The Best Hard Ciders That Are Not Too Sweet
Finnriver Dry. Photo credit Finnriver Farm & Cidery
For many drinkers, cider has a reputation for being sweet. Indeed, some of the most popular hard ciders out there lean on the sweeter side. Sweet ciders certainly appeal to a lot of people, but there are many different styles of ciders. A good cider can be sweet while remaining balanced by tannins and acidity. But for those looking for ciders that aren’t too sweet, there are plenty of semi-sweet and dry options on the market.
With more than 800 cider brands in the United States alone, finding the right bottle can be a challenge. We asked two industry experts for recommendations, and these six made the list.
1. Angry Orchard Wooden Sleeper
Angry Orchard’s Wooden Sleeper. Photo credit Angry Orchard Hard Cider
Angry Orchard is certainly one of the biggest names in the cider world but it’s usually known for its generally sweet ciders, such as Crisp Apple. Less well-known, however, are Angry Orchard’s limited releases out of its cider house in Hudson Valley.
Cider expert Gabe Cook
“They’ve got this amazing production facility where they do their experimental stuff,” says Gabe Cook, a U.K.-based cider expert who goes by the name The Ciderologist. “They also produce this small, bespoke range that are some of the best ciders that you’ll taste.”
In particular, Cook recommends the Wooden Sleeper, which is semi-sweet with notes of warming spices as a result of being aged in wooden barrels for up to three years.
2. Schilling Excelsior Imperial Ciders
A couple of Schilling Excelsior Imperial Ciders. Photo credit Schilling Cider
Schilling is a Pacific Northwest cidery known for innovative flavors like Chaider (a spiced chai cider) and the orange- and vanilla-flavored Dreamsicle. Its ciders are produced in Auburn, Washington, and the company operates tasting rooms in Seattle and Portland.
While Cook is a fan of all of Schilling’s releases (“Everything they do is pretty awesome,” he admits), he specifically recommends the cidery’s line of Excelsior Imperial Ciders, all of which have an ABV of 8% or higher. The Imperial Apple, for instance, is a semi-sweet cider with a touch of tartness.
3. Finnriver Dry
Author and cider expert Beth Demmon
At Finnriver Farm & Cidery on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, the orchard grows more than 24 organic varieties of cider apples. One of its newest releases is Finnriver Dry, a canned cider that Beth Demmon, author of The Beer Lover's Guide to Cider, recommends as a great introduction for those exploring drier styles.
“It’s super balanced,” says Demmon. “It’s really crisp, fermented all the way dry.” The cider is made with three heirloom apple varieties selected for a drier profile, including Golden Russet and Granny Smith.
4. Potter’s Craft Cider Farmhouse Dry
Farmhouse Dry cider from Potter’s Craft Cider. Photo credit Potter’s Craft Cider
The Farmhouse Dry cider from Potter’s Craft Cider in Virginia is the bottle that got Beth Demmon into cider. “That cider is always going to have a place in my heart,” she says.
Made from three varieties of local Virginia apples, Farmhouse Dry is also Potter’s flagship cider.
According to Demmon, it is “a really fantastic example of a dry cider that is super approachable, super balanced...just kind of a classic, rustic cider.” The result is a crisp, well-balanced cider with bright acidity.
5. Albemarle Virginia Hewe’s Crab Cider
Albemarle Ciderworks Virginia Hewes Crab Cider. Photo credit Albemarle Ciderworks
Virginia-based Albemarle Ciderworks grows many vintage apple varieties in its orchard, including the Hewes Crab Apple, a cultivar that was once widely used for cider production in 18th-century Virginia. While crab apples can be divisive, Beth Demmon appreciates their character, calling them “not everybody’s favorite” but “a really kind of fun, quirky apple” that produces a “spunky” cider.
Albemarle’s Virginia Hewes Crab cider is the cidery’s first reserve release. Demmon describes it as “an interesting expression of a regional apple that you just don’t see everywhere,” noting that it finishes dry. The fruit’s relatively high sugar content is also behind the cider’s robust 10% ABV.
6. 2 Towns Ciderhouse Anniversary Cider
The 2 Towns Ciderhouse 15th Anniversary Specialty Cider Release. Photo credit 2 Towns Ciderhouse
“I would go for anything from 2 Towns,” says Cook. “They make a heap of real easygoing ciders.”
The Corvallis, Oregon-based cidery has earned plenty of recognition for its work, including the title of Oregon Cider Producer of the Year. While Cook recommends the entire 2 Towns lineup, Cook is particularly impressed by its annual anniversary releases. The latest, the 15th Anniversary Cider, is a limited-edition blend of locally grown apples.