Kopparberg Naked Apple

We're revisiting a favorite brand with a new variety that I haven't tried yet, Kopparberg Naked Apple!

Kopparberg
The Brewery was reestablished in 1994 but its roots go back to the original brewery founded in 1882. Located in central Sweden, they are the main employer for its town of 4000 people. I first tried Kopparberg in Norway, and I have fond memories of sipping the Strawberry/Lime in Oslo. On their website they describe the Naked Apple cider as "stripped back so it actually looks and tastes like apples, without all the orange colors and oaky flavors found in other apple ciders."

Where Purchased:
Wise Owl Growler's near Town Center in Kennesaw

A locally owned growler store that has a knowledgable staff and a wide selection of beer. They have several ciders available in bottles, and this was a new one from Kopparberg for me.
Setting the Mood:
Our street was a sheet of ice during Atlanta's first 'snow-in' of the seaons, so Tidnab and I enjoyed a day of fur baby snuggles. I decided it was 5 o'clock somewhere at lunchtime. A nice fresh salmon salad and Ghost Hunters on the TV, it was time to enjoy some relaxing and a cider.

Reflections:
This cider is different than the other Kopparbergs I have enjoyed. Less sweet, than others from this brewery, I didn't find anything unique to make this cider stand out and worthy of the $5.99/bottle price tag. At just over a pint (500ml), the bottle is bigger than most and the carbs come in at 25 for the whole bottle.

Tidnab's Sip: Tidnab loves the strawberry/lime Kopparberg but found this one ok. In his words, "not too sweet, has an alcohol taste, definitely a hard cider."

Scoring:
Sweetness: 5/10
Right smack in the middle. Unlike other ciders from Kopparberg, which are much sweeter, it was a refreshing change and fit the name of 'Naked Apple.'

Tartness: 7/10
This cider was on the tart side, but not in an exciting way. I like my ciders more complex, and the 'naked' quality of this cider has it coming up short in complex flavor notes.

Smoothness: 4/10
The alcoholic taste of this cider takes away from the smoothness.

Fruit flavor: 3/10
The apple taste is not distinctive and the most prominent aspect is the tartness. Again, it lives up to the name of "naked apple," but I'm not sure that it is in a good way.

Dryness: 5/10
Not particularly dry, so if that is your thing, you may or may not like this one.

Carbonation: 8/10
Lots of carbonation in this bottled cider. The carbonation is good - maybe too good but would be perfect paired with hot wings.

Container & Size: 500ml bottle

Overall: 5/10

Meh, pretty much sums up this cider for me. It is a good solid cider, but the taste doesn't stand out which makes the price tag a bit too much for my wallet. Spicy food with more complex flavor notes would make the simplicity of this 'naked' cider stand out better. I may try it again, but at the $5.99 price tag it will have to be the perfect setting.

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime Review - sweet time!

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime Cider

While Sitting in our sunroom, my husband and I each doing our own thing on a Thursday night, I popped this cider opened and poured it over some ice (as suggested). I remembered that I was woefully behind on my Cider Bytes blog, and decided it was time to get back into the swing of blogging.  

I first enjoyed Kopparberg cider in Ireland several years ago and then again in Norway in 2010. Until recently I didn't know they made additional flavors. The pear was excellent with a jolly rancher-type flavor to it. We saw the Strawberry and Lime Kopparberg in our local Total Wine and bought one to try.

The company:
Kopparberg proudly claims themselves ün-established since 1882, sold in 40 countries and the best-selling pear cider in the world (or they claim to be, I have no data!).

Reflections:
The flavor is refreshing and sweet, very sweet.  Like the plain pear cider, this one has a jolly rancher taste to it as well.  Actually, I would liken it more to a Sierra Mists - the strawberry kiwi flavor.  I can barely tell that I'm drinking a cider, never mind the like of alcohol taste.  If I didn't know better I would say my husband grabbed a Sierra Mist and splashed some DragonBerry Rum in it.  The thing that is really striking is the color.  When you pour it over ice, it is a pink color reinforcing the strawberry flavor with its color.

Tidnab's sip:
Tidnab fell in love at first sip. He likened the taste to Fanta Strawberry and said it would be easy to drink lots of.
Scoring:
Sweetness: 10 - it's SWEET
Tartness: 2 - there really is no bite to this one
Smoothness: 8 - mostly from the sweetness
Fruit flavor: 2 on the apple taste, 5 on the lime (hint as an after note) but a 9 on the strawberry
Dryness: 3 - not dry at all really
Carbonation: 5 - not too bubble, but not flat, the carbonation isn't punchy in this one
Gluten free:
Alcohol content: 4%
Container & Size: 500ml bottle

Overall: I'd say an 8 if you are looking for a sweet cider that will taste good with most savory items or for sipping. I think it would pair well with salads during the summer also. Not for drinking with dessert unless you want to overdose on sweet. If you like your ciders dry, pass this one up - you will not be impressed.  

Thanks to YouTube, I present to you a two-year-old ad for Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime.

Revisiting Kopparberg Pear

We're enjoying an evening meal at Taco Mac and of course there are adult beverages to enjoy. My husband and Gariath are enjoying Full Sail Amber and Wassail while I'm enjoying a small bottle of Kopparberg pear.

This cider brings back memories of Norway - particularly of a bar in Oslo. The thing is now that nostalgia has worn off, I'm wondering if it is too sweet. They actually add sugar to it as well as carbonated water. I think Fox Barrel has spoiled me.

I'm hoping it will go well with my buffalo tenders that are headed my way. The $6 price tag for 12 ounces and the 210 calories may make buying it out a rarity.

Later...
I will say it did go well with the buffalo tenders. The sweetness helped the heat, and I'm inclined to drink it again when eating spicy foods.

I'm going to revise my original ratings of this cider, now that my nostalgia glasses have been removed.

Scoring:
Sweetness: 10
Tartness: 6
Smoothness: 8
Fruit flavor: 9
Carbonation: 6
Alcohol content: 5.5%

Overall: 7
A very sweet cider best paired with dessert or spicy foods or nostalgic Norway moments.