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Saturday, September 28, 2013

170. Woodchuck Farmhouse Select Original 91


It had been one of those days where I've had a lot of beer lately and wanted to change it up a bit, enjoy a lovely little cider instead.  We had been in the new house for a few weeks and it felt like home, so it was a bit of a celebration, only that I was the only one celebrating.  Oh well, those are the breaks.  

The bottle was corked and caged, adding this expectation that this was going to be something special, different from the other ciders from Woodchuck.  I'm a little worried that it'll still be too sweet, like all Woodchuck products tend to be, and my palate has changed from the sweet preference to the dry.  I poured the contents into a stemmed wine glass.  It certainly looked like wine, pouring out a light white wine color, reminding me of a riesling.  No head, no retention, a little bit of carbonation from a visual standpoint.  Aromas were of golden apples, not as puckery as a granny smith, but definitely not sweet.  It left me hopeful that this wouldn't be a sugar bomb.

This is not a sugar bomb.  The taste is still a little sweet, but not Woodchuck sweet.  This is a good thing.  It's a simplistic cider, not a lot of extra things thrown in to give it a different flavor.  Just apple.  The alcohol content is a little higher in this one, and it shows in a more modest alcohol taste in the finish.  I kind of wish that the carbonation was stronger in this one.  I think it'd be great if it was bubbly like champagne.  It's an adequate cider and not a bad one at that.  The problem is that it is priced as something special and I would be fine with an Ace Cider and feel like I'm getting something similar.  There's nothing I pick up that makes it really stand out among the other competitors.  If I could go back in time, I'd give all the Woodchuck ciders a lower grade.  Just goes to show that tastes change (and maybe improve) through time.  If you're looking for something more complex, pass on this one.  If you're looking for a standard cider, there's certain brands that will stack up well with this one, and you can save your money.  

Grade: C+
Price Paid: $9.59 (750 mL bottle)

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