Ace Cider / The California Cider Company Joker Hard Cider

**Aroma:** “Rich aroma with notes of dark fruit (plums and dates), a touch of lic- orice, a hint of green apple, and a light lavender perfume aspect. Cider vinegar and champagne yeast notes add depth. Clean with very low sulfur.” **Flavor:** “Red Delicious apple flavor comes through sweet with a touch of dark honey. Very light saltiness in the finish adds complexity. A touch of cinnamon and clove in the yeast profile becomes evident as it warms. On the sweet side, but the tartness keeps it from being cloying. Moderately strong malic acidity and bitterness with a very green apple aftertaste.” **Overall:** “Very fun cider—much more contemplative than many. Would hold up well paired with some chicken curry. Despite the slight banana ester and the light hit of vinegar up front, this had some interesting complexity and depth. Aftertaste is very Jolly Rancher.”

**Aroma:** “Raw apple juice and sweet apple-blossom notes on the nose are backed up with light peach/almond, red caramel apple, plum, cotton candy, and red wine notes.” **Flavor:** “Red Delicious abounds. There’s a noticeable alcohol heat and nice tart acidity. Simple apple sweetness isn’t cloying, and the esters really push through—grape, peach, a little pine- apple. Light marzipan with a moderate tartness to balance, but definitely leans sweet. A touch of oaky astringency adds depth and interest. Finishes soft with a very mild touch of alcohol. Strong carbonation is very effervescent.” **Overall:** “Sweet and fairly simple apple with an interesting fermentation charac- ter and complexity from layers of apple and dark fruits expressing throughout. Tannic red wine-like character is a very pleasant counterpoint to the red apple character.”

**Aroma:** “Coriander and citrus zest dominate up front. Sweet wheat aroma and hints of lemon and chamomile. Subtle Belgian yeast esters.” **Flavor:** “Raw wheat sweetness with citrus zest tartness, balanced coriander, nice backbone. Low hops bitterness that lingers. Yeast profile is reminiscent of Hefe yeast with more banana and a little clove.” **Overall:** “Good sweet notes of lemon zest. This one is tricky to judge—it’s a good beer, but it’s not an IPA. Reminiscent of a hopped-up witbier. It’s one thing if they added wheat to an IPA, but by using Belgian yeast, it moves it to another category. More phenolics than a clean IPA with an unexpected pepper. More like an ‘American Wit’.”