I started drinking cider at 18. On my last day of sixth form we went to the Toby Carvery near our school to celebrate. I had not been 18 too long so it was still very enjoyable to order alcohol legally. Hugh who was one of my friends recommended I try cider (Its odd I never tried it before then) as I drank beer even though I was not keen on it at all. I ordered a pint of strongbow and thought wow, this is so much better than beer (I still dont like beer much 6 years later). So from then on I would drink strongbow at parties or nights out clubbing where I might also drink snake bite which was Beer, Cider and black-current mixed and drinking too much would result in being sick on the way home.
Over the years of early uni life I mainly stayed with Strongbow as it was quite a cheap option. Now and then I treated myself to Magners and Bulmers. I had a little phase of Gaymers pear cider but then became sick off it not long after.
Now in 2012 for whatever reason, this was the year I started to enjoy a drink more, not at an alcoholic level but on a nice Saturday or Sunday afternoon or one or two nights after work or Uni I would fancy a drink. I started to really like Magners Pear Cider as I had started to get a little bored of apple Cider so this was a nice try. I then discovered what is now my favourite alcoholic drink ever and the one I finally found after seven weeks which is Kopparberg Pear Cider.
I thought I would do a little review off the main brands of Cider that I have drunk over the years and rate them out of ten.
Me after my seven week hunt for Kopparberg and
below dragging some along to the checkout
STRONGBOW
The drink that started it all for me. The best option for when you are young and dont have too much money (I remember buying 2 litre bottles for about £3 which was great for parties). Although here in Canada I have seen it put down as a premium Cider which I found funny. It is a nice cider which is not too sweet but not too dry either and easy to drink. 6.5/10 I think is a fair score, easy to drink but nothing too good
I also tried the pear cider Strongbow released this year, was not too keen. Not as sweet as you hope with a pear cider, I felt it just tasted like a slightly sweeter normal Strongbow. 4/10
Bulmers
The apple cider is one of my favourite apple cider's I have tried. Its odd Bulmers owns Strongbow as the best way I can descirbe Bulmers apple cider is a better, more expensive version of Strongbow. The flavours are stonger and a nice balance of sweetness to it. 8/10 like I said one of my favourite apple ciders so gets a good score.
I have also tried Bulmers pear cider and their fruit one. The pear one is like the Strongbow in it is not as sweet as you would expect a pear cider to be so I give it 5/10 and I have not had the fruit one too much but remember it is a quite nice but nothing amazing 6/10
Magners
Magners cider was probably the second brand of cider I drank after Strongbow. I liked it but this summer really went off their apple brand of cider, like I really struggled to drink it when I had it. I dont know why, maybe it wasnt as sweet as this year I starting liking my ciders a little sweeter. So poor Magners apple gets a low 4/10 but I did have one recently and enjoyed it much more than earlier in the year.
Magners pear helped my love of pear cider come back. It was just a very nice level of sweetness and extremely easy to drink. I feel I could drink many of these without getting sick of the taste. It gets the highest rating so far with 9/10 perfect on a summers day with ice.
Stella Artois
Not being a fan off beer I did not think I would like their Cider or should I say Cidre. But their apple cider is my favourite. It beats bulmers by being slightly sweeter and I feel richer in flavour. I drank this at Hop farm music festival and when you are drinking for four days you ideally want to enjoy it alot. So I give it 8.5/10 defiantely my favourite plain cider and worthy off a very good score.
The pear brand of Stella Artrois Cidre is nice but a little too sweet but still a very enjoyable drink but not as good as Magners so it gets a 8/10.
Rekorderlig
I do not know if Rekordelig had been about before this year in England but it seemed to be the drink of summer 2012. I noticed loads of people drinking it. All varieties were popular, it was actually rare to see an apple brand. I only remember trying it once so feel I cant really give a review of that. I enjoyed the mixed fruits one and remember drinking it one night but got that feeling on your teeth where you know you have had too much sugar.
The mixed berries gets a 6.5/10 as was nice but not something I would drink to much of.
The Pear brand was very nice, very crisp and refreshing so gets a 8/10.
I do not like strawberry cider, I find it way too sweet so Rekorderlig's Strawberry and lime I give a 3/10.
Kopparberg
My Favourite drink as I have stated is Kopparberg's pear cider which is a perfect level of sweetness and so refreshing and the best drink on a hot day with lots of ice. I have never been one of those people who after a days work feels like a drink but this drink was the first I have craved after a hard days work or on a very hot sunny day. I give it 10/10 as I have never enjoyed an alcoholic drink more and after not having it for 8 weeks it was not a let down when I had it once more.
The apple brand of Kopparberg was a very nice surprise as you can really taste the apple whereas in other brands you dont get such a strong apple flavour. It is really nice and the sweet apple flavour is a lovely surprise which you wont get with the other apple ciders. I give it a 8.5/10
The mixed berries and strawberry and lime I am not to keen on. The mixed berries is ok so gets a 6/10 but as I said I dont enjoy Strawberry Cider so gets a 4/10.
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