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: Strongbow Orange Blossom Hard Cider
Strongbow Orange Blossom Hard Cider was introduced in six packs of 11.2 ounce bottles and four packs of mini 4 ounce cans in March. Orange Blossom is also available in the Strongbow 12 bottle variety pack. It replaced Strongbow Ginger. The other flavors in the variety pack include Honey, Cherry Blossom, and Gold Apple. The Strongbow brand was launched in England in 1962 and 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. The pure juice is extracted, fermented, and filtered. Natural flavor and color is blended with the cider. Read more
Review: Woodchuck Summer Time Pear Ginger Cider
Woodchuck Summer Time Pear Ginger Cider was recently released. As the name would imply, this is Woodchucks summer seasonal hard cider. This replaces the blueberry flavored Summer Time cider they made the past two summers. While it may seem a little early to release a summer seasonal cider, Woodchuck did not release a Spring seasonal cider this year, and who wants to drink a winter seasonal cider when its 70 degrees outside. This is not Woodchucks first ginger flavored hard cider. They previously produced Ginger Lovin, a spicy ginger apple cider in their Out on a Limb series of ciders, and Private Reserve Ginger in their Private Reserve line of ciders. Read more
Review: Wyders Prickly Pineapple Hard Cider
Wyders Prickly Pineapple Hard Cider was introduced in a limited number of states August 2016. It joins their Dry Pear, Dry Raspberry, and Reposado hard ciders. Each of these ciders is produced in Middleberry Vermont. Prickly Pineapple is made with hard cider, pineapple juice, prickly pear juice, and natural flavor. For those unfamiliar with prickly pear, the fruit comes from the pads of the Opuntia cactus and is native to the western part of the US and Mexico. The flavor has been described as a combination of raspberry, watermelon, and kiwi. Read more
Review: Angry Orchard Tapped Maple Cider
Angry Orchard Tapped Maple Cider was introduced February 2017. It is available through April and is one of three seasonal ciders created by this division of Boston Beer Company. It is sold in 6 packs of 12 ounce bottle and it is also part of the Angry Orchard Winter Seasonal 12 pack variety pack. Their other two seasonal ciders include Summer Honey and Cinnful Apple. This cider took inspiration from the highly anticipated late winter tapping of maple trees. It is crafted with Braeburn, Fuji, Granny Smith, Gala, and Pink Lady apples, and maple syrup tapped from Vermont maple trees. Read more
Review: Angry Orchard Easy Apple Hard Cider
Angry Orchard Easy Apple Hard Cider was first introduced as part of their August-December Fall variety 12 pack. It is also available on a limited basis in 6 packs of 12 Oz. bottles. Easy Apple is made with Braeburn, Fuji, Granny Smith, and Gala Culinary apples, and Dabinett, Harry Master Jersey, Frequin Rouge, and Bisquet French Bittersweet apples. Easy Apple is described as a light and easy to drink unfiltered hard cider. 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