Cider K-cups

Tidnab and I got a Keurig coffee maker for Christmas from my mom.  We LOVE it.  I'm finally able to have a cup of coffee anytime I want it without making a whole pot.  My coffee consumption has drastically increased along with my obsession with K-cup varieties.  

K-cups are the individual drink servings used in the Keurig coffee makers, and there is a lot of them - from a wide variety of companies including Caribou, Starbucks, Paul Newman, Celestial Seasonings, and Green Mountain.  I was actually shocked by the variety of beverages one could make with K-cups.  And the selection is not limited to coffee - there is hot tea, iced tea, hot chocolate - and you guessed it - Hot Apple Cider!  Needless to say with my fascination for the apple and derived beverages, trying this was a must.

Where purchased:

I picked up our Hot Apple Cider K-cups at Kroger during a sale.  The one thing that is shocking about K-cups - and will be an additional line on our budget for each month - is that they are not cheap.  Conveience has a price, and because of that sales are a good thing.  I picked up the cider along with a Starbucks French Roast and Caribou to try.  

Setting the mood:

A night of playing World of Warcraft and a chilly run in from the car after dinner made it the perfect night to try the new Hot Apple Cider!

The company:

Green Mountain Coffee produces the Hot Apple Cider K-cups along with a bunch of other K-cup drinks.  After enjoying my first cup of cider, I figured I better check out the ingredients, because I liked it too much.  I figured it would be artificial this and artificial that - I was shocked.  As you can see from the photo - I missed the "naturals" on the label as well as the "made with real apples."  Here's the ingredient list:  Dried Apples, Brown Sugar, Natural Flavors, Organic Malic Acid, Reb A (Stevia Extract).  The Nutrition facts:

The good news is the ingredient list and the bad, of course, the 80 calories and 20g of carbs - but I think for a nice evening beverage that isn't too bad, and far less than a hard cider.

Reflections:

I enjoyed this cider a lot - enough that I had two cups the first time!  I read a few reviews at the Green Mountain Coffee site, and some people complained that it was too sweet and that they could taste a stevia after-taste.  I found neither to be true.  Was it as good as fresh hot apple cider?  No.  Was it a great quick alternative that I can store in my cabinet?  Yes.  

The taste is surprisingly good - with just enough sweetness and the apple taste is authentic and actually the reason I wondered what was in the K-cup to make it taste so much like an apple.  Who would've dreamed - apples!!

Tidnab's sip:

He liked it!  Then he went back to killing things in WoW.

Scoring:

Sweetness: 9

Tartness: 7

Smoothness: 8

Fruit Flavor: 8

Carbonation: 0

Alcohol content: 0 - a drink for most anyone!

Calories: 80

Bottle size: no bottle, but it makes an 8 oz serving

Price: a little less than 70¢

Overall: 8 - a good, quick, evening beverage when you need to feel all warm inside and remember winter evenings.