Review of Grand Illusion Hard Cider’s Mystic Citra Pineapple, a hopped pineapple cider.  It is my first time trying anything from this cidery.

Cider:  Mystic Citra Pineapple
Cidery:  Grand Illusion Hard Cider
Cidery Location:  Carlisle PA
ABV:  6.5%
How Supplied:  six pack of 12oz cans (and draft)
Style:  American craft cider from dessert apples, with Citra & Cascade hops and pineapple

>>This is a review of a sample can provided to Cider Says by Grand Illustion.  Although I will take care to treat it the same as any other review, there is always the potential for bias as I received it for free.  The only consideration I knowingly made was pushing this up in my cider review cue.  I love free stuff, especially cider!  Want your cider or cider-related product reviewed here?  Contact me.<<

  

Availability:  in Pennsylvania, primarily at their taproom, but soon, at some other locations

Cider Description:  Has a pineapple ever played tricks on you? This cider will. Floral and fruity with passion fruit, grapefruit, pineapple and lemongrass overtones. Dry hopped with a combination of Cascade and Citra hops.

Cidery Description:  We are Grand Illusion, a hard cider production company located in Carlisle, PA.  We use fresh pressed apples from Adams and York County to create magical ciders for all to enjoy.  Our taproom in downtown Carlisle has become a destination, with 15 ciders, 5 beers, and 8 wines – all on draft and all from Pennsylvania.

Here is an article from a local newspaper on the cidery.  They serve both their own ciders and ciders from other cideries at their taproom; see their tap list here.

Price:  n/a (retails for ~ $44 / case, likely ~ $11 / six pack)
Where Bought:  n/a
Where Drank:  home
How Found:  the cidery owners contacted me

First Impression:  Light yellow hue.  Low carbonation.  Smells of hops, pineapple, and stone fruit.

Tasting Notes:  On the sweeter side of semi-dry.  Light bodied.  Moderate tartness.  High acidity.  Low bitterness.  Hints of sourness.  No funk or tannins.  Notes of hops, pineapple, apricot/peach, and grapefruit.  Long slightly bitter hoppy finish.  Moderate hops intensity and overall flavor intensity.  Low to moderate complexity.  Low apple flavor.  Moderate to high sessionability.

My Opinion:  I would have liked it better with less bitter of a finish, but overall the flavor combination and level of sweetness were nice.  My husband was a bigger fan.  It was neat how many extra flavors there were.  Also, more fruity than citrus or floral, which I’d expect from Citra hops (they did say Cascade were also used though).  I think this would appeal well to beer drinkers.  It tasted less sweet than the labeled 17 grams of sugar; possibly as the acidity and bitterness helped cut that, or else this was less sweet of a batch.

Most Similar to:  Swift Pineapple Hop

Closing Notes:  Next up I have their blueberry-lavender and hopped grapefruit varieties.

Have you tried hopped cider?  What did you think?