B. Nektar "Punk Lemonade" Hard Cider

After having two other beverages from these guys, I have finally come across a straight up honey mead. Wait - what? It's a hard cider? Maybe next time, mead. This particular hard cider has lemons added to it to make it kind of a lemonade, and the funky looking bee in a leather jacket on the label makes me think that these guys like to have a little bit of fun. They have a cute little parity of "I wanna be sedated" on the side of the bottle with a bee theme. If you want to read it, they probably have it at their site.

I expected it to have a little bit of pink to it, but it really doesn't. Instead, it's more of a watery apple juice color (possibly more of a white wine), and it is about as clear as any beverage I've ever had. I didn't expect any head, and it's just as well, as I don't get any. My problem is that my process is mostly revolving around beer, and the inclusion of things that are outside of beer makes me question what I should or should not be commenting on. The aroma doesn't have any hops whatsoever. Instead, it's a white wine dryness with lemons and sweetness beyond that.

First sip is shockingly good. I say shocking, as I have had hard ciders before, and I've commented at those times about how I am not a wine drinker at heart. Nevertheless, this one is outstanding. The sweetness manages to rub out the dryness entirely, and the lemons give a delicious citrus flavor. I think the reason that I like this is because it's so incredibly easy to drink. It reminds me of an un-carbonated wine cooler or something similar. At 6.3% ABV, I'm not sure if it puts it in that category or not. I haven't had a wine cooler since college, maybe?

Bottom Line: A dignified wine cooler.

3.25/5