market a dry cider. Yet.
I dislike almost all commercial ciders since I started making my own. It turns out I like the dry stuff, and no commercial brewers make that
You need to keep a lookout for this stuff:
There are some bone dry, very tasty ciders out there, if you look around a bit. I had some of this stuff last night, and it was quite good. Very dry, hints of sourness, refreshing and tasty. I feel like it might have benefited from some additional age, but it was still very good.
hunter_le five
Sheriff Underscore
Bingo.
I knew a lot of girls in college that loved cider.... with their idea of "cider" being alcoholic apple juice. If it tasted fermented or dry, they hated it. Dry cider has less appeal to the masses.
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Descender
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I have some news for you: you may not actually like cider.
I do like cider and appfel wine. Always have a 5 gallon batch going. I like them both sweet and dry, but I like them to taste like apples.
I really enjoy making and drinking apfelwein, and made around thirty gallons of cider from local sweet cider... but I still find myself drinking commercial now and then.
Woodchuck isnt as terrible as some say in my book, but it is pretty sweet and a bit boring.
I prefer Magner's, especially draft, served fairly cold.
Woodchuck isnt as terrible as some say in my book, but it is pretty sweet and a bit boring.
I prefer Magner's, especially draft, served fairly cold.
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Descender
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After mentioning this thread to the owner of the restaurant, he told me to get the Blackthorn "outta here". Gave me the rest of the case (20), for $10. Upon tasting it again, its not as bad as I had originally thought. Its got apple flavor, but I think it could use just a tad more sweetness. I'm stoked to have 50¢ 16 oz. cans of 6%. Will probably warm up to this...
Albionwood
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Taunton's Dry Blackthorn is one of the few commercial ciders I kind of like, even though it is a little sweet, it actually tastes like cider. If the label can be believed, it really IS cider, whereas most other commercial examples (sold in 12-oz) are mostly glucose wines with apple flavoring added.
But I've never seen TDB in cans, so perhaps that is a different product.
But I've never seen TDB in cans, so perhaps that is a different product.
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Descender
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Probably a different product. The ones I have just say BLACKTHORN on a mostly black can with a mustard yellow color towards the top. It's made by Gaymer Cider Co. Ltd, Kilver street, Shepton Mallet, UK.
It lists the ingredients as cider, glucose-fructose syrup, malic acid, color added.
Check out Samuel Smith's Organic cider. I've only found it in 550mL bottles in my area. It's great though. Then there's Strongbow, another 'dry english' cider.
Angry orchard(or their distributor) still have some QC issues as others have noted. I get bottles that taste sulfury or other wise 'off' but when I get it from draught it tastes great.
Hornsby's is another cider out there. I'm not a big fan of it but maybe you'll like it.
Angry orchard(or their distributor) still have some QC issues as others have noted. I get bottles that taste sulfury or other wise 'off' but when I get it from draught it tastes great.
Hornsby's is another cider out there. I'm not a big fan of it but maybe you'll like it.
That is a good one, but it's not really dry. It's medium sweet, like most English ciders.
thatjonguy
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I need to admit something: I like Angry Orchard on a crisp fall night from the can next to the fire pit.
I also like dry as hell apfelwein amd the aforementioned Sam Smith's and other English ciders.
I also like dry as hell apfelwein amd the aforementioned Sam Smith's and other English ciders.
Albionwood
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That "glucose-fructose syrup" is kind of a dead giveaway: it's not really cider, but a cider-flavored alco-pop.
WilliamSlayer
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Lol, and we all accept you and respect you for sharing with the group today jon! ;-) Anyone else feel like sharing today? (Glances around the circle of chairs)
Seriously though, the big BIG guys won't try to shake things up commercially. But AO, and some others are making good stuff. Keep trying ciders guys...and making awesome ones too!
Indeed.
chevalcider
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Just had some Crispin Artisanal Reserve Honey Crisp this weekend. Can't say I like it as much as my first batch of homebrew. It actually tasted a little like my cider about 5-6 days into primary fermentation. A little residual sugar and lacking full flavour. It might just be the honey that they added. I've never had a cyser so I don't know if that is how it is supposed to taste like.
I dislike almost all commercial ciders since I started making my own. It turns out I like the dry stuff, and no commercial brewers make that
Crowmoor Extra Dry is quite good.
chevalcider
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and in this case I think they named their cider "Honey Crisp" without any real Honey Crisp apple in it. They have used honey in the process rather than sugar. It was a cloudy cider and labeled as such.
Our local ciderworks, Distillery Lane in Maryland, grows cider varieties and makes dry cider, some oak aged, they even throw in some crabs. The stuff in a can is fun, but its kind of like wine coolers vs the real stuff. I guess they are to small to be considered along with AngryOrchard, might be a good thing WVMJ
WVMJI love the Farnum hill ciders! I make my own as dry as I can get them. I tried Ace last weekend and it was way, way too sweet.
WilliamSlayer
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They carry AO in Outback steakhouse now. Not my first choice, but better than nothing. Glad to see cider creeping into prominence.
Per their website, this is correct. They add honey, but no Honey Crisp apples. Considering the price HC apples demand, this seems to me like a rather underhanded marketing gimmick.
That is mightily underhanded! I picked up a quart of actual honey crisp apple cider at whole foods this weekend just to try it. I love those apples, but it don't think I would make a cider from them (or that juice, at least). I also have. I idea what other apples I would put it with. It was quite unique.
I agree. My earlier response did not take into account marketing b.s.
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Descender
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Angry Orchard Apple Ginger: this stuff is the closest thing to martinellis I've ever had. Sweet, with a slightly bitter finish. I don't taste any ginger at all. Only 5% abv, so not something I would try to catch a buzz off of.
alaskatammy
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Wow! I wonder if I'm outta my league here. I guess I like what I like! I like the commercial stuff (well, some of it). My tastes are evolving though. I'm hoping to be able to make some palatable stuff. I've been working my way through the liquor store coolers with ciders. I like the Woodchuck! Also like the Crispin Artisans- tried the honey & the saint. Also, like Angry Orchard. I bought a big bottle of the Icehouse/Iceman high abv stuff & I liked it. Helluva buzz too! I also bought Farmhouse Select (by the Woodcheck folks I think)- blech! Dry & not appley. I had to add a bit of apple juice to drink it.
My faves- are tha Canadian makers- Growers Brand (if you go for that pop taste- yummy!!!- love the pom) and I love the Okanagan. Anyone tried these? Higher abv, than what I find on my stateside shelves. And, personally, I want that. If I wanted apple juice- that's what I'd drink.
Now, how to copy that. Can the calculators be used backwards by entering the gravity & abv to help come up with a recipe?
My faves- are tha Canadian makers- Growers Brand (if you go for that pop taste- yummy!!!- love the pom) and I love the Okanagan. Anyone tried these? Higher abv, than what I find on my stateside shelves. And, personally, I want that. If I wanted apple juice- that's what I'd drink.
Now, how to copy that. Can the calculators be used backwards by entering the gravity & abv to help come up with a recipe?
mikeysab
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Most commercial varieties of cider are a disappointment. The honey crisp from crispin is good as is Farnum Hill and Strongbow. Magners is fine, but slightly sweeter than I care for. After trying Fox Barrel perry, I prefer it to commercial ciders. But nothing beats a homebrew cider. Juice, sugar and 3711 yeast. Dried out and delicious. For an occasional treat, I put a gallon on bourbon soaked oak. That doesn't last long at all.
ericbw
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To copy that, you're going to have to ferment it dry, then sweeten with more cider or juide; bottle carb and pasteurize it when it's carbonated (probably within days). There are lots of instructions on here for that, but follow the instructions or you'll get explosions. The easier (expensive) alternative is kegging.
Sweet, carbonated cider is hard to do.
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