A very different cider from 401 Brewery. This is the highest alcohol content I've ever had in a cider at 12.5%! I bought this at The Big Apple and they said is is not fortified. The taste is very dry, not surprisingly because all the natural sugar would have turned to alcohol. The taste was a little harsh with a rustic light apple taste that finished drier. It was also ridiculously expensive at $15.95 for a 375ml bottle! ABV 12.5%. My rating 6/10.
My first Polish cider; “klasyczny” means classic. By the label on the bottle, the apple looks like Granny Smith, but the label says it is made from Polish apples from the Lublin region. It is very pale yellow like a light vino verde wine, and has a faint apple bouquet. Initial taste is sweet with a very light apple flavour. Follow-up taste is sweet with mild tartness but still very little apple taste. Ciders made from Granny Smith apples, like Savannah, are mild tasting, but Savanah is an excellent cider. This one is not bad, but if someone were to taste it blind it would be hard to identify it as cider. 4.5% ABV. My rating 6.5/10.
I tried their apple cider in 2023 which was quite good, so their apple and pear was worth a try.
I'm not sure if this would be called and Austrian or Belgian cider. I tried it in Austria but it is actually made in Belgium, but made (according to their website) from 100% Austrian apples, but they don’t say where the pears are from. According to the label, it is made from 51% apple cider and 3% pear juice and the is rest water and other ingredients.
Pale yellow in colour with a very light fresh apple bouquet. Despite the small amount of pear juice, the pear flavour stands out. Lightly sweet as most Perrier are, but not overly, and finishes nicely with a light pear flavour lingering. 4.5% ABV. My rating 8.5/10.
Tried this in Zurich, but it is from Germany. Pale yellow in colour with a nice apple bouquet. Taste is off-dry and good apple flavour, but the high alcohol content takes a bit away from the flavour. 7.5% ABV. My rating 7/10.
I had two of the Möhl Saft:
Möhl Saft vom Fass Apfelwein trüb vom fass
Pale yellow slightly cloudy. Faint must bouquet. Intial slightly sweet light apple flavour. Less sweet on 2nd taste a a little more fresh apple flavour and a slight tartness on the finish. Ingredients were 65% cider and 35% apple juice which probably accounts for the low alcohol content. 4% ABV. My rating 8/10.
Möhl Saft Spezial Auslese
Bright yellow colour like an oaked Chardonnay. Light fresh apple bouquet. Nice pure apple taste slightly sweeter than I like but finishes well and slightly drier. Made from 55% cider and 45% apple juice (from concentrate). 4% ABV. My rating 8.5/10.
From Meinier, near Geneva, where I bought it directly from the producer. This is a sparkling dry cider that comes in a Champagne style bottle. It is pale yellow-amber colour with an old apple bouquet. It is extremely effervescent on first pouring. Initial taste is very dry, old apple. On second tasting it is less dry and the old apple taste lingers. Subsequent tasting though have an off-putting, extremely bitter-dry almost rotten apple taste and coating in the mouth. 7% ABV. My rating 4.5/10.
From Switzerland, this is a gold medal winning cider of 2024. Tried at Tom Beers in Geneva which had this on tap and also retailed many Swiss ciders in 700ml bottles. This cider had a very pale yellow colour with a very light fresh apple bouquet. Intial taste is light apple, slightly sweet with a light astringent following. Finishes slightly drier. 6% ABV. My rating 8/10. Le Swidre webiste
