8/100) Crispin Artisanal Reserves

I have set myself the goal to review three beers or ciders every week for 100 weeks. I will be learning about beer and ciders more as I do this, and if I am successful in this venture, I will have tried about 300 unique drinks. If you're curious how I'm doing, the number in the post's title tells you which week I am in now.

The Saint, bird on a wire, Landsdowne

Crispin is known for their artisan approach to ciders. They focus on trying new things. In other words, they experiment. This is perfect for those who are adventuresome. I, particularly, am enjoying their series of ciders where they switch out their normal cider yeasts for other yeasts.

"The Saint") This cider has that classic wild Trappist yeast touch. The addition of maple syrup gave it a light sweetness to the robust flavor. Somehow though, the end product ends up tasting and smelling more like a beer than a cider. However, it still has a light background that maintains some of the sweetness of a hard cider. Of course, since Trappist beers are arguably some of the best beers in the world, "the Saint" tastes great. ☆☆☆☆ 

"Bird on Wire") This is special reserve barrel aged cider, and just so you know, that little bottle cost more than either of the large bottles flanking it. Moreover, it is a blend so the resulting flavor was intentional. I cannot over-hype this one. The smell is heavenly. The initial is mellow, sweet and smooth. The finish fades into a halo of tupelo honey that lingers lightly on the tongue. I just hope I can find it again. ☆☆☆☆☆

"Landsdowne) Using the yeast for an Irish Stout, Crispin crafted this unusual cider. The pour was dark like a stout, appropriately enough. The taste is also closer to a stout than a cider, but there are traces of that apple sweetness. The finish is dominated by the warmth of molasses. It was a fairly hearty cider. ☆☆☆☆

Bonus! Having tried "The Saint" and "Landsdowne," I have actually tried four total ciders in Crispin's Artisanal Reserve. Here are my thoughts on the other two that I've had.

Bare Naked) If there was ever an apple cider champagne, this would be it. The special yeast process used to make cider was to process the cider one more time with champagne yeast. Personally, I don't know where this one ends up for me because when I want a cider, I don't want champagne and when I want a champagne, I'm not looking for apple attributes. This one sits squarely in between the two, and so I can't think of a time I'd ever crave it. ☆☆☆

Superexpress) First of all, I was impressed that they actually had kanji, Japanese characters, on the bottle. 超特急 or Superexpress, as in the train line, is a cider made using sake yeast and organic rice syrup. The taste was a bit like a subdued sweet sake. It's an agreeable flavor, but not what I want in a cider. ☆☆☆