I was in St Louis yesterday and I went to the hotel bar hoping that they still had Tank 7 on tap. They did not. Instead, they had Angry Orchard Crisp Apple which I’d never heard of. I asked the blond behind the bar to tell me a bit about it. “It’s beer with apple in it” she said. “Huh”, I replied. “Are you sure?”. “Yes” she said confidently. So I ordered one. Well, there was no beer in it, that’s for damn sure. I asked her if she’d tried it and apparently tasting the beverages you’re serving isn’t necessary at this particular hotel. Another guy, with a distinctly British accent, joined me down the bar and asked the same questions, and got the same reply. “This is cider” he said after tasting it and I nodded at him in agreement.
So, as a cider (not a beer with apple in it), how was it? Personally, it was slightly too sweet for my tastes. The website says that it’s a blend of a whole bunch of apples but the mention Fuji specifically as adding sweetness and it is definitely sweet. I’m no cider expert but the cider I make and have had is clearly drier and a bit less cloying. It was a nice colour, brilliantly clear and not excessively carbonated. It’s not flat but it certainly isn’t a sparkling cider. The apple taste was very pronounced and I wonder if they are stopping fermentation and then back sweetening with the Fuji cider to get it so sweet and apple forward.
In general I’d say it was a very nice cider, a bit sweet for my tastes and thus not quite as refreshing as I’d want on a real hot day on the patio but for an evening drink it was good. Much better than beer with apple in it.
