Review of Red Branch Hard Black Cherry cider.  It is my first time trying this, although I have had their Peach cider.

Cider:  Hard Black Cherry
Cidery:  Red Branch
Cidery Location:  Sunnyvale CA
ABV:  6.9%
How Supplied:  500ml bottles (and kegs)
Style:  American craft cider from dessert apples, with honey, sugar, and cherry

  

Availability:  likely only in Northern California, plus online sales

Cider Description:  Our most popular cider, our Black Cherry is the perfect balance between sweet and tart and delicious. When we made the first batch we didn’t know what to think – now we can’t make enough of the stuff. Be a hero, bring this to the next party you attend. Trust us!

Cidery Description:  We believe that producing a quality hard cider of any variety is 90% art and 10% science. Toss in a bit of sweat and heartburn for good measure and you’ll have a typical small cidery. Crafting cider is a lot like crafting many other beverages, and our love of quality ingredients drives us to produce more than just an average cider, but what we believe, is the finest cider possible. Our passion is to create something special from one of the most natural substances on earth, and share it with everyone.

Quality and consistency are the most important aspects of our products, if they aren’t good enough for us to drink or offer to our own friends and family, then we won’t sell it to you!  Red Branch Cider Company offers both traditional and seasonal ciders with an innovative honey twist.

They were established in 1995 and have a tap room in Sunnyvale CA.

Price:  ~ $7-8 / bottle
Where Bought:  n/a
Where Drank:  at my in-laws
How Found:  I got this as a Christmas gift

First Impression:  Smells of fake cherry flavor.  Medium cherry red hue.  Nearly still (very low carbonation).

Tasting Notes:  Semi-dry to semi-sweet.  Light to medium bodied.  Low tartness and acidity.  No bitterness, sourness, tannins, or funk.  Notes of fake cherry flavor with a hint of cranberry.  Moderate length finish.  Low apple flavor and complexity.  Moderate flavor intensity and sessionability.

My Opinion:  I didn’t like this, and neither did any of the other folks I shared it with.  The cherry flavor was too artificial / cough-syrup-like.  It was borderline undrinkable for me.

Most Similar to:  Wards and Strongbow cherry ciders, both of which also had a similar medicinal cherry flavor

Closing Notes:  I’m surprised this is their most popular, as no one I tasted it with enjoyed it.  I think cherry ciders are one of the more difficult flavors to pull off.  However, I didn’t really like Red Branch’s peach cider either, so maybe their cidermaking style just isn’t for me.  That is ok though, as everyone won’t like every cider.

Have you tried Red Branch cider?  What did you think?