Small Town Brewery Not Your Father's Root Beer (5.9%)

Brewed By: Small Town Brewery in Wauconda, IL  

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 6-pack bought at Jewel-Osco in Chicago, IL; 2014 

Style/ABV: Malt Beverage, 5.9%

Reported IBUs: ?

If you need proof that beer geeks have a strong overlap with alcoholics, look no further than the Small Town Brewery and Not Your Father's Root Beer. Not Your Father's Root Beer is an alcoholic root beer that punches in at 5.9%, 10.7%, and 19.5%. You can guess which one beer geeks seek out. I have never quaffed the 19.5%...and maybe that's a good thing. I have no problem pounding 12oz draft pours of the 10.7% version. The beer is not only smooth as hell, but it has some of the best root beer flavor I have ever had. It's legitimately better than non-alcoholic root beer, as the alcohol brings a peppery spice and extra dimension of flavor. And did I mention this stuff is tasty? It makes Sprecher's Hard Root Beer look really crappy. Anyway, about Small Town Brewery:

Small Town Brewery is a small brewery based out of Wauconda, IL. The brewery was founded in 2010, and have become notorious for their boozy root beer. For more info, hit up their website or Facebook page. 

The 5.9% version of Not Your Father's Root Beer is available year-round, and at this point in time I am having no trouble finding it on shelves. As these things go, this really isn't a beer...but you know, fuck it. That wine tag...they see my trollin'.

Not Your Father's Root Beer (5.9%)

The aroma on this is serious root beer with big vanilla, wood, medicinal spice, sassafras, cough syrup, molasses, and some serious cola. There is that amusement park candied sugar aspect, and big hard root beer candies. It's like a blast into my childhood, so I have to give this thing credit for making me drunk and making me feel like I'm 12.

As you can imagine, this tastes like root beer. This is super sweet, sugary, one-dimensional...but this is also really fucking good. It's like a top-tier root beer, with alcohol. You get that spicy bite up front, with some medicinal elements, sassafras, cola, dark fruits; the mids roll into more spice and some bubble gum sweetness; the back end dials up wood, vanilla, root beer candies, and tons of sugar. 

There's not much to say...this isn't complex, but the palate depth is really good. This is basically a stickier, sweeter version of root beer...with alcohol. It is ridiculous how drinkable this is, and that scales up with the higher alcohol version as well. And by scales up I mean scales up inversely. Honestly, the 10.7% is the smoothest 10.7% thing I have ever consumed. Dangerous stuff. 

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Divine Brew on this. There is a slightly grapey flavor in here that was present in the Sprecher Hard Root Beer that you don't get when you have this beer on tap (or at least the 10.7% version). It's not a problem though, and sort of integrates into this beer. It's definitely a component in a good root beer, but when it runs away it can cause trouble. In this case, no trouble. You can pair this stuff with anything, but I'm partial to sipping on it after a meal while watching TV or whatever. And by sipping I mean drinking the whole 6-pack. Damn.

Random Thought: So now that the Bear's season is over, I need to figure out who to root for. Suggestions are welcomed. 

Crabbie's Spiced Orange Ginger Beer

Brewed By: John Crabbie & Company in Edinburgh, Scotland 
Purchased: Single 11.2oz bottle from a 4-pack bought at Jewel-Osco in Chicago, IL; 2014
Style/ABV: Ginger Beer, 4.8%

Reported IBUs: 45

I'm not gonna lie, I like Ginger Beer. About John Crabbie & Company:

John Crabbie & Company are based out of Edinburgh, Scotland, and were founded by the Scottish merchant, John Crabbie. Crabbie first imported ginger into the port of Leith, Edinburgh, in 1801, to make "the beverage from the Far East." The method that Crabbie used to make the ginger beer is still used today. 

The Crabbie's Spiced Orange Ginger Beer is a mix of zesty ginger and orange. How can this not taste delicious. This pours a clear, amber-orange, ginger ale-color, and kicks up a finger or two of ginger ale-tinted head. There's actually some sustaining head, and nice carbonation in here.

The aroma is a nice blend of alcohol, ginger ale, ginger soda, spiced ginger notes, spiced notes that remind me of rum (yum), and spicy ginger-orange. It smells and looks really refined, mature, and good. 

And this actually tastes quite nice. I rolled through three of these with ease last Friday afternoon while working around the apartment, and I eventually paired this with some slow-cooked barbecued pork chops. The pairing was fantastic, and this shit is legit. You get lots of big ginger on the palate, with big orange notes as the supporting character. There's nice tingly ginger spice that burns down the back of your mouth into the depths of your throat. It's got a pretty good ginger soda kick. My only hesitation with this one is that it's kind of sweet. Again, I drank three of these in one afternoon with no problem, so maybe it tastes sweeter than it actually is.

This is a light and refreshing, and simple in terms of palate and complexity. It's basically a malt liquor. It's a good one though. There's a nice balance between ginger heat and sweet orange in here, and subtle notes of orange, vanilla, spiced rum, star anise, and curry show up in the taste. It's not something I'd buy on the regular, but this is a foodie drink that would work well in the right time at the right place. Recommended. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average here. This is a solid ginger beer, and the addition of orange adds a fun twist. It could use a little more ginger heat and a little less sweetness, but whatever. I think Stone should make a ginger beer...that is right up their alley. Food pairings here include Thai or Indian food, but I recommend pairing this with sweet barbecued pork chops. The orange and ginger provide balance that compliments the gamy pork and the sweet barbecue sauce.

Random Thought: And if you were wondering, I was on vacation! That's my excuse. RIP, liver. 

Sprecher Hard Root Beer

Brewed By: Sprecher Brewing Company in Glendale, Wisconsin  

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 4-pack bought at Jewel-Osco in Chicago, IL; 2014 

Style/ABV: Malt Beverage, 5.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

I've seen Sprecher's Hard Root Beer sitting on shelves for ages, so I decided to pick some up at a ridiculous price of $5.00 a 4-pack. About Sprecher: 

The Sprecher Brewing Compnay is a brewery based out of Glendale, Wisconsin. The company was founded in 1985 by Randal Sprecher, who was a brewing supervisor at Pabst Brewing Company. During 1985 to 1994, the brewery was located at 730 W. Oregon Street in Milwaukee, but the company outgrew its original facility and moved to Glendale in 1994. For more info, check out the brewery's history page. 

The Sprecher Hard Root Beer is "not your granddaddy's root beer." This is the adult version of their famous root beer.

Sprecher Hard Root Beer

The Hard Foot Beer pours out looking exactly like regular root beer, only with a couple of fingers of tan head. The head, surprisingly, sticks around for the long haul. This stuff is cola-like with a brown/purple body. In bright light, the beer takes on a swampy and murky brown appearance.

On the aroma: big root beer, some woody character, lots of spice. There's some nice sassafras, licorice, a little cherry/grape, and lots of cola goodness. It smells surprisingly earthy and medicinal, like good root beer, with minimal sweetness on the nose. 

This is pretty tasty, but right up front is a really sweet and spicy note that tastes like sweet grape or maraschino cherry, or something. Once that sweet note passes, you're hit with big wood, fired barrels, and then HUGE oak, vanilla, sassafras, more gentle vanilla, medicinal spice, and root beer. It's like...Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The front half of this beverage is overtly sweet and somewhat turbulent, but the back end delivers the goods. It's kind of a shame that it doesn't ride out the good vibes from start to finish. 

This has a medium-bodied mouthfeel, with good palate depth, duration, and complexity. It's actually pretty tasty as far as malt beverages go, and things move along with lots of carbonation. This isn't overly sweet at 5.0%, and that works to this drink's advantage. The only issue for me is the front 1/3 of this malt beverage. Up front: Overt sweetness, grapes, maraschino cherries, sweetness; that rolls into a decadent middle that features medicinal spice, oak, vanilla, barrel, wood, brilliant root beer and cola; the back end lingers with oak and vanilla, and cleans up nicely. You want to take another sip, and as you drink it the front end becomes less obnoxious.

Rating: Average (3.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Average here...this is a solid malt beverage, but nothing mind blowing. Compared to Small Town Brewery's Not Your Father's Root Beer, this has some work to do. But, that's not to say this is bad. It isn't. I'm really enjoying this, and it continues to sit on shelves everywhere. At the relatively cheap price this is sold for, and at the sessionable ABV, I could see myself picking this up for social gatherings and summer barbecues. I can't not recommend this, it's just a fun malt beverage.

Random Thought: Dat Not Your Father's Root Beer is fucking delicious. 

Angry Orchard The Muse

Brewed By: Boston Beer Company in Boston, Massachusetts 

Purchased: 750ml bottle bought at Friar Tuck Beverage in Urbana, IL; 2014

Style/ABV: Cider, 7.7%

Reported IBUs: ?

Not only is tomorrow Friday, but tomorrow is hockey Friday. Woot. 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 back of the bottle reads: "The Muse is the newest addition to our Cider House Collection. Inspired by the festive nature of slightly sweet demi-sec champagnes and sparkling wines, The Muse is bubbly and effervescent. It is made from traditional culinary and bittersweet apples and aged on French oak. The Muse is sweet upfront with a juicy apple aroma and bright acidity, and slightly drying on the finish with a lingering sweet apple note. The French oak adds a subtle wood impression, imparting notes of clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and hints of vanilla." This one clocks in at 7.7%, and should be apropos.

Angry Orchard The Muse

This one pours out looking exactly like carbonated apple cider or apple juice. That in itself is impressive. There was four fingers of foam that quickly gave way to a crackling nothing. This one is super carbonated with streams of carbonation ascending with the curve of the glass, and a white ring of head has formed around the edges. In bright light this looks a lot like a Pale Lager, but the aroma is all cider.

Yupp. Lots of cider on the aroma. I'm getting deep apple depth, with sweet apples, grape/white wine, honey, peaches/melon/gooseberry, light French oak, and tons of dry Champagne notes. It smells really sweet, inviting, and refreshing.

WOW. This one has a lot more going on in the taste than I was expecting. This is also a lot more full and rounded than I was expecting, and it's not nearly as sweet. There is huge, woody cider and white wine goodness up front, with big sweet apples, apple cider, lightly tart baker's apples, gooseberries, and light melon/peach/lemon. I'm getting a lot of white wine in here, with big oaky notes. The finish is also surprisingly dry and clean, and this definitely hints at champagne-dryness.

I'm surprised at how expansive, rounded, and oaky this is. For a cider, this is nearing that warming full-body experience that you want with 7.7% ABV. Like...I want to be drinking this on a cold Winter afternoon. It definitely works as a Summer/Spring cider, but it has that warm cider warming thing going on. This is well carbonated and refreshing like a good cider should be, and the finish is pleasantly oaky and dry. It has good palate depth and the only thing holding it back from being truly world-class is probably the lack of complexity. This unfolds with lots of apples and oaky/wood up front; that rolls into big apples, warm cider, cinnamon, some light spice/clove, more oak, white wine, peaches/melon/gooseberries; the back end dials up some white wine and oak, with a champagne-dry finish accentuated by the dry oak. Nice stuff.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. I would buy this again in a heartbeat, even at the slightly high price of around $12 per bottle. I think? I don't know, it might have even been a bit higher than that. This would be great to pair with a fruit salad, cold lunch meat sandwich, or by the fire or with some football on a cold Winter day/night. I love the Angry Orchard brand, but I really like their Cider House Collection. I hope they continue with these. 

Random Thought: You can't beat the simplicity of a well-made Cider. 

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.

Maiden Rock Royal Cider Wisconsin Apple Dessert Wine

Brewed By: Maiden Rock Winery & Cidery in Stockholm, Wisconsin 

Purchased: 375ml bottle purchased at the Maiden Rock Winery & Cidery in Maiden Rock/Stockholm, WI; 2013 

Style/ABV: Ice Cider/Perry/Wine, 18.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

I'm really excited to open this up and get some legit tasting notes...I sampled this Ice Cider/Wine/blend at the winery, and I really enjoyed it. It's cold as fuck outside and snowy, so this warming apple wine should be the perfect thing to hit the spot. About the Maiden Rock Winery & Cidery: 

Maiden Rock Winery & Cidery is a farm and orchard located in Stockholm, Wisconsin. The farm was purchased by homebrewer, Herdie Baisden, and his wife, Carol Wiersma. The apple varieties they planted included apples more typical to southwestern England, apples that are suitable for the production of cider and wine. They opened the winery/cidery in July 2008. For more information check out their website here.

The Royal Cider Apple Dessert Wine is made from locally grown Wisconsin apples, fermented into a hard cider (I'm fairly sure this is an Ice Cider/Perry), and then fortified with Wisconsin apple brandy. Fuck yes. 

Maiden Rock Royal Cider Wisconsin Apple Dessert Wine

There's not much to see in terms of the appearance...it pours out like a white wine or cider. Transparent, minimal carbonation, and the this has that wine-like yellow/melon/peach color. There's some huge, glossy alcohol legs on this. Which you obviously expect at 18.0%.

The aroma on here is boozy, warm, and has a buttery/oak edge. I'm curious if this spent any time on oak. There'a a huge apple brandy aroma on the nose, with apples and boozy alcohol dancing around. There's also a decent amount of Ice Cider/Cider on the nose...I'm picking up lots of elements of a cider, including apples, apple cider/juice, and even a little clove and cinnamon spice. There is no mistaking the booze and sweetness in the aroma.

Wow. This is ridiculously drinkable...the taste is sweet apples, saffron and sweet white wine, some brandy sweetness, and booze...and then you get that huge warming as it goes down your throat. There are kisses of apple pie in here as I let this sit on my tongue, along with apple cider, and then brandy all the way home. 

This is dangerous at 18.0%...one bottle of this stuff is like drinking four standard drinks, but that's the point. This is a "dessert wine," made out of distilled wine (brandy). You're supposed to sip on this with your apple pie, or on a cold winter day. It's really the perfect winter drink to warm you up. Just drink a bottle of this and walla. This has a moderately dense (medium-bodied) mouthfeel, with low complexity and good palate depth and duration. It's a boozy sipper, but the booze is really well-masked behind the apple cider, white wine notes, and sweetness. The brandy used in this is fantastic. You get white wine with a hint of wood/oak up front, followed by dense stuff that is almost bready; then it's all cider and booze, with apples, brandy; more apples and brandy on the back and boozy warming on the finish.

Rating: Above-Average (3.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average on this. This is very good for what it is, which is a Dessert Wine/Cider fortified with apple brandy. It's very simple, which it is supposed to be...I guess at 18.0% I'm looking for a little more complexity, be it some more white wine character, or maybe the addition of stronger barrel/oak flavor. I would heat this up and pour it in my mug to drink at a football game on a cold winter day. This isn't complex enough to pour into your snifter and mull over. You can definitely pair it with dessert though...anything apples. Apple pie, apple cake, bread pudding with apples, and yeah. Check this out if you are ever at Maiden Rock.

Random Thought: Brandy is like the candy of distilled things. I'm not classy enough for that shit, and lord knows my palate is amateur hour.

Maiden Rock Honeycrisp Hard Apple Cider

Brewed By: Maiden Rock Winery & Cidery in Stockholm, Wisconsin 

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 4-pack gifted in Maiden Rock, WI; 2013 

Style/ABV: American Cider, 6.8%

Reported IBUs: ?

The high temperature tomorrow is supposed to be -16F. Wrap your head around that. I should probably be pulling out some obnoxious Imperial Barleywine or something, but I think tonight's duo of ciders/beers make sense in the grand scheme of things. So yeah. About the Maiden Rock Winery & Cidery: 

Maiden Rock Winery & Cidery is a farm and orchard located in Stockholm, Wisconsin. The farm was purchased by homebrewer, Herdie Baisden, and his wife, Carol Wiersma. The apple varieties they planted included apples more typical to southwestern England, apples that are suitable for the production of cider and wine. They opened the winery/cidery in July 2008. For more information check out their website here.

The Honeycrisp Hard is a semi-dry hard apple cider brewed with Honeycrisp apples and honey. Punching in at a surprisingly boozy 6.8%, this one is pleasantly honey-forward and dry.

Maiden Rock Honeycrisp Hard Apple Cider

The appearance is your typical Cider fare. Winey green/yellow, clear, highly carbonated, a finger or two of rapidly-crashing white head...it looks the same in bright light.

The aroma is "ehhh." There's some apple and honey, a dash of sulfur and some weird, banana esters? I don't even know.

This tastes par the course...apples, apple cider, some sweet honey, honeycrisp, and lots of juicy apple juice goodness. It's not bad, but it seems very par the course. 

There's not much to see here...this is light, dry, quite refreshing, and surprisingly not boozy at 6.8%. The honey sweetness and light honeycrisp apple is enjoyable, but this isn't particularly complex. Light-bodied, dry, apple juice and apples up front and in the middle, finishes winey and dry in the back.

Rating: Average (3.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Average on this. I'm picking up some white grapes in the mix, along with some white wine notes. Otherwise, this is your typical cider fare. Enjoyable, and especially in the context that I had this cider (on my vacation in the freezing cold), but nothing to seek out with fire. You can pair this with anything that goes well with apples, white grapes, cider, and white wine. You could even flirt with pasta and a white sauce...but I don't know. It's also a great hot tub cider.

Random Thought: And now for the night cap...

Angry Orchard Strawman Farmhouse Hard Cider

Brewed By: Boston Beer Company in Boston, Massachusetts 

Purchased: 750ml bottle bought at Binny's in IL; 2013 

Style/ABV: Cider, 10.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

After reviewing the Angry Orchard Iceman, it seems only appropriate to review the Strawman. I've actually already had a bottle of this, and I've already rated. But I was a bit tipsy at the time, and I didn't take any real notes. So let's see how things stack up this time around. 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 Strawman is is made from a blend of juices from culinary and bittersweet apples. The cider is then aged on oak. Punching in at 10%, this is probably more comparable to a wine than a cider.

Angry Orchard Strawman

The cider pours into a vibrant, bright orange body. On the initial pour you kick up some tan/orange-tinted head, but that rapidly dissolves into tepid placidity. In bright light, the cider has a nice golden/orange body, with plenty of effervescent carbonation doing its thing. This looks to be mostly clear, with maybe a little haze.

You get A TON of cider and apple on the aroma. The apple is sweet, and fades in and out of apple and grape vibes. There's a lot of white wine character on the aroma, with hints of gooseberry and sweet Riesling vibes. There's definitely some oak and tannin goodness on the aroma as well.

This cider is surprisingly dry with lots of woody and oaky tannins. It reminds me of an oak-aged Chardonnay, with lots of apples, grape, hints of citrus and melon, and some tart and dry gooseberry. It tastes surprisingly better than I remembered, though it it somewhat subtle.

The mouthfeel is fairly full-bodied and vinous for a cider. The mouthfeel is still pleasant, with lots of supportive carbonation and nice dryness. At 10.0%, this is super crushable (as DDB would say). You get sweet apples up front, followed by big oak/apple goodness, that dries out into some white wine, tart/dry gooseberry; the finish is oaky and dry. Good stuff.    

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. That's actually an upgrade from the 3.5/5.0 I originally gave this. This is solid stuff, with a nice oaky, white wine complexion, and lots of subtle notes of grape, apple, and gooseberry. I would buy this again, but it is a bit pricey at around 15 dollars a bomber. I'm enjoying this as a sipper, but if I had to pair it with food, it would be with apple desserts, or savory meats and rustic potatoes/veggies.

Random Thought: Tomorrow is Halloween, the bestest holiday. Unfortunately, it looks like it's going to rain all day tomorrow. 

Angry Orchard Iceman Hard Cider

Brewed By: Boston Beer Company in Boston, Massachusetts 

Purchased: 750ml bottle bought at Binny's in IL; 2013 

Style/ABV: Ice Cider, 10.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

Tonight's beer isn't actually a beer. It's a cider...and an Ice Cider at that. Ice Cider is cider made from the juices of frozen apples. The apples are usually harvested late in the season and stored until December, and the extracted juices are left to freeze naturally. Or, the apples are left on the tree until December or January, and then picked when it is cold out, and then pressed and left to cold ferment. The Iceman is made by Angry Orchard, who happens to be owned by the Boston Brewing Company. 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.  

Tonight's cider, the Iceman, is inspired by the traditional Ice Ciders of Quebec. The Iceman uses the above process I outlined earlier, where the juice from the apples is frozen to produce a unique, crisp cider. This cider is also oak-aged, to provide some additional depth of flavor. Punching in at an impressive 10.0%, and coming in a sexy bottle (with a cork, cage, and all)...let's see how this stacks up.

Angry Orchard Iceman Hard Cider

The cider pours into a radiant gold/bronze body that has wine-like transparency, and visible streams of tiny carbonation. There was a little head formation during the pour, but it rapidly fizzled out. This cider really has great depth of color, as can be seen in bright light. It looks like an IPA or Vienna or something, with rich golden-amber tones. A white ring of head has settled around the top of the cider.

Wow. The aroma on this is super vinous and instantly reminds me of a nice, fruity white like a Pinot or a Riesling. But you get some hints of oak on this cider's aroma as well, which is reminiscent of a Chardonnay or something. I'm getting grapes, apples, fruit skins, gooseberry, jammy apricot, hints of light melon/lemon/citrus, and your usual lighter, white wine aromas. There's also a hint of oak and wood on the aroma, with lots of sugary sweetness.

This tastes really good. This is dense, rich stuff...with glossy apple cider that is somewhere between a cider and wine, with vinous, Port/Dessert Wine qualities. Actually, this is drinking very warm, if that makes any sense. If you've ever had warm or hot apple cider...imagine that. That's what this cider drinks like, only it's cold. The oak, wood, and caramel are all quite subtle in the mix...you mostly get big apples, grape, hints of gooseberry and white wine complexity, and some pleasant warming on the back. The finish is surprisingly dry and champagne-like, with some tart apple rounding things out.

As this warms and I drink more of it, I'm starting to pick up on a little more of that "caramel apple" flavor. I'm assuming the caramel comes from the oak and the sugars. It's actually really impressive. At 10.0%, this is super quaffable. The booze shows up mostly as warming on the back, and this cider balances deep, rich sweetness with vinous qualities and a big, warming body. The depth and complexity are both good. This is really medium-full to full-bodied stuff, but drinks like champagne thanks to all the carbonation and the dry tart finish. You get honey, caramel, and apples up front; that rolls into more caramel apples, some vinous white wine, grapes; the back end kicks in some dry/tart apples, and finishes champagne dry and boozy.

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I plan to buy this again. I'll afford this a Light Divine Brew. I haven't had many Ice Ciders, but this is a fantastic little riff. This is the perfect sipper for a cold Winter day, or even an Autumn night. I'm thinking about pairing this with a burger, but this would go very well with dessert. This and apple pie...I don't know if it would be too sweet, or hit the perfect spot. Either way, I can give this a strong recommendation if you are looking for a cider, or something that just kicks the apple flavor up to 11. 

Random Thought: I'm too tired for random thoughts. TIT. Tomorrow is Thursday. 

Redd’s Strawberry Ale

Brewed By: Miller Brewing Company (MillerCoors) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin 

Purchased: 16oz CAN bought at Jewel-Osco in IL; 2013 

A Cider that is actually an Ale? 

Style/ABV: A Cider that isn't actually a Cider, but is an Ale??? (don't care), 5.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

I'm unapologetically drinking tonight's Cider. Or is it an Ale. I guess it's a Cider..."brewed like an Ale." What will the geniuses at MillerCoors think of next. Redd's Apple Ale is also unapologetic about being a MillerCoors product. The website is stripped down with flashy images for bros and bimbos, and features a frequently asked questions section with gems such as: "Do you have 30-packs?" 

I'm hesitant to say that I'd rather let a gorilla fuck my face before I go out and buy a 30-pack of this, but you never know. This "Ale not a Cider" is made with "natural apple & strawberry flavors." Oh, the flavors! I love apples, I love ciders, and I especially love strawberries. I'm also a sucker for advertising, and my girlfriend expressed interest in trying this. For those reasons, here we are. I assure you, it's likely all downhill from here. 

The Cider Ale pours out...fucking red! No...I'm just kidding. This stuff looks like Miller Lite, with a light golden body, a ridiculous amount of carbonation, and a head that lasted as long as one of Kim Kardashian's boyfriends husbands. Strikethroughs are fun. Bright light confirms this transparent and yellowish libation. Why isn't this red? 

Redd’s Strawberry Ale

The Kool-Aid Man showed up here. You get big, artificial strawberry sweetness, strawberry cough syrup, strawberry suckers/candy, strawberry Big League Chew, etc.. There's some sweet, Kool-Aid fruit punch and apples on the aroma too, but mostly that fake candy strawberry.

In the land of MillerCoors, things are simple. When stuff is just the right coldness, the mountains turn blue. Everything is hopped not once, not twice, but three times. Guys with purses are hunted down and harassed and shamed, because they need to man the fuck up. And Redd's Strawberry Ale tastes exactly like it smells. The only thing aside from the Kool-Aid strawberry sweetness that drives this carbonated soda is a hint of apple in the background. But it's like Waldo: he's hard to find and fuck that hipster douche bag.

For 5.0% this is stupid drinkable, and the sugar doesn't exhaust you like a Bud Lite Lime. Still, I bet you get a nice hangover if you drink more than three of theses. The mouthfeel is like soda: spritzy carbonation and refreshingly light fake strawberry. This is one-dimensional in all the best ways, and cynical as I am, I can't really hate this for what it is. 

Rating: Average (3.0/5.0 Untappd)

Yarrrr a Light Average this be. This shit is one-dimensional, sugary, and basically drinks like Kool-Aid soda. But there's a time and a place for this...the beach, the ballpark, at a frat party. Or, on a Thursday night after drinking a beer and watching the Bears game. I don't have to apologize for drinking this. Sometimes I like simple, sugary gimmicks. Take your Heady Topher and your fancy craft beer and cram it, crammy cramster face. Anyway, I'm gonna peace out then jet to the weed house.

Random Thought: 4-packs of the Redd's was selling for 6 or 7 bucks. Can you handle 64oz of this in one evening? Take the MillerCoors drink responsibly challenge tonight and find out, you sissy ladyboy. Need an Ale? Don't worry, our mountain climbers have you covered. They will pop out of your cooler so you can man the fuck up! 

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.