Blake's Hard Cider Traffic Jam

Blake's Hard Cider Traffic Jam. 6.5 % ABV.
Blake's Hard Cider, Armada, MI.

Clear, bright crimson coloring, no head at all.

In the nose: Nothing but berries, tart and sweet and oh, so fruity.

In the mouth: More sweet than tart at first, and very juicy. Tartness takes over, and it's clean and refreshing. Light bodied, crisp, and quenching. Turns a bit dry, but never strays from the sweet.
Not bad. not great, but not bad.

Inspired by the juicy berries we grow on our farm each summer, Traffic Jam is the perfect balance of ripe sweetness with bold fruit aromatics. Bursting with strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries, this semi-sweet captivates the nuance of our farm, in each and every taste.

Blake's Hard Cider Rainbow Seeker Pineapple Sage

Blake's Hard Cider Rainbow Seeker Pineapple Sage.
5.5% ABV. Blake's Hard Cider, Armada, MI.

Clear, pale yellowish-green (?) appearance, no head.

In the nose: Spice first. There's the sage. Then, along comes the fruit. Pineapple. Anything else? No, that covers it.

In the mouth: Here inside, it's a blend of the above, almost seamless. The fruit and the spice are as one. I never would have thought to put them together, but it happened. It's light, refreshing, absolutely drinkable. Delightful treat.

Let this pineapple paradise in a can take you on a tropical ride. With hints of sage, this balanced semi-sweet hard cider is impactful in more ways than just quenching your thirst. At Blake's Hard Cider, we seek equality, love, inclusion, and communal support. We are proud to partner with the Human Rights Campaign to support the LGBTQ community.

Blake's Hard Cider Flannel Mouth

Blake's Hard Cider Flannel Mouth. 6.5 % ABV. Blake's Hard Cider Company. Blake's Hard Cider, Armada, MI.

It's almost the end of 2018. One of my promises early in the year was to clear out my Dedicated Beer Fridge, reviewing every can and bottle. The beverages that have remained have mostly been ciders, and I've been drinking them out of a sense of duty, rather than any desire to drink a cider.

I count the number of cans, bottles, growlers and crowlers awaiting review, I divide it by the number of days left in the year, and I think, "yeah, I can do three reviews a night, every night." And then I come to my senses.

Blonde ales also stay too long in the fridge, as well as lagers and fruity beers. But, a promise is a promise, so let's get to drinking.

Clear, light green-is yellow, still.

In the nose: Green apple. Lightly tart.

In the mouth: Crisp, fruity, refreshing, light on the palate. Just a little on the sweet side, and quite delicious. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this one.

Although I have no clue why it's called "flannel mouth." Weird name, that.

Blake's Flannel Mouth is made with a wide array of late season table and dessert apples. This combination gives it a sweet flavor than finishes incredibly smoothly. Made 100% with Michigan-grown apples.

Blake's Hard Cider Co. Wake Fire

Blake's Hard Cider Co. Wake Fire. Infused with Michigan Cherries and Orange peel. 6.5% ABV. Blake's Hard Cider, Armada, MI.

Clear, pale gold, no head.

In the nose: bright, golden apple. Cherries slowly unspool, traces of citrus, too. Cherry gets bigger and bolder.

In the mouth: Crisp, dry, bursting with fruit. Light bodied, easily consumed, and tasty. It's a good cider and you can drink it. And drink it, I will.

One more time, I've got to say it: I'm trying to find the trick to writing about cider. Is there anything I'm missing? Do I have to learn a new terminology? Am I getting it? I'm giving it all I've got, and I want to know if I'm doing it right. Until I learn better, I'm going to keep trying as best as I can.

It's impossible to replicate a Michigan summer. Recreating a northern night under the stars would be a futile endeavor. So, we've done the next best thing - we've crafted summer's perfect ally. Experience WakeFire, a comforting blend of Michigan-grown cherries, orange peel and our famous Blake's apples.

Blake's Hard Cider El Chavo

Blake's Hard Cider El Chavo, Infused with Habaneros and Mango. 6.5% Alc./Vol. Blake's Hard Cider, Armada, MI.

Clear, pale golden hue, slim head, soon gone.

In the nose: Lightly spicy, minor heat, then comes the fruit. Little bit of heat to match the sweet.

In the mouth: Fresh apples, very fruit-forward, and then come the chilis. Heat comes rushing in. Peppers dominate the mouthfeel from here on out. That's alright, but it's not for me. I tend to avoid beverages such as this. If it flips your switch, go for it.

At Blake’s Hard Cider Co., we like spicing things up. That’s why we put dimmers on the lights in our Cider House. And it’s why we created this sweet, heated blend of habanero pepper, mango and our famous Blake’s apples. Experience a hard cider that’s really, honestly, truly like no other.

Blake's Hard Cider Grizzly Pear

I don't mind if you skip this post. "What do I care about ciders?" you're asking, of course. Well, I'm saying it, too, but I have to try them out at least. Other people like ciders, so it's my job to at least know something about them. And I have them in my fridge, and I need to drink them. Why not post about it? It would not hurt me at all if you don't read this. I promise. Especially since, if you're not reading this, well, you're not reading this.

So. Blake's Hard Cider of Michigan, and their Grizzly Pear, "made with pears, not bears." Infused with elderflower. 5% ABV.

Clear, bright golden coloring, no head, active carbonation.

In the nose: Sweet at first, apple-y, then dry. There was some pear in there, too. Crisp, lean, refreshing, delightful. I'm getting the pear a bit more, now. But none of the grizzly. And the elderflower? None sure where that comes in.

This is quite nice. I certainly wouldn't turn one down.

Our first pear hard cider, Grizzly melds soft notes of pear & prickly pear cactus balanced with a sharp apple finish with a hint of elderflower. No bears were harmed in the making of this product.