I have to admit that this week's weather has driven me to drink; actually it has driven me to hard cider. I contemplated the theme of this week's article as I roamed the aisles of a certain local liquor store and felt a longing for something spicy, comforting, and warm. Although I have had very few experiences with hard cider, there was something enticing about the image of the warm, spiced apple flavor that it evoked, somehow well-suited for cutting through the cold, wet, slushy conditions I could see out the window. Feeling a little guilty about, for lack of a better explanation, something that might "put a little less hair on one's chest" than a beer, I reassured myself that cider was brewed in much the same way as beer, and therefore was perfectly suitable for this week's column.
Strongbow Dry Cider ($7.99 six-pack, Uncle Tom's)
Compared to some of the other less enticing labels, the Strongbow's image of a helmeted archer with a drawn bow gave me some hope for this cider's power. Perhaps I had misjudged cider's reputation: This was the true drink of medieval English warriors and real men alike. I soon found that, unfortunately, this was not the case.
The Strongbow pours goldenrod with a hint of red and exhibits a good deal of carbonation with a light, weak head, much more like a bottle of champagne poured into a pint glass than a beer. The nose is champagne-like as well, with a hint of apple sweetness in the finish. The taste was very different than expected, coming on like a flat sparkling white wine, dry but with a sour grape-like character. Apple comes through the whole profile, more like what would be expected from a light apple juice than a cider. The finish was refreshing and clean, leaving lots of apple and little indication of the cider's five percent alcohol content. Overall, the Strongbow was more light, dry, flat, sour, and champagne-like than I had envisioned. It was truly not the type of drink that I had desired, more suited for summer drinking, or better yet, not drinking at all.
Harpoon Cider ($6.99 six pack, Uncle Tom's)
Brewed in New England, I fully hoped that this Boston and Vermont brewery's offering would make up for what the Strongbow lacked in true apple cider flavor.
The Harpoon was slightly lighter in color and less carbonated than the Strongbow, although it exhibited a similar head formation: weak and quickly fading. The nose was unmistakably rich and apple cidery, suggesting huge body and flavor. Showing a sweet, apple sauce opening, the Harpoon follows through with surprisingly light and almost sour-apple character, carrying through a certain level of true cider flavor yet overly light and watered down. The finish is far less crisp and clean than the Strongbow, but infinitely more complex and satisfying. The Harpoon Cider drinks more like what I had imagined in a hard cider, light but with a richness and spiciness not seen in the Strongbow's wine-like character.
Overall, I was surprised and slightly disappointed with hard cider in general, although that should in no way dissuade anyone else from drinking it. I hope that my lack of experience in cider has not angered any hardcore cider drinker, for nothing scares me more than an angry cider drinker.
Regardless of the fact that the cider did not meet the idealized vision I had created, it was still enjoyable to drink. As the last few drops were drained from my glass, I felt my mood improve and somehow the next four days of snow, rain, and slush didn't seem too bad. The weather is rough; grab a jacket and a beer, or a cider, and let's ride this one out together.