Woodchuck Or Upchuck?

[GHBWNY]

This past summer we had a family reunion. As we were packing up, someone said, "here", and handed me an assortment of leftover libation to take home, which included several flavors of Woodchuck Hard Cider. I had never tasted it until tonight, so I grabbed the Blueberry just to wet my whistle. Admittedly, I am not a hard cider aficianado and wondered whether having poured it down the drain after one swallow was justified. What say you?

 

[Randzor]

I used to like it. Now a days it's to sweet. You made a ok choice!

 

[Yooper]

Ick. Very ick.

 

[monkeyman1000]

My wife loves their fall cider

 

[JimRausch]

I may be setting myself up for some derision, but I like the Woodchuck original(Amber) and the Granny Smith version. However, I do dump the Harvest version and haven't tried the blueberry or any other versions out there.
To me, Woodchuck , while it is sweet, tastes more like real apples, and doesn't have that fake taste that Angry Orchard has.
Still, all in all, I like my Graf best.

 

[drainbamage]

I used to like Woodchuck (the Dark & Dry -- I think they call it something different now) before I got much of a taste for beer. Can't get into it much anymore.

And some of the flavored ones aren't great. The raspberry was too sweet and Kool-aid-y, and the pear too watery.

 

[wooda2008]

Their summer was a flop this year. Something was off with the flavor.

 

[MaxStout]

I'm enjoying my third batch of Edwort's Apfelwein, and have developed quite a taste for it. (Easy as sin to make, too!) It's dry, has good apple flavor and finishes clean...what more could I want? By comparison, Woodchuck and the like are just too sweet and syrupy for my tastes.

But my wife loves it, so I pick up a sixer from time to time.

 

[k1ngl1ves]

I used to drink it when I was 15...

 

[ArkotRamathorn]

The unfortunate sad thing with commercial ciders. The Seattle cider company ciders are good. Though my standby cider, Strongbow went straight down the drain (I have a litany of swears to describe how f-ing bad Strongbow became). Sweet and not at all Apple/cider-y. Woodchuck is the same.

Though I don't turn down free drinks. Or I would use them in some culinary capacity. The various woodchuck ciders could be good for making a homemade sorbet, or part of a fruit reduction sauce over salmon, or a braising liquid with pork.

 

[dmtaylor]

What I like to do with a sweet cider like Woodchuck or many others if I acquire them by accident or gift? Buy some ACE cider, then mix 50/50. ACE is very very tart, so when blended together they'll taste reasonably realistic to how real cider could taste.

 

[Hankhill11]

I had woodchuck Gumption the other week, and like most others, it was a little sweet, but I did enjoy it very much whil waiting for my own to ferment and finish. I would buy it again. My 'standard' use to be the Amber, so i'm trying to make a WC amber clone from this forum. . Also, I found the Angry Orchard 'Traditional Dry' to be pretty decent. still sweet, but it has a sort of crisp bite to it that i like.

 

[ejcrist]

I'm new to making cider and have been drinking the Woodchuck while waiting for my batches to finish and age a little. Personally I like it. I didn't much care for the Angry Orchard but I thought Woodchuck was decent.

 

[FloppyKnockers]

Ahhhh...I love bottled blowies. Invite some girls over, offer them some drinks, let nature take its course.

Pro tip: Don't wear a belt. It confuses them and makes them giggle for some reason.

 

[motobrewer]

Ace is the worst ever.

 

[slym2none]

I'll drink Woodchuck's Granny Smith, and AO's Hop'n Mad, but really, Original Sin is one of the best dry ciders being mass-produced right now. Made with champagne yeast so it isn't sweet at all, but still nicely apple-y.

 

[MtnGoatJoe]

There's a place up the road that has Woodchuck on tap, so I've filled a couple of growlers to try it out.

I like the Fall Harvest. I like sweet, but it was a little much for me. Lots of interesting flavors. I would buy it again.

I tried their cider with hops and didn't like it at all. I guess I'm not a hops fan.

I'm gonna try their Gumption this weekend.

 

[Hankhill11]

hey guys. Just not 100% sure on this, but i was at my liquor depot today and got Angry Orchard Stone Dry. The guy said he thinks its the same as the Traditional Dry, but with new packaging. to me it tastes a little drier than i remember. someone who doesn't like sweet might like it.

 

[citytransplant]

I'll drink a nice cold Woodchuck Hopsation any day of the week. Two or three, actually.

 

[Dan1]

I had woodchuck Gumption the other week, and like most others, it was a little sweet, but I did enjoy it very much whil waiting for my own to ferment and finish. I would buy it again. My 'standard' use to be the Amber, so i'm trying to make a WC amber clone from this forum. . Also, I found the Angry Orchard 'Traditional Dry' to be pretty decent. still sweet, but it has a sort of crisp bite to it that i like.

I got a bottle of their Gumption from a Total Wine the other day, and I also enjoyed it. I'm not a huge fan of their flagship cider, but I thought Gumption had pretty decent body and character. On the sweeter side, but not as syrupy as some of the cider I've had.

 

[Yooper]

Ahhhh...I love bottled blowies. Invite some girls over, offer them some drinks, let nature take its course.

Pro tip: Don't wear a belt. It confuses them and makes them giggle for some reason.

At first, I thought this was supposed to be funny.

Then I realized that any guy that would post this isn't funny at all. Nasty, not funny, and really disrespectful to women.

 

[dmtaylor]

Well, what can you expect from a guy named FloppyKnockers....

 

[soccerdad]

My sweetie prefers ACE over any cider but drinks Johnny Appleseed before WC or AO. I think Johnny Appleseed is a bud product. She's OK with the Apfelwein I make if it is well aged.

ps - thanks Yoop for speaking up

 

[Maylar]

I've tried a few commercial ciders, and Woodchuck's Granny Smith is OK. Angry Orchard is too sweet, but I'll get it on tap at the bar sometimes. Strongbow Gold Apple is OK too. I like my own more than any of them though.

 

[SerifSansSerif]

Welll...... Here's the deal.

Finding a good cider outside of a british or irish pub is damned near impossible.

I tend to like my ciders dry, and the world of commercial ciders hasn't caught on to the fact that a LOT of people out there tend to favor them the same, or at least dryer than what they produce is.

Woodchuck and crispin are not the worst (that right goes solely to Angry Orchard, which produces "cider" that tastes like Mott's juice boxes with a bit of grain alcohol added). I have been known to not only drink them but buy them as well. (Apple season is short and my wallet is very thin around that time of year, and home brewed cider is nectar of the gods, but it simply doesn't ever seem to be enough of it to go around).

So.... If I was given Woodchuck, I'd say "thank you very much" and probably drink it, but yes, it's a pale, pale, pale comparison to a nice pint of Blackthorn or something I made during the winter months.

 

[ejcrist]

Welll...... Here's the deal.

Finding a good cider outside of a british or irish pub is damned near impossible.

I tend to like my ciders dry, and the world of commercial ciders hasn't caught on to the fact that a LOT of people out there tend to favor them the same, or at least dryer than what they produce is.

Woodchuck and crispin are not the worst (that right goes solely to Angry Orchard, which produces "cider" that tastes like Mott's juice boxes with a bit of grain alcohol added). I have been known to not only drink them but buy them as well. (Apple season is short and my wallet is very thin around that time of year, and home brewed cider is nectar of the gods, but it simply doesn't ever seem to be enough of it to go around).

So.... If I was given Woodchuck, I'd say "thank you very much" and probably drink it, but yes, it's a pale, pale, pale comparison to a nice pint of Blackthorn or something I made during the winter months.

I haven't been drinking or making cider for very long so I can't comment on what truly good cider tastes like, but I couldn't agree more with your statement - hit the nail right on the top of the ole head. Couldn't agree more. The store bought stuff I've tried so far seemed pretty good but a little less sugar would certainly go a long way in improving them.

 

[FloppyKnockers]

At first, I thought this was supposed to be funny.

Then I realized that any guy that would post this isn't funny at all. Nasty, not funny, and really disrespectful to women.

"You find me offensive, I find you offensive. For finding me offensive."
~Marshall Mathers

 

[HawleyFarms]

I'll drink a nice cold Woodchuck Hopsation any day of the week. Two or three, actually.

^ Agreed. Hopsation is their best, though I wish they were drier. 802 dark n dry was really good but they've sweetened it to the point that it's just OK now. And their Winter Chill would be great if it were less sweet. I did think their hint of blueberry was pretty good.

Don't get me started on Angry Orchard. I swear they are just Zima with a new label. Terrible stuff.

And 1911 is pretty crappy too. More like Smirnoff's than ciders.

I dumped every Strongbow I have ever tried.

Johnny Appleseed is ridiculously over sweet.

Smith and Forge. Blehck.

I guess with everything considered woodchuck is the way to go if you are going commercial. It's what got me into home brewing and craft cider/beer in the first place so it can't be all bad.

 

[ericbw]

^ Agreed. Hopsation is their best, though I wish they were drier. 802 dark n dry was really good but they've sweetened it to the point that it's just OK now. And their Winter Chill would be great if it were less sweet. I did think their hint of blueberry was pretty good.

Don't get me started on Angry Orchard. I swear they are just Zima with a new label. Terrible stuff.

And 1911 is pretty crappy too. More like Smirnoff's than ciders.

I dumped every Strongbow I have ever tried.

Johnny Appleseed is ridiculously over sweet.

Smith and Forge. Blehck.

I guess with everything considered woodchuck is the way to go if you are going commercial. It's what got me into home brewing and craft cider/beer in the first place so it can't be all bad.

So you don't really like sweet cider?

 

[ericbw]

At first, I thought this was supposed to be funny.

Then I realized that any guy that would post this isn't funny at all. Nasty, not funny, and really disrespectful to women.

Ouch. Good point, though. It also didn't seem relevant to the discussion in any way. Oh well.