Pear cider from Woodchuck

[Wilfrid]

I thought there used to be a cider thread, but I can't find it.  Anyway, for casual, everyday cider drinking, I think the range of bottled ciders from Woodchuck in Vermont is just fine.  I have just found, for the first time, a pear cider produced by Woodchuck - maybe a new product?  Tried it, of course.  In my youth, in England, pear drops were popular boiled sweets.  They sometimes tasted a little like medicine, but most of the time tasted like pears.  Same thing here.  You think, I dunno this is a bit like medicine; then you think, no it's fine.  Serve chilled of course.  I can't imagine drinking it more often than the apple ciders, but it's worth a try.

[col klink]

I've had the pear cider and I didn't like it as much as the Granny Smith.  It didn't taste bad per se, but the GS goes down ever so smoothly.  When I drink it at home, I have a cycle of pulling one out and putting another in the freezer.  Every once in a while I hit a zen state and every bottle I pull has the perfect amount of ice crystalization.

My biggest gripe about the Woodchuck's pear is that it has 2% less alcohol than the Granny.

Does the Granny ever give you really bad heartburn?

[ajay]

Why does one want ice crystallization on their cider?  and what is the proper amount?

[col klink]

It's mostly a texture thing, to have tiny little pieces of ice dance across your tongue.  Sort of like an alcoholic Slurpee.  I'm sure this isn't the traditional way to drink a cider, but it's pretty damn good.

[Wilfrid]

I had not noticed the low alcohol aspect of the pear cider.  Thanks for the warning.  I like the Granny Smith, but I also like the Colonial Aged.  In fact, I like all their ciders.

I find that any effervescent cider gives me heartburn when taken to excess.  So does champagne.  I once drank six bottles of champagne over a two day period and felt someone was twisting a screwdriver in my oesophagus for the following twenty four hours.

[col klink]

I haven't drank any of the high carbonation ciders but one of the things I like about the Granny Smith is the low carbonation.  But last October when I was watching my beloved Mariner's lose (yet again) to the Yankees and almost losing to the Indians, I was drinking a lot of the GS and sucking down about 1 or 2 Pepcid AC per pint.  But I'm one of those guys that gets really stressed out over baseball in the post-season if my team has a chance.

[Sandra Levine]

Pear cider is traditionally known as, "perry."

[Wilfrid]

Sandra, that was certainly the name in England when I was a youth.  Do I take it that "perry" is in use in the States too?

[Sandra Levine]

You see it sometimes at the Greenmarket, or other farmer's markets, by people who know the word and think they are communiciating with others who will recognize it, but not generally in a more commercial application.  If a supermarket brand, Red Apple, e.g. decided to bottle perry, I'm sure they would call it pear cider.  Although, come to think of it, I'm not sure that it should be called perry if it's not alcoholic, although we do use cider that way, so why not!

[yvonne johnson]

I thought there used to be a cider thread, but I can't find it.  

I stupidly started it on the wine board.

http://www.egullet.com/ib3....k+cider

[Wilfrid]

I looked for it under Beer, just out of pure free association really.  I only wanted to check I wasn't repeating a discussion of Woodchuck, and apparently not.  I love cloudy, appley ciders too - I like Normandy ciders, and I also like traditional West Country scrumpies despite their dazzling toxic properties.  But then I like the light refreshing Woodchuck style for every day drinking.  I have also been drinking Galician ciders which have a foot in both camps - light, gently effervescent, frothy even, yet a pungent room-full-of-apples air about them too.

[yvonne johnson]

We got some Woodchuck Granny Smith cider this weekend. Quite a nice clean taste, with light greenish color. Overall, my favorite remains Magners because I like it's sourness.

[Wilfrid]

I just found Woodchuck in great big bottles (quarts?) in my corner store.  I bought one out of greed, but of course it goes flat quicker than the small bottles.  

[Liza]

Since Macrosan hasn't done it, I will:

How hard to you have to squeeze the woodchuck to get the cider?

[Wilfrid]

Ah.  Is a woodchuck, then, an animal?  Come to think of it, I believe there's a picture of a "critter" on the label.  I don't think we have woodchucks where I come from.

If you ever want me to tell you about the heideschnuck, just let me know.  

[Liza]

Yes, please, Wilfrid!

[Wilfrid]

Oh dear, now I see they've got a raspberry cider on the market.  Don't fancy that, unless someone is going to tell me it's good!?

[rickc_13]

I was a big fan of Woodchuck cider until I tried Strongbow. It's an English cider, much drier than most American cider. If you like Woodchuck's 'colonial' or 'dark and dry' ciders better than their amber, you might like Strongbow best of all. It's light and crisp, but not totally without sweetness. It's also slightly lower in alcohol (4.5% as opposed to 5% or 5.5%).

Rick

[yvonne johnson]

Wilfrid, The Woodchuck Raspberry Cider is emmm, let's put it this way, it's not vile, but it's not that nice either.  It has the look of the granny smith, just a hint of green in the glass, but it has too much of a false-smelling perfume to it.  I spotted it in D'Agostinos yesterday (the cashier didn't know what to charge, and arbitrarily punched in 68 cents per bottle, who knows if that's cheap or expensive) but glad I only bought 2 small bottles of the stuff.  Magners can't be beat.

[Miss J]

I'm still mourning for a discontinued one - Okanagan Premium's Cherry Cider. It was made of pure, dark cherry juice and tasted as rich and devilish as a good glass of port.

Obviously, it was far too good to stay. Now they sell a dumb apple version with a bit of "cherry flavour" and pink colouring.  Much like the raspberry cider Yvonne describes :confused:

Miss J

[Aurora]

I was a big fan of Woodchuck cider until I tried Strongbow. It's an English cider, much drier than most American cider. If you like Woodchuck's 'colonial' or 'dark and dry' ciders better than their amber, you might like Strongbow best of all. It's light and crisp, but not totally without sweetness. It's also slightly lower in alcohol (4.5% as opposed to 5% or 5.5%).

Rick

I second that. The dryness gives Strongbow a fuller, more rounded flavor. Also try Woodpecker and Scrumpy Jack. You may leave Woodchuck on the shelf forever.

[Wilfrid]

I grew up on Strongbow and Woodpecker, and they are both very refreshing. I would contend, however, that they don't have a particularly strong apple flavor.

[Batgrrrl]

I came at cider while I was an exchange student in southern England some 10 years ago. Woodpecker and Strongbow were the most popular there, and I absolutely fell in love with them. Thankfully there are places in Seattle where I can get Strongbow on tap, though it's been a while. Woodchuck is, I think, the best American cider--having said that, I think there's something very distinctive about British ciders, probably in the apples (cox pippins, I think?) that are used, that I prefer. I don't know Magners or Scrumpy Jack--the second, I'm assuming is British (at least, I've only heard Brits use the term "scrumpy"!), but is Magners British or American?

I've also had some experience with the Okanagan ciders, having relatives north of the border. I'm sorry to say I missed the cherry cider, Miss J--sounds wonderful! My experience is that the ones out now are mostly too much like wine coolers. But it's been a while since I've explored them.

I've often thought that the American market for ciders is misconceived--they seem to make and market them for the winecooler drinkers, when a truly great cider, I think, is much more like a good beer, and I'd love to see them making and marketing them that way instead.

Incidentally, I've also brewed my own cider--it's very easy (easier than beer), and really tasty. I've had some good luck combining flavors as well--I did a blackcurrant-apple cider that was fantastic, and a cranberry-apple cider that was perfect for Thanksgiving. And once, just once, when I added too much sugar in the bottling, I got cider that was like the most wonderful, driest champagne you've ever had. It positively disappeared in effervescence on the tongue, leaving behind a delicate hint of apple. Of course I also lost about 6 bottles, which exploded under the pressure!

Can you tell this is a topic close to my heart?!?

Batgrrrl

[Wilfrid]

It would be interesting to hear more about your cider-making. I was about to say Scrumpy Jack was American, but fortunately I checked first. It is, in fact, the official drink of the English cricket team - Howzat?

Magners turns out to be an Irish cider.

[edemuth]

I've only heard Brits use the term "scrumpy"!

Batgrrrl, an old college friend of mine used to use the term "scrumpable" to describe attractive females he took an interest in. He has no British heritage that I know of. He said he just made the word up--I wonder if he had ever heard of "scrumpy" cider?

"Scrumpable" is a sniglet if I ever heard one!