Cider is much closer to Roman drink wine in the process: Since great wine is merely fermented grapes, traditional Cider is prepared exclusively from the juice of apples or pears, and the results are as complex when created in this way. Often rejected as an alternative to beer for fruit, Cider may startle those digging past the standard yellow and fizzy sugar bombs. So the question is, where should we begin, then? No worries! Here we are with the 25 fantastic ciders from the key apple areas across the U.S. and England, Spanish and France.
So, let’s round up to the Best Cider Brand of 2023.
25. Original Sin- Apricot Cider
ABV: 5.5%
This Original Sin Brand is a bit temporary and difficult to comprehend. We all knew blind tasters of fruit beyond apples—but what specifically was very difficult to say. They had a hopped cider, but it truly was the subtle aromas of apricot’s stone fruit. Grassy notes supplement it that beautifully matches the overall aesthetics of “orchards.” A touch of tartness and acidity contributes to its drinkability. Overall, it is a good-run fruit cider.
24. Strongbow- Gold Apple Hard Cider
ABV: 4.5%
In 2014, Strongbow took an unexpected move, discreetly removing the original Strongbow Gold as a dry cider and replacing it with an unsurprisingly sweeter taste. However, it is still one of the most selling cider brands in the country and the world’s #1 brand, with 15% of the volume on the globalizing market.
23. Angry Orchard- Crisp Apple
ABV: 5%
The flagship of Angry Orchard Crisp Apple is the top-selling flagship brand on the table since they touched many of the same chords. That’s the top-selling Cider in the USA by a large, broad margin, and facts of many cider and beer seekers are skeptical, who say that it’s all a marketing function. Well, it isn’t – it’s marketing and a great, reliable product, else Angry Orchard could never have exploded to manage the market. It’s kind of dry with this “crisp” entire thing in the label, but in the end, it’s not so dry.
22. J.K.’s Scrumpy- Cuvee Winterruption
ABV: 6.9%
Cuvee Winterruption is created by J.K.’s Scrumpy, with its taste explosion. This spicy winter Cider is a great treat for you and sweet to avoid the fiery, hot, Big Red quality of the chewing gums we have in a few other cinnamon-spicy ciders. One taster can recognize it at one mile away from home as its aromas are good in seeing it as a drink after dinner.
21. Original Sin- Cherry Tree Hard Cider
ABV: 6.7 %
We must recognize that Cherry Tree Hard Cider wouldn’t be all that high on our wish list. But it is as no wonder since it was a new one from the Original Sin, which was skillful and tasting with its use of fruit. “Cherries” shouts nothing about this Cider. It truly has a strange palate of aromas. There is not a tonne of residual sugar, like many ciders in this class. This is a very thick and mouthful cider with enough to be a dessert cider but is restrained enough to have a few at the bar as well.
20. Cigar City – Hard Cider
ABV: 5.5%
Fans of craft beer are certainly expected to make a more subtle cider from Cigar City. It’s exciting to compare something like this with Angry Orchard Crisp Apple and its competitors—it feels like one is designed the other is for a certain profile which isn’t far enough away from the mass-marketing. Still, it’s remarkably distinct in ways that make a huge effect eventually. This Cider of Cigar City is a rustic example of what seems dry and with many fragrant characteristics that make it real and farmed.
19. Perennial Artisan- Ales Cider
ABV: 7%
Now we will talk about a cider that appears to be a white wine barrel, comes not from one of the largest cideries but, in particular, from Perennial, Belgium. It’s rather woody on the tongue and has prominent mild oak characteristics. The residual sugar is apparently because of increasing tannins, which offer a very dry taste after every sip. However, it is a bit citrus and has an essence of tropical fruit overtones. That is not the easiest thing to drink, but folks will probably be loved by folks who enjoy dry Cider and especially oaks.
18. Blood Orange Craft Cider- Ace Space
ABV: 6.9%
If we had seen the transparent bottle previously, we could not identify which one was at the table. Bright orange with a rosy hue and excessive sedimentation make the glass and the bottle seems like little lava lights. Strangest-looking tasting cider? Probably, but a Blood orange is an innovative option for the mixing of Cider and derives a complex character of the citrus invoking both sweet orange and rosé grapefruit. The impression is like a mimosa of tarts, half orange, and grapefruit, without too much rest.
17. Angry Orchard- The Muse
ABV: 7.7%
The Muse is like a higher-ABV, oak-aged cider that you now see often from handicraft cider, widely used for traditional cider consumers. However, it is far sweeter than many of them probably are. Oak offers a smooth, lasting woodiness and spice, but it is not having the drying quality. The end effect of this Cider is nearly like rich, carbonated applejack, mostly a distilled cider, with the apparent exception of sweetness.
16. Stevens Point Brewery- Ciderboys
ABV: 5%
Ciderboys is a fantastic kids’ choice, a genuine wheel with aromas and ratings. Stevens Point Brewery, which makes discreetly some very undervalued beers, mostly handles blatant flavor, spicy and fruit ciders. We tried some of them too sugary, artificial tastings, but some of the other ciders in the brand have been perfectly balanced at the same time. Ciderboys is a very light tart and sweet, in the mold of Orchard’s Crisp Apple, but clean, authentic explosive, fresh, juicy apple.
15. Vander Mill- Totally Roasted
ABV: 6.8%
Totally Roasted by Vander Mill appears as of warm and toasty spice, a pinch of cinnamon, which is there but restrained and followed by nuttiness, followed by faint vanilla that is all the time dry. It’s like somebody’s homemade apple sauce made of rustic cinnamon and noodles. It’s a good illustration, though, of how a cider may be wealthy if we wanted it without being sugary.
14. Angry Orchard- Apple Ginger Cider
ABV: 5 %
Apple Ginger Cider is an instance of one kind of ginger cider that could not help but classify it as a “low to medium,” or as it would be lighter than others. A distinct punch of spicy ginger is on the aroma, but the taste is a bit toned down to produce what a cider mass-producer would expect. “Heat” is mostly missing from ginger because, with an eye on drinkability, the brand can capture certain aromas and tastes.
13. Treehorn- Ginger Reserve
ABV: 5.9%
Ginger Reserve by Treehorn is one zag rather strong than Angry Orchard ginger cider zigs. In this Cider, ginger is more focused, especially to make it deliciously spicy and fragrant. In the final analysis, we believe that this cider has a strong, slightly smooth fruitiness taste and good ginger application. Overall, this is our most valued ginger cider.
12. Sonoma Cider- The Pitchfork
ABV: 6%
We enjoyed several pear ciders in the tasting, but we noted something about them: a very large gap between the best and worst pear ciders. Bad pear ciders strike you with a cloying hammer—a sugar surge from liquified Jolly Ranchers that tastes like them. On the other hand, good pear ciders are sweet. Pitchfork is one of the complex ciders produced by a mixture of apple and pear juice. The pear gives the apple foundation an abundance, darker and deeper sweetness.
11. Shacksbury- Farmhouse
ABV: 6.5%
Most ciders in the farmhouse didn’t jump on us immediately, but Shacksbury was the most autistic French cider brand with farmyard fragrance, hay, freshly cut grass, and wood. However, there is a beautiful backdrop of acidity at the identical time, which gives it liveliness and mild tannins, which increase the dryness feeling at the end of each sip. Flavors are more than fruit in a funk, yet it’s a cool cider.
10. Ciderboys- Mad Bark Apple Cinnamon
ABV: 5%
This cinnamon-spiced and Apple Cider is neither nuanced nor meditative. This kind of drink will never win a major competition for traditional Cider. This is what it is: Fulfillment of wishes, culpable enjoyment cider. The cinnamon is correctly tuned. It’s sweet, chest-warming with the right residual sweetness, and never cloying. This Cider was everyone’s taste lineup — and it’s a difficult lineup of reviewers in artificial snacks.
9. Crispin- Pacific Pear
ABV: 4.9%
The first adjective for this popular beer in the first score sheet is “crisp,” which sets the tone rather well. It is demonstrably drier than most other pear ciders we experienced, which still means it’s rather acceptable. It’s more refreshing than indulgent for a 100 percent pear juice perry. It is a green cider that is not awful at all. It is clean, luminous, and simple to drink.
8. Woodchuck- Hopsation
ABV: 6.9%
Hopson from Woodchuck does not hit you as plainly as some in the hop department and instead nullifies with a fine balance of influences and complexity. This is a very refreshing cider, with a base that doesn’t detract from the feature but titular works in the background to make a cider that you can choose to either quaff or examine in depth.
7. The Original- Square Mile
ABV: 6.7 %
Square Mile from The Original is one of the most loveable Cider among all as was each taster was happy with its taste. It resides more in some limbo in between than most of the mass-market flagship ciders. It is another classic American cider that is very solid and very pleasant, start to finish. It’s notably more restrained than most mass-market flagship ciders, although possibly not quite enough to refer to it as a Dry Cider. It exists more in some limbo in between. It tastes classic old-school apples, the sort you’d go and pick with your grandmother at the local Orchard.
6. Ciderboys- Grand Mimosa
ABV: 5%
There is nothing traditional about this insane notion, just like Ciderboys Mad Bark. Apple cider and orange juice do not appear to work together on paper, yet that does. It’s not only sophisticated after your post-hunger breakfast, but it’s simply delicious. The sweetness in its taste doesn’t get overwhelmed, and from time to time, you even find a little apple.
5. Cider Co. Spur & Vine- Square Mile
ABV: 6.7%
Square Mile from Cider Co. Spur and vine is generous and especially noted for its brilliant tropical tastes and fragrant aromas. Those who are aware of Spur & Vine in pickles with amazing scents of mango and fruits of passion make them instantly stand out from other hopped Cider. Some people would undoubtedly criticize this product for its one-dimensional hop rate, but it has a large hop profile and only aromatics, making it wonderful.
4. Anthem- Pear
ABV: 6.2%
As said earlier, The Pear Cider has fallen smack in the center of the sweet spot. The truth is more complex—a combination of 7 distinct pairs of Barlett, Bosc, and D’Anjou, combined by Anthem to find this platonic Cider. Very juicy and real pear tastes remind us of the remnants of children’s luncheon pears. Unlike all other tasters, you will notice the surprising tastes of cloves.
3. Woodchuck- Barrel Select
ABV: 6.9%
It’s exciting to believe that Woodchuck has traveled to this Cider, the whole Woodchuck Amber industry, condensed into only the same firm. It’s like a microcosm of the cider’s business. Barrel Select comes closest to a barrel-aged bourbon beer in the whole tasting, so much that Woodchuck even suggests that consumers should drink it at a balmy 50 degrees. It tasted elegant, like a very light harbor wine, and looks to be on a sweetness edge, but it finally succeeds in being less sugary than many of the ciders.
2. Wandering Aengus- Bloom
ABV: 6.9 %
The finest distillation we found in a traditional hard cider is Bloom cider by Wandering Lengua. It is the greatest distillation we have found. There is no actual technique here, and it is just a sweet, ancient cider from heritage cider apples, which blends perfectly. It’s sweet and smooth. Even you can enjoy fresh HoneyCrisp at the same time with its punch of sweetness, tarty, and acidity. Some of the tropical fruitiness, but Bloom was not a distinctiveness or rubberiness, and it is rather a victory of balance and execution. It’s the variety of Cider that might not spark a lot of conversation or songs of approval, but it was born to shake this kind of blind tasting.
1. Angry Orchard- The Old Fashioned
ABV: 6.5%
Honestly, we thought the winner would probably be some artisanal, funky cider from a small, excited cidery, but this is why chance tastings are so interesting. Angry Orchard, the largest cider manufacturer in the United States, comes out of the left with a new product that has seldom reached the market before and brings us a cider which is not as much of another 81 cider in the degustation. The Old Fashioned by Angry Orchard is intriguing for both idea and implementation. It’s a cider made from a combination of American apples that is then aged on oak with tart cherries, orange peel, and bourbon barrel staves.
Conclusion!
We have classified the greatest Cider below to give you a notion of where you should start. After all, spice up the pump order from time to time is always nice. This is also not a final list. We merely try to provide you a sense of what is available so that you may locate a wide variety of styles, flavors, and alcohol concentrations. Remember to comment on your favorite drink if your beloved booze brand has wrongly been left off the list.
