STEVENS POINT, Wis.—America’s best-tasting hard ciders are produced by Ciderboys Cider Co., according to Chicago’s Beverage Testing Institute (BTI).
The BTI’s expert judges taste-tested hard ciders from North America and Europe during October and bestowed four gold medals — the most for any cider maker — on Ciderboys’ Peach County, Raspberry Smash, Magic Apple and Cranberry Road hard ciders, which blend unexpected fresh fruit flavors with the crisp taste of apple. Ciderboys First Press Traditional Hard Cider earned a silver award.
The BTI’s hard-cider judging, part of the institute’s ongoing World Beer Championships quality rankings, was the very first beverage competition Ciderboys Cider Co. has entered. The results are available online at www.tastings.com and will be published in All About Beer magazine in early 2014.
“A gold medal in the World Beer Championships represents exceptional taste and quality, and the BTI judges found what they were looking for when they sampled Ciderboys hard ciders,” said Joe Martino, Ciderboys Cider Co. Operating Partner. “Hard cider fans know quality when they taste it, too, and at Ciderboys Cider Co. we’re working overtime to keep up with demand.”
The World Beer Championships, founded in 1994, is an ongoing competition open to commercially produced beers and hard ciders from around the world. Using proprietary blind tasting methodology developed by the Beverage Testing Institute, expert judges award rankings based on a 100-point rating scale. Scores of 96 to 100 denote a “superlative” platinum award, while 90 to 95 points are “exceptional” gold award winners. Products earning 85 to 89 points are deemed “highly recommended” silver winners. The BTI’s top 15 hard ciders for 2013 are:
Entry, Cider, Maker, BTI Score
1. Pomme de Coeur, Cidrerie Arista, Rougemont, Canada, 98
2. Rose Cider, Cidre Beaupre, Laval, Canada, 95
3. Tie Peach County, Ciderboys, Stevens Point, WI, 94
Regulier Cider, Cidre Beaupre, Laval, Canada, 94
5. Raspberry Smash, Ciderboys, Stevens Point, WI, 93
6. Tie Magic Apple, Ciderboys, Stevens Point, WI, 92
Clos Normand, Cider CSR S.A., Paris, France, 92
8. Tie Cranberry Road, Ciderboys, Stevens Point, WI, 91
Iceman, Angry Orchard, Cincinnati, OH, 91
10. Crisp Apple Cider, Angry Orchard, Cincinnati, OH, 90
11. Tie First Press, Ciderboys, Stevens Point, WI, 89
Cuvee Chevallier, Aspall, Suffolk, England, 89
Dublin’s Pub, Cidrerie Arista, Rougemont, Canada, 89
Elderflower, Angry Orchard, Cincinnati, OH, 89
Green Apple, Angry Orchard, Cincinnati, OH, 89
Fruitful Pairings:
Ciderboys’ Magic Apple, Cranberry Road, Raspberry Smash and Peach County are “fruitful pairings” featuring mouth-watering complementary flavors. Magic Apple, a year-round brand, blends crisp apple cider with the taste of fresh strawberries. Cranberry Road, a fall seasonal, features a splash of cranberries. Summer seasonal Peach County delivers pure peach flavor. Raspberry Smash, introduced just last summer, blends the tartness of raspberries with apple cider. First Press, offered year-round, is a traditional hard cider, tart and sweet at the same time. Mad Bark, Ciderboys’ winter seasonal pairing the sweetness of apple with the aromatic spiciness of natural cinnamon, was not available in time for the BTI judging.
Launched in Wisconsin just one year ago, Ciderboys’ handcrafted hard ciders quickly won converts and soon expanded into nearby Midwestern states. Today Ciderboys’ sparkling hard ciders are sold in six-packs of 12-ounce bottles and on draft in 18 states from coast to coast.
About Ciderboys Cider Co.
Based in Stevens Point, Wis., Ciderboys Cider Co. produces its hard ciders using juice from fresh Washington State apples. The juice is heated to pasteurize it then fermented at cool temperatures in shining stainless steel tanks. Ciderboys uses a special hard-cider yeast imported from France, where hard ciders have quenched thirsts since the Middle Ages. The fermentation process is cool and slow, taking approximately two weeks for each batch. When fermentation is complete, the cider goes through a filtration process that renders a clear, sparkling liquid. No sugar is added to Ciderboys products, which are naturally gluten free.
For more information and where to find Ciderboys products, visit www.ciderboys.com.