My Feedback:

It has an impressive deep amber, almost amber brown, color and it looks great in the glass (which is great because the can art is pretty horrible—I don’t get it, it doesn’t seem to fit the cider at all). Its nose has a rich apple juice aroma in which you can really smell the tannins. The pull is smooth, but you get a delayed sharpness on the palate. It has a really bold apply taste with layers of flavor due to the different varietals used that all add up to a really pleasant complexity for a semi-sweet cider. It starts with a bittersweet apple flavor that then morphs to give you some nice round tart notes. It is medium bodied, deep and rich, with a mouthfeel of apple skins. It tastes like a proper pint that belongs on a lacquered mahogany counter. Even though Schilling brags that it is the highest ABV cider that comes in a six pack, it doesn’t have an obvious alcohol taste and is overall very pleasant. (Even though you won’t taste the alochol, you’ll definitely feel it if you have a couple) This feels like the cider our forebearers drank. Well Done!

Product Description:

Today, we introduce you to Excelsior, the highest ABV 6 pack cider in the Nation. We have created an out-of-this-world treat that is complex, tart, semi sweet, bubbly, and (dare we say) CRUSHABLE. It’s an Imperial apple cider that combines old world cider techniques with new world innovation. We start with WA-grown fresh-pressed apples, add heirloom cider fruit from France and the UK, then ferment with a hand-selected yeast strain.

Comparitive Lit Reviews:

Western Imperialism