Review: Crispin Rose Hard Cider
Crispin Rose Hard Cider was recently introduced. Founders Joe and Lesley Heron started making cider in Minnesota in 2004 after moving to the US from South Africa. In 2010 they acquired Fox Barrel Cider and moved all production to the Colfax California. In 2012 they were acquired by Miller-Coors. Today the Heron’s craft Copper and Kings American Brandy. Crispin Rose is the second of four Rose flavored ciders that have either been recently released or will be released shortly. Why? Rose wine sales grew 40% in 2017. Crispin also sites a Nielsen study that showed Crispin Cider drinkers consumed four times as much wine as cider. Crispin Rose is naturally fermented using raw unpasteurized juice of fresh pressed apples and pears through classic cold fermentation, and specially selected wine yeasts. Rose is bottled at 5% ABV and sold in 6 packs of 12 oz. bottles. Read more 
Review: Angry Orchard Rose Cider
Angry Orchard Rose Cider is one of six year round varieties in their Core Line of hard ciders. The others include Crisp Apple, Green Apple, Easy Apple, Pear Cider, and Stone Dry. American Orchard Rose is made from Gala, Fuji, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, and Granny Smith apples grown on their 60 acre apple orchard in Walden New York, and Red Flushed apples sourced from France. Cane sugar, sweet potato, radish, and hibiscus also appear on the bottles ingredient list. The Crist family took ownership of the Walden orchard in the heart of the Hudson Valley in 1963 and have been leaders in the apple growing industry growing both culinary and bittersweet cider apples. This is where the majority of the domestic apples used to craft Angry Orchard are sourced from. Read more
Review: Bold Rock Pear Hard Cider
Bold Rock Pear Hard Cider was introduced November 2014. At the time it was their seventh variety of hard cider, and first produced with a second fruit. They have since added a peach and honeydew flavor. Bold Rock Pear is crafted with Taylors Gold, Packham, and Doyenne du Comice pears grown on the Hawkes Bay Orchard of New Zealand, and local apples grown in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The pears are freshly pressed in New Zealand and the juice is shipped to Bold Rocks production facility in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Read more
Review: Bold Rock Carolina Apple Hard Cider
Bold Rock Carolina Apple Hard Cider is one of 10 hard cider varieties crafted at their cider barn in Nellysford Virginia and the Mills River Cidery just outside of Asheville North Carolina. Bold Rock produced their first cider in 2012 and today they are the largest independently owned craft cider company in the US. Bold Rock Carolina Apple is crafted from apples grown in orchards in the Blue Ridge mountains. Read more
Review: Bold Rock Peach Hard Cider
Bold Rock Peach Hard Cider is one of 10 hard cider varieties crafted at their Cider Barn in Nellysford Virginia, and Mills River Cidery just outside Asheville North Carolina. The Bold Rock Hard Cider Company was formed when John Washburn who owned 50 acres of farmland in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Central Virginia reached out to Brian Shanks to see if the New Zealand native and cider expert would be interested in producing a hard cider from locally grown Virginia apples. The two became friends and their first cidery opened in 2012. Bold Rock Peach Hard Cider is crafted with a hard apple cider base made from the juice of locally grown apples. Natural flavors including juice from yellow peaches are blended before bottling at 4.7%. Read more
Review: Strongbow Cherry Blossom Hard Cider
Strongbow Cherry Blossom Hard Cider was introduced in 6 packs in April and it will soon replace Red Berries in the Strongbow variety 12 packs. Strongbow is the worlds number one selling hard cider. The Strongbow brand was launched in England in 1962 and it was acquired by Heineken in 2008. The apples used to create Strongbow Cider are grown to produce cider and nothing else. Once harvested the apples are washed and crushed and the pure juice is extracted. After fermentation and filtering natural cherry blossom flavors and color are blended with the cider. Read more
Review: Ciderboys Royal Blueberry
Ciderboys Royal Blueberry was just released. It is one of seven seasonal hard ciders crafted at the Stevens Point Brewery in Steven Point Wisconsin. They also brew 2 year round ciders. It is available June 1 – August 30. Royal Blueberry blends pure apple juice from Washington state apples with blueberry juice along with a special hard cider yeast from France. The mix is fermented at cool temperatures for two weeks in stainless steel tanks and then filtered before bottling at 5% alcohol. Read more
Review: Woodchuck Day Chaser Semi Dry Cider
Woodchuck Day Chaser Semi Dry Cider was introduced in March and it is the newest member of their year round Core Ciders. Their Core Line includes Amber, Hopsation, Gumption, Granny Smith, 802, Raspberry, Pear, and Local Nectar. Day Chaser combines bitter and sweet apples Read more
Review: Angry Orchard Orchards Edge The Old Fashioned
Angry Orchard Orchards Edge The Old Fashioned is one of two ciders in their recently released Orchards Edge line of hard cider. The other flavor is Knotty Pear. A standard old fashioned cocktail is the inspiration for this cider. An Old Fashioned is made with a sugar cube, angostura bitters, orange slices, a maraschino cherry, and bourbon. Orchards Edge The Old Fashioned is made with Gala, Fuji, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, and Granny Smith apples. The cider is aged on tart dried cherries, California grown orange peel, and charred bourbon barrels. Read more
Review: Angry Orchard Stone Dry
Angry Orchard Stone Dry cider was just released. Traditional English dry ciders are the inspiration for this product. Stone Dry is crafted to balance the sweetness and acidity of culinary apples, and the tannins of traditional cider making apples. The cider making apples include French Bittersweet apple varieties from Normandy, like Dabinett, Bonet Rouge, and Harry Masters Jersey. This is there sixth year round cider joining a lineup that includes, Crisp Apple, Green Apple, Traditional Dry, Apple Ginger, and Hop n’ Mad Apple. Read more