Angry Orchard Green Apple

Brewed By: Boston Beer Company in Boston, Massachusetts 

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 6-pack bought at Sheridan 'L' Longue in Chicago, IL; 2014

Style/ABV: Cider, 5.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

I love green apples. They are bitter, tart, slightly acidic and slightly crisp...perfect to bake with and always excellent to eat as an afternoon snack. Needless to say, green apples are da bomb. About Angry Orchard/Boston Brewing Company:

Angry Orchard launched nationally sometime around 2012, after the Boston Brewing Company killed their Hardcore Cider brand. Angry Orchard is the Boston Brewing Company's response to the growing demand for and rising popularity of ciders. Unlike local breweries making ciders, Angry Orchard utilizes bittersweet apples from France and culinary apples from Italy. They also use some apples from the Pacific Northwest and Northeast of the United States. To learn more about Angry Orchard's brewing process, check out their brewing/process page.  

The Boston Brewing Company/Sam Adams is, of course, the brain child of Jim Koch (and Harry M. Rubin and Lorenzo Lamadrid). Founded in 1984, Jim Koch got the ball rolling after college when he decided to resurrect and brew his favorite family recipe. That recipe belonged to his great-great grandfather, Louis Koch, and dates back to the 1870s (where it was brewed in a St. Louis brewery). That infamous family brew is the Sam Adams Boston Lager, of course. You can read more about the history of the Boston Brewing Company HERE, or check out their website HERE.  

The Green Apple is the newest (? I think) of the Angry Orchard lineup of ciders. Described as having a "bright, fresh apple aroma, with notes of honeydew melon and kiwi," this one is "a tart blend of lively apple flavor and balanced sweetness." At 5.0%, this one is perfect to boof and quaff during summer backyard events or while you wait for you kid at daycare in the car. Suggested food pairings include sharp cheddar, grilled chicken (with apple, date, raisins chutney), grilled scallops, or spicy BBQ pork sliders. I'm also going to suggest pairing this with a salad, BUT WE WILL GET THERE IN A MINUTE.

Angry Orchard Green Apple

College chicks are great, but man, arbitrary social guidelines are weird. Like, once you hit a certain age, nailing 18-year-olds is weird. Even if they are in college. Seriously though, this shit looks like every other cider...transparent with that melon-green color that looks like carbonated white wine or champagne. There's some carbonation and this beer gives less head than legit Catholic chicks.

I went out to Easter brunch, and I got my "complimentary glass of champagne." Champagne is great: it's carbonated, it's dry, and it'll get you wasted. This beer smells like apple champagne, with big champagne dryness, grapes, white wine fruit notes (melon, peach, gooseberry), and yeah...I guess if you whip out your dictionary of fruits (umm...phrasing?), you could say this beer smells like kiwis (seriously, are we not doing phrasing?). You definitely get crisp, dry apples on the aroma. You can tell this is a cider, or a flavored champagne.

This is ridiculously drinkable, with big note of champagne, caramel apples, honey sweetness, apples, and some grapes. There's some white wine character, but you mostly get that interplay of champagne, caramel apples, and honey-melon. It does deliver some light tartness, and that is welcomed.

This is light-bodied, crisp, and refreshing. It has moderate tartness, and good sweetness. Maybe it's a touch on the sweeter side with the caramel apple and honey sweetness, but whatever. You get lots of tart apple and caramel apple sweetness up front; that hits big wine, grape notes, champagne, more caramel apple and honey; the back end rides the caramel apple with lingering tart apples. 

Rating: Average (3.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Average on this. Almost riding that Above-Average line, but to be honest this is pretty much what I expect from an average, well-made cider. This melds fruity apples with sweetness, and it happens to come in a very drinkable format. You could easily crush a 6-pack of this while waiting for your kid to come out of the daycare building. Food pairings here are definitely salads with chicken, candied pecans, and raisins. I could also see myself pairing this with pulled pork sandwiches. These Angry Orchard ciders are fucking awesome....they are cheap (@ $8.99 a sixer) and they come in mix-packs if you like variety. I usually pick up a few 6-packs of this stuff over the warmer summer months. 

Random Thought: Between the hockey and basketball playoff games, I am one happy camper.