Denmark

Vizo Elderflower

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Review of Vizo’s Organic Elderflower cider.  It is my first time trying this, but I’ve had their Green Apple variety.

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Cider:  Elderflower
Cidery:  Vizo Organic Apple Cider
Cidery Location:  Denmark
ABV:  4.8%
How Supplied:  11.2oz bottles
Style:  organic craft cider from Denmark, from unknown apple varieties, with elderflower extract

Photo Feb 08, 8 33 38 PM Photo Feb 08, 8 33 48 PM

Availability:  limited, plus online sales

Cider Description:  The aroma of our cider is intense, fresh and with a slightly floral background. Vizo Organic Hard Cider perfectly combines sweet and tart apples in order to enrich the flavor, leaving a pleasant, fruity and  refreshing aftertaste. Made from Danish organic apples with just the right touch of elder-flower, forest fruits or green apple flavor. It is a seamless amalgam of flavors, with no sugar or additives, resulting in a 100% natural drink a craft cider like no other.

Cidery Description:  The aroma of our cider is intense, fresh and with a slightly floral background. Vizo Organic Hard Cider perfectly combines sweet and tart apples in order to enrich the flavor, leaving a pleasant, fruity and  refreshing aftertaste. Made from Danish organic apples with just the right touch of elder-flower, forest fruits or green apple flavor. It is a seamless amalgam of flavors, with no sugar or additives, resulting in a 100% natural drink a craft cider like no other.

Price:  ~ $4.50 / 1 bottle
Where Bought:  a natural grocery store in Northern California
Where Drank:  home
How Found:  browsing

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First Impression:  Light caramel hue.  Very low carbonation.  Smells of sweet apple juice.

Tasting Notes:  Sweet.  Medium bodied.  Low tartness and acidity.  No bitterness, sourness, funk, or tannins.  Notes of rich sweet caramelized apple juice and a hint of honey.  Quick finish.  Moderate apple flavor.  Moderate to high flavor intensity.  High sessionability.  Low complexity.

My Opinion:  I liked it, although it was a bit too sweet for my liking.  Same as the first one I tried from them, the color confuses me.  This was quite similar in flavor to the first one too, just a tad less tart, and with a hint of honey (I didn’t pick up any floral notes)

Most Similar to:  Woodchuck Barrel Select but without the barrel & bourbon flavor, Locust New England Amber but sweeter and less complex, Locust Sweet Aged Apple with more caramel than honey & brown sugar, or Spire Dark & Dry but more caramel then molasses and no malt

Closing Notes:  I also picked up Vizo’s ‘Forest Fruits’ variety.

Have you tried Vizo cider?  What did you think?

Vizo Green Apple

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Review of Vizo’s Organic Apple Cider Green Apple.  It is my first time trying anything from this cidery.

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Cider:  Green Apple
Cidery:  Vizo Organic Apple Cider
Cidery Location:  Denmark
ABV:  4.8%
How Supplied:  11.2oz bottles
Style:  organic craft cider from Denmark, from unknown apple varieties, with green apple extract

Photo Feb 02, 7 41 13 PM Photo Feb 02, 7 41 26 PM

Availability:  limited, plus online sales

Cider Description:  Take the classic cider and now imagine a zest of aroma and flavor of green apple with a clean finish, Vizo’s Green Apple is that cider. Beneficial to both health and well-being, the taste and freshness of the traditional and the well-known fruit is outstanding.

Cidery Description:  The aroma of our cider is intense, fresh and with a slightly floral background. Vizo Organic Hard Cider perfectly combines sweet and tart apples in order to enrich the flavor, leaving a pleasant, fruity and  refreshing aftertaste. Made from Danish organic apples with just the right touch of elder-flower, forest fruits or green apple flavor. It is a seamless amalgam of flavors, with no sugar or additives, resulting in a 100% natural drink a craft cider like no other.

Price:  ~ $4.50 / 1 bottle
Where Bought:  a natural grocery store in Northern California
Where Drank:  home
How Found:  browsing

Photo Feb 02, 7 42 47 PM.jpg

First Impression:  Light caramel hue.  Very low carbonation.  Smells of sweet apple juice.

Tasting Notes:  Sweet.  Medium bodied.  Moderate tartness.  Low to moderate acidity.  No bitterness, sourness, funk, or tannins.  Notes of rich sweet apple juice and caramel.  Quick finish.  High apple flavor and sessionability.  Moderate to high flavor intensity.  Low complexity.

My Opinion:  I liked it, although it was a bit too sweet for my liking.  The color confused me, as from that I had assumed it was made from cider apples, but the flavor didn’t support that theory, as it tasted like typical cider from dessert/supermarket apples, although richer.  I’m also surprised they called this ‘Green Apple’, as it didn’t have that flavor, only a bit of tartness with the rich profile.  It doesn’t list color as being added though, so maybe they just use a different process which retains more color than a typical clarified American apple juice or hard cider.

Most Similar to:  Woodchuck Barrel Select but without the barrel & bourbon flavor, Locust New England Amber but sweeter and less complex, Locust Sweet Aged Apple with more caramel than honey & brown sugar, or Spire Dark & Dry but more caramel then molasses and no malt

Closing Notes:  I also picked up Vizo’s ‘Forest Fruits’ and ‘Elderflower’ varieties.

Have you tried Vizo cider?  What did you think?

Somersby Apple Cider

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Review of Somersby Apple Cider.  It is my first time trying this, although I have had their Citrus Fruit cider.

Cider:  Apple Cider
Cidery:  Somersby
Cidery Location:  Copenhagen Denmark
ABV:  4.5%
How Supplied:  draft (and cans and bottles)
Style:  commercial cider from dessert apples, back sweetened

Availability:  wide release

Cider Description:  Somersby Apple is refreshing cider made from fermented apple juice and natural apple flavouring. No artificial sweeteners, flavours or colourings. Its uniquely juicy apple taste makes it a tasty and natural choice for the relaxed moments with your friends. Best served over ice for maximum happiness… Enjoy!

Cidery Description:  Lord Somersby is the father of many great discoveries – but the most famous of them all is probably Somersby cider, which was once known as the favorite drink of celebrities like Napoleon, Cleopatra and Newton. Or at least that is what we have heard.

Available in many different delicious variants but the most popular variants of the Somersby portfolio is Apple, Pear and Blackberry. Somersby has obtained a reputation of spreading joy and sunny togetherness where ever it is served and attracting curious and open-minded people from all over the world.

If you are attracted to Somersby – but not exactly in the mood of travelling all over the world to taste one, don’t worry. You can enjoy a refreshing bottle of Somersby in more than 43 countries.  

Price:  ~ $7 CAN / pint
Where Bought & Drank:  a bar in Victoria B.C. Canada
How Found:  this was their only cider on draft

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First Impression:  Medium straw yellow hue.  Low to moderate carbonation.  Smells of apple juice.  Served with a few ice cubes.

Tasting Notes:  On the drier side of semi-sweet.  Light to medium bodied.  Low tartness and acidity.  No bitterness, sourness, funk, or tannins.  Notes of apple juice with a hint of grapefruit.  Quick finish.  High apple flavor and sessionability.  Moderate flavor intensity.  Low complexity.

My Opinion:  This was surprisingly tasty.  It really hit the spot after walking around all morning.  Way better tasting than their ‘Citrus Fruit’ variety (which I found to be overly sweet and artificial tasting).  Yes it is definitely in the alcoholic apple juice category, but for me this one wasn’t overly sweet, syrupy, fake, etc, and a better choice than many other commercial ciders.  As much as I enjoy craft and especially heritage ciders, sometimes you just want something easy to drink and/or have to drink whatever is the best available option.

Most Similar to:  Stella Artois Cidre

Closing Notes:  I don’t think I’ve seen this sold in my area, but I believe it is available in some other parts of the U.S.

Have you tried Somersby?  What did you think?

Somersby Citrus Fruit

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Review of Somersby’s Citrus Fruit cider, from Denmark.  I picked it up in Victoria B.C., a stop on our Alaska cruise.  Its the first cider I’ve tried from Somersby.

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Cider:  Citrus Fruit
Cidery:  Somersby
Cidery Location:  Copenhagen Denmark
ABV:  4.5%
How Supplied:  500ml can
Style:  Commercial cider from Denmark made from dessert apples with natural citrus flavor added

Availability:  wide release

Cider Description:  Somersby Citrus Fruit is a refreshing cider made from fermented apple juice and natural citrus flavouring. No artificial sweeteners, flavours or colourings. Its uniquely juicy apple taste makes it a tasty and natural choice for the relaxed moments with your friends.

Cidery Description:  Lord Somersby is the father of many great discoveries – but the most famous of them all is probably Somersby cider, which was once known as the favorite drink of celebrities like Napoleon, Cleopatra and Newton. Or at least that is what we have heard.

Available in many different delicious variants but the most popular variants of the Somersby portfolio is Apple, Pear and Blackberry. Somersby has obtained a reputation of spreading joy and sunny togetherness where ever it is served and attracting curious and open-minded people from all over the world.

If you are attracted to Somersby – but not exactly in the mood of travelling all over the world to taste one, don’t worry. You can enjoy a refreshing bottle of Somersby in more than 43 countries.  

Price:  $4 CAN (~$3 USD) / can
Where Bought:  The Strath in Victoria B.C.
Where Drank:  home
How Found:  Browsing.  I think we get Somersby in the U.S., but I hadn’t seen this variety.

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First Impression:  Dark straw yellow.  Low carbonation.  Smells of strong slightly fake citrus.

Tasting Notes:  Sweet.  Full bodied.  Low tartness.  Moderate acidity.  No bitterness, sourness, funk, or tannins.  Moderate length finish.  Citrus notes–predominately lemon with some orange and grapefruit.  Artificial taste.  Low apple flavor.  High sessionability.  Moderate flavor intensity.

My Opinion:  This was disappointing, as I found the flavor fake, despite the claim to not use artificial flavor.  It was also rather sweet and syrupy.  I had hoped for something lighter.

Most Similar to:  Other simple sweet commercial ciders, although I haven’t had a predominately citrus one.  I’m a big citrus fan though.  My favorite alcoholic citrus beverage so far however isn’t a cider, but Crabbie’s Cloudy Alcoholic Lemonade.

Closing Notes:   I’m glad I got to try it, but I wasn’t impressed.  I couldn’t even finish it.

Have you tried Somersby?  What did you think?