Review of Wyder’s Raspberry cider.  I don’t remember having tried this before (or at least I haven’t reviewed it), although I’ve had their Dry Pear, Reposado Pear, and Prickly Pineapple ciders.

Cider:  Dry Raspberry
Cidery:  Wyder’s Cider
Cidery Location:  Middlebury VT (at the Woodchuck cidery)
ABV:  4.0%
How Supplied:  six pack of 12oz bottles (and 22oz bottles)
Style:  American commercial cider with raspberries

Availability:  wide release, year round

Cider Description:  This cider is light in body and features mouthwatering raspberry notes. It retains a dry and sparkling finish.

Cidery Description:  We have specialized in eclectic fruit-forward ciders for more than two decades. It’s a pretty hyper-connected world out there, grab a Wyder’s when you’re ready to unplug. Wyder’s wants to be a part of you finding the good in life and your Happy Place. We hope you enjoy, and bring us along!

Price:  ~$2 / single bottle (runs ~$9.99 / six pack)
Where Bought:  Total Wine?
Where Drank:  home
How Found:  Browsing.  I couldn’t remember having tried it.

First Impression:  Light pink hue.  Nearly still.  Smells of mild slightly-candied raspberry.

Tasting Notes: Semi-dry to semi-sweet.  Light bodied.  Low tartness and acidity.  No bitterness, sourness, funk, or tannins.  The flavor notes are just raspberry, maybe with hints of lemon & floral.  Quick finish.  Low complexity, flavor intensity, and apple flavor.  High sessionability (as expected at only 4% ABV).

My Opinion:  I thought it was pretty average, definitely commercial tasting.  The flavor was very light and it seemed a bit watered down tasting.  I liked that it wasn’t syrupy sweet though.  It was refreshing and easy to drink.  I almost thought this was a perry wih the flavor profile (especially as Wyder’s makes a couple pear ciders), but the ingredient list said “hard cider”, so I assume it is from apples.

Most Similar to:  Woodchuck’s Raspberry cider, which is also only 4% ABV, although slightly sweeter.

Random Note:  This is yet another mis-named cider…at 12 grams of sugar per 12oz, it is far from “dry”.  It is not the most egregious mis-use of the “dry” label though.

Closing Notes:  My favorite raspberry ciders remain Schilling Raspberry Smoothie and One Tree Raspberry.  Both were very full-bodied, literally smoothie thickness, and quite sweet, but very very flavorful.  I also really enjoy Pear UP’s Raspberry Perry (from pears not apples).

Have you tried Wyder’s cider?  What did you think?