From Niagara-on-the-Lake comes this slightly off-dry cider with a pale amber colour and light bouquet. The taste is pleasant with a medium apple taste with a off-dry aftertaste. 7.5/10
Tuesday, August 13, 2024
Saturday, July 6, 2024
Eden Grove Perfect Pear Secco
Another cider from Eden Grove, this one a perry made from Bosc and Bartlett pears. As the name indicates, this is a dry perry which is unusual given that most perry are sweeter than apple cider. It has a lighter taste and I prefer it being less sweet. 8/10
Thursday, June 27, 2024
Growers Light Black Cherry
Of the many flavoured ciders that Growers make, I thought I would try this black cherry one because I like cherry flavour. I enjoyed the West Avenue Cherriosity and the excellent Loch Mór Sour Cherry and the Goldkehlchen Sauerkirsche.
Even though the ingredient list indicates "natural flavours", the taste is definitely artificial, as is the bouquet. And it finishes with a strange aftertaste which may be from the other ingredient: sodium citrate. And it also has two artificial colours added. 5/10
Wednesday, June 19, 2024
Local Press Apple & Cherry
From a company called Collective Arts that makes ciders, beer, spirits and energy drinks. This cider is made from with apple cider and Ontario-grown Montmorency cherries. They call it a "tart cherry cider" and it is. It has a deep red colour like a Beaujolais and a faint cherry bouquet. The cherry flavour is intense and dry initially; the cherry lingers slightly and it finishes dry. (They also make a pure cider, their "flagship," made with Ontario-grown northern Spy, Ida Red and Spartan apples, which they describe as "refreshing, crisp, [and] clean.")
This is on par with the West Avenue Cherriosity though not as good as the exceptional Loch Mór Sour Cherry or the Goldkehlchen Sauerkirsche. 5.8% ABV. My rating 7/10
Sunday, June 16, 2024
Dragon's Gold Dry Craft
From Heritage Cider in Barrie, Ontario this is an interesting cider. Unlike most commercial cider it is cloudy like a scrumpy with a pale yellow-gold colour and a light old-apple bouquet. Taste is lighter than expected but is a pleasant off-dry old apple taste with a good after taste. 8/10
Wednesday, June 12, 2024
Thornbury Craft Strong (125)
For my 125th cider comes this is very strong cider from Thornsbury at 7.1%. It has a very faint yellow colour like a white wine and a very faint apple bouquet. They state on their website that this cider has a "bright, crisp apple flavor, just like biting into a fresh apple." Well, not quite. The taste is off-dry to lightly sweet and the taste is quite light. This is sweeter than any apple I've ever eaten and sweeter than I like. 6.5/10
Friday, May 3, 2024
Duxbury Heritage 1650
This is a pure apple cider made on an longstanding family farm near Meaford, Ontario. Their description for this cider: "Heritage 1650 honours the first North American cider by including some of the very apple varieties from that inaugural batch, crafted over 365 years ago"
Light champagne colour with a light dry apple bouquet. Taste is light apple and just off dry. It has a good sweet/tart balance, and finishes with a drier aftertaste. Very good. 8/10