Review #12: Ace Berry Hard Cider

Today marks the start of my weekend, and I'm kicking it off with an Ace Berry Hard Cider! This cider comes from the California Cider Company. I previously reviewed another one of their offerings, the Ace Apple Hard Cider, back in June. They also have pear, pumpkin, "joker," and honey apple ciders.

The California Cider Company makes Ace Berry by mixing raspberry, blackberry and strawberry juice into their fermented apple cider. It comes in a 22oz bottle and has 5% ABV. I drank the cider from the tumbler below.

Appearance: Ace Berry pours a clear apricot color with a light stream of bubbles. No foam on top and no head.

Smell: The nose on this cider is not very strong. I detected a slight white wine aroma, and the scent of juicy apples. Not much going on here.

Taste: Honestly, this doesn't taste alcoholic. I can definitely taste the apple base, and a little bit of the raspberry flavor. To me, Ace Berry tastes a lot like Wyder's Raspberry Cider.

Mouthfeel: Very lightly carbonated. Ace Berry has a medium body with a fairly high sugar content, and low acidity.

Overall: Not bad. Nothing too special, but I would buy it again if it was on sale. A little too sweet and not much complexity in the flavor for my liking. I didn't read the label very carefully and expected a blackberry cider, and this is a mixed cider instead. So far, the California Cider Company has yet to wow me, but I will likely try their other offerings in the future.

Review #10: Clos des Ducs Premium Hard Cider

Clos des Ducs is a fermented apple cider from Brittany, France. It has 5% ABV and comes in a 11.8oz/330ml bottle. It does not have any added sugars, but appears to have had its sweetness bumped up from the addition of concentrated apple juice. I enjoyed this cider from my usual pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a cloudy dark orange with a small amount of whitish fizz on top. The dark color was fairly surprising. My photo makes it appear clearer and lighter than it was. I'm still working on my lighting and photography
Smell: Apples, straw, must, sweet fruit, plenty of apple peel smell on the nose.
Taste: Sweet, juicy apple. Slightly astringent. It leaves the taste of yeast on the back palate, but finishes sweet.
Mouthfeel: Lightly carbonated and thick.
Overall: I liked this cider. It reminds me of a slightly more complex Martinelli's, the taste of which brings to mind Thanksgivings at home with my family. My final verdict is that it's not bad, but nothing terribly exciting either. I think there are more interesting ciders out there, but I enjoyed sampling this one.

Review #4: Ace Apple Hard Cider

TGIF, everybody! It's been a very long week, and I'm glad to present you all with a new review.

Today's brew of choice is Ace Hard Apple Cider, from the California Cider Company. This is my first time trying this particular cider. It is made in California from fermented apple juice and has a 5% ABV.

I poured the cider into a conical pint glass. The cider is clear, and a very pale yellow color, with no head. It is lightly carbonated with a wine-like smell.

The flavor is a sweet, crisp, light apple-y flavor. Yes, that sounds like I'm stating the obvious. Ace tastes like fresh apples. This cider is simple, and simply presented.

While the flavor is good, the mouthfeel of this one was very syrupy. About 3/4 the way into the cider, the sweetness became overbearing. I'm really not sure how this cider does that at only 8g of sugar per bottle, which is less than most other ciders I've had. The syrupy sweetness of this cider places this one firmly in the "pass next time" category for me.

I'm excited to present some more gluten-free reviews for you guys next week, and will be making a trip to the bottle shop to pick up the next round of brews tomorrow!

Review #2: Crispin The Saint Hard Apple Cider

The Saint is made by Crispin Hard Cider Company. It is from their Artisanal Reserve line, and boasts the addition of Belgian trappist yeast and organic maple syrup. I'll admit, I've had this cider a handful of times in the past, and it's one of my favorites. Today, I bought one specifically so that I could write a review for my readers. :)

The Saint comes in a 22oz bottle sitting at a hefty 6.9% ABV. It is made from unfiltered and fermented apple juice, which is what gives it the cloudy appearance you see in the photo above. The cider has a deep golden yellow color and is moderately carbonated with no head. It has a subtle yeasty smell right after opening that goes away after sitting a bit. 

The Saint has a complex flavor that is well-balanced and unfussy. It is a bit winey at the start, finishing with a fresh apple flavor. It is crisp on the palate with a bit of a tang. My only complaint is that I can't really taste or smell the maple syrup in it.

This cider is not too sweet, something I definitely appreciate. The Saint is easy to drink, delicious from beginning to end, and packs a little punch with its higher alcohol content. Overall, this cider is a win in my book.