Crispin Honey Crisp Artisanal Reserve

When I got an email from Crispin cider a couple weeks back, they asked me if I would like to review their cider.  It took me a while to think about this because, one, I review beer not cider and two I only had one other cider before so I’m not really an expert.  So I said yes, lets do it.  So you are going to get the newbie cider drinker review.

Here is a bit from Crispin Cider on the their Honey Crisp Cider:

Cloudy Hard Cider™. For the discerning drinker, Honey Crisp’s artisanal style is embodied in our unique Cloudy Filtration™ process, using racked unfiltered apple wine that leaves residual natural apple wine sediment in the bottle. Every bottle should receive a full Bottoms-Up! tilt and swirl before opening and enjoying.

Naturally fermented using a premium apple juice blend, not from apple juice concentrate, with no added malt, spirit or grape alcohol. Honey Crisp is smoothed with pure organic honey, with no added sugar, colorants or sorbate or benzoate preservatives. Honey Crisp’s apple juice is a fresh pressed blend of 3 to 5 different apples. We do not use the Honeycrisp apple, a very fine dessert eating apple, but in our experience and in our opinion, not a fine base for apple wine.

Style: Cider

Bottle: 22oz capped

ABV: 6.5

Calories: 200/12oz, Gluten Free

Appearance:

Well, it very much looks like a champagne lots of bubbles, no foam on the top.  It’s not a beer, gotta keep reminding myself of that.  I’m not sure I used the correct class for this beer, I probably should have asked.  None-the-less, like champagne there is a little collection of bubble that form in the middle of the glass where all the bubbles are rising.

Aroma:

A very pleasant aroma, from a distance I keep catching a whiff of green Jolly Rancher candy, but as I put my nose into the glass it is sweet apples and honey.  It smells so crisp, I’m glad it is a hot evening,

Taste:

Frankly the best Cider I’ve had, okay I’ve only had two.  This is pretty much what I expected, more of a wine then I would say a cider.  It was very sweet from the honey with a nice apple dryness to it.  A couple more sips and it really reminds me of a desert wine.  Not much in the way of carbonation, which kind of surprised me with all the bubbles, but i guess that gives it a bit of a smoother taste then one with a bit.

Overall Impression:

Thanks to Crispin for sending me this bottle, I did expose me to a new style of adult beverage.  I could drink this, but like a desert wine.  It was overwhelmingly sweet after awhile about 8-10 oz was I all really enjoyed, then the sweetness was too much for my palette.