8.10.2014

Strongbow Gold Apple Hard Cider

Strongbow Gold Apple
Hard Cider
Stassen/Bulmer's Cider Company
Belgium
5% Alcohol

There has been an absolute FLOOD of hard ciders hitting the shelves the past couple of years!  I'm not sure what has happened to cause the shift, but it's kind of a nice return to an older style (albeit updated and modernized for the new American palate) that was almost forgotten. The revival kind of reminds me of the return of straight blade razor shaving and pipe smoking, both of which are also refreshing to see making a comeback.  So for today, we have the new Strongbow Gold Apple Hard Cider up for review!

Strongbow as a brand has been around awhile (50+ years!).  With the recently rising interest in ciders again, Heineken purchased the Strongbow brand and decided to revitalize it and launch new products.  That's where this drink comes in, the new Strongbow Gold Apple Hard Cider...  Let's have a look, shall we?

Strongbow Gold Apple Hard Cider comes in at the usual 5% alcohol and has 172 calories per 11.2 oz, but who's counting?  Not this guy.  Now let's be clear, this isn't a straight and pure hard cider, it does have additives, but like I said earlier, most of the new ciders on the market have been tweaked for the Americanized palate (ie. sweetened and artificially flavored), but clearly this has a lot less added to it than the usual girly drinks (flavored malt liquors) like Smirnoff Ice, Mike's Hard Lemonade, etc.  But, I digress.

Aromas are refreshingly strong, smelling like I just threw some fresh red and gold apples in a juicer.  I could literally smell the opened bottled several feet away and it smells awesome.  Tasting it brings a crisp, clean taste of honeycrisp apples (best apples ever), lovely and bright, moderately sweet and slightly tart, with a warming slightly boozy aftertaste that reminds you this isn't simply just delicious apple juice.

All in all, this is pretty straightforward and clean tasting.  The flavors are delicious, but fairly mild compared to some of the other new ciders, but the aromas are strong and amazing.  Strongbow Gold Apple is ridiculously refreshing and easy-drinking, but again the aromas are where this really shines!  

Drink This: if you want an above-average, straightforward cider with an amazing aroma.
Don't Drink This: if you want a super-sweet modern cider OR if you want a traditional-tasting oldschool cider.  This falls somewhere between the two, being neither oldschool nor overly sweet.  But, that also makes it dangerously drinkable.

Cheers, my friends!  :)



Please drink responsibly... 

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