Cider gone bad?

About a year ago i made a batch of cider and kegged. When I started to drink it last winter it tasted decent, not great but drinkable. As time went on it got a little better with age and I continued to drink it slowly. Lately it has began to develop an off flavor. It is not so bad that I wont drink it but, i am thinking about dumping it to make room for a brown ale I brewed last month. The cider has been in a sealed keg the entire time and under pressure. My question is why would this happen? I don't know how to describe the new flavor other than "off".

Cider, like any other wine, has an arc of quality, based on a complex relationship between, sugar, tannin, stabilizers, cleanliness, carbonation, acidity, containers, closure, environment etc etc. As a rule of thumbs, sweeter wines have shorter arcs. As do low-tannin and acid wines. Due to it's natural properties, cider tends to have a relatively shorter shelf life than, say, a dry red wine. Especially when kegged.

Sounds like your quality arc has peaked. Good excuse to make another batch

LeBreton said:

Cider, like any other wine, has an arc of quality, based on a complex relationship between, sugar, tannin, stabilizers, cleanliness, carbonation, acidity, containers, closure, environment etc etc. As a rule of thumbs, sweeter wines have shorter arcs. As do low-tannin and acid wines. Due to it's natural properties, cider tends to have a relatively shorter shelf life than, say, a dry red wine. Especially when kegged.

Sounds like your quality arc has peaked. Good excuse to make another batch

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Thank you, it was a sweeter cider. How long, on average, do dry ciders last bottled?