Taylor: Not too long ago some of the PHM guys and I went to a fall beer tasting at Binny’s Beverage Depot in St. Charles, Illinois … it was a great time, and we tasted some really good Marzens and Pumpkin Ales (the best of which was Wild Onion Pumpkin Ale). There was another beverage, however, that also caught my attention: Woodchuck Cidery’s Limited Release Fall Cider. We haven’t reviewed ciders here at The Perfectly Happy Man … until now.
At the beer tasting there were a handful of ciders available, but there seemed to be some serious commotion over by the table that was sampling the Fall Cider. In fact, the host had no 6-packs left thanks to the numerous beer fanatics at the event that seemed to keep buying them after one small sip. I had to see what was going on. Needless to say, I walked out of there with a hard-fought-for pack of the stuff, and never looked back. A week later I called around to see if there any area liquor stores had any stock left of the Fall Cider and found one Binny’s that had 2 left. So I went and got those as well.
The Woodchuck Limited Release Fall Cider is available in September and October only, and is (logically) one of Woodchuck’s 4 seasonal limited release ciders. Comes in their token green bottles, with a colorful label featuring fall leaves. I poured mine into a regular pint glass. No head to speak of, and the nose of the cider smelled like … apples with a little bit of spice. This is not the same as beer, I remind myself…
The glory of this drink is in its taste, mouthfeel and finish. What a glorious delivery! Unlike the year-round ciders Woodchuck offers, the Fall Cider boasts what I’ll say is a complex taste profile, considering it’s a cider. There is much more to this drink than fermented apples. In line with the fall cider pastime so many of us are familiar with, this draft cider is just bursting with brilliant, crisp apple, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla … it’s smooth and sweet, and super refreshing. Of course the ABV of 5% is easy to miss … one could get into trouble drinking this cider. Woodchuck says this drink has notes of American White Oak, so I assume they mean that that is the specie of barrel they’re using here. Because the cider isn’t at all “woody” in the same way as barrel-aged beers.
I’ve got to say … I have tasted my fair share of draft cider, and Woodchuck’s Limited Release Fall Cider is easily the best I have ever tasted. It is a very, very well-made cider. If you want to taste a piece of East-coast Americana, you should look into getting yourself some of this stuff. Sandwiched between a couple of good beers, this could be an excellent fall palate-cleanser. Grade: A
Tom: Something about Fall and Thanksgiving make this cider a win-win in my book. Having sampled this at a tasting with some PHM colleagues I was reminded of warm apple and pumpkin pies that fill air around the Thanksgiving table. Vibrant hints of hazelnut, nutmeg, vanilla, cinnamon, and pumpkin dance in front of the bold apple backdrop. It is well balanced and earthy. The spices and apples work together to bring about a very drinkable cider with rich character. I’d recommend serving this as an aperitif or as a nice compliment to your dessert during a Thanksgiving meal. Grade: A-
I’m normally not a huge cider fan, but this was amazing!
I’m not a beer drinker at all, but Woodchuck was once recommended to me as an alternate. I’ve since fallen in love with draft ciders and this Fall release is also, by far, my favorite ever.
Charles … word. I am now very eager to try their other limited release ciders. Have you tried the Spring, Summer, or Winter Ciders?
damn its some good hard cider limited is the best out there right now happy holidays !!!!!!
Woodchuck is my drink of choice, and when I tried the Fall Cider for the first time this year, I was amazed! The flavors are complex, but blend together so well. By far, my favorite of all the Woodchucks I’ve tasted.
Hey yall, Woodchuck is pretty amazing stuff. I have tried all of their ciders except their 802, pear, and winter cider. I would have to say my favorite is probably their Amber. This fall they came out with a limited reserve of their Pumpkin Cider, and that was quite amazing. I had to drive over four hours to get it, but that was a relatively short drive compared to some people….
I first had the Fall Cider last year, and it is absolutely the best cider I’ve ever had. This year I made sure to put my name on local wine store call lists, so I knew the minute it hit the store. Got an entire case this year; next year I’l be sure to get two. Their Pumpkin was released in my city, and was also very good. The Winter, which is out now, ranks above the Pumpkin but beneath the Fall, in my opinion. I’m a big Woodchuck fan (I was never a beer drinker until this past year) and have had all their varieties except the Dark and Dry, Cidermaker’s Choice, and 802. They make some great ciders! (Spring and Summer were good, too.)
the 802 is yummy, as well as the Fall cider and all the other one’s are good too ! It’s brewed in Middlebury and I live 10 minutes away so am a little spoilt but would live no where else !
I tried the Fall Cider this weekend, was unsure of it at first because Granny Smith is my favorite..But I put a cinnamon sugar rim on a frosted glass and I could not stop drinking them..super yummy and that is coming from someone who doesn’t really like the taste of most alcohol and found herself drink 9 of them..
I tried my first Woodchuck by way of a friends recommendation, and I haven’t drank a beer since. I was so impressed by the taste that I couldn’t wait to try them all. To date I have tried all but the spring, summer, and raspberry and the fall is definitely my favorite. As I type this I am sad to say I’m drinking the last fall cider in the fridge and I know it is done for the year, but at least I have the spring to look forward to in a few months. To those who haven’t tried it… Try it, To those who have… Keep drinking it, and to those who have any fall cider left… How about bringing it over?
I came across an early (or old) 6 pack of the Winter Ltd last week. It is very similar to the 802 with an oak and vanilla flavor to it… Not my favorite of theirs. Unfortunately they didn’t release the Fall Ltd or Pumpkin cider here in NYC.
Rock on!!! Thanks everyone for their awesome comments. This is indeed a winner of a cider.
@Laurie … jealous, we wish we lived 10 minutes from Woodchuck 🙂
@Matt … I dunno if the Fall Cider is good enough to stop drinking beer entirely 😉
@everyone else … I haven’t seen the other limited releases around much here in Chicago, but will DEFinitely find some to review soon!
Cheers!
Taylor
I work for the Strack & Van Til grocery chain in Northwest Indiana and Chicago-land and we do/can get all of the limited release. For everyone else if you get on Woodchucks website you can give them your zip code and what type your looking for and they’ll help you find it. What an awesome company!
Thanks Matt … I just called my local Binny’s and confirmed that they stock all of the Limited Ciders as well. My name’s already on the list for when the Winter Cider comes to town in December.
And agreed … Woodchuck is a great company. Seems like they really value their individual customers and are willing to go the extra mile.
bought two cases.Love it.
It would’ve been nice to get this notice on my fb page IN SEPTEMBER OR OCTOBER instead of NOVEMBER when NO LONGER AVAILABLE!!
Thanks for the great review, made my mouth water.
@Kit … so sorry you’ve not been able to find the Fall Cider. In truth, we were late in finding out about the stuff ourselves! If you do some digging, you may be able to find a store near you that still has some.
We’re looking forward to the Winter Cider when it’s release in December. Check back here for another review, we’ll definitely be writing one!
Taylor wrote: “We’re looking forward to the Winter Cider when it’s release in December.”
No need to wait a month. I just bought a six-pack of the Winter @ Evanston First Liquors, downtown Evanston, IL. It’s already out there.
I usually prefer a dry cider, but this is easily my favorite Woodchuck offering, and is my current favorite cider in spite of the slightly over-the-top sweetness. Drinking this cider is like being smacked with a large brick wrapped in warm apple pie and bubble gum. Taste of alcohol (5%) is almost totally absent with a nose of pure, buttery happiness.