Ciders aren’t my favorite choice, but from time to time I don’t mind a good one. It’s been a minute, so I figured I’d grab a couple of them for a Sunday afternoon delight.
I’m not even sure how to choose a cider, so the cans did most of the talking. Both cans were visually appealing to me, forcing their way into my carrier. Here goes nothing.
HopDuel Survey
| Better label | Stem Brewery Raspberry Apple Cider |
| Better aroma | Stem Brewery Raspberry Apple Cider |
| Better taste | Blake’s Hard Cider Flannel Mouth |
| Better finish | Blake’s Hard Cider Flannel Mouth |
| Winner | Blake’s Hard Cider Flannel Mouth |
Tell us about it
The Stem Brewery Raspberry Apple Cider had a very interesting design, a grid maze with tiny leaves and stems throughout. The aroma was crisp and pleasant. That’s really all I can say about it. I found it undrinkable to the extent I had to pawn it off on my girlfriend, who, as I type this, still hasn’t finished it.
The Blake’s Hard Cider Flannel Mouth was a much better drink. I suppose this is what a cider should be; a pleasant aroma leading to a crisp, tart and fruity taste. Good lord, someone get me an IPA.
Well that’s that. It’s going to be awhile before I do a cider duel again. Just not my cup of tea. I’m sure there’s one out there that really appeals to me, so I won’t give up just yet.
HopDuel 
Next time you try cider, I’d suggest one made from cider apple varieties (especially bittersweet apples), referred to as a heritage cider. Most typical (modern) ciders are made from dessert (supermarket) apple varieties, whose cider is often rather bland unless its sweeter. Heritage ciders from cider apples are typically in large format bottles, rarely have adjuncts (fruit, hops, spices, etc) like you see in modern ciders, often from an orchard-based cidery, and can be found at specialty bottle shops.
Cider, like beer, has a huge range, so even if you haven’t liked a few of them, there is still hope. Reading reviews of ciders you are considering could be helpful if you know what you like and/or don’t like (such as level of sweetness, tartness, bitterness, etc).
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Thanks for the great advice, cidersays! I’ll look into this next time I’m planning to duel ciders.
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