The Hop Yard Tasting Notes: Ciders
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Here at The Hop Yard we're not always in the mood for beer. And when we're looking for a change for pace, we often reach for cider. So we gathered some of the ciders we regularly stock at The Hop Yard, assembled our tasting panel, and got to work.
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Appalachain Mountain Cidery - Sinful Plum |
About The Cider: Apple cider is infused with cinnamon and plums for a unique and flavorful experience.
What We Tasted: "Apple pie" and "mulled wine" were two descriptions our tasting panel came up with. A festive take on cider.
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Schilling - Passport: Pineapple Passionfruit |
About The Cider: An unfiltered tropical destination for your palette. Bright, balanced, and refreshing.
What We Tasted: Fresh cut pineapple against a backdrop of passionfruit. Gave the highest impression of sweetness among the ciders we tasted.
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Schilling Hard Cider - Grapefruit and Chill |
About The Cider: Grapefruit and Chill is full of bright citrus notes. Tart, balanced, powerful.
What We Tasted: A "grapefruit mimosa". Slightly higher acidity, loaded with grapefruit flavor. Moderate carbonation. Semi-sweet.
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Schilling Hard Cider - Mischief Maker |
About The Cider: Full bodied, fruit forward, and perfectly balanced. Bright and slightly tart.
What We Tasted: Most tart of the ciders we tasted. "Cran-apple juice". Sweetness offset by the tart pomegranate/cranberry combination.
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Citizen Cider - Unified Press |
About The Cider: Made from 100% locally sourced apples, never from concentrate, the Unified Press is Citizen Cider’s flagship cider that keeps you wondering where it’s been your whole life. This naturally gluten-free cider is an off-dry, crisp, clean and refreshing cider that keeps you coming back
What We Tasted: Lightly sweet with a crisp, clean apple character. Refreshing.
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Citizen Cider - The Lake Hopper |
About The Cider: The Lake divides us. The Lake connects us. Citizen Cider is proud to work with the good growers on both sides of mighty Lake Champlain, Vermont and New York. Made entirely with apples and cascade hops from the same landscape, and in some cases the same farms, this cider is a tribute to those things that connect us. Two States. One Landscape. One Cider. Get Connected. Drink the Lake Hopper.
What We Tasted: Floral and light citrus notes atop a straightforward dry cider. Hop character without the bitterness.
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Citizen Cider - The Dirty Mayor |
About The Cider: We offer this cider to the honorable and fully infamous mayor of the only non-town in America, Fort Ethan Allen, USA. The mayor likes his cider with a ginger nip, so in our current effort to ensure local harmony and diplomacy we offer this cider up to the mayor and his fellow citizens.
What We Tasted: Ginger ale-like aroma gives way to bright lemon rind citrus flavors in a semi-sweet cider with a modestly ginger-spicy finish.
"About This Cider" information sourced directly from brewery websites, where applicable. Tasting notes courtesy of Brian Johnson (Owner - The Hop Yard, Cicerone Certified Beer Server, and BJCP Certified Judge, and mediocre hockey player), Kevin Reed (Avid Patron - The Hop Yard, talented hockey player, All Around Cool Dude), and Angela Johnson (Owner - The Hop Yard, craft beer aficionado, and world's best mom).