Angry Orchard Traditional Dry
Angry Orchard Hard Ciders, a Boston Beer Company owned brand, has pretty much burst onto the scene this year. It, along with the company’s Twisted Tea and Seasonal brands, has seen solid growth since it’s initial release. The hard cider brand market as a whole seems to be growing fairly solidly (note the purchase of Crispin by MillerCoors). Even though I received these complimentary samples and have explored ciders on this site in the past, don’t expect any big shift in focus here.
With that said, the first bottle of the samples I received to be opened was the company’s Traditional Dry. And as you might imagine, it’s a fairly dry cider that weighs in at 5.5% ABV. It, like many of the ciders I’ve had in the past, is full of apple-y goodness and was quite refreshing.
Appearance
Traditional Dry pours a golden amber in color with a very short-lived, white head. It fell so quickly I wasn’t able to capture it in the photo above.
Aroma
Like just about any other hard cider, apples dominate the nose. A dry, champagne-like character is present, as well.
Taste
This one certainly lives up to its name. After the initial burst of slightly tart, green apples and a subtle sweetness, the beer quickly transitions to a dry finish that leaves a clean apple flavor lingering on the tongue. The cider has an active carbonation which hels accentuate the tartness before fading gently.
Overall
I’m not what one would call a huge fan of ciders, meaning that given the choice between a cider and a beer, the beer will win out each time. I do enjoy a crisp cider every now and again, though and this bottle of Angry Orchard Traditional Dry is right up there in quality with the best of them. It’s got a solid apple character that isn’t overly fruit-juicey and it’s dryness was spot on. I can see myself enjoying a couple of these.
Rating: 3.75/5
This is a review of a promotional sample received from the brewery.
