Johnny Mash Hard Cider - Berkshire Cider Company

The following is an excerpt from the The Living Section
of the January 29, 1997 edition of The New York Times:

A GUIDE TO APPLE CIDERS

Hard, or draft ciders come in a variety of styles, from bone dry to fairly sweet. All are lightly effervescent. they vary in color from pale straw to deep amber and in alcohol content from 3 percent to 7.5 percent. The best tasting are made by naturally fermenting fresh apple juice or apple juice reconstituted from concentrates; others contain added sugar, caramel color, carbonated water and preservatives like sulfur dioxide, potassium sorbate or sodium benzoate. Dry English-style ciders are best served to complement food, especially cheeses, cured meats, smoked salmon and seafood, even oysters. Here is a description of some of the draft ciders sold in the New York area. They are listed alphabetically. Prices may vary slightly.

~ see also articles from~
The Berkshire Eagle || The Berkshire Record || The Wall Street Journal

BRAND NAME ALCOHOL CONTENT DESCRIPTION

Johnny Mash Oak-Aged Hard Cider
Berkshire Cider Co,
Richmond, MA
6.0% Very pale color; pleasant apple scent; quite dry tasting but with lovely finesse.

Cider Jack Hard Cider
American Hard Cider Co., Middlebury, VT
6.0% Gold color; fairly dry with a somewhat insipid flavor.

Dry Blackthorn Fermented Cider
Taunton Cider,
Somerset, England
5.8% Pale gold color; a hint of sweetness but an unpleasantly sulfurous aroma and taste.

Hornsby's Pubdrafts Draft Cider
E J Gallo Company,
Modesto, CA
6.4% Medium gold color; a rich apple aroma and flavor; marred by a medicinal aftertaste.

Woodchuck Draft Cider Amber
Joseph Cerniglia Winery, Cavendish, VT
5.0% Light amber color; more sweet than appley and somewhat one dimensional.

~More Rave Reviews~

NOW WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DRINK? September `96

Donald S. Gosselin
Founder and Publisher of Yankee Brew News

* Poor ***** Excellent Available in Massachusetts

JOHNNY MASH (Berkshire Cider Co., Richmond, MA) 6% alcohol/vol. Bittersweet nose with subtle vanilla oak. Toasted oak melds nicely with apple fruit on the palate. Complex, with some muted sweetness. Pleasant lingering finish. ***1/2

WOODPECKER (HP Bulmer Ltd., United Kingdom) 4.2% alcohol/vol. Fragrance of dessert apple. Rich medium sweet and buttery, though not cloying. Finishes nice and long. ***

STRONGBOW ( HP Bulmer Ltd., United Kingdom) 5.3% alcohol/vol. Ample bitter-sweet nose from liberal dose of bitter-sweet apple juice. Flavors alternate between tannins and dessert apple acidity. Medium dry with a long lasting finish. ****

HORNSBY'S DRAFT CIDER (E & J Gallo, Modesto, CA) 6.4% alcohol/vol. Spicy vegetal nose, but something is way off. Little fruit aroma and cooked vegetable flavor. Medium dry with a short finish. Tasted twice. *

WOODCHUCK (Cernaglia Winery, Cavendish, VT) 5% alcohol/vol. Fruity aroma of mostly dessert apples. Flavor runs on the sweet side with some tannins in the finish. **1/2

~ see also articles from~
The Berkshire Eagle || The Berkshire Record || The Wall Street Journal

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BRAND NAME	ALCOHOL CONTENT	DESCRIPTION
Johnny Mash Oak-Aged Hard Cider Berkshire Cider Co, Richmond, MA	6.0%	Very pale color; pleasant apple scent; quite dry tasting but with lovely finesse.
Cider Jack Hard Cider American Hard Cider Co., Middlebury, VT	6.0%	Gold color; fairly dry with a somewhat insipid flavor.
Dry Blackthorn Fermented Cider Taunton Cider, Somerset, England	5.8%	Pale gold color; a hint of sweetness but an unpleasantly sulfurous aroma and taste.
Hornsby's Pubdrafts Draft Cider E J Gallo Company, Modesto, CA	6.4%	Medium gold color; a rich apple aroma and flavor; marred by a medicinal aftertaste.
Woodchuck Draft Cider Amber Joseph Cerniglia Winery, Cavendish, VT	5.0%	Light amber color; more sweet than appley and somewhat one dimensional.