COMPARATIVE LIT ESSAY:
I got ahold of two of my favorite ciders featuring my favorite summer fruit. Crack em open and . . . oh, these are so good! Let’s put it this way, if you find either of these in a cooler consider yourself lucky. If it is warm out and you are a fan of cider or blackberries, or both, you won’t be disappointed. Let me breakdown the differences though:
Emerald City is darker in the glass and with a sweeter nose that is almost sugary (but the good kind of sugary, not that artificial smell). Black Widow has a tarter nose and smells of nothing but blackberries that are a bit earthy. The taste of Emerald City is bolder, but Black Widow is tarter and a bit drier. Black Widow starts a bit acidic and then forms into a rounder sweeter taste where Emerald City is a big bold flavor from beginning to end. Black Widow is lighter bodied and more carbonated, and you feel the acidity at the top of your mouth, where Emerald City really burrows its way into your tongue and palate and is more still and mellow. Emerald City is also juicier and fruitier. One analogy for comparing these two ciders comes from tasting blackberries themselves. One is like when blackberries are at their slightly squishy, jammy stage right before it turns bad (Emerald City), where the other is fully ripened, but is slightly stiff in the mouth and has a bit more of that fruit skin and stem flavor that is ever so slightly bitter. So, Schilling seems to have bottled the fruit at the absolutely perfect time when it is squishy and full of fruitiness.
To sum up the Black Widow is a slightly more mature and complex taste—which may be for you—but let’s be honest, if you like blackberries you probably like it sweet, tart, bold and fruity. The Schilling is perfectly balanced with fleshy juicy pears and soft blackberries—a flavor combo that really brings out the best of both fruits. It quenches one’s thirst and has flavor for days. It is nearly a perfect drink that is deeply satisfying. Try one out!