For those of you who are not sure, a hard cider is not a beer even though it is found in most beer sections of liquor and grocery stores.  The technical reason is beer is fermented using cereal grains as a base, while hard cider is fermented apple juice.  Another fun fact is, “pear cider” (i.e.  Woodchuck brand) is actually not a hard cider but ‘perry’, the proper name for fermented pear juice.  I am a beer lover but I will not shy away from a good hard cider. 

After hearing lots of positive feedback, I am excited to sample Woodchuck Hard Cider “Private Reserve Pumpkin.”  I was lucky enough to procure a bottle from the ABC on 34^th street in Gainesville. 

The bottle has a cool neon orange color with the signature woodchuck holding an apple on the center logo and its scientific name “marmota monax monax” underneath the artwork.   It has a nice 6.9% ABV, higher than many beers!

Appearance: I am serving it at the suggested 45 degrees in, appropriately, my Strongbow tumbler.  It pours a bubbly Champagne color with a faint orange hue. 

Smell: I sense baked apples in the nose with hints of pumpkin pulp and a touch of honey in the background.

Taste: this is not a traditional English dry cider, but it is lively and refreshing with a sweet red delicious apple flavor and a nice pumpkin pie pumpkin taste (I say this because pie pumpkins are generally sweeter).  There is no alcohol bite, making this a dangerously quaffable beverage.   This almost tastes like a pumpkin-infused Riesling. 

Hard cider and sweet cider (unfermented cider) is great for the holiday season with some spice, and you can heat up for those cold nights.  I can see why this particular one has been coveted and very hard to find.  Look for Woodchuck, Strongbow, Magner’s, Hornsby’s, and Harpoon’s hard ciders at most ABCs near you. 

Beer Blogger Adam Shugan is the manager at our Silver Springs Blvd, Ocala, store.