Crispin Honey Crisp

Purchasing:

While shopping at Total Wine & More, I saw this very attractive and eye-catching label.  I also happen to love mead, and the "honey" part of this one caught my attention (mead is honey wine).  I also liked the unfiltered aspect and the fact that the label talked about it being served over ice.  The 22 oz. bottle meant it was higher priced and one that I would have to enjoy on a two-cider night.

Setting the mood:

Tuesday is one of my long days at work, and this Tuesday was complicated by the need for me to vote in the city election.  After voting on a few local government seats, I checked 'yes I'd like to buy alcohol from a store on Sunday in my city' box and rushed home to cook dinner before rushing back to work.  At then end of my whirlwind working day, I arrived home to find out that my fair city had passed the Sunday alcohol sales bill and decided to celebrate with my hubby.  I also decided to share my Crispin Honey Crisp with him - it was that or forfeit it - and that wasn't going to happen.

The company:

Crispin is associated with Fox Barrel, but I am not entirely certain in what ways or if they have the same parent company.  Fox Barrel produces pear ciders and Crispin apple ciders - so perhaps that may be the reason for two different division names.  On their website, Crispin describes themselves as, "Always true to the apple, Crispin Hard Ciders naturally fermented in the USA use fresh pressed apple-juice, not from apple juice concentrate, from a premium blend of US West Coast apples, with no added malt, grape wine or spirit alcohol. Crispin’s unique USA produced ciders are smoothed with pure apple juice or from natural sugar sources like organic honey or organic maple syrup, and contain no added colorants, sorbate or benzoate preservatives."

Reflections:

My husband brought me my half of this cider in the bottle, and it was then that I realized two things: 1) that you are suppose to "give a full bottoms-up tilt and swirl to disperse residual apple-wine sediment evenly" and 2) serve over ice.  I did not get to mix the cider as I realized the need for this as I was pouring it over ice and glancing at the bottle.  I believe we bought two of these, and I plan on trying the full bottoms-up tilt and swirl next time I drink it.

Over all this cider has an amazing apple taste to it.  The aftertaste is particularly wonderful and pleasant on the palette with a hint of pure apple.  The taste was as if I had eaten fresh apple - so their claims about taking great care of the apple are true!

Crispin is a good name for this brand as it has a crisp and refreshing flavor.  Also, the cider is sweet but not cloyingly so, and I think you could drink it with dinner or with dessert.  Actually, I think it would be nice with spicy foods to calm the heat down.  I would also say that for me, this cider has the perfect amount of carbonation - even when I took a sip straight from the bottle, I wasn't over-whelmed.  

On their website they do mention that they do NOT use honey crisp apples in this cider - even though it has the variety's name on the label.  Honey crisp apples are by far mine and Tidnab's favorite, but they explain that they just don't make good cider. The name does come from their use organic honey combined with their apple cider for this artisanal reserve flavor. 

Overall, I would say that this is a very wine-like cider and that the taste is true to its apple beginnings.

Tidnab's sip: "I liked it" -hopefully, I'll get more out of him on this one the next time around!

Scoring:

Sweetness: 8

Tartness: 7

Smoothness: 9 over ice

Fruit flavor: 10

Carbonation: 8

Alcohol content: 6.5%

Bottle Size: 22 Fl. Oz.

Price: High

Overall: 9

I love this cider, and hope to keep it as a regular in our 'beverage' fridge.

Here's a YouTube video from the company about Honey Crisp - I'm really not sure of the point, but I like the music clip and want the fake ice cubes in it! Cheers!