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This article was published 24/4/2015 (2345 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Our taste buds are evolving at a fast pace — to the point that in order to retain as many of their once loyal beer drinkers, large breweries such as Molson, Labatt and even Big Rock have had to expand their product portfolio, test out new flavours and styles of beer, and even bring out products that aren’t even beer at all.
In Canada, cider is slowly gaining drinkers and various breweries are starting to catch on.
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Molson Canadian Cider
Big Rock’s Rock Creek Dry Cider is one of the first big cider brands to be brewed in Canada, and to this day remains one of the most popular ciders in the country.
Molson brought out Molson Canadian Cider last autumn, when cider demand tends to be at its peak and it appears that the product is here to stay. I’ve seen several Molson products come and go (Molson Kick, Molson M, Molson Canadian Wheat) over the years due to lack of interest, but cider is a beverage that I can only see becoming more popular over time.
I don’t usually review Molson products because ... well hey, everyone has tried them. However, I like to be fair and since this is a new product that I haven’t even tried before, I’m intrigued to see how it turns out.
Molson’s Cider pours a clear golden straw yellow, just like your standard Molson Canadian ... or apple juice. There’s a decent amount of carbonation taking place, giving it a light foam top.
The aroma is quite strong — I get a big whiff of various Canadian-grown apples such as McIntosh or Granny Smith. It’s sweet, it’s aromatic and has a light tart aroma in the background. It also has a bit of a sparkling champagne zest as it slowly warms up.
The flavour is surprisingly mellow, with nice sweet apples coming off the top. There’s a hint of tartness to give it a wee bite, but all in all, Molson Canadian Cider is very easy to drink — a great homemade apple juice flavour that I like.
Sweet goes well on the patio, and since it’s not as bitter as some European ciders available locally, it’s very easy on the palate.
I’m judgmental about Molson, but Molson Canadian Cider is easily one of their better products. Someday, I can see ciders being a lower calorie alternative to fruity alcohol/malt coolers, and with natural ingredients, it’s only a matter of time ciders will catch on.
I’m not an expert on ciders at all, so it’s great to try something that not only I enjoyed, but believe those wanting to try a cider for the first time will also enjoy.
I just wish Molson’s beer was as flavourful as this.
It’s five per cent ABV and available in 473mL cans at most Liquor Mart locations for $3.95.
• Rating: 3.5 pints out of 5
what’s new at city liquor marts?
• Amsterdam Fracture Imperial IPA — This intensely bitter, hoppy Imperial IPA features notes of grapefruit and pine, packs a whopping nine per cent ABV and costs $3.25 per 355mL bottle.
• Cannery Anarchist Amber Ale — My favourite brewery from the Okanagan is now back in Manitoba after a three-year hiatus. Cannery’s Anarchist Amber Ale is a full-bodied amber ale with notes of sweet caramel and lightly roasted barley. It sells for $6.25 per 650mL bottle.
• Tree Captivator Doppelbock — Another treat from the Okanagan, this is a sweet, caramelly, dark fruity beer. It’s a powerful eight per cent ABV and costs $5.06 per 650mL bottle.
• Unibroue Éphémère Pear — Coming soon to the Brandon LCs, this pear-flavoured wheat ale will be a thirst quencher on hot summer afternoons. It’s 5.5 per cent ABV and $5.70 per 750mL bottle.
Cody Lobreau is a Canadian beer blogger who reviews every beer he can get his hands on as he believes that he should try every beer twice to get an understanding if it’s truly good or bad.
» BeerCrank.ca