Your favorite cider styles?

[Maylar]

For those who have been making cider for a while and have experimented with different styles, what is your favorite or most successful style to date? I'm not looking for recipes, just (subjective) opinions as to what you and your friends/family ave enjoyed the most?

For me it's "Common Cider" from orchard apples, about 6% ABV sweetened to 1.015. No flavors, no additives. Bubbly and refreshing. It's what my family likes.

What about you?

 

[MindenMan]

Moderate ABV, a slightly sweet finish and lightly carbonated. We both like the Crispin "Saint" made with Belgian Abbey yeast and a hint of maple syrup. I haven't made a clone yet, but I know SWMBO will be more than happy to taste test.

 

[Hanglow]

I like still dry and medium ciders with a nice barnyard funk

I've only made ciders at home from shop bought apple juice and ale yeast, they are a bit too clean really and rather lightweight. But I still quite like them. Need to finish around 1.004 or less, I really dislike sweet ciders. They tend to start tasting too much like alcopops to me then

 

[slym2none]

Most commercial ciders are far too sweet for my tastes. Of them, I will drink Angry Orchard's Hop'n Mad, Woodchuck's Granny Smith, Original Sin regular, and Magner's. All the other types are just too sweet for me. Woodchuck's red is like apple juice with sugar added - 220 calories to a bottle kinda proves that.

 

[gratus fermentatio]

I like dry/off dry ciders either real cider from real cider apples, like Wandering Aengus Bloom or Wickson, or a superior blend that approximates real cider, like Anthem; I aspire to make cider that good.
Regards, GF.

 

[mwilcox]

semi-dry US ciders with some astringency, moderately high acid, and complex fruity/floral aroma that keeps making you put your nose back in the glass, but little to no MLF. Basically what GLINTCAP called "New World - Heritage" earlier this year.

honorable mention to English varietal blends with decent amounts of MLF but some residual acidity. Like, say, Sea Cider Wild English.

 

[DaMonkey]

I had good luck with a cyser. This year I am going to make a cider and back sweeten it with honey for a similar, hopefully better, effect.