Woodchuck 802 Draft Cider -- Green Mountain Cidery (Middlebury, VT)

Woodchuck may be the most common US-based cider, but it's often disappointing.  I'm not a fan of sweet ciders, and the standard Woodchuck is cloying and difficult to finish.  Even the Granny Smith cider doesn't quite cut it -- it's too pale and runs a little sweet in the end.  But I've finally found a Woodchuck that breaks through the sweetness, the 802 (named for the telephone area code in Vermont).

Characteristics: Dark amber color, light body and carbonation, strong rounded apple flavor with sharp tangy notes, a dry middle and finish, and a citric acid aftertaste on the tongue.

Minor Gripes: The citric acid can get a tad overbearing if one waits too long between sips or swigs.  Luckily, that's not normally a problem...

Bottom Line: This is the first domestic cider I've tried that truly challenges the English / Irish ciders that make it stateside.  While I may not be a true cider aficionado (cf. this lovely article from Time Out London that savages Magners/Bulmers), I think the 802 would stand up to some of the specialty ciders and look forward to someday confirming (or disproving) this theory. 

Rating: 7 / 10