Buyer's Guide for Beer Lovers

Today’s Stouts and Porters

Stoutly Going Where No Beer Has Gone Before

Draft Cider

Cider is made from fermented apple juice; perry is made from fermented pear juice. As with wine, the character and quality of the resulting product will bear heavily on the variety and quality of the fruit used. The cooler climate of Vermont is well suited to high quality apple production, and produces a sizeable amount of quality sparkling hard cider. The finest ciders in North America may well emanate from the province of Quebec in Canada, which has an established artisanal cider industry with historical ties to Normandy cider. These Quebecois ciders are slowly starting to appear on the U.S. market.

Interpreting the 100-point Scale

Consumers can translate the point score to the following quality bands:

Point Range Quality Band
96-100 points Platinum
90-95 points Gold
85-90 points Silver
80-84 points Bronze
Less than 80 Not Recommended
Legend
  • = Brewpub
  • ABV = Alcohol by volume
  • Date denotes the date on which the beer was tasted

91 Woodchuck Hard Cider-Raspberry, Woodchuck Cidery (VT). 4% ABV (9/10)
Pale silvery straw green color. Bold raspberry preserves aromas. Very crisp and frothy with a fruity-yet-dry medium-to-full body. Long, pure and mouthwatering, wet stone-accented finish. Excellent fruit and balance.

91 Woodchuck Hard Cider-802, Woodchuck Cidery (VT). 5% ABV (9/10)
Deep golden amber color. Aromas of apple crème brûlée and crumble. Crisp and vibrant with a tangy, fruity-yet-dry medium-to-full body. Long mouthwatering finish with nice minerality and food-friendly acidity.

90 Wyder’s Pear Cider, Wyder’s Cider Company (VT). 4% ABV (9/10)
Pale silvery straw color. Mild pear, melon and lychee aromas. Crisp and tangy with a dry-yet-fruity medium body. Long zesty pear skin and pear candy finish. Very tasty.

90 Perronelle’s Blush Cider, Aspall (England). 5.7% ABV (12/09)
Deep brilliant copper color with a blue violet cast. Aromas of yeasty bread dough, crushed apples and blackberry skin follow through on a round frothy entry to a dryish, tangy medium body with tart green apple flavors and blackberry nuances. Finishes with long refreshing, earthy apple leaf-accented fade. An excellent combination of flavors with a unique appeal.

90 Organic Cider, Samuel Smith’s Old Brewery (England). 5% ABV (1/10)
Attractive golden amber color. Vibrant, dimensional crushed apple and mild waxy honeycomb aromas follow through on a round entry to a dry-yet-fruity medium-to-full body with tart apple slice, lychee and light grassy earthy notes in support. Finishes with a long, vibrant and complex mélange of ripe and unripe apple and mineral-accented flavors. Brilliant.

90 Crisp Apple Cider, Hornsby’s (CA). 5.5% ABV (1/11)
Pale golden color. Intriguing spicy poached apple, apple jolly rancher and pistachio brittle aromas with a fruity sweet, medium body and a long, tangy peach marmalade and spicy apple tart finish. A clean, vivacious, very fruity crowd-pleasing cider.

89 Woodchuck Hard Cider Summer Limited Release, Woodchuck Cidery (VT). 5% ABV (9/10)
Very pale silvery blue green color. Bright fresh blueberry and compote aromas have beguiling medicinal and sassafras notes. Crisp and vibrant with dry-yet-fruity medium body. Very tangy and mouthwatering on the long mineral, blueberry and watermelon candy finish. Very tasty and different.

89 Cuvèe Chevallier Double Fermented Cyder, Aspall (England). 11% ABV (1/10)
Pure golden color. Heady, complex aromas of baked, grilled and brown apples have savory cheesy flinty, medicinal edges and follow through on a round entry to a dryish medium-full body with dense waves of apple cider vinegar, green pineapple and mossy earth notes. Finishes with a long, apple, mineral and hay fade with a touch of iodine. Very intriguing and food affined.

88 Crisp Cider, HardCore Cider Co. (MA). 5.5% ABV (1/10)
Deep old gold color. Mild raw applewood smoked bacon and golden raisin aromas. A vibrant entry leads to a tangy, fruity-yet-dry medium-to-full body with tart and crunchy apple and delicate cinnamon sugar flavors. Finishes with a sweet juicy apple and dusty talc-accented fade.

87 Woodchuck Hard Cider-Winter Cider, Woodchuck Cidery (VT). 5% ABV (1/11)
Lustrous amber color. Creamy vanilla, apple tart and nougat aromas and flavors with a supple, lightly effervescent, dry-yet-fruity medium-to-full body and a touch of ginger and honeycomb on the crisp, dainty finish.

87 Woodchuck Hard Cider-Granny Smith, Woodchuck Cidery (VT). 5% ABV (9/10)
Very pale silvery straw color. Yeasty apple bread and apple phosphate aromas. Tart and crisp with a dry-yet-fruity light-to-medium body. Zesty green apple skin and core notes on the drying finish. Solid and clean.

87 New England Traditional Cider, The Boston Beer Co. (MA). 5.6% ABV (1/10)
Bright old gold color with no head. Aromas of overripe muddy apples on the grass and wild yeast follow through on a fruity-sour light-to-medium body with tart, green and red apple flavors and a tart, earthy leafy finish. A very rustic traditionally-styled cider for cider-heads.

87 Hardcore Cider, The Boston Beer Co. (MA). 5.5% ABV (1/11)
Rich golden amber color. Bright baked apple and nut oil aromas with a crisp, fruity medium body and a sweet honeyed, green apple skin finish. A zesty, fruity, crowd-pleasing cider.

86 Wyder’s Raspberry Cider, Wyder’s Cider Company (VT). 4% ABV (9/10)
Pretty silver pink color. Aromas of raspberry sherbet and English lozenge. Crisp and frothy with a dry-yet-fruity medium body. Tart raspberry skin and seltzer water notes on the finish.

86 Woodpecker Premium Cider, Bulmers America (England). 4.2% ABV (9/10)
Pale silvery straw color. Aromas of creamy apple yogurt and caramel apple. Crisp and lively with a fruity medium body. Nice balance of sweet cream, grass and apple tart on the finish.

86 Woodchuck Hard Cider Fall Limited Release, Woodchuck Cidery (VT). 5% ABV (9/10)
Deep golden amber color. Attractive spicy eggnog and apple pie aromas and flavor with very good depth and lingering finish. A fun bit of confection.

86 Woodchuck Hard Cider-Pear, Woodchuck Cidery (VT). 4% ABV (9/10)
Intriguing pale silver emerald color. Perfumed poached pear aromas have a bold muscat grape and lychee character. Crisp and rounded with a dryish light-to-medium body. Note of violet gum, dusty pear and pear core and spring water carry through the finish.

86 Woodchuck Hard Cider-Amber, Woodchuck Cidery (VT). 5% ABV (9/10)
Pure golden color. Baked caramel apple aromas. Round and frothy with a dry-yet-fruity medium body. Tangy apple sauce-like finish.

86 Irish Cider, Magners (Ireland). 4.5% ABV (1/10)
Pretty rosy amber color. Slightly charred aromas of grilled apples have a flinty, charcoal cooked meat edge and follow through on a direct entry to a dryish light-to-medium body with baked apple tart and delicate spiced papaya notes. Finishes with a minerally, apple-bobbing, spa water fade. Interesting, try with BBQ.

84 Strongbow Cider, Bulmers America (England). 5% ABV (9/10)
Bright golden color. Aromas of apple custard and honey. Crisp and tangy with a fruity-yet-dry light-to-medium body. Tart apple skin and core and spa water finish. Nice, easy going and quenching.

84 Pear Cider, Original Sin Cidery (NY). 4.5% ABV (1/10)
Pale silvery straw color. Lightly perfumed aromas of pear and peach cocktail follow through on a round, foamy entry to a dry-yet-fruity medium body with sweet cream. Finishes with a fleeting, pear bobbing water, peach and pineapple yogurt fade.

84 Amber Draft Cider, Hornsby’s (CA). 6% ABV (1/11)
Rich golden amber color. Aromas of nougat and Fuji apple custard pastry with a fruity-yet-dry light-to-medium body and wispy, minerally, apple-phosphate finish.

82 Woodchuck Hard Cider-Private Reserve Pumpkin, Woodchuck Cidery (VT). 6.9% ABV (1/11)
Rich amber color. Candied apple, banana Starburst and pina colada Lifesaver aromas with a supple fruity sweet light-to-medium body and a fleeting apple-cherry soda finish. Cloying.

82 Cider Jack Hard Cider, American Hard Cider Company (VT). 6% ABV (1/10)
Bright golden straw color. Yeasty, poached egg aromas mask any apple character on the nose and follow through on a brisk entry to a dry light-to-medium body with faint apple spritzer and soda flavors in the background. Finishes with a wet mineral and apple stem-accented fade.

80 Cider, Harpoon Brewery (MA). 4.8% ABV (1/10)
Pale golden color. Bold cinnamon poached apple and apple-vanilla scented candle aromas have a holiday air to them and follow on a brisk entry to a somewhat thin and under-carbonated tart light body with a hint of rubber. Finishes with a quick, tart apple core and stem and talc-accented fade. A bit of a fleeting nosedive.

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