WLTB CIDER EDITION — 1911 HONEY HARD CIDER
It’s finally feeling like fall in Central New York which means that it’s time to get a group of homies together and partake in one of the most CNY things you can do — pick some apples at Beak and Skiff apple orchards and grab some locally made cider from 1911. Even though I admittedly am not the biggest fan of cider, I thought this would be a fun experiment to see if even I can find something I liked. It was my first time making a trek out to Beak and Skiff and I was incredibly thrown off with how big the whole complex is and how many things you can do on site. And even though I’m not the biggest cider fan, ’tis the season, right?
Full disclosure — I realize everyone may not be able to get their hands on these 1911 ciders very easily and the price point is not the traditional ‘tall boys’ price. That being said, Erin and I have wanted to explore more local options for some upcoming blog posts, so we’re both trying to mix it up in these sorts of ways. But fear not, while this review may be skewed more towards a New York audience, we will have a healthy mix of readily-available beers and ciders in addition to local, niche options. VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE! So come along with me as I tasted some cider that I actually liked.
Beer Name: 1911 Honey Hard Cider
City and Country of Origin: Lafayette, New York
Year Created: 1911
ABV: 7% (wowza)
Cost: $11.50 per bottle or $5 for a pint after a tasting
Taste: The 1911 Honey ended up being the third cider I had in my tasting, and I liked it so much I got a whole pint of it! Shocking, I know.
The first adjective that came to mind was definitely semi-sweet. I thought this was kind of strange just because when I personally think of hard ciders, I think of stuff like Angry Orchard that, in my opinion, is just too sweet and straight up carbonated gross-ness (#NotSorry). But THIS cider, I really really liked! It wasn’t too carbonated, wasn’t too sweet, had a good fruity aftertaste that was very present without being in your face. There was truly a really great balance of sweetness, carbonation, and flavor. To put it lightly, I was thoroughly surprised.
How Do I Feel? I feel like this entire time I was being too harsh on hard ciders. As with most alcohol, you truly have to try a lot of them and dig around for the gems that you keep coming back to. The 1911 Honey Hard Cider is definitely going to be one of those hard ciders I will gladly buy again. The great thing about this cider in particular is that I can order it online through the 1911 website and have it shipped to me or I can just head up to Beak and Skiff and buy a couple of bottles on my own. I mean, who would pass up an opportunity to spend an afternoon shopping for cider and apple picking? Definitely not me.
When To Drink 1911 Honey Hard Cider? This is definitely a late summer to fall beverage to me. When you first get that hint of fall breeze roll in, that’s the time to stock up and pour out a tall one. I also think this would be a good day drinking option just because it’s obviously not heavy and it’s sweet without being too sweet — there are endless possibilities for pairings with a cider like this one.
Overall Rating: 7.5/10 This cider definitely took me by surprise with its subtle sweetness and overall flavor profile. But at the end of the day, I know I’m not a true cider girl. So because of that, if you give me the option of a 1911 Honey Hard Cider or a beer, I’m probably going to choose the beer. Stay true to your roots, right?
Alright, fam — how did you like this special cider edition of #WLTB? Should Erin Miller and I do more reviews on cider, or should we stick with beers? Let us know in the comments below, or slide into our DMs over on Instagram. While you’re there, be sure to smash that ‘follow’ button so you can stay up to date on our shenanigans. Erin’s actually going to be heading back to the ‘Cuse for a MONTH, so prepare yourself for a lot of fun tag-team reviews and quality content coming to this Medium blog and our IG very, very soon.
Happy Friday, and cheers!
Natalie
