Last time, you got the review of a new (to me) hard cider. Today, I’ll review my favorite go-to hard cider: Stella Artois Cidre.
The first thing you notice about it is it’s very light in color–lighter than a lot of ciders, including, surprisingly, any Angry Orchard product. In fact, Stella seems to celebrate the color, as it’s packed in clear glass bottles which makes it look almost pale. But that clear light color is your first clue about what’s inside: a pleasant, light-tasting, drinkable, uncomplicated hard cider.
That’s why it’s my favorite: it’s dry and slightly sweet at the same time. It’s very smooth and refreshing, carbonated, but not overly fizzy. It is the perfect cider to just kick back and drink when that’s all you really want to do.
And that’s a complaint I have against a lot of ciders since they came back into fashion in America: there’s a drive to make them sweeter, dryer, hoppier, more complex, and fruitier. And while there’s a time and place for some of that, it’s detracted from the basic straight-forward cider base that’s just smooth and drinkable.
So there you go. Stella Artois Cidre. Drink it. It’s light and simple and tasty.