Strongbow Cider

Brewed by Bulmers Cider (S&N, Heineken)
Style: Cider
Hereford, England

This stuff is really expensive where I live(Germany.) But I picked up a six pack to try it out and was sadly dissapointed. This stuff is so watered down and weak when it comes to flavor, I felt like I was drinking carbonated apple juice out of a juice box. Not a fan, especially at what I paid.

I’m rating this compared to other ciders, not all alcoholic beverages, or beers. In tis respect, this isn’t bad. The aroma is apples, some yeasty qualities, and a bit reminiscent of champagne. The appearance is plain yellow, thin white head. The flavor is also apple, sweet (especially for a "dry" cider). The finish left a apple juice like sweetness on the palate. This is good relative to other ciders, and this is better enjoyed in small batches. You don’t want to drink a 6-pack of this stuff at once, or you’ll get a tummyache and cavities.

Do you want the true story or the fiction? Once, when I was in Scotland, I bought a six pack of Strongbow and it came with a free Halloween dvd. However, I couldn’t watch the dvd, because it was encoded for, you know, the UK and my computer obviously only read American DVDs. This is to say that getting a free dvd that I couldn’t watch was better than drinking this; it tasted like someone poured a bottle of Budweiser into a pint glass and topped it off with apple juice.

I guess I’m a sucker for cheap cider. Not as sweet as most easily found ciders, but still a bit sweet. Still, for a hot summer day it is awfully refreshing.

I haven’t had much cider before, Strongbow was a great way to put me off.. almost undrinkable, unpleasant taste and I dont say that about many alcoholic drinks.

440ml can.
Clear orangey yellow, fizzy. Pongy aroma, not sure what of. Slightly obnoxious sourish taste. Seems to be vaguely related to cider, but a long way from the real thing. Not lacking in taste, that’s for sure, but neither is vomit. Sticky and sweet. My apologies to the Nordic countries who have been misled into thinking this is a good example of an English cider. My sympathies too to those for whom this is better than their local alco-pop crap ciders.

On tap at the Cavern Club, Liverpool. As a student, I used to drink Strongbow by the gallon. Now I’m not so sure why. It tastes almost nothing like real cider. It’s yellow and very fizzy with an aroma of candy and yeast (the latter shouldn’t be present in a cider at all). The flavour is very sweet with a sour finish, almost like sour candy -- green apple Jolly Ranchers, maybe? It’s quite cloying and sickly. Its saving grace is that it’s preferable to mass produced lagers.

Draught. Weak apple aroma. Clear golden colour, sparkling. Small fizzy head. The flavour is tart and citric, citric apple. Hint of puke and quite vinous.