Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Alexander Keith's Original Cider Review


I was a bit surprised to see Alexander Keith's name in the cider/coolers section, but this really is a cider made by Alexander Keith. The cider comes in 6 packs and 473 mL cans and the bottles look fantastic. However, I just wanted to try one before I committed to purchasing more.

The cider is very bubbly, has a straw, light honey color and a very strong aroma. I was able to smell the contents of the can about 60-70 cm away from my face. Upon closer inspection I realized the aroma wasn't as strong as I thought it was. I think I had just created a small cloud of smells while pouring the can into a glass.

The cider smells like sweet apples and pears with a bit of a white wine note. The taste is light and a bit confusing as it starts off like a carbonated white wine with notes of grapes. Soon after, a burst of pear flavours follow, which are then followed by sweet apples and a nice sour kick right before the finish. The finish is crisp and starts off acidic with little flavour, but give it a few minutes and some sweet apple notes will arrive followed by some dryness. The finish also reveals some boozy notes and additional flavours which seem to come from the added acid blend.

Overall, this is a very refreshing cider with a nice crisp finish. Those who don't like sweet ciders will enjoy this one as the acidity is high, but those who seek more flavour should try something else.

Scores:
Cost - $2.95 for a can and $14 for a 6 pack
Taste - 7.2/10
ABV - 5.5%

Overall - 7.2/10...light on flavour, but a very refreshing and crisp cider

14 comments:

  1. Don't judge a book by it's cover. This "cover" looks great, simple yet intriguing. However, the taste leaves much to be desired. It tastes like sub-par cider has been mixed with Green Apple Sour Puss. Luckily I only bought one can to try out. I will not be buying this one again. Stick with the good stuff; Waupoos and Strongbow.

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  2. Breweries are not good cider maker... all of the flavors and aromas come form the orchards itself ! I'm sure that Alexander Keith's do not own an orchard ! It is probably made with a blend of apple juice concentrate with an acid blend. The best one is William premium cider ! Cheers !

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    1. Where is William Premium Cider Available? I havent tried that one. I really like Sommersby (by Carlsberg) but it is only available in a few bars so far and not in liquor stores. Hoping they pick it up soon.

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    2. It is available at most LCBO stores in Ontario. Not sure about the US or the rest of the world.

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    3. Also agree, William's is my favourite cider.

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  3. it's not made my Keiths. Look on the side of the can it's made by Anhauser-Busch in NY

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    Replies
    1. You are absolutely right. Great attention to detail!

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    2. Same company. AB and Labatt both fall under the AB InBev umbrella

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  4. It's just a bunch of sugar and water with apple flavouring.. there's barely any cider actually in it!

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  5. I remember when Alexander Keiths was only made at the Halifax brewery. Then a little over a year ago they started making in the rest of Canada. This stuff isn't made in Canada.
    People in the Halifax brewery ( the true home of Keith's) are laid off and now they make a cider in the states and put the Keith's name on it and ship it to Canada.

    Hard to believe

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  6. I'd have to agree with your review. I was pleasantly surprised by this cider as I've found them too complicated (strongbow) or too simple (magners) in the past for my tastes. While I spend 90% of my drinking money to buy from craft breweries/local wineries, I still like to enjoy products from the bigger breweries.

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  7. This is, IMHO, a very weak cider. Tastes pretty much like a sour apple jolly rancher. Very artificial.

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  8. Based on some like it some don't i thought it was worth a try. I like the fresh apple flavor it was really refepreshing, poured it into a big glass with ice and was glad I bought more than 1. Made with real apples and not as bitter as strongbow or as sweet as sommersby

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  9. Great cider. Not a fan of one's that taste like mediocre beer with bitter, watery apples like strongbow. I enjoy somersby but it's a bit sweeter and after the first one it's difficult to drink. Tried a few less known ones like Jack's and Thornbury but I wasn't a fan since they took the more beerish approach like somersby and don't offer any of the sweetness of a traditional cider.

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