Oliver Winery & Vineyards – Beanblossom Hard Cider – Original & Peach – A First Sampling

A big thank you to everyone at Oliver Winery & Vineyards for giving me a chance to sample not one but two different Beanblossom Hard Ciders….and if that’s not fun enough, they happened to hit on what is possibly my favorite cider flavor of all time….Peach!

Beanblossom Hard Cider was started in 2014 by Oliver Winery & Vineyards in Bloomington, IN.  As it turns out, the state of the art winemaking equipment at Oliver, is perfect for crafting hard cider and with their $1-Million investment in their new filling machine, the time was right to produce hard cider. 

We started with Beanblossom Original and right out of the box I was impressed.  Made with Midwestern apples, this Original flavor is loaded with fresh apple aroma and of course it is loaded with fresh apple flavors.  The taste is bright and flavorful, and the finish is crisp and clean.  I really liked the level of carbonation and if I told you how amazing this cider paired with some Cabot extra-sharp cheddar, you’d be ordering some today.  All kidding aside, this cider is really good, and paired with sharp cheddar it is a home run.

I shared the Original flavor with Mrs. BeerBuzz and some cider-loving family members (who all loved it), but knowing how much I knew I’d love the Peach flavor, I decided to save it just for the two of us.  Beanblossom Peach starts out with some apple aroma, but the flavors quickly meld into a soft and delicious peach medley.  I love peach, but this peach cider is loaded with flavor, and the only thing I can imagine that would make it better, would be drinking it on the beach in mid-August.  Peaches in the aroma, peaches in the flavor, but all that with a crisp clean apple finish…that’s Beanblossom Peach.

Both ciders are packaged in 25.4oz bottles with great artwork from Kevin Pope….and what’s hard to display in pictures is that the labels have an embossed feel to them with a dental edging on the top and bottom.  These labels not only look great, but they feel amazing.  I honestly found myself playing with the labels while we were sampling….they’re gorgeous.

It goes without saying, but these ciders are both gluten-free and Oliver Winery & Vineyards tells me they retail for less than $10 per bottle.  Both hard ciders come in at 9%-AbV, so they are perfect for sharing with friends and family…and with Easter on the horizon, I think I’ve found the perfect Easter basket gift.

Be sure to try Beanblossom Hard Cider for yourself…and let me know what you think.  I’d recommend the Peach flavor, but the Original flavor is every bit as good.  Thanks again to everyone at Oliver Winery & Vineyards.  For more info on Beanblossom Hard Cider check out www.oliverwinery.com.