04. STRONGBOW GOLD APPLE CIDER

Brand: Strongbow

Line: Gold Apple Hard Cider

IBUs: N/A

ABV: 5.0%

Origin: United Kingdom

Pre-Taste Thoughts

After having been on a solid hoppy IPA kick for a while, I was definitely excited for a change of pace and something light, sweet, and summery for the nice weather we've been getting here in the south Puget Sound. I'm also a big fan of ciders in general, and from the research I've done this cider is one of the best that's readily available. The only concerning thing about this cider is the bright yellow color. The shade of yellow this cider is makes me think more of apple juice and less of a hard cider, but we'll see what the result is. I've tried other varieties of Strongbow cider in the past with mixed results, but I'm feeling at least mostly hopeful that their OG cider is good enough be rated so highly by other reviewers.

First Sip Thoughts

Alright, I see why this cider is one of the best. This cider is excellent, light and sweet and very applely. My pre-taste thoughts and concerns about the color of the cider have been quelled, the taste is perfectly applely and doesn't give me any vibes that this is secretly apple juice that they rebottled. One thing I like about this is that the first sip didn't give me those cheek tingles tart things give you, (just me? hopefully not...) but there's still a solid and almost robust apple flavor without being in your face and overwhelming.

Final Notes

When it comes to ciders, I like a sweet and medium bodied beverage, something Strongbow does well. While I'm not one to regularly reach for ciders these days, this is probably one of the ones I'll purchase when I want something light and refreshing that still has ABV higher than 0.0%.