Crispin Original

So brings the first of apple-kind to be added to the list of the enjoyed and the not forgotten. Crispin Original Natural Hard Apple Cider, a recently popular cider hailing in from the western United States, is the beverage of discussion today. The word Crispin itself is a type of apple dubbed as Mutsu in Japan, priding itself as a hybrid of Golden Delicious and Indo apples. Before I dive into the flavor breakdown, let me supply you with some basic information regarding the cider.

CRISPIN ORIGINAL NATURAL HARD APPLE CIDER

http://www.crispincider.com/

• ABV ~ 5%
• Calories ~ 150
• Carbohydrates ~ 15g
• Gluten Free 
• Naturally Fermented

Of course it goes without saying that this lively beverage is to be served on ice, with the bottle even courteous enough to instruct you. This is a cider greeting us from the western United States and while this post is strictly with reference to original, they come in a wide array of flavors and varieties. The classics are deemed "Blue Line", including Crispin Original, Crispin Brut, and Crispin Light. Another line of Crispin Ciders are primarily specialty ciders under Barrel Aged, including but not limited to Bird on a Wire and Joan of Arc. If you're feeling more adventurous the Artisanal Reserves group contains Honey Crisp, The Saint, Lansdowne, and Cho-Tokkyu.

The fun fact for the lastly mentioned, is that it is actually a cider fermented naturally with Sake yeast. Although I would love nothing more than to try this, the closest instance of Cho-Tokkyu is 361 miles. What this this boils down to is if you're taking a roadtrip to Michigan, keep me in your thoughts. For the equation x² you can call me 2x due to the fact I just went off on a tangent.

Back to the cider at hand! Before I rattle on about tastes and sensations, I have to first address the design for the bottles and packaging. As an avid cider hunter within the past two years, I have found that my eyes have crossed over a healthy number of ciders. One of the strong suites of Crispin is the packaging. The design and packaging are very precise and crisp in their own way, hopefully intentionally emphasizing the crispness the brand prides itself on. It is a very definite arrangement, not very cluttered or prone to visual chaos. All of the Blue Line and Artisanal Reserves follow this design, only varying color as a means of identification. The label colors are very well suited to compliment the color of the liquid. I personally would say this to start with tops a great number of ciders as far as the design aspect is concerned.

Photography by Danielle

Now onto the essence of the cider, it pours to a very light color as far as applekind is concerned. As gorgeously seen above I started with a set of ice cubes and poured this lively drink into my glass, for it would be a crime to defy the bottle itself and serve without ice.

The taste immediately gives a tingle to the tongue, crispness introduced without dispute. It seems already apparent just from the initial kick the major draw of the drink. The bite and dryness of the cider quickly separate it from the hyper-sweetened crowd of ciders. Au le champagne, it feels animated in a bright, but not overpowering sense. I find there to be a definite aftertaste, the residual apple flavor lingering on the tongue as a reminder and not leading to bitter resentment. It appears to be a better tribute to the pure English ciders with an American spin instead of an overpowering suger-filled apple juice. This is by no means a craft cider, it's rather mass produced, but mass production doesn't always have to mean a reduction in quality. It may not have the appeal and specialized taste of a craft cider, maybe a dash less love added in every batch, but it can still distance itself from a great deal of mass produced ciders.

Overall a refreshing and casual friend, always there but never a sore sight for eyes and tastebuds.

Next on Review: Commonwealth Ciders Traditional Dry

The Core Idea

And so here lies the modest beginnings of a little hobbyist cider blog. Here I will document and spew my opinions out to the world, provide some facts about many a cider, and introduce local hard ciders for all to admire! As a side note, puns will be an accomplice for my wordy endeavors. Anyone in my life will know what level of wordplay pains lie ahead of them. Now I boast no sort of advanced knowledge of this topic, these are the writings of an absolutely all-star amateur. If not a blog for reviews and viewpoints, see it as my expedition into an apple-filled bliss. Down the line I intend to incorporate delicious morsels to compliment the flavors of the drinks, but for the time being the poor beverages go unaccompanied. In the beginning I will primarily focus on commonly used types of apples as well as fermented ciders, sticking with larger more familiar brands before slowing dipping into local must-have's and marvels. A wonderful way to polish up my posts and really refine them before getting into the nitty-gritty of taste bud territory.

I feel a brief introduction is in order before you hear the audacious tales of my taste buds. I am a man of the business world, passionately driven by several well-determined interests. An individual who happens to have a certain affinity with colder weather and autumn. I've always been irked by humidity and beaming heat, so fall was always a lovely time to escape my irritation. I found indulging in mulled cider, spiced wafers, and pumpkin pie drove me further into the tranquilizing arms of autumn. Naturally, the lively zing and zest of the seasonal spices and absolute infatuation with apples was the debut of my cider fancy. It wasn't until I was visiting Baltimore that I truly sampled my first hard cider. Strongbow on tap was a glorious introduction to the alcoholic cider cosmos that awaited. For this point on I made it my objective to try as many ciders as I could within the fall/winter season and at the conclusion of it all, I only wanted more.

Before I establish this blog in the name of all that is apple, I would like to extend a huge thank you for the lovely photography work to be featured here. A grand shout-out for Dani for her seasoned skill in photography gracing the blog (and not to mention assistance with the name!). Noted above is her blog for Tea & Teacups which I highly suggest.

The orchard of the world is about to be opened and I can only hope to welcome any with interest to join. Alongside brandishing my debatable wit and wisdom, I march on with an open pallet and an open mind. Feel free to comment with any cider suggestions or chime in with an opinion if you happen to agree or disagree. Thanks for reading and hope the fruit-loving side of yourself enjoys.

First up to the plate: Crispin Original.