Turn on the hockey and crank up the Bryan Adams - it's Canada Week!!
Beer #1 from up north is Brasserie McAuslan St-Ambroise Oatmeal Stout, purchased at Vintage Estates.
This Bière Noire à l'avoine (oatmeal stout) has a Griffin on the label, and it is brewed from 40% dark malts and roasted barley. In 1994, this beer received the second highest rating at the World Beer Championship. It is made in Quebec and is 5% ABV.
Overall average rating: 7.3/10
This is an opaque, black beer with a thick, long-lasting caramel head (so thick a bottle cap floats on it!). The longevity of the head is due in part to the oatmeal. The aroma gives essences of oatmeal, dark chocolate, malt, and coffee. It tastes like it smells, particularly the rich matls and dark chocolate. There is a woody taste, perhaps birch, with a front of the tongue bite and back of the tongue linger.
Shawn- This beer is right up my alley - dark, rich, malty. I think perhaps it could use a touch of vanilla, 8/10.
Angela- I was incredibly excited by the appearance and smell of this beer. I remarked how "dark and delish" it look as it was poured. It is definitely a beer I will drink again, 7.5/10.
Chris- I enjoy that it tastes like it smells, particularly the coffee. This would be great to drink in the late fall or early winter when it is cold outside, 6.5/10.
Our final cider is Harpoon Cider, purchased at Vintage Estates.
This cider is made from pure apple juice freshly pressed from a blend of local apples, including the McIntosh (a New England favorite). The label shows a red apple and also lists the nutrition facts and ingredients. The apple juice is fermented with their own yeast and is all natural with no preservatives. It is 4.8% ABV.
Overall average rating: 5.2/10
The appearance is a golden/straw color, and it is light from using only fresh pressed apples. The aroma is very apple-y with a sweet sugary finish. The guys detect Golden Delicious and a sweet apple scent. The taste is very tart, crisp, and refreshing, which is not expected based on the aroma.
Shawn- I like that the taste is tart and refreshing and is not as sweet as it smells, but it was too tart for me, 5.5/10.
Angela- I was totally wrong in the posts from earlier this week when I said I wouldn't like a sweeter cider; the tartness of this isn't doing it for me, 4.5/10.
Chris- It is definitely not as sweet as it smells, but I enjoy tart ciders so I like that it is more tart tasting, 5.5/10.
Tonight's cider is Crispin Original Natural Hard Apple Cider, purchased from Vintage Estates.
There is a picture of an apple tree on the label, as well as the nutrition facts and ingredients (hard apple cider, apple juice concentrate, natural flavors, sulfites). It uses a naturally fermented fresh pressed apple juice made from a blend of U.S. West Coast apples, and it is designed to be served over ice. Admittedly, we did not drink this over ice, though it had been chilling in the refrigerator for a while prior to drinking.
Overall average rating: 4.7/10
The appearance is clear with a very light yellow color with no head. The aroma reminds us of apple candy, as well as an applewood scent. Chris smells "trees and leaves" at the end. The taste bites the center of the tongue with a bitter aftertaste that does not linger. The taste is also reminiscent of apple candy.
Shawn- I really enjoy the applewood finish of the aroma, but in my opinion, the taste/finish are pretty average, 5/10.
Angela- It smells and tastes just like apple candy, but I am not a huge fan, 4/10.
Chris- This is a light, easy drink without much depth. As great as the aroma is, the taste is one-dimensional, 5/10.
Wednesday's cider was Hornsby's Crisp Apple, purchased at Vintage Estates.
Hornsby's uses only quality apples for the cider that goes into this beverage. Once the yeast is added, the fermentation process take several weeks. The cider makers taste the cider every day during this process. The label itself, however, is not super exciting, aside from the rhino on the front. George Hornsby needed a unique mascot for his unique cider, so he chose the rhino and encouraged drinkers to "break out of the herd." An image of George's autograph is on the neck, and the nutrition facts and ingredients (cider, carbonated water, sugars) are also listed. This cider is 5.5% ABV.
Overall average rating: 4.7/10
The appearance is a light straw/golden color with a quickly diminishing white head. I get a strong apple juice aroma, while the guys smell Golden Delicious with a hint of a red apple on the end. There is a Granny Smith taste/slight bitterness.
Shawn- This cider reminds me of Juicy Juice ("100% juice for 100% kids!" -Thanks, Chris!). It is way too sweet and there are not enough flavors other than juice, 4/10.
Angela- There is a definite apple juice flavor - it reminds me of opening a bottle of Mott's apple juice, 4.5/10.
Chris- This smells and tastes like a green apple Jolly Rancher, and it is one of the sweeter ciders I've ever had, 5.5/10.
We're halfway through Cider Week! Tonight's drink of choice is J. K.'s Scrumpy Hard Cider - Farmhouse Organic, purchased at Vintage Estates.
This hand-bottled, unfiltered, and organic cider is gluten free with no sulfites added. The apples used are grown at the Koan Family Orchards in Michigan. "We have produced hard ciders since the 1860s. This is the same traditional recipe that helped save our farm during the great depression." Scrumpy is an English-style farmhouse cider, and while this is not an English-style cider, it is definitely farmhouse. The ingredients are listed (fresh apple juice, yeast), as well as this quote: "He that drinks his Cyder alone, let him catch his Horse alone" -Benjamin Franklin. It is 6% ABV. Overall average rating: 9.0/10
This cider is golden and opaque with no head; it is not very carbonated. The aroma is a delicious apple juice scent, much sweeter smelling than the previous ciders. The taste is very cidery - very sweet, lightly tart, cinnamon, nutmeg. Yum.
Shawn- This is exactly what I expect from apple cider - cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, honey. I love that it's unfiltered with pieces of apple skin inside. I don't think I'll have a better cider this year. It really reminds me of White House Fruit Farm, 9/10.
Angela- I smell apple juice, but I definitely get more of an apple cider taste like Shawn described, especially the cinnamon and honey. Again, I was proven wrong when I said I liked tart ciders better. It is very drinkable and sooooo delicious, 9/10.
Chris- This reminds me of cinnamon applesauce. It is another cider I would recommend to anyone. It tastes like the apple cider from my youth that would sit in the fridge just a little too long and begin to ferment itself, 9/10.
Day 3 brings us Samuel Smith's Organic Cider, purchased at Vintage Estates.
Samuel Smith's is Yorkshire's oldest brewery, and this cider is produced from organically grown apples. There are three apples on the label (red, green, and McIntosh), and the nutrition facts and ingredients (water, organic apple juice, organic cane sugar) are also listed. We also like that there are food pairings listed: "Serving suggestions: Cream soups; salad with vinaigrette dressing; a classic companion to pork dishes; wonderful to clean the palate after spicy food yet subtle enough to pair with delicate flavours." It is best served at about 44 degrees and is 5% ABV.
The description alone has us very excited: "A medium dry cider with brilliant straw colour, light body, clean apple flavour and a gentle apple blossom finish."
Overall average rating: 8.3/10
This cider is a beautiful golden/straw color with a sustainable white head. Chris thinks it resembles a pilsner. There is a rich apple aroma with a touch of apple blossom. The apple taste is rich, almost buttery, with just a hint of the apple blossom, and it bites on the sides of the tongue. This one is a lot sweeter than the previous two ciders.
Shawn- The bottle could not have described this any better. The bitter finish offsets the sweetness of the initial taste. This is very drinkable and extremely well done. I was not really looking forward to cider week, but this is delicious, 8.5/10.
Angela- I lied before when I didn't think I'd like a sweeter cider. This is the sweetest one we have had, and I like it the best by far. I really enjoy the sweet taste accompanied by the slight bitter bite at the end, 8/10.
Chris- This is one of the ciders I would suggest to anyone to drink. It is a fantastically well-balanced cider, and the fact that it is organic and gluten free adds to its overall amazement, 8.5/10.
Today's featured cider is Original Sin Premium Hard Cider, purchased at Vintage Estates.
The first thing we commented on was the design of the label. Behind the name is an O and an S: the O is an apple with a leaf, and the S is a snake, alluding to the Biblical Original Sin. In addition, the background of the label is designed to look like snake skin. Really cool. This drink is gluten free, and the label also includes the ingredients (apple cider, champagne yeast, and sulfites, etc. for flavor protection). This is bottled at the Indian River Brewing Co. and is 6% ABV.
Overall average rating: 6.8/10
This has a light golden color and is very clear. The white head diminishes quickly, again because of carbonation. There is a crisp apple aroma; Chris notes Golden Delicious and Red Delicious, as well as an unidentifiable "dark" apple. The taste is light, clean, crisp, tart, sweet - overall, very appley. The boys agreed that they would rather drink this on a hot day than a low-end pilsner.
Shawn- The taste is fantastic, very clean, and I would drink this again. The one thing I've noticed so far is that the flavors are strictly apple without any other apple cider flavors like cinnamon or nutmeg, 7.5/10.
Angela- I do really like this cider. It is better than the Woodchuck, in my opinion, because it doesn't have that lingering sugary flavor. I'm still not a huge cider fan, but I could drink more than one of these in a sitting, 6.5/10.
Chris- This is very crisp and lightly tart in comparison to the Woodchuck. Out of the two so far, I preferred the aroma of this but the taste of the Woodchuck. To me, this is a beer that should be drunk with a meal, 6.5/10.
Autumn is upon us, which brings about thoughts of crunchy, colorful leaves, bonfires, and.. apple cider! Welcome to Cider Week!
Day 1 is Woodchuck Hard Cider - Granny Smith, purchased at Vintage Estates.
"The little woodchuck eating a Granny Smith apple is pretty cute," says Shawn, and the words Marmota monax monax are written in small print beneath the adorable little creature. This is made from 100% Granny Smith apples grown in the Yakima Valley of Washington state. The label says this drink is "good for those who like their cider on the tart and drier side and, like the woodchuck, are independent to the core." It is naturally fermented, naturally gluten free, and 5% ABV.
Overall average rating: 6.2/10
Once poured, the color is a very pale yellow, almost colorless. It is completely transparent, and its white head diminishes quickly, probably because of the light carbonation. It (not surprisingly) smells like apples. Chris distinguished Granny Smith and Golden Delicious aromas, as well as some less detectable varieties. The taste has a crisp, tart apple taste, as one would expect. It bites the sides and then the middle of the tongue. It is smooth with a pleasant, lingering aftertaste that is a bit sugary and syrupy. It is a very easy to drink cider.
Shawn- This is really well done and easy to drink. This is definitely one you have to be careful with because you could drink six before realizing how drunk you are, 6/10.
Angela- It is crisp and refreshing, and I was pleasantly surprised. I really enjoy the tartness, and I don't think I'd like a sweeter apple taste. Because of the sugary sweet aftertaste, however, I'm not sure how many of these I could really drink, 6/10.
Chris- This is an overall enjoyable cider. It is light drinking, a good summery beer, 6.5/10.
