Beer Man: Crisp Apple cider hits the sweet-sour spot

— -- Beer Man is a weekly profile of beers from across the country and around the world.This week: Angry Orchard Crisp Apple Angry Orchard Cider Co., Cincinnati angryorchard.com

Hard cider can be a confusing beverage to pinpoint.

Cider is apple juice, though the general thought seems to be that real cider is not pasteurized and contains no outside sugars. Hard cider is even trickier. Since it is fermented apple juice, it seems that it would naturally be classified as wine -- a fermented beverage made from fruit.

However, some states have strict definitions as to what is hard cider and wine. Under some laws, a fermented apple beverage with less than a 7% alcohol content is hard cider; above that, it's classified as wine. Some industry people say adding sugar to produce a higher alcohol content separates a hard cider from apple wine. Those are good enough boundaries for me.

I've had a number of ciders in bottles and on tap from the United States, England and Canada, and I can't say they floated my boat.

Most were well made, but my personal tastes got in the way. No. 1, apples are not at the top of my favorite fruit list -- I'm more of a berry person. No. 2, many ciders are dry, which is traditional, but my tastebuds react better to a touch of sweetness, whether it's beer, wine or cider.

That is why I thoroughly enjoyed Angry Orchard's Crisp Apple. It was exactly like biting into a delicious, fresh, sweet-tart apple.

The carbonation avoided being overly fizzy while still providing a crisp, clean mouthfeel that allowed the flavors to pop on my tongue with no noticeable alcohol presence. As with the best apples, there was an excellent sweet-sour combination. The company combines culinary apple varieties from Italy with bittersweet apple varieties from France in its ciders.

Angry Orchard also makes a Traditional Dry and Apple Ginger cider. I'd like to see a "Crisp Pear" version.

Angry Orchard is a subsidiary of Boston Beer Co., best known for its Samuel Adams beers. Because Samuel Adams is distributed in every state, expect the same for Angry Orchard.

Many beers are available only regionally. Check the brewer's website, which often contains information on product availability. Contact Todd Haefer at beerman@postcrescent.com.