Austin Eastciders "Blood Orange" Cider

When was the last time I had a cider? Was it last year? And I only had two in the whole of 2023. Seems strange to me, as I generally like most of the ciders I try, but I never really bother to pick them up when beer is an option. Maybe it's the sweetness. Maybe it's the inevitable apple juice taste that they all have, and it's never quite as good as just a glass of real, not-from-concentrate apple juice.

Well this pours a different color than the others. It's got those blood oranges in it, and it looks like it. It's got the color of the meat of a blood orange. There isn't carbonation, so no commentary on the head is necessary, but the aroma requires contemplation. It is blood orange that has seeped into corrugated carboard and allowed to sit overnight. It's not actively terrible, but I feel like I should be cleaning this up.

First sip is sweet, tart, orange, and a little flat. I don't mean that it doesn't have carbonation, but it's not exuberant with the blood of the orange and laden with the alcohol of a thousand orchards. In fact, the 5% ABV absolutely makes me wonder if I wouldn't be better off drinking a hard iced tea instead of this. Again, it's got flavors, but they are like puffs of smoke in a dark room - brief and not particularly interesting.

Tip-in is blood orange with the characteristic sweet/tart, but it's mixed with a bunch of water and some watered-down apple juice. The middle fills the mouth out better than the sip implied, and it's a mix of apples and oranges floating on water. The finish is a letdown of tart water and gives the impression of being flat seltzer.

Bottom Line: This isn't going to get me back into ciders.

1.75/5