B Nektar "The Dude's Rug" Hard Cider

I have a confession. I never saw The Big Lebowski. I saw previews, and that was enough to tell me that I didn't give a crap about this movie. A friend of mine points out that I watch a lot of bad movies, but I don't watch them when I know for certain that they are bad going in. And I don't think I would like this movie. Still, I may like this beer.

WAY darker than any cider I've ever encountered means that this is a cider unlike any that have come before it. It's a dark amber with negligible head, but definitely sparkles of carbonation bubbling to the surface. The aroma is almost like a pumpkin spice apple cider. It's heavy on the spices, but apple is clearly the base.

First sip is like the world has been invaded with pumpkin spice (without the pumpkin) and this cider is on the front lines. So, the granny apple base (maybe not granny apple, but tart) has spice just pounded into it in a way that puts me in mind of pumpkin spice without the pumpkin. It's a strange combination, but it's not half bad.

Tip-in is sweet apple with very light spices and carbonation tingle. The middle arrives with pretty much the same flavors, but the carbonation gets significantly more burny. The finish is where the tartness comes in as the spices turn clove for a trail-off.

Bottom Line: There isn't a whole lot of variation within the ciders, but this one is an outlier, and I respect that.

3.0/5