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The Hills Cider; Apple

Australian; 5% Alcohol Content.

$3 (AUD); Corker's Cellars (East Victoria Park, WA)

Ah-ha!  The cider quest continues!

The Hills Cider; Apple (THCA) is almost too crisp in its apple taste; it almost causes you to wince with each sip.  With that said, THCA is a pretty good pick!  It has good carbonation levels and the sharp sourness of the apple taste is balanced with the sweetness of the cider.

Rating 8.3

Cida Numba 96

Organic Etienne Dupont.  Cidre Bouche' Brut de Normandie

French; 4.5% Alcohol Content.

$18.99 (AUD); Dan Murphy's (Kelmscott, WA)

Sadly, I think that this might be my final cider review.  I have just not been able to find other hard apple ciders and I only have a few days left in 2011.  Hopefully I'll be able to squeeze in the final four, but it's not looking good...

Well; this cider smells scrumpy, but only has a scrumpy aftertaste.  There is certainly some pleasantness in the initial apple flavors, but it is lacking in the high carbonation and sharpness of my favorite ciders.  Neat because it's organic, French, and comes in champagne bottle... but that's about it.

Rating 7.1

Cider 95

Batlow Premium Cider

Australian; 5.5% Alcohol Content.

$5.50 (AUD); Camperdown Cellars (Darlinghurst, NSW)

Batlow Premium Cider almost tastes as bad as a scrumpy cider; there's not much sweetness or carbonation; not quite as bitter as scrumpy, but still not a great cider.

Rating 6.9

Cider 94!

Samuel Smith's Cider

English; 5% Alcohol Content.

$9 (AUD); Camperdown Cellars (Darlinghurst, NSW)

There is a subtle sweetness in this smooth, mildly carbonated cider.  Samuel Smith's Cider has a taste that is not common, but with that said, it still is not a special cider.

Rating 7.2

The 93rd Cider

Fat Ass Scrumpy

New Zealand; 9% Alcohol Content.

$9.99 (AUD); Cellabrations (Kings Cross, NSW)

This is a pretty typical scrumpy... vinegar overtones, somewhat bitter, sour apple taste.  However, as Cate says, "Not the worst scrumpy I've ever had."  With that said, a litre of cider for ten dollars is a great deal... if you like scrumpy ciders, but as you know, I don't.

Rating 6.9

#92

Bilpin Original Cider

Australian; 4.7%

$4.99 (AUD); Cellabrations (Kings Cross, NSW)

This is a GREAT cider!  Good balance between all of the sweetness, sharpness, carbonation and sourness that a wonderful cider experience encompasses.  This cider company was established this year, so if you can find Bilpin, go get it and enjoy!

Rating 8.7

Cider Ninety One

Custard Scrumpy Cider

Australian; 6% Alcohol Content.

$4.99 (AUD); Corker's Cellars (East Victoria Park, WA)

When I purchased this cider, the shop attendant asked me if I had tried it before.  I told him that I had not, but I was familiar with scrumpy ciders.  He replied that this was not like British scrumpies; it was unique.  He was correct.  While this cider maintains the characteristic bitter. apple-vinegar essence of the scrumpy cider, there's a pleasant spiced apple cider feeling as well.

Rating 7.3

Cider 90.

Crisp Apple Cider by Maxx

New Zealand; 4.5% Alcohol Content.

$3 AUD; LiquorLand (East Victoria Park, WA)

Crisp Apple Cider by Maxx (CACbM) is a cider produced by a far more prominent beer company (Maxx).  However, unlike the 5 Seeds range produced by Toohey's, CACbM is a bit of a let down.  There's a good carbonation level, but the apple flavor in general is somewhat weak and there are light overtones of the bitterness that is a trademark of scrumpy ciders.  This cider is a let down, but perhaps I just placed too many expectations on the narrow shoulders of CACbM.

Rating 7.2

88 and Eighty- Nine.

Elephant's Rock Cider Company: Apple Cider and Sweet Cider

Australian; 6.5% Alcohol Content.

$5 (AUD); The Toffee Factory and a Bit on the Side (Denmark, WA)

The 'Apple Cider' is a bit on the scrumpy side, maybe even just downright bitter and vinegaresque. A let down. Rating 6.9

The 'Sweet Apple Cider' is still more bitter than I would prefer, but as expected, sweeter than the apple cider. Somehow, the sweet apple cider is very smooth, but in an unpleasant way. I don't like this one either. Rating 6.9

Cider Number Eighty- Seven

Cidre De Normandie Brut Dry Dumanoir

French; 4.5% Alcohol Content.

$11.99 (AUD); Dan Murphy's (Kelmscott)

An interesting cider; I thought the scent was unpleasant initially, almost scrumpy, but the taste was nice. Not much carbonation and the taste is a little scrumpy, but it's not bad. An acceptable drink, but sadly, nothing special.

Rating 7.2

86

Cidrerie d' Anneville Cidre Doux Variete Binet Rouge

French; 2.5% Alcohol Content.

$16.99 (AUD); Dan Murphy's (West Perth, WA)

Fancy bottle. Low alcohol. Apple juice with a bit of carbonation. That's it.

Rating 8.2

Number 85.

5 Seeds Cloudy Apple Cider

Australian; 5% Alcohol Content.

$2.99 (AUD); Dan Murphy's (Kelmscott, WA)

Upon discovering this cider in the depths of a Dan Murphy's shelf, I was instantly consumed by an inner conflict. 5 Seeds is one of my favorite ciders, but generally, I hate cloudy apply ciders; 5 Seeds Cloudy Apple Cider (5SCAC) is obviously both; my greatest enemy and closest friend, all in one cleverly marketed bottle. As for the cider itself, 5SCAC is a good pick; it still retains most of the crispness of the original 5 Seeds while reducing the carbonation levels and adding a richer apple taste (no doubt courtesy of the apple detritus that make 5SCAC 'cloudy'). I cannot really complain about this cider; if you liked the original 5 Seeds, you should like this too, but because it's cloudy, you can give yourself a pseudo-organic-product-supporter pat on the back.

Rating 9.2

The Eighty Fourth Cider

Thatchers Katy Rose

English; 5.4% Alcohol Content.

$11.95 (AUD); The Re Store (Leederville, WA)

Thatchers Katy Rose (TKR) is singular amongst ciders for several reasons. For starters, TKR is a rose' cider, I have never seen or heard of such a thing, yet, here we are. I can't quite put my finger on taste either, it's almost weak; maybe I'm just expecting a rose' wine... actually, I think that's what we have here. A weak rose' wine with apple overtones and a nice amount of bubbly. Certainly interesting, but not a great cider.

Rating 6.9

Cider #83

Ecusson Normandie Brut

French; 5% Alcohol Content.

$9.99 (AUD); Dan Murphy's (West Perth, WA)

Like sparkling apple cider (ie; Martinelli's) except instead of being super sweet and delicious (and non-alcoholic), Ecusson's is slightly scrumpy leaving a bit of an aftertaste. Not terrible, but not great either.

Rating 7.1

Number 82

Cider Works Apple Cider: Dry

Australian; 6.5% Alcohol Content.

$3.95 (AUD); The Re Store (Leederville, WA)

"That is bad." That was my honest initial reaction; I can't even figure out what Cider Works Apple Cider: Dry (CWACD) tastes like, but it's not good. I had to check the expiration date to make sure that my drink was not rotten (it wasn't); the taste is so sour and bitter, but not like a scrumpy; I can deal with a bottle full of scrumpy cider, but not CWACD.

Rating 6.3

#81

Elephant's Rock Cider Company: Scrumpy

Australian; 8% Alcohol Content.

$4.95 (AUD); The Re Store (Leederville, WA)

Scrumpy Warning! Elephant's Rock Cider Company: Scrumpy (ERCCS) is slightly better than the average scrumpy cider because of the dash of carbonation and the gentle sweetness in the apple flavor. Sadly, I cannot recommend this cider to anyone who is not already a scrumpy connoisseur because the harshness of the bitter vinegar tones of ERCCS cannot be overlooked.

Rating 6.6

Hard Apple Cider 80.

Thatchers Cox's Somerset Cider

English; 5.3% Alcohol Content.

$7.50 (AUD); The Re Store (Leederville, WA)

80 ciders... 80% of the way to the ultimate goal; there are still three full months in the year, but I just don't know if I'll make it to 100, nevertheless, here's to number 80!

Thatchers Cox's Somerset Cider (TCSC) is an interesting cider. I think I like it, but something is holding me back from fully committing. The initial taste is very nice; pleasant apple flavor and moderate carbonation. The aftertaste lets TCSC and me down; a hint of bitterness can be acceptable especially when it's on the tart apple side, but this aftertaste is just unpleasant.

Rating 7.2

Cider 79.

Dirty Granny

Australian; 5.5% Alcohol Content.

$3.50 (AUD); The Subi Liquor Store (Subiaco, WA)

Dirty Granny (DG) is a great cider! It has the perfect amount of apple tartiness without bitterness or hints of vinegar (with that said, there is a slight bitter aftertaste, but hardly worth complaining about). It has a wonderfully refreshing amount of carbonation and is an excellent cider overall. HUGE bonus points for the branding and Made-In-Perth cred.

Rating 9.4

76, 77, 78...

Reef Donnybrook Apple Cider: Mull, Dry, and Scrumpy

Australian; 4.5%, 5.8%, and 8.1% Alcohol Content Respectively.

$3.17 (AUD Each); The Real River Company (Donnybrook, WA)

Mull- This is a very interesting tasting cider that I think might be best served hot on a cold winters day. As one might expect from the name, there are strong cinnamon flavors mixed in with the bold fresh apple burst in each sip. In fact, in the words of my wife, it tastes like you are biting into a slice of apple pie. A good novelty cider and like I said, would be great in a specific context, but definitely not an all purpose cider. Rating 7.5

Dry- Sadly, the dry cider in this series was the one for which I held the highest hopes, but it failed me. This 'dry' should be labeled a 'dry scrumpy' or maybe just 'drumpy,' that captures the mood of the drink; slightly better than the scrumpy, but only slightly. Rating 6.3

Scrumpy- What more can I say about scrumpy ciders? Apple-Vinegar flavor (heavy on the vinegar), no carbonation, and high in alcohol; this one even has sediment at the bottom which is reassuring from a natural production standpoint, but I suppose that I just enjoy a more modern cider. Rating 6.1

Cider Number 75!

St. Hellier Apple Cider

English; 5% Alcohol Content.

$7 (AUD); The Bottle-O (East Victoria Park, WA)

In the words of Cate, St. Hellier Apple Cider (SHAC) is, "drinkable; I could drink it." That about sums it up for SHAC, nothing too special, but it's by no means a "bad cider;" below average carbonation levels, pretty good apple flavor, slightly bitter aftertaste, moderately sweet.

Rating 7.6