Doc’s Draft Hard Pumpkin Cider

Brewed By: Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery in Warwick, NY 

Purchased: 22oz bottle bought at Binny's in IL; 2013 

Style/ABV: Cider, 6.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

Bro, do you even cider? Apparently Ratebeer doesn't, because there are no ratings for this cider. That means this review is more indie than vinyl, right, Mr. Paul? About the Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery: 

Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery was founded in 1989 when they purchased an orchard and began to grow fruit. After experimenting with hard cider, they purchased a cider license in 1993, and opened their doors to the public in the Fall of 1994. In 2001, Warwick pourchased a grant to develop New York's first fruit micro-distillery. In addition to making ciders, wine, and gin, Warwick is also host to weddings and other events. For more info, check out their history page or website. 

"Grow the football." 

The Doc's Draft Hard Pumpkin Cider is a seasonal release, "made from pressed NY state apples and fresh pumpkins, fermented with champagne yeast and malic acid to excite the action." I don't know what they mean when they say that this cider is going to "excite the action," but it sounds like a Mark Trestman-ism. This cider features roasted pumpkins, cinnamon, allspice, fresh ginger and nutmeg.

Man, cider reviews are so easy compared to beer reviews. This pours into a golden/apple juice body, with a finger of white head that rapidly dissolved before I could even capture it on camera. The cider's body is mostly transparent with good clarity, and features a storm of rising carbonation. In bright light, the cider takes on that white wine appearance. I'm impressed with the numerous streams of carbonation still rocketing upwards.

Doc’s Draft Hard Pumpkin Cider

I'm shocked at how much pumpkin I'm getting on the aroma. If you were handed this blind, you would say: cinnamon apples, apple, pumpkin spice, and cinnamon. That's pretty much the gist of this cider's aroma. Just...huge cinnamon apple and pumpkin spice. There's a weird grape/honey/rubber sweetness on the aroma as well, along with nuances of ginger and nutmeg, and a hint of sulfur[?]; but mostly cinnamon apple and pumpkin spice. 

This is bubbly, effervescent, and refreshing. I'm getting a lot of apple cider up front, and this definitely dials the sweetness up and keeps the dryness at bay. The apples up front are complimented with ginger and nutmeg kisses, and then you get blasted with cinnamon, pumpkin spice, honey/grape sweetness, and more pumpkin. I pretty much get every flavor this advertises in the taste, and this stays true to its cider base.

This is light-bodied, effervescent, bubbly like champagne, and really refreshing. You don't feel or taste the 6.0%, and palate depth and complexity are both on point. This is just tasty stuff. There's no false advertising here: you get lots of apple cider and nutmeg/ginger zing up front; that rolls into cinnamon, pumpkin spice, honey/grape sweetness, and hints of pumpkin; the back end features pumpkin, more pumpkin spice and cinnamon, and the finish is light and not dry at all. 

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm gonna toss this a Light Divine Brew. You know...this could be a notch better if it had a bit more complexity, but this is pretty much perfect for what it is. This is a cider with some pumpkin punch backing the apples up. Now, I'm no cider expert, so take my thoughts with a grain of salt...but this is a pleasant libation that would be right at home during the Fall/Autumn months. This is also priced well at around 6 or 7 bucks for a 22oz bottle. I'm about to pair this cider with a BBQ-pulled pork sandwich, which is the perfect cider pairing. I would pair this with lighter foods the benefit from the apple sweetness and high levels of carbonation. I'm not picky with my ciders; this hit the spot.

Random Thought: I should drink more ciders and meads, I really should.